Abiding

Jesus first calls us to come. Then he commands us to “stay” in Him. (To abide means to remain, or to stay.)

We have seen that this is more powerful than prayer because it is the key to answered prayer. John 15:7

We have seen that this is more gracious than salvation, because it results in more than just life, but life “more abundant” when we pasture with the good shepherd. John 10:10

We have learned that abiding with Christ is more miraculous than healing and more glorious than the image of God, because as we abide in Christ we are actually changed from “glory to glory” ever closer to His perfect image. 2 Cor. 5:17 ff

We have at least one more week on this topic. But as we have made purposeful efforts to “stay with Him and remember that He is in us” some remarkable things have happened… so remarkable that I am having trouble believing them. I write this for one simple purpose. It’s clear that abiding with Him is not something we accomplish by effort, giftedness, or even faith. If those were required, I would not be seeing anything.

But my lack of faith and vision notwithstanding, people in our group are seeing physical needs, emotional needs, and relational needs being met in astounding clarity.

“Stay”

More Gracious than the Gift of Life

John 15: 9 -11 "Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love. If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.”

Abiding in Christ places His full and complete joy within the one blessed to abide…i.e. “life more abundant.”

Acts 2:28 Peter, at Pentecost, quotes David from Psalm 16 “you will make me full of joy with your presence.” (emphasis added)

More Powerful than Prayer

What’s more powerful than prayer? Abiding in Christ. It is only as we abide in Him that we know how to pray.

John 15:7 “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you can ask for what you want and it shall be given to you.”

Of course, if we make it our goal to abide in Christ so that we can get whatever we want, we will never succeed at either goal. If we abide in Christ, our wants will be forever altered.

Romans 6 is clear that we died with Christ, and because of that, we live with Him, too.

“For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death (which is symbolized in the immersion of baptism), we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection.”

Rom 12 adds that we should live these resurrected lives as living sacrifices. Not sacrifices that die on the altar, but sacrifices that live. Sacrifices that died with Christ and now abide in Him. We are sacrifices that live Holy lives, lives that are pleasing to God.

In this way our wants are altered to become His wants. John 15:7 is a promise, but it might be better to see it as a barometer. If I am given whatever I prayerfully want, I can be assured that I am abiding in Him, and His words are abiding in me.

But if I am not given what I prayerfully want, it demonstrates that I am not capable of understanding His heart in the matter. But our gracious Lord knows our weakness. He understands our hurt. He even understands our heart when it is out of sync with His. And He still loves. He still welcomes us. He still calls us to trust Him more. He still offers the promise. If you will abide in me….you shall have what your heart most deeply wants.

Challenge: Spend 5 minutes each morning, consciously placing yourself in His presence.

Next Topic: “What’s more gracious than salvation?”

Our next topic is…

More powerful than prayer
More gracious than salvation
More miraculous than healing
More glorious than the image of God
More comforting than scripture
More certain than breath

Goodness

On Sunday, we ended on Romans 15:14 where Paul says he is convinced that believers are able to “instruct” one another. We noted three conditions for his confidence.
1) We are in a community
2) We are full of goodness
3) We are filled with knowledge

As we discussed these, I neglected to mention one important thought about goodness. Goodness and “being nice” are not the same thing. Goodness is a noun that references the actions one takes when proper and right in relationship. “Goodness” is the works that come from love. That means that when Jesus looked Peter in the eye and said “Get thee behind me Satan” that was “goodness.” (Otherwise Jesus was being less than loving.) When Jesus said “woe to you, you bunch of snakes” that was “goodness.” When he wove a whip out of straw and went wild on the money changers, that was “goodness.”

The actions that come from doing right in a relationship are not always “nice” nor are they always “harsh.” That’s why being full of knowledge becomes so important.

Please remember to pray at let me know your thoughts about
- What’s after Romans?
- Do we give to the Rawanda Mission, and how much?
- Do we give to “Jack’s travel fund,” and how much?
- Should we spend $150.00 for a small coffee roaster?
- Details for this coming Sunday’s schedule (Steve has to be at the School of Medicine Graduation, Jack is graduating from the Bell Center)

Romans 14

“It’s OK for believers to hold, believe, and live by, different personal standards.”

I know that can seem contrary to what you have heard. Many of us have been taught that there is an objective standard of right and wrong to which all people will be held. But that’s only true about a relatively small number of issues.

“It’s OK for believers to hold, believe, and live by, different personal standards.”

That’s a position that’s uncomfortable. We are more comfortable with small boxes in which all “right-minded” people agree. But it’s not what the Bible teaches.

It’s possible that it is right for me to drink wine and wrong for you. It’s possible that it’s right for you to see an R-rated movie, but wrong for me. It’s possible that it’s right for the spouse of one adulterous spouse to stay committed and wrong for antoher.

“It’s OK for believers to hold, believe, and live by, different personal standards.”

The standards about which God convicts me, are standards for ME. I will answer to His standards for me. I will not answer your standards for me. I will not answer for how others live to His standards for me.

“It’s OK for believers to hold, believe, and live by, different personal standards.”

Don’t take my word for it. Read Romans 14

Where we are

This week we will meet from 3-5. We'll start at Romans 14:1. I look forward to seeing you all.

Certainties

Yesterday seemed like a good day to be thinking about taxes. The old saying that “the only certainties are death and taxes,” came to my mind. I think there are another two certainties.

The first thing true of every person, is that we are built with an inescapable need to be in reciprocal and perfect love.

The second is that we are completely incapable of establishing or maintaining reciprocal and perfect love.

What Shall I Do Next?

Last Sunday we discussed the long section in Romans where Paul addresses only the Jews in Rome, and then the short section where Paul talks to the Gentiles about the Jews and how the gentiles should view and treat the Jews.

Several mentioned that they would really like to ask some questions of a practicing Jew. Modern Judaism seems to contradict the Judaism in Biblical times.

I said that I had done that with a Jewish friend several years ago, and maybe I could find another Jewish friend who would be willing to answer questions from the group.

I asked a medical student if she would sit down with us and answer our questions. Explained some of the questions I expected we would ask and assured her that we would be kind, respectful, and that she would leave thinking it was a very pleasant time.

She responded that while she is “a religious person” she feels unqualified to answer our questions. She gave me the name and contact info for the rabbi at a local conservative temple, and for the rabbi at a local “reform” temple.

So, send your vote by taking the poll on this page.

Leadership 3

Another key point is most of the modern books on Christian leadership is “assemble the right team.” One of these well-known books, by a well-known author suggests that potential team members should have “character, competency, and chemistry.”


The thought is that the person should know Christ and walk in honesty and integrity (character), a track record of accomplishment (competency), and “fit in” with the rest of the team (chemistry). While it’s obvious that it would be foolish to do ministry with someone who doesn’t know Christ, is dishonest, is unable to accomplish a task, and annoys everyone else, I wonder how God’s selection method fits these criteria.


Moses was a murderer that succeeded in the great career move of losing his place in a palace to live in a tent and chase sheep around in a desert. I don’t recall Jesus giving the 12 any special screening. He took a pretty variable lot that included some pretty undesirable qualities. And all of them ran away and hid when things got really tough. “Not many wise” of this world are chosen. (I Cor. 1:26)


Why is it dangerous to find someone with character, competency, and chemistry? Because character is impossible to accurately read (man looks at the outward appearance but looks on the heart. I Sam. 17:7). Competency leads to pride (God has chosen the base and despised people so that He would get the glory rather than the person. I Cor. 1:26-29) Chemistry leads to comfort and complacency or a clique that the church people cannot penetrate. (When they were well fed and comfortable, they forgot God. Hos. 13:6)


What do I propose instead? I propose that the church should not seek leaders. A focus on “assembling the right team” is a focus on the wrong thing. The “right team” can accomplish great things, but it cannot, ever, under any circumstances accomplish the right things.


We don’t need to identify great candidates. We need to be broken and lost fellow-laborers with other broken and the lost people until they become fellow-laborers indeed. This is not just a cliché. This is not an excuse to never have paid staff. (although I think most churches rely too heavily on paid staff) This is a fundamental shift in values and focus. It does not matter if our team fits any criteria on any list, has had success in any way, or enjoy the same things in each other’s company. What matters is that we and they be humble in admitting that we are struggling sinners that cannot live for God the way we wish, but despite that, we focus our energies on pleasing Him and serving others in His name, despite our ineptitude which ensures we will routinely fail.


An old song by a very creative Christian artist (Steve Taylor) was called “Jesus is for losers.” (I edited out a few verses here for space)


If I was driven
Driven ahead by some noble ideal
Who took the wheel?


If I was given
Given a glimpse of some glorious road
When was it sold?


So caught up in the chase
I keep forgetting my place


Just as I am
I am stiff-necked and proud
Jesus is for losers
Why do I still play to the crowd?


Just as I am
Pass the compass, please
Jesus is for losers
I'm off about a hundred degrees


If I was groping
Groping around for some ladder to fame
I am ashamed


If I was hoping
Hoping respect would make a sturdy footstool
I am a fool


Bone-weary every climb
Blindsided every time


Just as I am
I am needy and dry
Jesus is for losers
The self-made need not apply


Just as I am
In a desert crawl
Lord, I'm so thirsty
Take me to the waterfall


Just as you are
Just a wretch like me
Jesus is for losers
Grace from the blood of a tree


Just as we are
At a total loss
Jesus is for losers
Broken at the foot of the cross

Love that is hotter than Hell

I like to say that I love people. I just read a passage that made me realize that I really don’t. If Paul were not inspired of the Holy Spirit and if the Scriptures were not the word of God almighty, I would be convinced that Paul was self-deceived.

Under what circumstances would you willingly accept Hell? Eternal damnation and eternal isolation are partial and incomplete descriptions of the horrors it holds. When I contemplate hell I am motivated to an evangelistic zeal for grief over the idea that anyone will face that permanent tragedy.

Paul says he would willingly accept Hell for himself, if it would mean that his Jewish brethren would be spared. (Romans 9:1-3) I am out of words.

Leadership 2

There is a second point, consistently made in the current books on leadership geared toward Christian leaders. It can be worded in several ways, but essentially it is this. “Be single-minded in the sense of that you do not allow anyone to distract or divert attention into any direction other than the vision you have.”

Last night I was reviewing one of those books (a best seller). In it, the respected Christian leader told every member of his staff “If you cannot work your ministry with the same vision the church has adopted, you need to find a new job.” What was the vision that some staff members were not following? It was an emphasis on moving people into small groups for discipleship. Every ministry, from the meals for the homeless program to the nursery, had to organize itself around a process that promoted small groups.

My chief objection to this single minded focus is that it makes the “vision” a greater priority than the people. The point is often made that the word “church” does not mean a building, or a worship experience. We need to remember that it’s not a vision statement, either. The people that are the core of what “church” means are vastly more important than the building, the style of worship, or the vision statement.

I wouldn’t be making this point if the vision statement were an undeniable Biblical truth…. “Proclaim Christ!” (for example). The vision of promoting small groups is (in my opinion) a good one. But the vision is NOT more important than the people it is supposed to serve.

I’m afraid that I want to take my disagreement farther. To me, it seems arrogant to assume that the vision I believe is from God is more certain, more fixed, and more reliable than the people He brings to the church. I do not believe that the pastor and the elders have a more reliable access to God’s direction than others involved in the ministry. I believe God can and will speak to me and to the elders THROUGH the voices of the people in our ministry. The lady who brews coffee for the men’s breakfast may the one member of the body who has an important key insight to refine the vision. To believe anything less denies what Paul teaches about the body and its many members.

It’s a terrible misunderstanding of “church” if we have a greater steadfast commitment to the vision statement than to the people. The scriptures place a much greater emphasis on loving the people in the church than an unwavering commitment to the style of worship or an emphasis on seekers as opposed to an emphasis on discipleship, or nearly anything placed in many vision statements.

It may be helpful to call this error “the tyranny of the vision” just to contrast it with the opposite error, “the tyranny of individualism” (anarchy). It is foolish to fantasize that a leader can let every person have their own vision, agenda, and ideals. A team must always work in harmony or it will splinter into factions and become completely dysfunctional. In my leadership, I avoided the danger of “the tyranny of the vision,” but fell into the “opposite” error. Predictably, our group splintered into factions and fell apart. But this danger does not justify reducing the people to a level lower than the vision.

It’s much easier to commit one error or the other than to find the balance between them. I cannot claim to have walked the balanced line often, but I think I can describe something close to the right path.

Every person, regardless of the role they play in the body, must always have the freedom to dream and to express their dream as a possible refining of the vision we are pursuing. When there are contradictory visions at play the answer is not to “throw out the [immoral or disagreeing] brother.” The answer is to leave your [sacrifice or vision statement] at the altar and go immediately to your brother and reconcile. Talk, discuss, quarrel, and humbly esteem the brother until the contradiction is resolved. Do not make any dramatic changes in the practices of the church until the contradictory visions are reconciled or all parties agree to pursue one approach together.

Neither the tyranny of the vision nor the tyranny of individualism, are acceptable. The only way the middle ground can be found and walked is when the unity of the Spirit is valued and pursued, as an inviolate portion of the vision for the church.

“I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live worthily of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Eph. 4:1-3