the church as a gospel habitat

 

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

Acts 4:32-33

Gospel centered living leads to clear gospel centered giving. The early church emerged from an official religious "crackdown" instituted by the Jerusalem authorities against Christianity by convening in prayer for a bold witness, and then the church demonstrated the practical differences the gospel makes. The changes occurred first in their hearts and souls, then were evidenced in unselfish giving to one another. The gospel led them to this experience. Belief in Jesus led them to be like Jesus.

The results of this sort of gospel living were profound. First, and most importantly, the gospel advanced. With great power the apostles kept preaching the good news, bearing witness to the resurrection of the Lord. The gospel was at the center of the proclamation of the church as believers unified around the life-changing truths of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Secondly, God's grace was the distinguishing church experience. It wasn't about a production on Sunday or a process for getting people involved, but all about God's grace being known through the gospel and in relationship with other believers. The gospel made a grace-filled church. Everyone experienced it.

A final observation from Acts 4: The gospel + grace created generosity (See Acts 4:34-37). No person among them was needy. The church graciously shared the gospel, shared life together, and shared resources and possessions so that no one was starving or in economic danger among them. People were so full of God's grace toward one another that they naturally shared their most treasured resources with the church for the sake of the gospel.

beyond feelings to faith

 

My soul also is greatly troubled.

But you, O Lord—how long?

Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;

save me for the sake of your steadfast love.

Psalm 6:3-4

Sometimes it feels like God is taking His time with something that I think I need an answer on RIGHT NOW! My feelings can then lead me to questions about God. That seems to be where David is with this psalm. He is emotionally worked up. He is running His life on his feelings. So in desperation he cries out a two word question to God: "How long?"

Even in this difficult moment, David does not let emotion rule his heart completely. There is an immediate turn to faith in what he knows about God. Theology saves the day from emotional instability. David once again offers his request, this time appealing to the Lord's overwhelming grace: "save me for the sake of your steadfast love."

There is a shift going on here that needs to be clearly applied during times of emotional crisis. David deliberately shifts his thoughts away from his feelings and toward the character of God. He goes from "How long, O Lord?" to focusing on asking God to act for the sake of God's own grace and not David's feeling of need. He stops questioning God and instead trusts that God will be God. There is a big difference in those two attitudes. The first attitude flirts with unbelief and selfish thinking. The second attitude is real, gutsy faith.

I do love that this psalm shows us both sides of the struggle in two verses side by side. I find hope in that observation. God can handle our humanity, our struggles to believe Him, our falls into emotional selfishness. He hears our prayers even when we are struggling to work out faith. And God remains steadfast in His love even when we waver in ours.

nomad

 
 

From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.

Genesis 12:8

I wonder what this faith was like for Abram. He was a childless nomad, wandering a land that God said would one day swarm with his descendents. It had to feel like a crazy life. He lived in tents, he tended his flocks with his servants, he looked out at the night sky vividly filled with stars as the reminders from God of his promised future. He had his small household, as yet no children, and the promise of God filling the night sky looking right back down on him every night every where he went. God told Abram that his descendents would be numerous like the stars of the heavens. And he at that time was an old man with an old wife and no kids. It seemed ludicrous to believe that promise, let alone worship God in his infertility. Yet he had faith, because he built an altar and prayed to God at every campsite. Old Abram awaited that outrageous promise's fulfillment.

Sometimes I think of Abraham
How one star he saw had been lit for me
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that, no less than he
And on this road to righteousness
Sometimes the climb can be so steep
I may falter in my steps
But never beyond Your reach

Rich Mullins - Sometimes By Step Lyrics 

Every step on this journey of life is a chance to trust the promise of God. In between Bethel and Ai, I can have my heart's altar built, and I can call upon the name of the LORD. My life is a journey without tents, but a journey still the same. I am a nomad waiting for God's greatness to be fulfilled in His promises. And like Abram, I will pray... and trust... and wander forward.

The Nazarene

 

And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Matthew 2:23

He was despised

He was rejected

He was hated

     by those He came to save

          Jesus the Nazarene

He was the Branch

out of Jesse

sprung up to lead

     those who cut Him off

          Jesus the Nazarene

He lived in Galilee

town of Nazareth

a place maligned

     no one expected good from

          Jesus the Nazarene

But out of Nazareth

came the Messiah

the Son of God

     Who died and rose again our Savior

          Jesus the Nazarene

And I love Him

though still despised

yet my Great Savior

     Conqueror of death and the grave

          Jesus the Nazarene

  

Pentecost: map for gospel preaching

 

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

Acts 2:36

This is the conclusion of Peter's first ever sermon on the day of Pentecost. It is a call to believe that Jesus is both God and Messiah. This appeal was made even as the crowd knew the recent history that had seen Jesus crucified, then His followers claimed Him risen from the dead and ascended to heaven. His disciples were left to proclaim this message to the world. And it started right here.

At least 3000 people were moved by Peter's words to do just what his short sermon asked of them (Acts 2:41). And they took the action steps Peter gave them. They repented and were baptized in the name of Jesus and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). This was a powerful moment in history as this new thing known as the Church was born in one big explosive burst of evangelism.

No doubt that nearly all of the three thousand in Jerusalem that day converted on the day of Pentecost were familiar with Jesus firsthand. Their recent memories were able to utilize real experience to test the veracity of the claims of the gospel. Still, it took tying in Old Testament scriptures, the gospel preaching of Peter, and strong exhortations to repent and turn from a crooked generation (Acts 2:40) to see this sort of mass conversion happen.

I notice then for the gospel to have its full effect, it is vital that its presentation be linked to scripture, comparisons be made to current sinful culture, and strong urges be given to repent and believe. Too often we may dilute the gospel, perhaps removing the offense of sin and the cross in our attempts to show people that "God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives". We still live in a crooked generation. We must repent of evil that imperils us over the flames of hell. We must believe Jesus is both Lord and Christ and that His death and resurrection bring our only salvation. Only then can we be saved.

when God laughs

 

He who sits in the heavens laughs;

the Lord holds them in derision.

Psalm 2:4

It has always been the case that human systems rage against God and His purposes. The second psalm shows us how this happens and how it has no impact on God's sovereign rule. The nations rage and plot, but to comes to no result. The raging against God is ineffective (Psalm 2:1). Yet God is merciful to humanity even in these moments of absolute rebellion against Him.

Even if multiple human systems align together they cannot succeed against God (Psalm 2:2-3). Human institutions see God's rule as "restrictive", "controlling", and "enslaving" like ropes or chains binding the slave (Psalm 2:3). But sin is the real chainmaker and the world's systems are all about controlling the heart and mind against God. And so human beings cast God as the bully in sinful derision of His mercy, not knowing the freedom He longs to give them through the Son. Their derisive plan is a sad, stupid rebellion and that stupidity is one source of God's amusement.

God's response is to maintain His power and laugh at their meager efforts. They cannot succeed. The nations that rage against the Lord and His Anointed in Psalm 2:1-3 are the same nations God promises to give to His Son in Psalm 2:7-8. And He will destroy all vestiges of sinful rebellion in them when He does so (Psalm 2:9).

God offers mercy even as He laughs at human rebellion. Psalm 2 calls those who rage against God to instead repent and worship the Lord (Psalm 2:11). If they do so, they will be blessed rather than judged (Psalm 2:12). God may laugh at sinful rebellion, but He does so with grace in His heart, offering blessing, forgiveness, and favor to those who will repent and trust in Him.

You cannot rage against God. You will find ruin in that effort. But you can repent, serve Him, and rejoice in the blessing of His refuge. It is better to know His joy in salvation than His derision in judgment.

begin at the beginning

 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:1-2

The Bible begins with this first description of God, the heavens, and the earth. It opens on the start of the universe, and before the universe begins, there is God as the Creator of all that there is. Scripture assumes there is a God and then moves to describe all else that He made.

The primal state of the heavens and the earth is much different than we now know it. God exists, but there is no light, just the earth as a formless empty expanse of water. But something is about to happen. God is hovering over it all. Something is going to come from nothing. God will speak "Let there be..." and all the elements of the universe will come into being by His plan.

Starting at the beginning at the start of a new year's beginning is a strategic opportunity I'm taking for 2017. I plan, as best as I can, to read through the entirety of the Bible this year, something I try to do regularly. And I will be reading through it at the beginning and ending of each day, starting with the Discipleship Journal Plan (available here) five mornings a week, and finishing with a chronological plan published by Mill Creek Community Church (available here) five evenings each week. I want to bookend my days with God's thoughts.

And like the very start of the book of Genesis, I assume God exists. I do believe that I know it well after 46 years of Christian teaching, lots of theological study, and the experience of following Christ. But it isn't the same kind of knowing as I have knowing the cup of coffee before me as I write at the moment. The coffee in the cup I can see, taste, smell, touch, even hear it brewing. I can quantify it physically. God, I must know intuitively and spiritually through the experiences of His providences in my life, the love of His Church, and the change that Christ has brought in my heart. I "hear" and "see" Him in the Word, and thus know my Creator's voice. With this kind of knowing, it is easy then to assume He is God and He is with me, from the very beginning.