Lenten Devotion – Day 33

Friday, March 27, 2015

Today’s Scripture: Luke 4:38-44

But he said to them, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose." (Luke 4:43)

“We preach grace, but we don’t always practice it. We talk about God’s mercy, but we don’t always want the people who need it most to know it or get in on it. We say we are in the redemption business, but the door to that redemption is often locked by us from the inside. We say, “Come in! All are welcome!” but “all” is often marked with an asterisk. How, I ask, can the world change – how can heaven come to earth – if we stingily protest against God for his grace to others, grace we have freely received ourselves? How can we pray “thy kingdom come,” and be resentful toward God and those he allows to enter the kingdom in his way and his timing?” ― Ronnie McBrayer, How Far Is Heaven?: Rediscovering the Kingdom of God in the Here and Now

  In our scripture reading today, we have Jesus’ first mention of the Kingdom of God in Luke’s gospel. Jesus came “proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities.” Jesus quite clearly states his purpose and he does this after healing Simon’s mother in-law, healing other sick people and casting out demons, who clearly knew who Jesus was. Ask anyone what they know about Jesus and most likely they will mention Jesus’s healing of the sick. Though Jesus healed and cast out demons, he also in this first mention of the Kingdom of God in the gospel of Luke states this is not his purpose for this ministry. “Proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God” is.

  We have been looking at what it is to enter and receive the kingdom of God as a disciple of Christ, which was a topic Jesus addresses frequently. So then based on Jesus’ parables and illustrations about kingdom, what then is the gospel? What is the “good news”?

  You will often hear others, speak about the good news by saying things, like, “Do you know that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life?” or “If you were to die tonight, and God was to ask you, why should I let you into my heaven, what would be your answer?” Though these are important questions, Jesus, on the other hand, did not approach his world with a question at all, but with a proclamation of the arrival of the kingdom of God. A kingdom that exist in the past, present and future, a kingdom is far off, but is also near, a kingdom that exists in heaven, but also is among us.

  Often churches and pastors reduce our faith to a series of decisions and transactions, and although there are decisions we each need to make as disciples, reducing the Gospel to a decision to accept “God’s plan for my life” or giving the right answer to the question of how to go to heaven seems to only comprehend part of the message Jesus was proclaiming was doing in his earthly ministry.

  The good news is about God and what God is doing. It is not about me and my doing what I think is important. It is not about some idea of success or happiness as the world might define it. For some individuals, they have reduced the gospel to what God is determined to do to fill out our shopping lists of needs and wants. This is not good news, spoken about. This good news is an announcement that things are going to be different. Back in verses 18-19, Jesus gives us more of an idea about this proclamation of the good news when he says, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19)

Lenten Devotion – Day 30

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Today’s Scripture: Luke 10:1-12

“After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:1-2)

“Will God ever ask you to do something you are not able to do? The answer is yes - all the time! It must be that way, for God's glory and kingdom. If we function according to our ability alone, we get the glory; if we function according to the power of the Spirit within us, God gets the glory. He wants to reveal Himself to a watching world.” ― Henry T. Blackaby, Experiencing the Spirit: The Power of Pentecost Every Day

  As we have been looking at the kingdom of God, we have discovered in scripture that Jesus’ purpose and parables are his method for calling us to enter and receive the kingdom. In our scripture reading today, we discover that Jesus does not want us to keep it to ourselves, we are to share it. When Jesus proclaims the kingdom of God, Jesus tells us this kingdom announcement is literally the beginning of a new order of things. Jesus was a herald of a whole new way of living and thinking about our lives, both personally and as a community. From the start of Jesus ministry, this kingdom proclamation was expected to change the world and Jesus called people to join that change, beginning with their own lives.

  The kingdom of God turns all the other kingdoms on their head, brings forth the unexpected, challenges our preconceptions of our world around us, and breaks open the unpredictable. We are called to show people how to love God and their neighbors and thereby bring new hope and faith to the lives of our neighborhoods, families, friends, communities, nations, and the world. The world around us is longing for unpredictable ministry of hope, longing for a place where they belong in mutual love and respect, and a place where the grace and presence of God is evident in the lives of those around them. When people witness that kingdom of God actually being lived out, they are first surprised by it and then attracted to it.

  So Jesus needs us to become participants in sharing the kingdom of God with the world around us and it is not an easy task, but as Jesus tells us today, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” We are called to add to the numbers who can enter and receive the kingdom. So Jesus needs to train others to share the kingdom, just as we need trained to share the kingdom.

  Jesus selects seventy of his followers and gives them some instruction and experience in sharing the kingdom and peace of God. He tells them there is a cost to living in the kingdom. It can sometimes be uncomfortable and challenging. Jesus is confident we can do it, by helping to ease people into the kingdom.

An Invitation To Stay

“When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. (Lev. 19:33-34)

To offer hospitality to a stranger is to welcome something new, unfamiliar, and unknown into our life-world… Strangers have stories to tell which we have never heard before, stories which can redirect our seeing and stimulate our imaginations. The stories invite us to view the world from a novel perspective. - Thomas Ogletree, Hospitality to the Stranger

  I am always attempting to learn new things which would benefit the church and help us to reach out to our community and share the abundant grace of God with our neighbors. When I am on vacation, Karen and I will attend worship at churches where we have never been before, small churches, larger churches, non-denominational churches, etc. I have said before, I have stolen some of my best ideas during these visits by seeing what others are doing.

  What I found amazing were the variety of welcomes we received at each church. Some are friendly, in some no one greeted us, some simply ignored us, some are curious as if no new people had attended worship in years, and others guessed I was a pastor on vacation. When I am out and about I like to take photos and a few months ago I took the photo I have included in today's post. It is about a Social Club and their motto is “Everyone is Invited.... Few are asked to stay.” Sadly, I have discovered this could also be the motto of many of the churches Karen and I have visited over the years.

  I stated in my sermon series on evangelism, we are called to extend an invitation to others to “come and see” what is happening here. Of course, an invitation would seem hollow and empty if the people are not welcomed and shown hospitality once they arrive at our door. We are called upon to extend hospitality along with invitations. Each new visitor who walks through our doors is a gift from God and we are called to welcome them with graciousness for this gift. In the Bible, offering hospitality is not just a nice idea, it is a moral imperative. God's people remember that they were once strangers and refugees who were taken in by God, “You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 10:19)

  Many congregations would declare themselves to be friendly, open, warm, and interested in growth. They would say with conviction, “We are a friendly, caring group of people who would welcome anyone into our fellowship and extend the best of hospitality.” As church members we often find ourselves haunted by our own words, because we discover that the strangers in our midst who come through our doors do not always have a warm experience of hospitality during their visit.

Telling the Story

Christians and non-Christians have something in common: We’re both uptight about evangelism. - Rebecca Manley Pippert

  I want to continue my thoughts about evangelism today and share another video (actually two) which can help us to think about our role in evangelism. If we have been apart of the church for many years, we might have heard of a variety of evangelism strategies the church has used over the years, i.e., James Kennedy's Evangelism Explosion, the Four Spiritual Laws, the Bridge diagram, etc. In their day, many of these approaches produced effective evangelism results for the church and many churches experienced considerable growth in their membership. The problem is the world around us and our neighborhoods changed and these strategies lost there ability to reach our communities. As our neighborhoods change so does the need for our church to change its methods and strategies for outreach.

   A few years ago I read a book by James Choung called “True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In.” This book is a very different type of book from what we might expect when thinking about evangelism in the church. More than half of the book reads more like a novel than a book intended to teach us about evangelism, but this is exactly what he is attempting to do.

  What James Choung does is he tells a story about how to have a conversation with someone outside the church and how to blend our personal story of faith to the larger story of God at work in Jesus Christ and his people in the world. What James Choung has done is to engage the story of Scripture in a way that can be authentically shared with others. We have not only our story to share, but also the message of Scripture.

  James Choung’s book, “True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In”, helps us learn how to share the essentials of our faith with another person. His portrayal of the Big Story of Scripture is a very compelling and effective way of sharing God’s mission by telling this story, you are able to help people identify where they are and want to be in the faith. The major parts of the story are the following, which are explained and illustrated in the videos below by James Choung:

 WE ARE DESIGNED FOR GOOD: Choung describes God’s good creation and emphasizes God’s purpose for human beings as loving God, one another, and caring for creation.
 WE ARE DAMAGED BY EVIL: Creation is broken because of our desire to be God instead of trusting God and living into our purpose. All of creation is broken! Relationships are broken. Our lives are broken. Communities are broken.
 WE ARE RESTORED FOR BETTER: The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ bring us forgiveness and hope and set us on a journey of healing the world.
 WE ARE SENT TO HEAL TOGETHER: This is the mission of the church! This, and only this purpose, is the reason the church exists. 
   Watch James Choung’s videos, The Big Story, parts 1 and 2. I would appreciate hearing your thoughts and comments about these videos.

The Big Story, Part 1 from James Choung on Vimeo.

The Big Story, Part 2 from James Choung on Vimeo.

Why Haven't You Invited Me?

“But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'” (Rom. 10:14-15)

 Nothing is more destined to create deep-seated anxieties in people than the false assumption that life should be free from anxieties. - Fulton J. Sheen

  Nathan Williams told of two men who had been business partners for over twenty years. They met one Sunday morning as they were leaving a restaurant. One of them asked, "Where are you going this morning?"

  "I'm going to play golf. What about you?"

  The first man responded rather apologetically, "I'm going to church."

  The other man said, "Why don't you give up that church stuff?"

  The man asked, "What do you mean?"

  "Well, we have been partners for twenty years. We have worked together, attended board meetings together, and had lunch together, and all of these twenty years you have never asked me about going to church. You have never invited me to go with you. Obviously, it doesn't mean that much to you."

  We are told by Jesus that our task as the church is to extend invitations to “come and see” and share the good news, but most often we don't. We allow our fears or embarrassment rule our behaviors rather than look around at the people we have know even for many years and we fail to act.

  What’s the point of any conversation? Is not conversation about sharing life together? Getting to know one another better? Connecting? The best conversations leave us with a mutual respect and increasing fondness of each other with the hopes of continuing the conversation soon. If our faith, our church, and our discipleship is important to us should it not come up in our conversations. But conversations like that seem to be few and far between, especially if they get wrapped up in what we think is “evangelism.”

  If our stories of what Jesus has done for us and the fellowship we have found in the church family is truly important to us should it not come up in our conversations.

  We often make assumptions about people about their appearance, their mannerism, and we form stereotypes in our mind about specific groups which in turn kills relationships. “Come and See” (John 1:46) are the words the disciple Philip says to his friend Nathaniel. On one level, it is an invitation to friendship, discovery and discipleship. Our faith can be communicated in this way and it can be done with respect and fondness for others. We don't have to sell Jesus, the Holy Spirit will do this for us, if we are willing to share our own stories of what Jesus means to us.

  Today, I have a short video below called "Time to invite someone to church," which illustrates that we make too many assumptions about people which may prevent us from extending an invitation. Watch the video and consider in your prayers and thoughts today, what prevents you from extending an invitation to others to come and see.

     

The Passion of Amazing Grace

"But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture — “I believed, and so I spoke” — we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” (2 Cor. 4:13-15, NRSV)

 

  If you want to build a ship, don't summon people to buy wood, prepare tools, distribute jobs, and organize the work, rather teach people the yearning for the wide, boundless ocean.   Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Evangelism is good news, it is the amazing grace of God revealed to God's people. The good news is not about introducing a program, gaining more members, changing worship style, attracting young people or increasing budgets. Evangelism is the good news of God’s healing and saving love in Jesus Christ. Evangelism is about sharing the Amazing Grace of Jesus Christ with our family, friends and neighbors. For the church to pursue its full redemptive potential, a passion for the life and work of Jesus Christ must be reclaimed. We must rediscover for ourselves the amazing passion of sharing God's amazing grace. When we witness others experiencing the life of grace as a “new creation” in Christ, then we as a church, as disciples are transformed.

We believe that God created a good and beautiful world. However, this beautiful creation is broken because the first humans decided that they would be better off being God than serving God. Humanity continues to choose this path of destruction. The good news is that God is not content to leave us in our brokenness. God takes on human flesh and blood to rescue us and show us the way into life’s purpose and meaning.

We often sing that old favorite hymn, “Amazing Grace” during worship. It is one of the most favorite hymns within the church regardless of denomination.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
   That saved a wretch like me!
   I once was lost, but now am found,
   Was blind, but now I see.

Is this hymn merely a nice hymn we sing occasionally or is it for us a witness to the glorious grace we see witnessed in those transformed by Christ's grace. God has given me the honor of witnessing this amazing grace in the lives of others as they experienced this grace and became new creations through Christ's grace. As a witness to this wonderful miracle of God my life, faith, hope and love was renewed and refreshed each time.

Today, I want to share a video simply called, “Amazing Grace.” It visually illustrates the power and significance of this grace and the powerful witness it gives the world and the church. I hope this might help to spark the passion for sharing the good news. “... so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” (2 Cor. 4:15, NRSV)

 

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All God's People are Welcome!

"When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?"  They said to him, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day.” (John 1:38-39, NRSV)

If you want your neighbor to know what Christ will do for him, let the neighbor see what Christ has done for you. - Henry Ward Beecher

  Evangelism is good news. The good news is not about introducing a new church program, gaining more members, or increasing budgets. Evangelism is the good news of God’s healing and saving love in Jesus Christ. Evangelism is a lifestyle in which a follower of Jesus Christ both shares faith and serves others in need. Evangelism is about bringing this good news into our communities, evangelism has been poorly accepted in many congregations because many images exist which presents evangelism in ways, it was never intended.

  Jesus tells us we are to “go and make disciples.” Jesus did not say “go and make Presbyterian's,” though if we prove faithful in our responsibility to to make disciples, God will take care of the Presbyterian part. If we are faithful and work to bring in the harvest that God is preparing for us to participate, God will make sure we have the people needed to get the job done and bless our congregation.

  As I said in my message on Sunday, September 29, 2013, evangelism in it's basic form is about extending an invitation to family, friends, and neighbors. Inviting them to “come and see” for themselves. Then once they accept the invitation. We must make sure they are welcomed with hospitality and grace into the family of God and come to recognize this is a place where they can belong. People want a place where they can belong, a place where they can be themselves, a place that will help them to become better people, and a place where they can learn how Christ will help them become this better person by becoming Christ's disciple.

  People are afraid of the church. They are afraid they will not be accepted, they are afraid they are not perfect enough to belong, and they are afraid they can not be healed of their broken lives. Our task as the church is to be the better people these individuals need in their lives to reassure them that God loves them deeply and nothing is so bad that God can not forgive and help them become a new creation. They need a place where they can trust that their life can be different within a loving, compassionate and caring community of faith.

  The following video is called, “All God's People are Welcome!” and was used by a Presbyterian Church in Wisconsin. The video deals with people's objections about going to church and how all should be welcome to come.

  Yesterday, I completed a three part sermon series on Evangelism, though you will hear more later. Over the next few weeks, I will continue to build on the ideas and scriptures I covered in my messages and show you how we are called to share the good news of Jesus Christ. I also hope you will discover a renewal of your spirit and faith and find new energy and hope in Christ when we reach out to our community and share this good news.

  I recently hear a story of a 10 year old who became involved in a church because of attending VBS and attending weekly worship at the church with his neighbors after VBS. Then this 10 year old child extended an invitation to his grandmother to come to worship with him. This simple invitation by this child, resulted in a significant transformation in this woman's life. If a 10 year old can do it, we must be able.

Extending an Invitation

It’s like a middle school dance. Everybody wants to dance, but nobody wants to ask.

“Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.'” (John 1:46) 

  Tomorrow, I will be concluding my three part sermon series on evangelism. This Sunday is Evangelism Sunday in the Presbyterian Church, (U.S.A.) Though this will not end my efforts to engage the congregation more into outreach and evangelism, I hope I will spark your interest in learning more. Evangelism is a vital part of the life of the church and not just something we think about a once a year and say we have covered it. Evangelism is very important to the daily mission of the church. I will be posting on my blog in the next few weeks more thoughts and ideas about how the church can improve its work in evangelism.
 Tomorrow, I will be using a scripture reading from the Gospel of John in the first chapter where Jesus calls his disciples. He asks them to follow him and the simple phrase, “Come and See” is used. One of the simplest forms of outreach and evangelism in the church is the simple act of extending an invitation to our family, friends and neighbors to worship, to bible study, a picnic, or special event or other activities within the life of the church. Though a simple invitation is one of the simplest approaches to an overall church effort in evangelism. It is also one least used approaches by church members.
  The following video is called “I Invited” and it simply illustrates the power of extending an invitation to others and how far reaching a simple invitation can lead to others.



  It sounds obvious, but few people are doing it. In his book The Unchurched Next Door, Thom Rainer says that only 2% of church people ever invite someone to church. The answer most often given for why not, is we are afraid. And it’s not clear what we’re afraid of: 82% of the unchurched individuals are somewhat likely to attend worship if someone would just ask them.   So if you’re a person in the pew not inviting anyone to church, it’s time to ask why not. Maybe you’re scared they’ll say no, maybe you’re embarrassed of your church, maybe you just don’t think about it. Or maybe like a lot of us in Christian circles, you don’t think you have many unchurched friends you can invite.   If you’re just scared, find ways to make it less scary. First, select a few people you think you could invite and prayer for them and ask God to give you the opportunity to invite them without fear. Invite a friend to a special event instead of Sunday morning or find a mutual friend and tag team the invitation. In the scripture above, when Nathanael expresses his doubts about anything good coming out of Nazareth, namely Jesus, Philip does not engage Nathanael in a debate or discussion on the merits of people coming from Nazareth. Philip simply extends the invitation to Nathanael to “come and see” for himself about who Jesus is.

Inviting Others to the Table

“And as he sat at dinner in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples — for there were many who followed him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Mark 2:15-16)

  I spent 20 years working in the addiction treatment and prevention field and did a great deal of public speaking to groups throughout the county where I worked. Parents would frequently ask me what steps they could take to keep their children drug free. Among my suggestions was to insure that they had regular family meals together. Family meals provide opportunities for ongoing, consistent conversations between parent and child and keeps parents involved in the daily activities of their children.

  My children are now adults and if you were to ask them their most memorable family moments sharing conversations around the dinner table on our deck in the summer would be at the top of the list. On a summer evening we would barbeque and share dinner on the deck and frequently would end up talking into the late evening hours.

  In scripture, banquets and feasts are prominent in sealing friendships and building relationships. The idea of hospitality runs deep in the thought of those in the Near East. Shared meals are a sign of community and acceptance. In the context of meals Jesus challenges our ideas about community. Jesus calls all disciples to be good neighbors, to be hospitable and welcoming. Jesus, both as guest and host of meals shares his reality of the kingdom of God. Jesus accepted and extended invitations regardless of social status.

  Even today, in the middle east, to invite a man or women to a meal is an honor. To share a common meal is an offer of peace, trust, brotherhood and forgiveness. Sharing a place at the table meant sharing life. In doing this Jesus shocked the concept of community and was criticized for it. "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them" (Luke 15:2).