A More Supreme Truth

Jesus lived in a time when all kinds of things He didn't like were perfectly legal. In fact, He was crucified under Roman and Jewish laws there were completely against His will.

And yet, what did He say to government leaders when He had the chance?

• "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here" (Jn 18:36).
• "For this reason I was born, and for this reason I have come into the world: in order that I can testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice" (Jn 18:37).
• "You would not have any authority over me unless it was given to you from above" (Jn 19:11).
• And sometimes, Jesus just said nothing at all to defend Himself.

Jesus never tried to overthrow the government. His was not a political movement. His movement was to transform the world through transforming people with the Gospel. He handpicked and trained ordinary people He called His "disciples" to send out just as He was sent (Jn 20:21), to carry on the same mission in the same manner.

Paul, who was one of the Apostles who followed Jesus after His death, was a most prolific emissary throughout the Roman world. He was a full citizen of the empire and saw the atrocities firsthand. Even so, his campaign was not to change the empire's rules, but to change people within the empire with the Gospel. Some of those folks even lived in the very heart of Rome (see the entire book of Romans). When he closed out his letter to the church in Philippi, he said "All the saints greet you, and especially those of Caesar’s household" (Php 4:22). Apparently, some within Caesar's own household were followers of Christ. They weren't there to take over - they were folks holding down their "government jobs" in the center of it all ... as followers of Jesus.

Luke wrote two long volumes to his friend Theophilus (cf. Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-5). There is strong speculation among scholars that Theophilus, a follower of Jesus, was well-placed in government. But the accounts Luke writes to Theophilus are not stories of overthrowing the Roman government, but rather stories of the world being turned "upside down" (Acts 17:6) by people sharing and living the truth about Jesus.

In light of recent events, I want to encourage you no matter what your view is of how Christians should be involved in the affairs of government. Some of you don't care one lick about politics, some of you intentionally withdraw from it, some of you talk about it and vote and maybe dabble here and there, and some of you dive right into the heart of it. I want to encourage all of you: 

No matter how you choose to engage the affairs of government, Jesus' primary means of changing the world has always been through His followers telling others about Him, and loving and living like He did.

That's it. That simple, that relational, that normal, that daily. Not just one or the other - not just talking about Him and not just living like He did and not even just being really loving, but all three. There may be all kinds of secondary means (which we can debate). But the primary means never changed. Therefore, it must remain the modern Christian's primary means, too, no matter what.

This neither precludes nor prescribes any particular approach to being involved in the political process. Some followers of Jesus were from the very beginning well-placed in government. Paul's bacon was saved several times because he had good relations with government leaders (and he was threatened by the bad relations!). Others had their noses down, focused on the families and work. But even in the context of a government far worse than most modern Western nations, the strategy never wavered. Followers of Jesus talking about Him, and loving and living like He did.

To rely more on any other method is to claim we have a better strategy than He did. To expect any other method to be more effective is to claim His way wasn't timeless.

Did you hear what happened to Jenny? I can't believe it! It's awful, and we really need to pray for her. Don't tell anyone, but...

Well, this is kind of typical of David. You know how he is. This time, he...

We all do it, often without thinking about it. Gossip, rumors, and accusations. It's one part genuine concern and three parts being the one "in the know." The only way that others will know that you are in the know is to let them know what you know. That's a long sentence that means "gossip." We do care for others, but sometimes we have a funny way of showing it. No ... not "funny." "Terrible." Sometimes we have a terrible way of showing it.

Paul mentions gossiping a few times:

Romans 1:29-31: They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless. (http://ref.ly/Rom1.29-31)

1 Corinthians 12:20: I am afraid that somehow there may be quarreling, jealousy, intense anger, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder. 

(http://ref.ly/1Cor12.20)

What strikes me about these two lists is what Paul puts gossiping on par with. Wickedness! Malice! Envy! Murder! Deceit! Intense anger! Hating God! Gossip! That's some seriously bad company gossip keeps. When we gossip, no matter how concerned we are for someone else's well-being, we are participating in a very ugly list of offenses, on the same level as insolence, hostility, and murder. Gossip is not a little thing to God.

Sometimes we are told in confidence, and then gossip has the double offense of violating a  trust and confidence. Other times, we're not told in confidence. But that doesn't excuse gossip one little bit. But we still do it, often with the idea that generally speaking, people shouldn't be talking this way, but this is just one little time, and to just one other person. What? "It's bad for everyone, but it's OK in this case ... because it's me, and I'm not a gossip. And I care." Ruthless!

There can also be a sick little pleasure in talking about someone who is more messed up than we are. It's a little vacation from our own faults. At least I'm not guilty of ... that! Jesus says that before we remove the speck out of our brother's eye, we should remove the log from our own. That also applies to gossip and the sick vacation it can be. If I gossip about your speck, then I can ignore my log for a while.

Even if you can substantiate what is being said, if you don't have permission to say it, don't say it (except under the rarest of extenuating circumstances, such as physical danger). Even if you do have permission to say it and can substantiate it, don't say it to anyone who has no business hearing about it.

Examine yourself. I would guess most of us have done this recently. Gossip is a villain who keeps bad company, according to God's Word. Repent of it. Flee from the temptation to be in the know or take a mini-vacation from your other faults and sin. If you have concern that a brother or sister is in sin, then Matthew 18:15-17 (http://ref.ly/Mat18.15-17) provides a great framework on how to deal with it without gossip.

But mainly, just shut up.

And I mean that lovingly.

Why Does God Allow Life to Stink?

Giorgia is a young woman who lives in a suburb of Rome who we've known since she was a little girl. She is as sweet as gelato. She has cystic fibrosis, and is waiting for a lung transplant. She will die a young woman without it. Her mother, a good friend and dear sister in Christ, died suddenly some years ago from an aneurism. Parts of Giorgia's life stink, although I think she would say her life overall doesn't stink.

This week, I visited David, and elderly, wonderful, godly man who is dying from cancer. He wept telling us how good God is. He's in constant, but managed, pain. Parts of David's life stink, but he'll tell you honestly that he's rejoicing.

I could add to this list. You could add to this list. We most likely have mutual friends who belong on this list. Wonderful people with profoundly unwonderful aspects of their lives.

There are some famous authors who address the suffering of decent people, some unhelpful (such as Kushner) and some quite helpful (such as Lewis). I won't try to improve on them. My point here is shorter and simpler.

Whatever reasons God has for allowing suffering, even among the most decent of people, one thing that happens through the suffering is the revelation of how much God is God.

We want to ask, "Where was God when Giorgia's mom had an aneurism or when the typhoon killed hundreds?" Perhaps we should ask instead, "If God is only around when life doesn't stink, how much of a God is He really?" If He's only the God of good times, then he's not a very extensive God.

The god-ness of God is not affected by man's circumstance. But man's perception of God often is. If there is any God of good times, then He must also be God of bad times, or He's not God at all. He is so much God that His reign remains secure even when life stinks. Suffering reveals the breadth of God's god-ness.

He is still with us being God in the bad times. He must in order to be God. Some people, like David, have keen enough insight to weep at His greatness even when ebbing away toward death. And He promises to one day restore all things through His Son.

Kingdom Passion for the World

In last Sunday's message, I asked what your "Kingdom passion for the world" is. Put another way, what is something about the Kingdom of God that stirs you emotionally enough to bring it to this world? The Kingdom of God is marked by complete shalom, a complete wellness and peace in every aspect. The Kingdom of God is holy and just and good. Our destiny in the Kingdom is to be fully restored. What jazzes you about the Kingdom in a way that you want to bring that something to others here and now?

Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." In praying that, if we really mean that prayer, we are opening ourselves up to God for Him to perhaps answer the prayer through us. We will never bring the fullness of the Kingdom to this world, but at the core of how Jesus wants us to pray and to orient ourselves is this idea of continually bringing aspects of the Kingdom of God to those around us.

Since there are a myriad of perfect attributes of the Kingdom, there are plenty to go around for followers of Jesus to be passionate about. Your passion doesn't have to be my passion, and we can work in harmony in making the Kingdom tangible for others. I feel quite certain that every follower of Jesus can have His passion for at least one aspect of the Kingdom for this world.

What is yours? I'd love to hear what it is.

If you don't have an idea what it might be, would you be willing to seek the Lord's face about it in prayer, to ask Him and listen to see if perhaps He's waiting to unleash such a passion in you? Not just a five minute prayer, but a long-range pursuit until God answers!

Furthermore, how can we, the people who are called "church," help you pursue that passion? What encouragement, equipping, networking, and companionship might we offer to help you passionately do on earth as it is in heaven?

Please email me any thoughts, questions, or ideas you have. Let's talk.

You're Not Able

I was recently talking with a friend who has a special needs child. In the last year, they have also decided to foster another special needs child who is 19 years old biologically, but not as old emotionally and psychologically. This young woman has been bounced around the foster system because few people are equipped to help her as she needs. She has been repeatedly told, "You can't, you're not able, you're not smart enough, you're disabled, someone else ... someone more capable ... must do that for you." Not surprisingly, she has come to believe what she has been repeatedly told about herself. My friend and his wife are committed to the slow process of showing her she's capable of so much more, that she doesn't need to use the "disabled" label to excuse her from flourishing as she's capable. They know this will take years and the Lord's longsuffering to be manifest in their lives.

I believe that too often in the recent history of the Western church, the same thing has occurred. Followers of Jesus have been told that they can't, they aren't able, and that someone better than they are must do it for them - the missionaries, the pastors, and maybe a few elders ... they are the ones who can do ministry, and must do it for you, because quite frankly, you don't have the training or maturity. You've been a believer for 19 years, but you're not able to perform at that level, so we'll do it for you. And not surprisingly, the Christ followers have believed to some degree what they have been told about themselves and have adopted the "spiritually disabled" label as an excuse to not engage in the ministry of the Gospel.

Just as it will take this young woman time to believe something new about herself, the same is true for any Christ follower who has bought into these untruths about himself or herself. My friend can't just tell their foster child, "You're capable" and expect her to suddenly change her self identity. Likewise, friends and church leaders can't just write an article or teach a class or preach a sermon to say, "You're capable" and expect an errant self identity to change. Patience is required to "unbelieve" a long-held untruth.

Have you been told that you are not capable, and that you need "more capable" people handle the church's mission for you? Have you bought into that untruth, even a little? Remember that the power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you, and that Christ is our sufficiency and qualificiation. And then embrace that it may take a while for you to shake these untruths. Look forward and see that our self-identity can change toward the truth that we are not disabled, but enabled by the Holy Spirit. And have patience for others as they embrace the same truth about themselves.