chrisaltrock.com » Barriers to Belief

Simplifying Your Spirituality

Chris — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:12:33 +0000

Jesus says following him comes down to just two simple things: loving God and loving others.

But our Christianity is often oriented around many other things. Our faith is often complex and confused.

Is loving God and loving neighbor the focus of your faith?

Scott McKnight, author of “The Jesus Creed” offers this test to find out:

1. I sense myself being most spiritual when: (1) I am reading the Bible, (2) I am doing something religious for others, (3) I am attending church, (4) I am communing with God, (5) I am exercising love toward others and God.

2. When I pray, I sense that my prayers both to God and for others are natural expressions of my love for God and my love for others. (1) Never, (2) almost never, (3) sometimes, (4) often, (5) always.

3. I know that God loves me: (1) but I’m not sure he does love me, (2) but I rarely experience God’s love as real, (3) and I sometimes experience God’s love as real, (4) and I often experience his love as real, (5) and I always experience God’s love as real.

4. To love others means to “embrace” (not necessarily physically) others outside of our normal circle. (1) But I almost never embrace anyone outside my normal circle, (2) I sometimes embrace someone outside my normal circle, (3) I often embrace someone outside my normal circle, (4) I am always embracing someone outside my circle, (5) I am working to get others to embrace others outside their normal circles.

5. Love for me involves (1) always accepting others and their behavior regardless of who they are and what they do, (2) always discriminating who someone is and what they do before I accept them, (3) sometimes accepting others regardless of who they are and what they do, (4) sometimes discriminating who someone is and what they do before I accept them, (5) usually accepting others and their behavior regardless of who they are and what they do.

6. Spiritual formation for me is centrally focused on (1) knowing the Bible and obeying everything God has taught us in the Bible, (2) serving others, (3) developing our relationship with God through spiritual disciplines like prayer and Bible reading and solitude, (4) loving other people in concrete ways, (5) both and at the same time loving God and loving others.

7. I believe that a person can “begin all over again” before God when a person (1) cleans up her or his own act, (2) makes intentional and deep resolutions in the heart to clean up her or his own act, (3) actually begins to clean up her or his own act, (4) acknowledges to herself or himself that she or he needs to clean up her or his own act, (5) simply tells the truth about herself or himself before God.

8. It really matters most to God (1) what my reputation is in my own world, (2) what my reputation is most of the time, (3) what others think of me and who I know I really am, (4) who I think I am, (5) who I am before God.

9. I embrace Christians of all sorts and with all kinds of stories, (1) but I find some Christians unacceptable, (2) I find few Christians unacceptable, (3) I find lots of kinds of Christians acceptable, (4) I find most Christians acceptable, or (5) I find all Christians acceptable.

10. I think Christians ought to grow in their faith regularly and clearly and (1) I think conversion is a powerful event that should spiritually change people rapidly, (2) I think those who don’t grow are probably not even Christians, (3) I think those who are growing slowly to be either lazy or spiritually deficient, (4) I sense that most Christians are growing even if slowly, (5) I think growth happens over one’s whole life.

11. One characteristic that ought to be visible in all Christians is love. (1) I find that I am loving rarely during the day, (2) that I am loving sometimes during the day, (3) I find that loving is hard but I work at it, (4) I find that I am becoming more loving, (5) I sense that I am almost always loving toward others.

12. Compassion is often mentioned in the life of Jesus, and it something about Jesus we should try to emulate. When I see someone in need, (1) I rarely stop to help the person, (2) I sometimes help the person, (3) I often help such persons, (4) I help them unless I am pressed for time, or (5) I always help such persons, even if it means interrupting my schedule.

13. As I follower of Jesus I sense that (1) I changed mostly just after my “conversion” and admit that I haven’t changed much since then, (2) I changed some at my conversion and some not long after that, (3) I’ve changed rather unpredictably since my conversion, (4) I have changed fairly consistently since my conversion, (5) I am conscious of my need to grow every day.

14. When I think of how I can have a kingdom influence in my world, (1) I dream big and think of influencing “city hall,” (2) I dream big and try to contact people of influence, (3) I dream realistically and contact people who I think may help, (4) I dream realistically and contact my closest friends, (5) I dream big and love everyone I meet.

15. I practice justice most often when (1) I support those who punish those who have abused others or broken laws, (2) I rectify wrongs done by people in power, (3) I do good to all that I can, (4) I love my neighbor as myself and practice the Golden Rule, and (5) I help others learn to love God and to love others.

16. The society Jesus wants is a society in which humans are restored to God and to one another, (1) but I rarely am involved in restoring persons to God or to others, (2) I am sometimes involved in restoring others to God and to others, (3) I often help people get restored to one another, (4) I sometimes help people get restored to God, (5) I am devoted to helping people get restored to both God and others.

17. Jesus was joyful, and I believe joy is characteristic of a spiritually-formed person. (1) I am rarely joyous, (2) I am often annoyed by joyous people, (3) I am sometimes annoyed by joyful people, (4) I am often joyful, (5) I am joyful and joyous when others are joyful.

18. Jesus clearly believed in Eternity, and thought we should live in light of it. (1) I admit that I suppress thoughts about Eternity, (2) I am a bit frightened by Eternity and so rarely think of it, (3) I sometimes think of Eternity and I wonder about it, (4) I think of Eternity quite often and it influences how I live, (5) I think of Eternity often and it shapes my life considerably.

19. Believing, or having faith, in Jesus Christ and God is central to the gospel, and (1) I see faith as believing the right things about God, (2) I see faith as accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, (3) I see faith as a choice to follow Jesus daily, (4) I see faith as an ongoing trust in God, (5) I see faith as an aspect of my love for God in heart, soul, mind and strength.

20. Abiding constantly in the Lord’s power and love is central to spiritual formation, (1) but I find abiding constantly to be nearly impossible in my current condition, (2) I find abiding constantly t
o be difficult, (3) I find abiding constantly to be difficult but I am learning and growing, (4) I find abiding constantly to be a challenge that I am frequently successful in accomplishing, (5) I am constantly abiding in the presence of the God.

21. If God is truly God, and if Jesus is the Incarnation of God, then living for him and “under” his will is an aspect of spiritual formation. (1) I find the term “under” or the term “submissive to God” to be unacceptable, (2) I know living “under” God is important but I still find it very difficult, (3) I find living “under” God’s will to be mostly good, (4) I find submitting to God’s will to be good and I am growing, (5) I find being “under” God’s will to be the most liberating thing I can do.

22. I sin. (1) I almost never confess my sin, (2) I sometimes confess my sins, (3) I often confess my sins but I don’t sense I am improving, (4) I confess my sins and find that I am growing, (5) I find that I confess less sins now than I did five years ago.

23. When someone does me wrong, (1) I usually hope they suffer for it and I will never forgive them for it, (2) I sometimes hope they suffer for it and I doubt I will ever forgive them for it, (3) I struggle with thinking what it will be like to forgive them, (4) I struggle but I am committed to forgiving them for it and I usually do forgive them for it (5) I struggle, I am committed to forgiving them, and I do forgive them when I get the chance.

24. I am committed to the kingdom of God in Jesus Christ. (1) But I have never tried to get someone to convert to Jesus Christ, (2) I used to witness to my friends and others, (3) I still sometimes share my testimony and hope it will have an impact on others, (4) I sometimes share the gospel with others, (5) I regularly work with people to convert them to Jesus’ gospel message about the kingdom.

25. Everything I read in the NT teaches me that God has provided everything for me in Jesus Christ. (1) But I find myself most often dependent upon my own resources, (2) I find myself too often dependent upon my own resources, (3) I find that I often depend on God but also on myself, (4) I am becoming more and more dependent upon what God has done for me in Christ, (5) I am conscious that I am deeply dependent upon Christ all the time, and often I am not even aware of it

[image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirbycrompton/2687511926/sizes/m/in/photostream/]

When God Says No: Stages of Prayer

Chris — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:57:55 +0000

One of the first words our children learned was “No.” This was especially true of our son Jacob. He suffered near paralyzing colic (paralyzing for his sleep-deprived parents, not for him) for several months. Perhaps that trauma contributed to his surprisingly high level of stubbornness. By the time Jacob became mobile, hardly a half-hour passed without Kendra or me stating firmly to Jacob, “No.” No pulling your sister’s hair. No sticking forks in the outlet. No breaking your toys. No, No, No. It is no surprise that one of his first words was “No.” He heard it more often than he’d like.

That describes many of us when it comes to prayer. We hear “no” more often than we’d like. Even when we ask God for things that seems completely legitimate and in line with what we know of his will, time and time again we hear “no.” A friend of mine named Josh Ross had a sister who was dying. At the height of the prayer-campaign, literally thousands of people around the world were praying for his sister Jenny. College students. Professors. Fellow preachers. Members of their congregation and congregations in places that spanned the globe. Thousands of people were begging, “God, please heal Jenny.” And God said “no.” It’s a word we hear from God more often than we’d like.

And it’s a word with devastating consequences. Philip Yancey writes:[i] I have a file drawer full of letters in response to a book I wrote entitled Disappointment with God, and every so often I read through those letters. They would silence the mouth of any prosperity-gospel evangelist and break the heart of any sensitive soul. Some tell of relatively trivial unanswered prayers: for example, a baby that refuses to sleep and cries louder every time the harried mother prays for relief. Some tell of unanswered prayers with more serious consequences. Scars from abuse not by bullies but by family members. A child with cystic fibrosis. A mother with severe Alzheimer’s who has suddenly turned violent. Breast cancer, a brain tumor, pancreatic cancer. The correspondents give a virtual diary of prayer, begun with high hopes, buoyed by support of friends and church, dashed into disappointment. They are writing to me, as they explain, because their faith dangles on the thread of unanswered prayer. Some blame themselves, following the cruel logic of fellow Christians who tell them that proper faith would achieve the desired result. Some, looking for bright spots, point to positive side-effects of prayers—relatives brought to faith, a church united—while the main request goes ignored. Others simply give up, concluding that prayer doesn’t work.

No is a word we hear from God much more often than we’d like.

We are not alone. While we may like to think of Scripture as the record of those rare and unusual people who got a powerful “yes” to every plea they ever uttered, that is simply not the case. The Bible is filled with prominent person after prominent person receiving a “no” from God.

During this series we’ve highlighted some of those “no” prayers: the unanswered prayers of Jesus, Paul praying about his thorn, and David asking for the life of his infant son. But there are many more “no” prayers in Scripture.

There are few people in the Bible as prominent as Moses. He stands head and shoulders above most in the Old Testament. Yet at the end of his life, after what must have seemed an eternity of leading a rebellious and unfaithful people, Moses asks God to just let him live long enough to get to the Promised Land. Just give him enough breath to cross the Jordan River. Just carry him a few more days so he can see the end of the journey he’s spent four decades driving. But God says “no”:

23″And I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, 24′O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? 25Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ 26But the LORD was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the LORD said to me, ‘Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look at it with your eyes, for you shall not go over this Jordan. (Deut. 3:23-27 ESV)

If any person in the Old Testament stands above Moses, perhaps it is David. David, the author of so many of the psalms which inspired worship then and now. David, the trusting and humble young man God chose as king. David, the one after whom Jesus would be named (“Son of David”). David had a dream of building a temple for God. David’s passion was to provide a dwelling place for God. But when David asked God about this, God said, “no”:

1 David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the officials of the tribes, the officers of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, the stewards of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the seasoned warriors. 2Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building. 3But God said to me, ‘You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ (1 Chr. 28:1-3 ESV).

The ministry of Elijah was about as mystical and magnificent as a ministry ever was. It seemed to climax that day on Mount Carmel when Elijah took on hundreds of Jezebel’s prophets in a prayer showdown. The first group to get their god to answer “yes” to a prayer for fire from heaven was the winner. Despite dances and desperation, Jezebel’s prophets couldn’t even get a whisper from their gods. But when Elijah prayed, the Lord sent fire so furious that all present were persuaded that Elijah’s God was the true God. Days later, exhausted from ministry and the pace of life, times turned bad. Elijah learned he was the object of an assassination plan plotted by Jezebel. It should have been smooth sailing after Carmel. But now the seas were stormy and the days were dark. One of the most powerful women in the land had put a price on Elijah’s head. So Elijah prayed. He prayed for God to call him home. He prayed for an immediate way out. He prayed for God to end his life on earth and begin his retirement in heaven. But God said, “no”:

1Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7And the angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God. (1 Kings 19:1-8 ESV)

A similar prayer and a similar “no” arrived in the life of Jonah. One day, stuck in the belly of a great fish, Jonah prayed to God. He pleaded for God to save his life. He begged God for another day to live. He petitioned God for more time to do the ministry he had run from. And God answered with a resounding “yes.” God spoke to the fish, the fish swam to the shore, and Jonah was ejected from the fish’s belly. Not a pleasantly answered prayer, but one answered nonetheless. Then the tables turned. Someone else was in trouble. Someone else was in danger of dying. Someone else stood in the path of God’s wrath. Not Jonah. But the people of Nineveh. Because of their sin God was going to destroy their city. But they repented. They prayed. And God spared them. And Jonah couldn’t stand it. They were the enemies. They were the militant terrorists of Jonah’s day. They didn’t deserve compassion. They deserved annihilation. So Jonah begged God to end his ministry. He begged God to end his life. He begged God to send him on a permanent vacation. But God said, “no”:

1But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4And the LORD said, “Do you do well to be angry?” (Jonah 4:1-4 ESV)

These “no’s” from God are paralleled by “no’s” from Jesus in the Gospels. For example, one day James and John had doors slammed in their face as they tried to find a place for Jesus to stay. The inhospitable homeowners were Samaritans. Like good former Jews, James and John looked down on the Samaritans. They were half-bloods. They were unfaithful and disloyal to God. They were enemies of orthodoxy and the biblical faith. So when the Samaritans slammed the door in their face, James and John began fantasizing about their Old Testament hero Elijah. Should they, like Elijah, call down fire from heaven on these enemies of God? They brought the request to Jesus. It seemed perfectly in line with what they knew of the Old Testament. But Jesus said “no”:

51When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55But he turned and rebuked them. 56And they went on to another village. (Luke 9:51-56 ESV)

“No” is a word we often hear from God. It’s a word many in Scripture also heard. What then do we do with these unanswered prayers?

Let me suggest three stages or attitudes towards prayer.[ii] One stage we might summarize in this way: I seek my wish. There is an attitude towards prayer in which our primary focus is this: I seek my wish. What matters most to us is our need. What holds our attention is our need. And to us, prayer is primarily about getting God to grant our wish.

Philip Yancey writes about a Japanese friend who visited him in the United States.[iii] The friend told Yancey that he was shocked by the directness of our prayers. The American pray-er, he told Yancey, “resembles a person who goes to Burger King and orders a ‘Whopper well-done, but hold the pickle and lettuce—with extra ketchup, please.’” By contrast, the friend told Yancey, the Japanese are “more like the tourist who walks into a foreign restaurant unable to read the menu. He finally communicates, with gestures and reference to a phrase book, that he would like the house specialty.” In other words, he cannot ask for what he really wants so he just tells the host to bring what he thinks is best.

And there is something very direct about our prayers in America. Sometimes we seem stuck in this stage: I seem my wish. What most matters to us is getting exactly what we want in exactly the way we want it.

Thus when God says “no,” we are completely devastated. Because our heart is wrapped up in our wish, when God denies that wish, we cannot handle it. This stage of prayer is thus one that is unable to cope with unanswered prayer.

A second attitude toward prayer might be summarized in this way: I seek your will. In this stage, what matters most to us is not our wish, but God’s will. What most focuses our energy and attention is ensuring that what God wants is preeminent.

Here, we are more like the Japanese pray-er in Yancey’s story. We don’t ask for what we really want. Instead we just ask God to bring what he thinks is best. And while such an attitude toward prayer may appear praiseworthy, it also has its problems.

I remember talking once with a woman about her prayer life. And she told me something like this: “I’ve just stopped praying about things like the physical healing of family members, or things I need at work. I no longer even ask God for things like the repairing of a friend’s marriage. Because I know God has a will for all of those things. And I think God’s going to do his will whether or not I pray about them. So I just entrust all of those things to him rather than bothering him with what I want from them.”

But there are problems with that attitude toward prayer. It treats prayer rather coldly. It forgets that prayer is about relationship. For example, the other day while I was in my office working on sermons, some of the guys in the office decided to go out to lunch together. They didn’t ask me to go, because they knew I would say no. I was busy. I had my door shut. And they knew me enough to know that if they asked, I would have said no. I saw them outside my window get into a car and drive off. But to be honest, my feelings were a little hurt. I would have liked the opportunity to say no. I would have liked to have been asked to go, even though my will would have been to not go. Why? Because for me it was more about our relationship than it was about going to lunch. I want to feel like I’m part of the lives of those I work with. I want connection with them. And that day, I didn’t feel that connection.

I think that may be similar to what God might experience. If we reach a stage in prayer where we just rarely ever pray because we think we already know God’s will about a matter, we are forgetting the relational aspect of prayer. We may think that God’s going to say no to a request. And that may be exactly what he does. But I think God would like the chance to say no personally. I think he wants that connection. I think he desires that relationship.

These two stages don’t deal effectively with unanswered prayers. The first stage—I seek my wish—can’t handle it when God says “no.” The second stage—I seek your will—doesn’t even give God a chance to say “no.”

Perhaps the third stage is the best stage. It is the stage demonstrated by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane:

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will (Matt. 26:36-39 ESV)

In this painful prayer Jesus brings these two stages of prayer together and transforms them into a third stage. One the one hand, Jesus does seek his wish: “let this cup pass from me.” But he doesn’t leave it there. Jesus also seeks God’s will: “nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” For Jesus it was not either I seek my wish or I seek your will but both: I seek my wish and your will. And this attitude towards prayer is perhaps the best attitude for dealing with unanswered prayer.

Because he is fundamentally relational, God wants to hear our prayers. He wants us to ask for what we wish. Sometimes he will say “yes.” At other times he will say “no.” But he wants us to ask for what we wish. Yet by going a step further and also asking for what God wills, we place ourselves in a safer position to handle the “no.” When our prayers are focused on both our wish and God’s will, we are ready to rejoice at the “yes” answers and ready to receive humbly the “no” answers. Jesus models the best way to deal with the reality of God’s “no” answers.

If we can take both lines in to every prayer, we will be well suited for whatever God’s answer may be. My encouragement to you would be to know that you are not alone in receiving a “no” to prayer. Scripture is filled with godly and devout people who also had to struggle with a “no” to prayer. And the best way to posture yourself in prayer is not to focus solely on what you wish, nor on only what God wills. The best posture is to focus on both. With every need and in every situation, come before God stating what you wish and submitting to what he wills. Then when he answers, and he will, with either a “yes” or a “no,” you’ll be able to appropriately receive the answer.

[i] Philip Yancey Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? (Zondervan, 2006), 219-220.

[ii] These stages are inspired by Yancey though the specifics are mine.

[iii] Yancey, 107.

When God Says No: The Unanswered Prayer of Paul

Chris — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 21:03:49 +0000

In March, 1997 Newsweek magazine ran a cover-story on prayer. The article included three prayer stories. The first story concerned Mimi Rumpp. Mimi’s sister Miki needed a kidney transplant. So Mimi and her family started praying. Less than a year later, Miki got a new kidney, courtesy of a bank teller who was so moved by Miki’s plight that she had herself tested and discovered she was a perfect match. Her family prayed. And a kidney was provided.

The second story involved a late night in upstate New York, almost 20 years ago, when a woman took a short cut home. A man attacked her, tightening her scarf around her neck. At home, the woman’s mother woke up, seized with fear that something was happening to her daughter. The mother began praying. Back on the stony path, the would-be rapist ceased his assault and fled down the hill. A mother prayed and her daughter was saved.

The third prayer story told of the Arthritis Treatment Center where Dr. Dale Matthews was testing prayer. He took 60 people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and assigned them to be prayed for by others. One patient had 49 tender joints. After four sessions of prayer, he had only eight.

The Newsweek article comforts us by reminding us that prayers are often powerfully answered. Yet the article also grieves us because it reminds us that prayers are sometimes not answered powerfully.

You’ve probably prayed for something, only to have God say “no.” Those experiences convince some that prayer just doesn’t work. After Newsweek ran their cover-story on prayer, they received this letter to the editor: “I could hardly believe it–devoting eight pages plus the cover to such drivel in a news magazine! Life is a crap shoot–some people luck out and some don’t. Some people who need organ transplants get them and some don’t. There is no evidence of any kind that prayer has any affect whatsoever on the outcome…”

Are prayers answered with “no” evidence that prayer doesn’t work? The life of Paul provides some help with that question.

Prelude to a No

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul recounts a time when he prayed, and God said “no.” Paul’s sad tale is nestled in the middle of a section in the letter where his credentials are questioned:

10For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” 11Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. 12Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. (2 Cor. 10:10-12);

5Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things. (2 Cor. 11:5-6).

These “super-apostles” were sabotaging Paul’s influence. “Paul’s bark is worse than his bite,” they were saying. “He writes a good letter, but face to face he’s a pushover.” “Paul preaches like a rookie,” they boasted.

Paul responds to their taunts. But instead of boasting about his accomplishments, he boasts about his weaknesses:

17What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not with the Lord’s authority but as a fool. 18Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. (2 Cor. 11:17-18 ESV);

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. (2 Cor. 11:21b-30 ESV).

Paul responds to his enemies by boasting about his weaknesses.

In chapter 12, however, Paul switches gears. Paul wants them to see that in addition to weaknesses, he also has accomplishments—which make him someone to listen to: 1I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. (2 Cor. 12:1-4 ESV).

Paul concedes that there is nothing to be gained by what he’s about to do. Yet he also realizes that he has no choice: 11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. (2 Cor. 12:11 ESV) If Paul’s going to gain standing in the church, he has to beat these boasters at their own game.

Thus Paul reveals a spiritual experience. Spiritual experiences were one of the most valuable credentials a teacher like Paul could have. But Paul is so hesitant to boast about himself, that he describes the experience in third person: “I know a man in Christ who..was caught up into paradise…” Paul is describing himself.

In 12:1, Paul mentions visions and revelations. He seems to be saying, “I’ve had visions and revelations. But just so that you don’t leave this contest feeling like the losers you are, I’ll just share one of those visions and revelations.”

Paul describes a time 14 years ago when he was caught up “to the third heaven.” We’re used to thinking about heaven as one level. Paul describes it as multi-level. The basic concept seems to be that the top level, the third level, is where God resides. If heaven was Washington D.C., and God was the president, the first level would be the suburbs, the second level would be the city, and the third level would be the White House. Paul is saying to the “super-apostles”, “So, you’ve been to Washington, D.C.? Tell me about it? Did you get past the suburbs? Did you get into the city? Let me tell you about my last trip. I met with the President in the Oval Office.”

But that’s as far as Paul goes: 5On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:5-10 ESV).

Paul’s resume was so good that he was tempted to be “conceited.” Thus, he experienced what he calls a thorn in the flesh or a messenger/ angel of Satan. This thorn, this messenger, “harassed” Paul. The word “harass” means to batter, knock about, or brutally treat. Paul felt like a featherweight boxer in the heavyweight championship. This thorn was a big deal.

Paul doesn’t tell us what this thorn was. There are four options. First, some view it as spiritual torment. In the Middle Ages, a popular opinion was that Paul suffered the torment of sexual temptation. Some today argue he suffered temptation in general. Romans 7 seems to lend some support to this first view: 15For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Rom. 7:15-17 ESV). Perhaps Paul’s thorn was this spiritual torment of wanting to do what was right yet doing what was wrong.

Second, some view this thorn as a physical or mental illness. Suggestions range from headaches, to malarial fever, to epilepsy, to depression, to poor eyesight. In Gal 6:11 Paul describes his handwriting as large-lettered. Some suggest that was due to Paul’s poor eyesight. That this was some sort of physical ailment is supported by passages like Lk 13:16 which show that some illnesses were caused by Satan. It is also supported by passages like Gal 4:13-14 which describe a serious illness suffered by Paul.

Third, some view this thorn as a speech impediment. Paul never discounts the accusations in 2 Cor. 10-11 that his speaking is unimpressive. Perhaps it is unimpressive because he has a speech impediment.

Finally, some view this thorn as persecution. This view is supported by the fact that in 11:15, Paul calls the “super-apostles” servants of Satan. It is also supported by Paul’s other use of the word “harass” in 1 Cor 4:11 where he uses it to describe people persecuting him.

The least likely view of the four is the first one–the thorn as spiritual torment. The Paul of the Bible is ultimately one at peace with himself, his past, and his God.

But add up the other possibilities: Paul suffered from an illness which caused his body to shiver and sweat. Paul suffered migraine headaches. Paul had to have someone else write his letters because his eyes were bad. Paul stuttered at the beginning of every sermon. Paul had a regular crowd of dissenters waiting to beat him up after every church service. Paul tossed and turned in bed at every noise thinking it might be one of his enemies coming to kill him.

Three times Paul prayed about this thorn. “Please take it away. Please take it away. Please take it away.” Three times Paul prayed. But he only got one answer. The answer was “No.” “No.” “No.” God told Paul “No.”

But there was a reason for “No”: 7So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:7-10 ESV).

Why doesn’t God heal your illness or the illness of someone you love? Why doesn’t God give you the talent at school or work which others have? Why doesn’t God let you have that promotion or award? Why doesn’t God do something about a person in your life like a boss or coworker who makes things difficult?

We may never know for certain. But Paul’s experience teaches us that the “No” may be due to one of three reasons:

Because you might become conceited.

Because God’s grace is sufficient.

Because God’s power is made perfect in weakness.

Sometimes God says “No” “because you might become conceited.” The word “conceited” literally means “to exalt yourself.” The danger of having God remove all our struggles in answer to prayer is that all our strengths would then cause us to think too highly of ourselves. And once we thought too highly of ourselves we would think too little of God.

God may also say “no” because “his grace is sufficient” and “his power is made perfect in weakness.”

Paul may be using “grace” to talk about salvation. In that case he would be saying that we might not pray so hard for things we don’t yet have (better health, more talent) if we realized the value of what we already have–salvation.

In his book In The Grip of Grace Max Lucado illustrates with a parachute analogy. Suppose you’re flying in a chartered plane when suddenly the engine bursts into flames. The pilot rushes out of the cockpit, passes out parachutes, gives a few pointers, and throws open the door. The first passenger steps up and shouts over the wind, “Anyway I could get a pink parachute?” The pilot shakes his head in disbelief “Isn’t it enough that I gave you a parachute at all?” The second passenger steps to the door. “Can you ensure that I won’t get nauseated during the fall?” “No, but I can ensure that you will have a parachute.” Another passenger wants goggles. Another wants boots. “You people don’t understand,” the pilot shouts. “I’ve given you a parachute; that is enough.”

God, the captain, may be telling Paul and us, “You don’t need those things you just prayed for. You already have the most important thing–salvation. My grace is sufficient.”

Paul may also be using “grace” to refer to God’s power. When God says “my grace is sufficient for you” and “my power is made perfect in weakness,” it’s two ways of saying the same thing. The power God speaks of is his power at work in Paul and in us.

God can do great things through people. Look at what he did through Paul. He changed the face of history by sending this one man, and others like him, to plant churches across the Roman Empire. But look at Paul. His life was full of inadequacies. Yet those inadequacies allowed God to work powerfully through Paul.

God can only work in the lives of people who make themselves available for that work. And the kind of people who make themselves available for that work are those who realize they can’t do that work on their own. Paul finally realized that to make a difference in his world he didn’t need better health, less headahces, clearer eyesight, smoother speech, and fewer enemies. What he needed was God’s power. And if Paul had been given better health, less headaches, clearer eyesight, smoother speech, and fewer enemies, he may have never sought God’s power.

There is a story told about D. L. Moody, who helped as many as 100,000 people make a commitment to Jesus during his life. While preaching in Birmingham, England, a skeptical observer came to the meetings night after night, watching with a critical eye. Eventually he went to Moody and said, “I have seen this mission of yours, and have come to the conclusion that it is truly of God. I’ll tell you why. It is because I can see no possible relation between you personally and the results your mission is achieving.” Moody seemed too weak to experience such significant results. Thus the stranger drew the only correct conclusion: in Moody’s weakness, God was powerful.

The next time God tells you “No”, think twice before cursing him. God’s “No” may be the best answer. Why? Because a “yes” may have tempted you to become conceited. Because God’s grace is sufficient. Because his power is made perfect in your weakness.

When God Says No: The Unanswered Prayers of Jesus

Chris — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:02:00 +0000

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When God Says No

An uncle recently wrote to me. His young niece had been killed in a car accident. She was a devout young woman raised by godly parents. In fact, hours before her death, the niece and her mother had prayed together for traveling mercies. Then she was gone. The uncle wrote to me, “We pray for our children and their safety. And then something like this happens. Why?” The uncle was respectful. He was sensitive. But clearly this was a difficult issue. Why did God say “No” to prayers for safety, especially for this God-loving niece?

A man I know has a father who has suffered from chronic health issues for decades. The son and his family have prayed for years for the father’s healing. Recently, the father suffered a setback. I told the son I was praying for his dad. He said, “Thanks. But you know how I feel anymore about all those prayers. We’ve prayed for years for Dad and God hasn’t done anything.” Why did God say “No” to these prayers for healing?

Philip Yancey writes of receiving the manuscript of a memoir written by a young woman.[i] While growing up, the woman was raped almost nightly by a family member. The girl wrote, “I cried out every night for God’s help, to make it stop. But God never answered.” Why did God say “No” to this prayer for rescue?

These are difficult questions—perhaps the most difficult questions of faith. And while we can provide some intellectual answers and reach some reasonable understanding, there remains mystery and some confusion. And even our best intellectual answers often fall short for people when they in the midst of an unanswered prayer. Reason matters little to a heart that’s broken.

Still, these experiences of unanswered prayer are so common and the pain so deep that we must make some attempt to wrestle with this issue. In this series we will do just that.

One of our sources will be the so-called “unanswered prayers” in the Bible. Repeatedly in Scripture godly, devout, and pious men and women asked for things of God but were denied their requests. By struggling with their circumstances, we can learn something about ours.

The Unanswered Prayers of Jesus

Philip Yancey writes about the often ignored fact that even Jesus got a “No” now and then to a prayer he uttered.[ii] Yancey identifies four times when Jesus suffered an unanswered prayer.

First, Jesus appeared to receive a version of “No” when praying prior to selecting the Twelve: “12In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: 14Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.” (Lk. 6:12-16 ESV)

Jesus spends the entire night in prayer. Presumably, he is praying for wisdom, discernment and guidance in selecting the twelve men who will form his inner circle and his first and last hope of passing his way of life on to others. The future of the Christian faith rides on Jesus’ ability to select just the right twelve men.

Yet notice who Jesus selects after his all-night prayer session:

Simon Peter. Simon will betray Jesus in spite of personally insisting that he never will betray Jesus. Simon will so exasperate Jesus that in Mk. 8:33 Jesus will call him Satan.
James and John. These two, in Lk. 9:54, will offer to call down fire to consume the Samaritans. They will, in Mk. 10:37, ask for the seats on Jesus’ right and left.
Judas. He will turn Jesus over to be crucified.

In addition, the whole lot of them will get caught up in an argument about which of them is the greatest (Lk. 9:46). They will all prevent children from getting to Jesus (Lk. 18:15).

The future of the Christian faith depends on Jesus’ ability to select the perfect twelve men. Yet this is who he selects.

This may not be a “no” per se, but it does seem a roundabout answer to a straightforward prayer. Jesus prays for wisdom and guidance to pick the best of humanity for the future of his kingdom. What Jesus then selects are some of the worst, most flawed, and imperfect humans around. If this prayer was answered, it was not answered in the way we might have anticipated.

A second prayer which received a more definitive “no” is found in the Garden of Gethsemane: 36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” (Matt. 26:36-46 ESV)

Jesus prays, “Let this cup pass.” Jesus asks God to change the plan, to call an audible, to stop what is about to start. Simply put, Jesus asks God to come up with some other way besides the cross. Some other way besides the discomfort and burden of the cross. Some other way besides the humiliation and shame of the cross. Jesus prays, “Let this cup pass.”

And God says “No.” God refuses to grant this request. This is perhaps the biggest appeal Jesus has ever made to the Father. But the Father says “No.”

A third prayer which appears to have received a negative answer comes in John 17: 20“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (Jn. 17:20-21 ESV).

There could be no greater unity than that which characterizes Father, Son and Spirit. The three are literally one. Here, Jesus prays for that same unity be granted to “those who will believe in me through their word.” That’s a reference to us and to all who have come to believe in Jesus since the preaching of the apostles. Yet, this prayer has not been answered. There could be no greater disunity than that which often characterizes Christians and the church. Though intended to be one, we are many. Jesus prays for God to unite us. Yet that prayer seems to have been unanswered.

Finally, there is Jesus’ prayer for Peter:[iii] 31″Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. (Lk. 22:31-32 ESV)

This conversation takes place just prior to the arrest of Jesus. Jesus informs Peter that he’s been praying for him. Jesus has been asking God to keep Peter’s faith firm. “Please, God, don’t let Peter’s faith fail.” Yet twenty-some verses later, Peter’s faith fails: 54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” (Lk. 22:54-57 ESV). The prayer for unfailing faith seems to have been unanswered.

We might add to this list Jesus’ prayer called the “Lord’s Prayer”: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Matt. 6:9-13 ESV).

On the surface, the prayer appears to be greatly unanswered.

“Your kingdom come”—a prayer for this world to feel like a world in which God’s way is done every day. Yet how often does this world feel just the opposite?
“Give us this day our daily bread.” Yet how many will go to bed tonight around the world without any bread at all?
“Deliver us from evil.” Yet the news reports tonight and the newspaper tomorrow morning will be full of accounts in which people were not delivered from evil but became victims of evil.

It seems that even the Lord’s Prayer has been unanswered.

Lessons Learned from Jesus’ Unanswered Prayers

What are we to take from this? If the perfect Son cannot get a “yes” from his perfect Father, what hope do we have? Reflecting upon these prayers of Jesus provides some helpful guidance. Consider these four lessons.

First, what we interpret as God saying “no” may be actually be God saying “yes—just not in the way you imagined.” Jesus’ all-night prayer-vigil for wisdom and guidance did not truly result in a “no.” It was more of a “yes—just not in the way you imagined.” Sometimes we may pray for God to do one thing, but he does another thing. That is not a “No.” It’s a “Yes—but in a different way than you planned.” And often God’s answer turns out to be far superior to the answer we were seeking.

Second, sometimes God’s “no” to us is actually a “yes” to his kingdom agenda. God could not have said “Yes” to Jesus’ plea to “let this the cup pass.” By saying “yes” to that prayer God would have been saying “no” to his kingdom agenda. Everything hinged on Jesus’ willingness to go through with the crucifixion. By telling Jesus “no” in that one instance, God was saying “yes” to his kingdom plans for all eternity.

That’s easy to take when we can clearly see what God’s kingdom agenda is. To us, two thousand years later, the idea that God’s agenda for the cross trumps Jesus’ prayer for rescue makes sense. But sometimes, God’s kingdom agenda may be hidden to our eyes. We may no sense at all what God is doing. Yet Jesus’ experience in the garden forces us to accept that sometimes God’s “no” to us is a “yes” to some aspect of his kingdom agenda—even though we cannot see that agenda.

Third, sometimes God’s “no” is the result of human failure rather than divine failure. The unanswered prayer of John 17 is not God’s fault. God has created everything necessary for unity among Christians to exist. He’s created the perfect setting and scenario. We Christians all share the same Spirit, the same Book, the same mission, and the same Jesus. God has demolished every racial, economic, and gender barrier possible. Yet he’s also chosen to operate in a world in which humans have free will. Human Christians are still free to act with pride, selfishness, insensitivity, racism, sexism, and nationalism. And those sins are to blame for the unanswered prayer of John 17. It’s our failure, not God’s.

This is also the case regarding Jesus’ prayer for Peter’s faith. God certainly answered that prayer by providing all Peter needed to remain faithful. But God also chose to allow Peter free will. Peter was free to choose faithlessness rather than faithfulness. That’s exactly what Peter did.

Sometimes what we interpret as a “no” is the result of human failure not divine failure.

Finally, sometimes what appears to be a “no” is actually an “already but not yet.” This is the case with the Lord’s Prayer. Despite what we may observe, God has not been saying “no” to the billions who have prayed for his kingdom to come, for daily bread, and for deliverance for evil. Some of these supposed failures of this prayer are the results of humans. For example, God has granted sufficient bread for all who live on this the planet. But those of us with ten loaves of bread hoard it and feast on it while those in need have none. Some of supposed failure of the Lord’s Prayer is our fault.

But more importantly, ultimately this prayer has not failed. God is indeed bringing his kingdom, giving daily bread, and delivering from evil. He’s already begun to do this. It’s taking place all around us. We often fail to recognize it. But it is happening. Yet, it’s not happening now to the extent that it will when Jesus’ returns. God’s answer to the Lord’s Prayer has begun. But it’s not yet reached its climax. Only upon the return of Christ will that prayer receive its fullest “yes.”

In early August, 33 miners in Chile survived a mine collapse. After hours of uncertainty as to whether or not anyone on the surface knew of their existence, they finally received contact from the surface. The men are 2,200 feet under the Atacama Desert. They were thrilled when mining and government officials communicated that rescue was on its way. And there is a sense in which those men are already rescued. They can already celebrate that their plea for help was answered. But they are not yet rescued. Engineers must use a 31 ton drill to create a pilot hole from the surface to the spot where the miners are trapped. Then, a larger bit will carve out a rescue hole. This rescue hole will be less than 30 inches wide. The men will be brought up through that hole in a special cage. It will take three hours for one man to ride that cage to the surface. The projected date of the complete rescue is this Christmas.

That is the case with some of our prayers, like the Lord’s Prayer. We may look around and think the prayer is unanswered. But it’s not a “no.” It’s more of an “already but not yet.” God’s answering that prayer already. But he’s not answered yet in the way that he will.

Keep Praying

The one thing that strikes me most about these instances in Jesus’ life was his commitment to prayer. Despite the answer or the un-answer, Jesus prayed. For Jesus, prayer was far more than just a way to order what he needed. It was not merely about task—about getting something done. It was about relationship—about sharing with his Father. And while unanswered prayer often persuades us to stop praying, perhaps Jesus’ example can persuade us to do just the opposite. No matter the answer, just keep praying.

[i] Philip Yancey, Prayer (Zondervan, 2006), 216.

[ii] Philip Yancey, “Jesus’ Unanswered Prayers,” Christianity Today (2/9/98) http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1998/february9/8t2152.html

[iii] Yancey, Prayer, 84.

Irreligious: Forsaking Religion and Finding Jesus’ God (Mk. 12:18-27)

Chris — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 20:29:00 +0000

Chris Altrock – August 1, 2010

Over the past few days I’ve practiced what I call the “ministry of presence” among the LaVelle family. When a young person like Liz dies, there few words worth speaking. The very best we can do is just be present with each other. And as I’ve tried to be present I’ve overheard numerous people saying the same thing over and over. As they’ve thought of the hurt and pain that comes in the midst of the death of a young person like Liz, they’ve said, “I just don’t know how people make it through times like these without God and without the church.” They’ve been testifying that times of tragedy reveal that there is nothing comparable to following Jesus, there is something indispensible about following Jesus. You can’t make it through those times without that “thing” that only comes through following Jesus.

This Sunday morning series has allowed us to do some deeper thinking about that truth. As we’ve listened to Jesus debate religious leaders, we’ve learned that there is a big difference between religion and following Jesus. We’ve learned that there’s something that only comes by following Jesus, something that religion can never offer. This morning’s text punctuates that truth in a very timely way.

18And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19″Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.” 24Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” (Mk. 12:18-27 ESV)

We’ve watched three members of the Sandhedrin attack Jesus at the temple. We’ve watched the unlikely duo of the Pharisees and Herodians attack Jesus at the temple. Today, the Sadducees attack Jesus at the temple. We’ve learned who the Sanhedrin is and who the Pharisees and Herodians are. But who are these Sadducees attacking Jesus today?

The name “Sadducee” probably came from the name “Zadok,” the high priest who served in the time of King David. The high priests after Zadok descended from Zadock’s family.^{^[i]} The “Zadokees” or Sadducees were the influential families from whom the high priests were selected.
This made the Sadducees spiritually prominent. It was hard to get much higher on the spiritual ladder than the high priest, and the Sadducees were comprised of the high priests.
Not only were they spiritually prominent. They were politically powerful. The Sadducees allied themselves with the Herodians and Romans. This meant that they had influence not only in the sacred world but also in the secular world.
Finally, the Sadducees were theologically conservative. You might remember that the Pharisees had manufactured all kinds of extra laws in order to keep people from breaking the actual laws of the Bible. The Sadducees rejected these extra laws. They accepted only what was written on the pages of Scripture. More specifically, they gave greatest weight to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament, the books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

But this theological conservatism morphed into a kind of blind fundamentalism. They became one of the few religious groups in Judaism who did not believe in a resurrection from the dead. There are numerous Old Testament texts which affirm that God will raise the dead (e.g., Dan. 12:1-2; Is. 26:19; Ez. 37:1-14). But these texts all appear outside of the Pentateuch, those five books which the Sadducees valued above all others.[ii] And since they could find no text in the Pentateuch which taught a resurrection from the dead, the Sadducees did not believe in resurrection. Thus they come today in the temple with a contrived story designed to show just how ridiculous resurrection belief is.

The Sadducees point Jesus to a text in the Pentateuch—Deut. 25:5—which taught that if a woman’s husband died before the couple had children, the brother of the husband was to marry her and have children with her. Then the Sadducees concoct a “what-if” story about a wife whose husband dies and leaves no children, so the brother marries her, but he dies without fathering children, so the next brother marries her, and so on. All seven brothers marry her but die without leaving children. The Sadducees believe this law in the Pentateuch requiring brothers to marry a deceased brother’s wife makes belief in the resurrection impossible. Because if there is a resurrection, then whose wife will this woman be in the resurrection?

But there is more at stake here than a doctrinal dispute about resurrection. What is ultimately at stake is a world view, a way of making sense of life. One line from two biblical scholars helps us see this larger picture: “In their view the present world is the place of the one encounter with God and the related reward and punishment.”^{^[iii]} The Sadducee’s disbelief in the resurrection led to ultimately to a distorted belief about life. They appeared to believe that the present world is the place of the one encounter with God. In other words, everything important that’s going to happen between you and God is going to happen in this world and in this life. Everything critical that God’s going to do with us, through us, and to us is going to happen in this world and in this life. Now, they did believe in the idea of heaven and of an afterlife. But in their mind there would never be a physical resurrection of the dead. There would be no new heaven and new earth. There would be no recreation of humanity and of the cosmos. The only real physical life is the life we are now living.

I think it’s permissible to put it way: The Sadducees seemed to believe that the only physical reality is the world as it now exists. There is a non-physical reality called heaven. But the only physical reality is the world as it now exists. There is no hope of a physical world different than the world we have right now. In terms of the physical world and our physical lives, things will never be fundamentally different than they are right now.

It is little wonder that the Sadducees were not popular among the common people. What kind of religion do you have when it says the only physical reality is the world as it now exists? What kind of hope do you have to offer the farmers suffering in the midst of a drought or the sick, lame, and blind whose infirmities rob them of a normal life, or the entire population of Israel subjugated to the pagan powers of Rome when your religion says that there is no hope of a physical world different than the world we have right now?

It’s little wonder that the Sadducees allied themselves with the political powers of the day: the Herodians and the Romans. If the only physical world is the world we have right now, you’d better become intimate with the most powerful political parties and preeminent people in the world—because they are the only ones who can offer any real hope of improving our physical lives and our physical world.

Seen through this lens, the Sadducees offered a religion which could only help with the world that is. The worst religion can only offer help surviving life in the world as it currently exists. The worst religion asks us to meekly accept the hard reality around us and then shows us how to survive in the midst of that reality. It asks us to believe there is nothing that can be done about that reality. Then it holds our hand and tries to relieve some of the pain from that reality.

Religion can offer help. But it can never provide hope. It’s no better than the aspirin or the drink or the TV or the novel at the end of a very hard day. Religion can mask some of the pain. It can dull some of the despair. But it cannot fundamentally change anything about the world as it currently exists.

Rarely has that been more significant in the Highland family than right now.

Kate Garner, daughter of long-time Highland members Ken and Brenda, was in a serious car accident a couple of weeks ago. She’s alive but in a lot of pain and dealing with a very serious injury. When I visited her in the hospital she wept and wondered aloud if she’d ever get back to the life she was living before. Would she ever walk again? Or would she just have to accept the world as it is?
The Sayers, long-time Highland members, lost Sharon’s mother two days ago. The Prines, long-time Highland members, lost Sean’s father to cancer last week. The Hanisco’s, long-time Highland members, lost Mindy’s mother and then her grandmother within the span of several days.
The LaVelle’s, long-time Highland members, lost their daughter Liz in a car accident four days ago as she travelled to Nashville for college. On the eve of Liz’s death, as many of us packed into their crowded house on Mallard Lane, one woman screamed out “Can I just say that I hate this!” She, and none us, could stand the reality of the world as it currently exists.

And what these families need, and what we all need, is so much more than just religion. We need more than just help as we cope with what is. We need hope that there’s more than this. We need hope that what is can be changed into what isn’t. We need hope that the way things are today are not the way things are going to stay.

That’s exactly what Jesus offers: 24Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” (Mk. 12:24-27 ESV)

The Sadducees quoted from the Pentateuch because they believed it to be the most important part of the Bible. So, Jesus quotes from the Pentateuch. Jesus quotes from the Ex. 3 story of God appearing to Moses in the bush. That story is particularly significant given the implications I’ve spelled out regarding the Sadducees.

The story Jesus quotes from begins with the fact that, for hundreds of years, the Israelites have been enslaved by the Egyptians. This enslavement has become their reality. This is all they know. There is no one left alive who remembers what life was like before this life. There is no one with memories of a life before Egypt. From child to parent to grandparent to great grand parent, the only stories anyone can share are stories of life as a slave. Poverty. Injustice. Hopelessness. That is the only physical world they know. And as far as they know, nothing can change that reality.

Then one day God speaks to a man named Moses at a bush that appears to be burning: 7Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” 13Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”‘ (Ex. 3:7-16 ESV). This is the story Jesus paraphrases in his response to the Sadducees.

And it is a resurrection story. The Israelites are as good as dead. The only reality they know is suffering and despair. But God has come not simply to help them cope with the world as it is. God has come to change what is. He’s come to recreate reality. He’s going to turn their world on its head. They’ll go from poverty to wealth. They’ll go from death to life. They’ll go from injustice to justice. They’ll go from oppressed to free. They’ll go from hurting to hallelujah! With power beyond imagination, God sends plagues, parts a sea and passes the Israelites over into a new reality.

I think all of that is in Jesus’ mind when he mentions this story, when he scolds the Sadducees for not understanding the power of God, and when he says that God is not a God of the dead but of the living. The dead is the way the world is right now. The dead is the hard reality we are now facing. But the living is the way the world should be. The living is the reality that can be. And God is not a God of the dead, but of the living. Because following Jesus is about following a God who is not merely powerful enough to help us cope with life as it is. It is about following a God powerful enough to change what is. Following Jesus is not just about help for the world that is. It’s about hope for the world that will be. Following Jesus is following a God who resurrects, who changes death into life, who transforms ends into new beginnings, who turns hurting to hallelujah. And the Israelites’ exodus out of Egypt was just one small example of that enormous power. God is capable of not only helping you cope with the world as it now exists. He is capable of changing that world. He is capable of remaking your reality. He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living. He is the resurrection God.

As Kate Garner lay in her hospital bed a few days ago recovering from her car accident, and as she wrestled with that accident and its implications, I told her “This is Friday. But Sunday’s coming. Things are not always going to be this way. This is not forever. This is Friday. But Sunday’s coming. This reality is not the only reality.” Our God is not a God of the dead. He is not a God who merely gets us by in the world that is. Ours is a God of the living. He is a God who ultimately changes all that is.

And what a powerful message that is to our Highland family. As the Sayers grieve from the loss of Sharon’s mother, as the Prines grieve from the death of Sean’s father, as the Haniscos grieve from the death of Mindy’s mother and grandmother, and as the LaVelles and hundreds of others grieve from the death of Liz, what Jesus offers is not religion. What Jesus offers is the living God. What Jesus offers is a God who in the resurrection of Jesus has already started changing the world that is; who one day will resurrect and recreate all that is, including those in Christ whom we so dearly love. The LaVelles will not be without Liz forever. That’s not how things are going to remain. There’s a resurrection coming. And one day they will be reunited. The Sayers and the Prines and the Haniscos will not be without Sharon’s mother or Sean’s father or Mindy’s mother or grandmother forever. That’s not how things are going to remain. There’s a resurrection coming. And one day they will be reunited. He’s going to turn the world on its head. We’ll go from poverty to wealth. We’ll go from death to life. We’ll go from injustice to justice. We’ll go from oppressed to free. We’ll go from hurting to hallelujah! We do not have to accept things as they are today. We believe in the God of the things that will be. We believe that God is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living.

^{^[i]} Myers, A. C. (1987). The Eerdmans Bible dictionary (902). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.

[ii] Gundry, 705.

^{^[iii]} Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1995). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (993–994). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.

Help When You’re Hurting

Chris — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:08:36 +0000

Articles on pain, suffering, hope and heaven:

What Jesus’ Prayer-Life Teaches About Prayer and Pain

Prayers to Pray When You Don’t Know What to Pray

Can’t Get No Satisfaction? Focus Your Faith on Your Purpose Rather Than Your Pain (Phil. 1:12-30) – June 21, 2009

Chris — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:57:38 +0000

Last week I read the blog of a friend Lynn Anderson, a friend of mine. Lynn has preached in Churches of Christ for decades. He is the author of several books. Now in the final chapters of his ministry he serves as a mentor and consultant to ministers, elders, churches and other organizations. Lynn has preached at Highland and has served as a consultant for our staff and elders. I have never sat and talked with Lynn when he didn’t go out of his way to pray with me or encourage me spiritually. He is in my Christian-Hall-of-Fame. In my short Christian life Lynn Anderson has been a fixture. His preaching and writing are among my earliest Christian memories. And there’s a part of me that has always assumed that Lynn will always be around. But last week he announced on his blog that he needs spinal surgery and that there are very significant complicating factors.

And as I read that news, I sighed with discouragement. Because I wish we lived in a world where saintly, godly, people like Lynn wouldn’t experience such things. I want to live in a world where good Christian people are immune from problems. But his blog entry was a reminder that problems happen even to good Christian people.

This is not a truth we want to accept. For example, Matt Russell recently wrote that in American Christianity, there is a “narrative of ascendancy.”[1] What he means is that many Christians in American think that becoming a Christian is going to lead to life getting better and better. You’ll get wealthier, or healthier, or resolve your family problems. But in fact, Russell argues, we American Christians need to re-learn a “narrative of descendancy.” That is, even for Christians, life can seem to get worse and worse. Problems happen even to good Christian people.

And one of the best Christian people, Paul, writes about his own “narrative of descendancy”: Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel (Phil. 1:12 TNIV). Paul refers to “what has happened to me.” What has happened to Paul? As I noted in the first lesson of this series, Paul is writing to the Philippians from jail. As he says in 1:7, he is in “chains.” It’s most likely from a jail in Rome or Caesarea. That’s what’s happened to Paul. A saint, a spiritual hall-of-famer is in jail. Problems happen even to good Christian people.

And those problems can lead to pain when we recognize how they subtract from our personal plans. The problem of Paul’s jail sentence had the potential to lead to pain for Paul and for the Christians in the church in Philippi. Paul notes in 2:24 that he wants to visit the Christians in Philippi. But this problem of being jail has made visiting the Philippians impossible, at least for the time-being. That personal plan is hindered by this problem. In addition, Paul seems to have feared that the Philippians were experiencing pain because of this problem. It’s likely that they were concerned that Paul’s life was coming to an end. Their spiritual leader was in danger of dying. Not only did they probably fear the end of his life, they feared the end of his ministry. All of Paul’s preaching and teaching and church planting were going to come crashing to a stop. Paul’s problem was leading to pain because they all recognized how that problem could subtract from their personal plans. It was going make impossible what they each desired and dreamed.

Isn’t this often our reaction to problems? The first thing we do is catalogue all the things that can’t happen because a problem has happened. In the closing months of my senior year, my brother and I tried to get into Oklahoma Christian University. We had already been accepted at New Mexico State University. But we believed that we really needed to attend a Christian university. Thus, we began obsessing about trying to get into OCU. We sent for information. We checked into scholarships. We looked into buying a car. But in the end two things killed that dream: first, we could not get the financing we needed; second, our parents would not permit it even if the funds came through. And I remember how disappointed I was. I really wanted to go to OCU. And I saw not going as a real problem. All I could think about was what was not going to happen because this problem had happened: I was not going to get a Christian education; I was not going to meet and date and marry a Christian woman; I was not going to have the opportunity to grow deeper in my Christian faith. Problems lead to pain when we

realize how they subtract from our personal plans.

But Paul’s problem led to praise because he recognized how it contributed to God’s purposes. Listen again to Paul’s perspective: 12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. (Phil. 1:12 TNIV). First, hear what Paul does not say. Paul does not say that God caused his problem. This problem came about because sinful people could not stand to have Paul doing what he was doing. Paul does not attribute this problem to God. And second, Paul does not say that only good has resulted from the problem. This problem is the end of some of Paul’s personal plans and some of the personal plans of the Philippians. Some things are not going to happen because this problem did happen. But rather than focus only on how the problem is subtracting from his personal plans, Paul is also able to focus on how the problem is contributing to God’s purposes.

Listen to the full text: 12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. 15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (Phil. 1:12-20 TNIV). Twice Paul says that in the midst of his problem, he is rejoicing: And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice… No doubt there is pain. Yet in spite of the pain, Paul is now praising. It is possible in the midst of problems to praise.

But how did Paul’s problem lead him to praise? It led to praise because Paul recognized how the problem was contributing to God’s plans. Paul points to three ways in which these painful circumstances were actually contributing to God’s purposes: 1) Christ was being made known in new places; 2) Christ was being preached with new boldness; and 3) Christ was being honored in new ways.

First, Paul sees that his problem has actually led to Christ being made known in new places: “13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.” There is debate as to where Paul is when he writes this. If he is in Rome, then the words “palace guard” may refer to the Emperor’s guard. If Paul is in Caesarea, the words can refer to the governor’s palace. Either way, Paul is saying that his problem has resulted in people who wouldn’t have known about Jesus now knowing about Jesus. News has spread into corridors where the news never would have spread had Paul not been put in jail. These people in the governor’s palace or in the Emperor’s guard were probably not on Paul’s original preaching itinerary. But suddenly he has a chance to share Jesus with them because he’s imprisoned right next to them. News about Jesus has spread into corners it never would have reached had Paul not been imprisoned. Christ was being made known in new places.

Second, Paul sees that his problem has actually led to Christ being preached with new boldness: “14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.” There were Christians in the city where Paul was imprisoned. These Christians were preaching. But Paul’s willingness to go to jail for Jesus has inspired those Christians to preach all the more: “If Paul is willing to pay that kind of price for Jesus, surely I can do more to spread the message myself.” If this problem had not happened, these Christians would have been inspired. Look at what happened that would not have happened if this problem had not happened: Christians were emboldened to share the story of Jesus. As the story of Paul’s imprisonment circulated, Christians were inspired to boldly preach as they had never preached before.

Third, Paul sees that his problem has actually led to Christ being honored in new ways: “20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” This is a difficult section to interpret. But in general Paul seems to be expressing his belief that through this problem he will have an opportunity to exalt or honor Jesus. Paul understands that this problem brings with it an opportunity to honor or exalt Jesus in new ways. It creates an opportunity for Paul to honor Jesus in a way he could not have honored Jesus if the problem had never come about. He would get to demonstrate his loyalty to, his love for, and his commitment to Jesus in a way he never would have demonstrated had he not be put in this jail. Problems can lead to praise when we recognize how they can contribute to God’s purposes.

Over the summer Brishan and Jill worked hard to find a house to purchase in Memphis. They finally found the one they wanted and made an offer. Unfortunately, the bank sat on the offer for weeks. Deadlines came and went. Brishan was going to have to start his ministry in Memphis without a home to move his family into. That was a pretty significant problem. The problem forced them to find temporary housing. Brishan and Jill moved into the home of Highland members Brian and Sara Hoover. The Hoovers were headed out of town for about a month. The Hatchers were invited to stay in their home as their search for a permanent home continued. It was a discouraging setback. But something good did come out of it. A few days after the Hoovers left their home, Jill discovered that the Hoover’s large freezer had quit. She was able to move most of the frozen food into another freezer before it went bad. Had their house purchase never been delayed the Hatchers would have never been in the Hoover’s home to find the broken freezer and all of that food would have spoiled. Better yet, one day Brishan returned to the Hoover’s home to find water dripping down a light fixture and covering the floor. A drainage pipe for one of the air conditioning units had broken. Brishan was able to call for help and stop the leak. Had their house purchase not been delayed, the Hatchers would have never been in the Hoover’s home to find the broken drainage pipe and the Hoover’s would have returned to walls and floors that had soaked in water for a month. I’m not suggesting God delayed their house purchase for that reason. I’m merely pointing out that what was indeed a painful problem actually resulted in praise. You can bet Brian and Sara Hoover are still praising because of how the Hatcher’s saved their home.

I mentioned earlier the problem I encountered as a senior in high school. My dream of attending a Christian college came to an end. All I could think of was the ways in which that problem subtracted from my personal plans: getting a Christian education, meeting and marrying a Christian woman, and growing as a follower of Jesus. But because of that problem, I was left with only one option: attend New Mexico State University. There, I became involved in a campus ministry. That experience led me to go into full-time ministry. There, I met, dated, and married Kendra. There, I was mentored by godly Christian men who are deeply responsible for the Christian I am today. None of that would have happened had that problem not first happened. I can praise God because I now see how that problem contributed to God’s purposes.

Mike Cope is an acquaintance of mine from Abilene, TX. His sister-in-law is named Pam. Ten years ago last Tuesday, Pam Cope received the worst news a mother can receive. Pam owned a cozy hair salon in Neosho, Missouri. Her life revolved around her son’s baseball games, her daughter’s dance lessons, and family trips to Disney World. But on June 16^th, 1999 her 15 year old son Jantsen went to lift weights with the football team, laid down to rest, and died. His heart just quit. It turns out that he had an undiagnosed heart ailment. That loss was almost unbearable. It was as bad as you can imagine. These two strong Christian parents were overwhelmed with pain. Finally, needing to get as far away as possible from everything that reminded Pam of Jantsen’s death, she accepted a friend’s invitation to travel to Vietnam. She ran as far away as she could. But during that trip, at Pam’s lowest moment, God began to work. Pam writes that the moment she stepped off the plane in Vietnam, everything she had been feeling since her son’s death began to shift. There in Vietnam she was struck by the poverty and plight of children. The grief she had felt for Jantsen now also became grief she felt for these children in front of her. And by the time she returned home, Pam had a new purpose: to use her pain to change the world, one child at a time. Today, she is the mother of two children adopted from Vietnam. More than that, she and her husband have created a foundation called “Touch A Life,” dedicated to helping desperate children in countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and Ghana. One of the things the foundation does is help buy children back who have been sold into slavery. They literally purchase freedom for enslaved children. Pam’s story has been turned into a book called Jantsen’s Gift and it’s been shared in the New York Times and on the Oprah Winfrey Show. God did not cause that problem. But God did work through that problem. The Touch A Life Foundation never would have come into existence had Pam not gone through that grief. God was able to take this terrible circumstance and use it for his purposes—use it to save the lives of hundreds of children around the world.

I began this sermon by telling you about my friend Lynn Anderson who’s developed significant health issues. He writes that at first he saw this as bad news. I suspect he began to count all the ways this problem would subtract from his personal plans. But listen to what he writes now in his blog: Yesterday I got some news I didn’t want to hear. Then I read these words from Oswald Chambers: “If God can accomplish His purpose in this world through a broken heart, then why not thank Him for breaking yours?” “If you are going to be used by God, He will take you through a number of experiences that are not meant for you personally at all. They are designed to make you useful in His hands, and to enable you to understand what takes place in the lives of others. Because of this process, you will never be surprised by what comes your way.” Yes, my doctor told me I needed some spinal surgery. Then in the pre-op process, he discovered another potentially more serious complication. But he couldn’t give me a clear definition of what he meant. He said, “I will give you a full report and an opinion this coming Tuesday.” The first thought was: Oh, this is terrible news. Why did this happen to poor little me? Then I saw these words from Chambers. And God has reframed my ‘bad news.’

Instead – no matter what the doctor tells me Tuesday - I chose to believe that God is preparing me for something important. And that’s what this boils down to—a choice. We can choose to focus on the pain that problems always bring. Or, we can choose to believe that even through this problem, God can work his purposes. We can choose to praise.

[1] Matt Russell, “Can Your Church Handle the Truth?” Leadership (Spring 2009), 43.

The Offering: How Relationships Transform When You Offer Community (Rom. 12:13, 15)

Chris — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:52:42 +0000

For many, these are difficult times. Most of us have been touched by the economic struggles in some way. Some of you have lost jobs. Some of you have had pay cuts. Most of us know people who are struggling. A couple of weeks ago my family took our first hit. Kendra’s supervisor sat her down and told Kendra that her hours were being cut. Her salary would be reduced by 20%. Of course, we thankful she still has a job. Nonetheless, it was a significant cut.

Times are so tough that one counseling-hotline I read about is seeing a drastic increase in calls related to the economy.[1] The hotline is based in Los Angeles which has one of the country’s highest unemployment rates. They are handling callers who are desperate because of lost jobs, lapsed medical insurance, and home foreclosures.

But even without the current financial struggles, tough times are no stranger. Sherwin Nuland was a surgeon for 30 years and is now an author.[2] In one of his books, Lost in America, Nuland uses a quote for his epigraph. The quote is attributed to Philo of Alexandria, an ancient Jewish scholar. Here is the quote: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is carrying a great burden.” Philo wasn’t being pessimistic. He was being realistic. At any given moment, many of us are facing a significant challenge. It may be concerns about an aging parent or a rebellious child. It may be a struggle with a teacher or a friendship. It may be lingering doubts about the existence of God. It may be questions about church. At any given moment, many of us are carrying a great burden. Tough times are no stranger.

Times were certainly tough for those reading Romans. We’ve heard on previous Sundays how Jews and Jewish Christians were expelled from the city of Rome but have now returned. At least one scholar suggests that they have returned with great financial burdens.[3] Can you imagine what life would be like if the city and county Mayors had the Sheriff escort you out of Shelby County with only what you could pack in your car, and then, a few years later, notified you that you could come back? What would you come back to? Would your house still be there? Would you still have a job? Do you remember when Hurricane Katrina drove thousands to Memphis? They arrived like refugees. No jobs. No home. No resources. Maybe that’s what it was like for these Jews and Jewish Christians returning to Rome. When they showed up at church that first Sunday perhaps all they had was the suitcases in their car. Times were tough.

And one of the most important spiritual questions in tough times is this: Where’s God? What is God’s plan for dealing with tough times? There is an Episcopal Church on Wall Street called Trinity Church.[4] Trinity Church sits in the center of America’s financial chaos. In a recent interview, one of the ministers said he’s seen a significant increase in church attendance. It started with an increase in support staff from nearby financial organizations. Now, the executives are coming. The minister said this: “Someone who was here for 9/11 says this is the closest thing she has seen to that time.“ People are flooding that church looking for help. What is that help? What is God’s plan when times are tough?

One of the most profound answers to that question comes in Rom. 12:13, 15: 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality…15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (Rom. 12:13, 15 TNIV). These simple words communicate God’s plan for tough times.

First, Paul writes, Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. That translation misses the depth of Paul’s original words. Literally, Paul wrote this: Share in/ participate in the needs of the saints. The word “share in” or “participate in” is a word often translated “fellowship” or “communion.” It’s the verb form of the noun koinonia. That’s the word from which the word “community” derives. Say it out loud with me: koinonia; koinonia. Koinonia means to enter into, to become a partner with, to share in something.

This is the word that describes what happened when Jesus came to earth: 14?Since the children have flesh and blood,? ?he too shared in their humanity?? so that by his death he might break the power??? of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil?—… (Heb. 2:14 TNIV). The word “shared” is the word koinonia. It’s the word Paul uses in Rom. 12. When it came to us, Jesus practiced koinonia. He shared in our humanity. He entered into our humanity. He participated in our humanity. That’s koinonia.

And Paul calls the church to practice koinonia. When it comes to the needs and burdens that people have, we are to enter into those needs. We are to participate in them. We are to make those burdens ours. That’s what Paul means when he urges us to Share in/ participate in the needs of the saints. Just as koinonia led Jesus to make our flesh and blood his own, koinonia leads us to make the needs of another person our own. If every person we meet is carrying a great burden, the church is the one community that makes those burdens ours. When someone is going through a tough time, God’s plan is for the rest of us to make that tough time our own. God’s plan for tough times is koinonia.

In her book Looking for God Nancy Ortberg writes about her oldest daughter.[5] One evening the daughter returned home from a special service at church. Something had touched her deeply during the service. In response, the daughter wrote these words on a sheet of paper: Help me not to be okay just because everything is okay with me. Nancy, the mother, copied the words and put them on the corkboard in the kitchen: Help me not to be okay just because everything is okay with me. It became a daily reminder in their household of God’s vision for koinonia. Nancy writes that it reminded her that, “if someone else is not okay, then to some degree, I am not okay.” What if this became the daily prayer for us during these tough times: Help me not to be okay just because everything is okay with me? God’s vision is that the church be the group that practices koinonia. We are the one group that acts as if the tough times others are facing are our tough times. God’s plan for tough times is koinonia.

But what does that look like? In a sense, the rest of our text answers this question. Listen again to Paul’s words: 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality…15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (Rom. 12:13, 15 TNIV). Let’s take this last phrase and consider how it expresses koinonia: Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Koinonia exists when we participate in, we share in, two things. First, koinonia exists when we participate in the praise that others feel when something in their life goes right. Second, koinonia exists when we participate in the pain that others feel when something in their life goes wrong.

Let’s tackle the second part of the phrase: mourn with those who mourn. This may seem simple but it is not. In fact, Paul is pointing to something which is increasingly rare today.[6] In an interview recently, psychologist Douglas LaBier said that Americans suffer from Empathy Deficit Disorder. LaBier claims that many Americans are “catastrophically unempathetic.” That is, when we face someone in pain we don’t empathize with them. Most of us instead try to gloss over their pain or change the subject of conversation to something besides their pain. We are not comfortable being in the presence of someone in pain. Yet in a culture that is catastrophically unemphathetic, here is God’s plan: koinonia. Especially in tough times, the church is called to be the one community where empathy is found.

A couple of years ago one of the newly widowed women at Highland drove to a mid-week Bible study at a home. As she pulled up to the home, one of the tires on her car split and went flat. It was, in the words of one of the women who witnessed it, the straw that broke the camel’s back. All her grief and all her pain just came pouring out. But the fifteen other women jumped immediately into action. They gathered around her and hugged her and expressed loving words to her. They found her AAA card and called a car service. One of the women prayed over her. After their Bible study, the women collected money to pay for a new tire. They made this woman’s grief their own. They mourned with the one mourning. That’s koinonia.

But the second half of this phrase leads into even more challenging territory: rejoice with those who rejoice. While we might be inclined to shed a sympathizing tear with someone in pain, we are much less likely to cheer when something goes well for someone else.[7] When someone at the office gets a promotion while we get cut, we don’t want to rejoice with the one rejoicing. When someone in the neighborhood gets pregnant while we are struggling with infertility, we don’t want to rejoice with the one rejoicing. Yet God has called us to be that extraordinary community in which this very thing happens. And how important this is in tough times! When circumstances are hard, the good things that happen are more significant than ever before. When that one good thing happens, what we want more than anything else is someone to share it with, someone to be happy with, someone to celebrate with. That’s where the church comes in. We’re called to be the ones who put our pride and our envy aside and make someone else’s good news our good news. When something positive happens to someone else, we are called to act as if that positive thing happened to us. That’s koinonia.

For the four and a half years that I preached for a church in New Mexico, Larry Hawkins did the announcements on Sunday mornings. But for Larry, announcement time wasn’t just a time to communicate about events. It was a time to communicate about people. Larry had grown up in this church. His father had been an elder. And now he was an elder. Every week Larry was on the phone with, in the homes with, or having lunch with members of that church. Every week he’d hear first hand from them about their bad news and their good news. Thus when it came to announcement time on Sunday mornings, Larry would often toss the written announcements aside and spend five minutes pointing out individuals and telling the good things that had happened to them. He’d have Betty stand and he’d mention how she just found out she’s having a baby. And we’d all clap. He’d have Bob raise his hand and Larry would mention how Bob just got a new job. And we’d all clap. I didn’t realize it then, but I now see that Larry was shaping us into a community that rejoiced with those who rejoice. That’s koinonia.

Last October Highland took a congregational survey. We’re received the results and are processing them. I want to share two items from those results. First, the survey asked you to reflect on your experience at Highland. An overwhelming number of you stated that Highland is a church where people can depend on one another. It was the second greatest strength of Highland that you listed. Highland is a church where people can depend on each other. In other words, many of you experience koinonia here. You’ve got people here who rejoice when you rejoice and who mourn when you mourn. That’s good news. Because that’s God’s plan.

But let me share a second item. The survey not only asked you to reflect on your experience at Highland. It asked you to reflect on your experience at home. It asked you to rate some weaknesses about yourself at home. The second greatest weakness was this: you don’t tend to seek help from others. Your family doesn’t seek help from others. In other words, when you are mourning, you don’t tend to let others know. And that is a hindrance to koinonia. Too many of us at Highland are trying to navigate the tough times on our own. We’re not taking advantage of God’s plan. We’re pasting on a smile and putting on a show, when in reality we are carrying a great burden. God has created a community that exists to enter into your pain and praise. And for those of you who don’t ask for help, let me urge you to start asking. Let us start mourning with you and rejoicing with you.

There is, however, one more expression of koinonia to explore: Practice hospitality. (Rom. 12:13 TNIV). In her book Making Room Christine Pohl writes that many of us have the wrong image of hospitality.[8] For many of us hospitality means entertaining family and friends. It means inviting friends or family to the house for burgers or ribs.

But what Paul has in mind is something deeper. Literally, Paul writes this: Practice/pursue the love of strangers. The word “hospitality” literally means love for strangers. Ultimately, hospitality is not something we offer to friends and family. It is something we offer to strangers. And Paul urges us to “practice” this love of strangers, or literally to “pursue” it. We are to seek out opportunities to show love to strangers. [9]

With this phrase, koinonia moves into deep waters. Up to this point, we’ve been talking about koinonia as “what’s yours is mine.” Koinonia is a community where I take the pain or praise that is yours and I make it mine. I enter into it. What’s yours is mine. But with this last phrase, koinonia also becomes “what’s mine is yours.” Whatever resources I have, whatever I posses is now yours. Even if I don’t know you very well, koinonia leads me to say “what’s mine is yours.” I will allow you to enter into my life. And how desperately that is needed in tough times! God’s plan is that the church be the one community where we invite others in need to take advantage of our resources, even if we’ve just met.

Eugene Maddox tells of growing up in a home where he and his mother usually ate in cafeterias because his mother did not cook. Sometimes they would be invited to the home of her boss. Maddox loved these times because it was one of the rare times he got homemade food. Once, when he was about 15, he and his mother were invited to the boss’ house. There were two other guests present: an elderly woman and her servant, an African-American lady named Addie. When it was time for dinner, everyone dug in. But halfway through the meal, Maddox noticed that Addie was missing. Maddox just assumed she wasn’t feeling well. On the way home Maddox asked his mother where Addie had gone. She explained that Miss Addie had been asked to eat at a separate table. At that time whites and blacks did not eat together. Both Maddox and his mother hurt for Miss Addie. Three days later Maddox came home from school. His mother was cooking a meal. She never cooked. But tonight she was cooking. And she was cooking a roast. Maddox asked, “Mom, what’s going on?” She replied, “I have invited Miss Addie for dinner.“ Maddox later wrote “That night was the most wonderful dinner I ever had…” When times are tough, there is almost nothing like hospitality—the love of strangers. That’s the kind of community we are called to be. That’s God’s plan for the tough times.

We’re going to practice koinonia right now. Our invitation or ministry time is going to have three elements. First, we want to mourn with those of you who may be mourning. Some of you have lost a job. You’ve lost a loved one. A relationship isn’t going well. School’s not going well. You’re struggling with a sin. Some of you here carry a great burden. If that describes you, I’d like to ask you to stand where you are. If you are carrying a burden this morning, please stand. We want to mourn with you by praying over you. If you are seated near someone standing, would you stand and place your hand on them. Let’s pray: Father, you entered into our pain through your Son, Jesus. He took on our burden. And we want to do the same for those who are standing. Their pain is ours pain. And because of that, we ask you, just as they have been asking you, to lighten their burden. We ask you, as if their burden belonged to us, to provide what they need this week. Show us how we might enter more fully into their burden this week. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

We also want to rejoice with those who rejoice. If something good has happened in your life recently, I urge you to share it with someone today. Let them enter into your joy. But I’ve specifically asked some individuals to briefly share something good that’s happened in their life recently. One by one they will come to the microphone and briefly share that good thing. After each person shares, I invite you to respond by saying “Praise God!” Let’s really enter into their joy. As each one shares, respond by saying “Praise God!”

A third thing we want to do in our invitation and ministry time is to practice koinonia more generally. Staff and elders are going to be in the aisles and down front. While we sing this next song, please come and share a need you have and let us pray with you about it. Let us share in your need in this way. Let’s stand and sing.

[1] Paul Vercammen, “Economic troubles bring many to the brink,” http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/mentalhealth/01/28/economy.mental.woes/index.html?eref=rss_topstories.

[2] Transcript of “Speaking of Faith” Krista Trippett, http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/biologyofthespirit/transcript.shtml.

[3] James D. G. Dunn Romans 9-16 Word Biblical Commentary (Word, 1988), 743.

[4] Linton Weeks, “Church Leaders Counter Economic Crisis With Faith,” NPR.org (October 2, 2008), http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95296475.

[5] Nancy Ortberg, Looking for God (Tyndale, 2008), 31.

[6] Amanda Robb, “Empathy deficit disorder—do you suffer from it?” O, The Oprah Magazine (April 2008).

[7] Thomas R. Schreiner Romans Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Baker, 1998), 668.

[8] Christine Pohl Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition (Eerdmans, 1999), 3-4.

[9] Thomas R. Schreiner Romans Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Baker, 1998), 667.

The Offering: What Happened When God Offered All (Rom. 12:1-2)

Chris — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:20:56 +0000

Steve Prothero is a Boston University professor and author of the book Religious Literacy.[1] When Prothero began teaching twenty years ago he found that few students could name the authors of the Christian Gospels. Fewer could name a single Hindu Scripture. Almost none could name the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. This concerned Prothero. He believes that many political conflicts in world history have had religious roots. Thus he feels it imperative for students to know something about the religions of the world. Most of his Boston University students, however, knew nothing. Thus, this non-Christian professor proposes in his book that students should be required take a course in Bible and World Religions before graduating from high school.

I mention Prothero’s book not to raise the question of whether or not Christian texts or other religious texts should be taught in public schools. I mention it to illustrate the fact that we live in a culture where a vast number do not have even a cursory understanding of the Christian faith or of any faith.

Because of this, I’ve committed this year to two quarterly initiatives. First, each quarter I will offer a two-week Sunday School break-out session called “Storytime.” “Storytime” is an opportunity to explore and invite friends to explore the Christian story. The next Storytime will be Sundays April 12, 19. Second, each quarter I will preach a message that provides a basic understanding of the Christian faith. This morning’s message is one of those.

One way to sum up the Bible is with the image of an “altar.” Whether through literature we’ve read, paintings we’ve seen, or television or movies we’ve watched, most of us probably have some familiarity with the idea of an altar—a sacred object upon which people present offerings—sacrifices—to a god.

For example last February archeologists in Greece were studying an altar to the Greek god Zeus on Mount Lykaion. [2] The New York Times carried the story. Archeologists found on Mount Lykaion a place there where ancient people would present their offerings to Zeus. But as the archeologists dug deeper, they found ashes, bones, and evidence of animal sacrifices that were presented to an even older god. The altar they found under Zeus’ altar dates to 3000 B. C. On that same spot on Mount Lykaion people had been presenting offerings to the gods since 3000 B. C. And most of us can make sense of a report like that. We understand the idea of an offering on an altar.

Altar or offering is one image which writers of the Bible used to summarize the Christian faith. Paul writes this in Rom. 12:1: 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. (Rom. 12:1 TNIV). Romans is a letter written by a Christian preacher named Paul. Like some of the other documents in the New Testament it is named for the readers—those to whom Paul wrote.

The verse I just read comes at an important place in this letter. It is a hinge around which the letter turns. Generally everything just before this verse has been an explanation of what Paul calls here, “God’s mercy.” Paul wrote chapters 1 – 11 to explain “God’s mercy.” Generally everything after this verse is an exploration of what Paul calls here, “offer[ing] your bodies as a living sacrifice…” If chapters 1 – 11 explain “God’s mercy,” then chapters 12-16 explain our response to God’s mercy. Here’s another way of looking at this: Romans 1 – 11 explain what God did and Romans 12 – 16 explain what we do in response.

And what we do is summarized by the image of altar/ offering/ sacrifice. If you want one image to summarize what it means to be a Christian, this is it—the image of altar/ offering/ sacrifice. We’ll return to this later.

For most of our time this morning, I want us to focus on what God does. One place in Romans 1-11 where Paul summarizes “God’s mercy”—that is, what God does—is in Rom. 3:25: God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. (Rom. 3:25 TNIV). The images used in this text are almost identical to the images used in Rom. 12:

Rom. 12:1 Rom. 3:25

you…offer… God presented…

you…offer your bodies… God presented Christ…

you…offer your bodies as a… sacrifice… God presented Christ as a sacrifice…

Thus, Paul summarizes what God does with this image: altar/ offering/ sacrifice. If you want one image to summarize what God does according to the Christian faith it is this: altar/ offering/ sacrifice.

What is unusual about this image is that it reversed conventional thinking about offerings. Paul lived in a culture where there were many religions and most included the idea of a person offering a sacrifice to appease the gods for something the person did wrong. The average person on the street believed that when you did something wrong, it made the gods angry. And the best way to resolve that anger was to offer a sacrifice. The fancy word for that was “propitiation.” The sacrifice “propitiated” or “turned aside” the anger of the gods. That’s the word Paul uses here.

But here’s the bad news about altar, offering, or sacrifice. First they were never enough. Speaker Rob Bell illustrates this in his presentation called “The God’s Aren’t Angry.”[3] Something goes wrong, you misbehave—and it’s time for a sacrifice. People did it in ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Israel, and ancient Rome. And one problem was that you never really knew if you had sacrificed enough. If you made the gods angry and you offered a sacrifice, you never quite knew if it was enough.

Some of us have experienced this in our spiritual lives. We’re never quite sure if we’ve done enough to make up for wrong things that we’ve done. For example, when I was in college I struggled with sexual immorality. There were weekends when I would choose to be sexually impure and then wake up Sunday morning or Monday morning and realize that God must be very angry with me. So I would spend the next three or four days offering sacrifices to make it up to God—I would read lots of Scripture, I would pray more than usual, I would invite people to the mid-week evangelistic Bible study, and I would volunteer to help with some project in the campus ministry. All of it was a kind of offering to turn aside God’s wrath. But I never really knew for sure if I had done enough.

Some of us experience something similar to this in our secular lives. Despair, Inc. provides what they call “demotivators.” This demotivator is called “Sacrifice.” It shows an ancient Aztec temple on which human sacrifices would have been offered to the gods. It’s a picture meant to be hung at the office. And the tag line says, “All We Ask Here Is That You Give Us Your Heart.” So many things in life—like our jobs—require us to sacrifice so much, and it never seems enough.

But there was a second problem with the ancient altar, offering, or sacrifice. Not only was it never enough. But it was never ending. You were caught in a never-ending cycle of trying to do right, doing wrong, and then having to go to the altar to present the offering. You were condemned to a lifetime of offerings because as large as the last sacrifice was, it only dealt with the previous transgression. Today, there’s a new transgression. There was a never-ending need for offerings.

Some of us still experience this in our spiritual lives. I remember a woman I’ll call Betty. She wanted to follow Jesus. She wanted to be a Christian. But there was one particular behavior she was wrestling with. She was attracted to a coworker and found herself constantly having thoughts she shouldn’t have. She’d repent, attend some church services, feel better, but then stumble again. This went on for weeks. And finally, she just gave up. She didn’t want to continue this cycle. So, she dropped out of church and gave in to her desires.

But here’s the twist of the Christian faith. In the Christian faith, God makes the offering. God himself presents the sacrifice. Did you notice who’s making the sacrifice in Rom. 3? It’s not a person. It’s God. Paul writes earlier that God is angry. He never intended the world to be like this. He never intended your life to be like this. It disturbs him to see the war, the scandals, the poverty, the corruption, the lies, the betrayals, the abuse, and the unfaithfulness. But the Christian faith is not just another flavor of all those ancient religions which require us to make some offering to appease the angry gods. The Christian faith turns that upside down. The angry God offers his own sacrifice, his Son, himself. The Christian God is more interested in peace and relationship with us than another sacrifice from us. So God makes the sacrifice.

And because he makes the sacrifice it is more than enough. And, it is the end. It’s more than we could ever sacrifice. It’s so much more that it’s the end of all sacrifice. It is a one-time once-and-for-all offering which forever ends this altar-system.

This amazing twist is still reflected in the terminology used in many Christian traditions. In many ancient places of worship, like a temple to an ancient Greco-Roman god, there would be an altar. But it would be the place where you would place your offering. In the Christian faith, there was also an altar at the place of worship. But it represented God placing his offering, his sacrifice. Beginning around the 3^rd century A. D. the table on which the communion was placed was called an “altar.”[4] Each Sunday we gather around the altar, not to make our sacrifice, but to celebrate his. The reason Christians gather each Sunday is to celebrate the fact that there’s nothing left to offer. There’s nothing left for us to sacrifice. We’ve been freed from this system.

But what then do we do with Paul’s call in Rom. 12: 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. In the Christian faith what we do comes after what God has done. We do not give our offering in order to get something from God. We give our offering because God’s already given his to us. Too many people assume Christianity is about what we offer or sacrifice in order to get saved, or get heaven, or get forgiveness, or get help. People assume we have to do Romans 12-16 and then we get Romans 1-11. But the truth is just the opposite. What God does comes first. Only then do we respond with our offering.

The word translated “true” as in “true worship” is literally the word “reasonable.” Paul is saying that in light of what God’s done, it is only reasonable that we would respond in kind. It only makes sense, now that God has offered us himself, for us to offer him ourselves. That’s why Paul pictures the Christian life as an offering. It’s us climbing on the altar and saying with gratitude, “Because you’ve given me yourself, I now give you myself.”

Last Sunday Larry McKenzie marked forty years of ministry at the Highland Church of Christ. We’ll be celebrating that anniversary, along with Jim Chester’s 40^th anniversary in a few weeks. For four decades Larry has been studying the Bible with non Christians, teaching evangelism courses, leading prayer seminars, traveling the world to do mission work and encouraging missionaries, writing articles on Christian living, visiting people in the hospital, conducting weddings and funerals, getting up early and staying up late. He has laid himself on the altar for us for forty years. And I’ll bet if you asked him why, he would say it’s because of what God did on his altar. God gave himself to Larry. Larry’s given himself back to God.

Every Sunday for the past few months two families at Highland have left the worship service about halfway through the service. They don’t leave because they are mad. They leave so they can conduct worship services at a nearby assisted-living facility. They sacrifice worshiping with their friends and family here in order to lead worship for about thirty older adults who are shut-in. I’ll bet if you asked them why, they would say it’s because of what God did on his altar. God gave himself to them. They are simply giving themselves back to God.

But here’s the twist: once we get on the altar, God says, “That is very pleasing. But, I’m not going to keep you for myself. I’m going to take you, this offering you’ve given to me, and I’m going to give it to others.” That’s what the verses after Rom. 12:1-2 go on to describe. Paul moves immediately into statements about how we are to serve others, help others, and support others. This is his ultimate example of what it means to offer ourselves to God. Paul is saying that God takes our offering of ourselves and gives it to others. We best offer ourselves to God when we offer ourselves to others. That’s the sum of the Christian life.

And where does all this begin? According to Paul, it begins in baptism. Baptism is where God’s offering and our offering come together. Here’s what Paul writes in Rom. 6: We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. (Rom. 6:4-7 TNIV) In baptism God’s offering—the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus—and our offering—our own death, burial, and resurrection—come together. In baptism we both receive God’s offering and give our offering. Just a few verses later Paul describes it in just this way: 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life. (Rom. 6:13 TNIV). Baptism is where we receive God’s offering and where our offering begins.

[1] Lisa Miller, “The Gospel of Prothero,” Newsweek (March 12, 2007), 50.

[2] John Noble Wilford, “An Altar Beyond Olympus for a Deity Predating Zeus,” New York Times (Feb. , 2008), http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/science/05zeus.html?pagewanted=all

[3] Point inspired by Rob Bell in “The Gods Aren’t Angry”

[4] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/17514/altar

Why Should I Trust the Bible?

Chris — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:45:44 +0000

I remember talking a few years ago with a fellow undergraduate student. I was an intern in a local campus ministry and she had been attending our activities. We were talking about a topic about which she was passionate. I mentioned a couple of Scriptures which spoke directly to the topic. But then she said, “Oh, those verses are just the opinion of the man who wrote them,” and she dismissed them. Her comment led us to a deeper discussion about the Bible. Just what is the Bible? She seemed to view it as a collection of opinions that may have been true at one time for some people. I, on the other hand, viewed it as a word from God which was true for all people in all times.

There is a similar debate in Jer. 36. God tells Jeremiah to write some words down on a scroll—words God wants his people hear. Jeremiah dictates these words to his secretary Baruch who writes them on a scroll. The scroll literally becomes God’s word. But when the king finds out about the scroll, he has his servant Jehudi read it aloud. The king is in his winter quarters with a fire crackling. Whenever Jehudi read three or four columns on the scroll, the king would cut them off and toss them into the fire. To Jeremiah the document was the inspired word of God. To the king it was simply fuel for his fire.

Why should you trust the Bible? Is it just the collection of opinions of ancient authors? Or is it words from the one who made us? Why should you trust the Bible?

I’d like to approach this question in two ways. First, I want to answer the question from an analytical and objective viewpoint. There is objective evidence which would lead us to conclude that the Bible is an accurate account of ancient events and that there is something supernatural about it. Second, I want to answer the question from a philosophical and subjective viewpoint. There is something about the story of the Bible that connects so deeply with us that it must be more than human.

Let’s consider the analytical and objective evidence. I’ll ask and answer two common questions about the Bible. First, how do we know that the Bible we have today is what the original authors wrote? Consider the Old Testament. We do not possess any of the original scrolls on which Old Testament authors like Jeremiah wrote. What we possess are copies. This might alarm us since we know how easy it is to make a mistake when we try to copy down something. Yet those who copied the Old Testament did so very carefully. Here is one example. For many years, the oldest extensive copies of an Old Testament book came from the 10th century A. D. Then in 1947, a host of other Old Testament copies were found near the Dead Sea. These were roughly 1,000 years older than any previous copies. Scholars took a copy of Isaiah 53 from the 10th century A. D. and compared it to the Dead Sea Scroll copy which was 1,000 years older. They found only 17 letters which differed. 10 of those were mere differences in spelling. Of the 166 words in the chapter only 1 word was added, and it did not change the meaning of the text. Based on the Dead Sea Scrolls, scholars conclude that our Old Testament is over 95% accurate and reflects what the original authors wrote.[1]

There is similar evidence regarding the New Testament.[2] Like the Old Testament, we have no original documents from these authors, just copies. These copies, however, have two qualities. First, they are extremely old. For instance, we have a copy of part of John’s gospel which dates as early as A. D. 100. That’s only about 10 years after John wrote his original Gospel. We have very old copies.

And, we have a large number of copies. There are over 5,000 ancient copies of the New Testament in Greek, the language in which it was written. No other piece of ancient literature has that many ancient copies. For example, there are 500 different copies from before 500 A. D. For the Illiad, another ancient document, we have only 50 copies that date from 500 years or less after its origin. [3] These copies allow scholars to check for accuracy in copying. This had led them to conclude that 99.5% of what the New Testament writers originally wrote is what we have in our Bibles today.^[4]

Here’s a second question regarding objective evidence about the Bible: What evidence supports the claim of these authors that what they wrote is from God? Let’s briefly explore three pieces of evidence. First, the Bible’s unity supports this claim.[5] The Bible consists of 66 books. They were written by about 40 different authors who came from a wide variety of backgrounds. They wrote over the time span of 1,600 years. They wrote from 3 different continents. And they wrote in 3 different languages. Imagine how difficult it would be today to undertake a 1,600 year writing project under the same circumstances. Imagine trying to gather 40 different educators, politicians, theologians, and scientists from different countries in different languages and asking them to write on a highly controversial topic without contradicting one another and with the result that their work is unified in its content. That’s what we have in the Bible. Only God could create a book of this magnitude and unity.

Second, the Bible’s predictive prophecy supports this claim. The Bible often predicted events well before they happened. Take, for instance, Is. 53. As I mentioned earlier, the Dead Sea copy of Is. 53 comes from about 100 years before Christ. The original book was written centuries before that. Is. 53 predicts that the Christ would be rejected and that his message would be met with disbelief. It says that he would suffer in silence. It predicts that he would die among the wicked and that be buried among the rich. All of these predictions came true in Christ. Hundreds of years before Jesus arrived Is. 53 predicted what would happen. Prophecies like these demand explanation. They provide evidence that this book truly is a word from God.

Third, Jesus’ endorsement of the Bible supports its claim to be the Word of God. Concerning the Old Testament, Jesus often quoted from it authoritatively and upheld its status as God’s Word. For example, to validate his teaching on marriage and divorce in Matt. 19:4-9, Jesus quoted from the book of Genesis. Jesus believed the Old Testament to be God’s Word. Concerning the New Testament, Jesus promised its future writers that they would be guided by the Holy Spirit. In Matt. 10:19-20 and Jn. 14:26 Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would speak through them, would teach them, and would remind them of everything Jesus had told them. Thus, if Jesus is the Son of God, his endorsement of the Old Testament books and New Testament authors directly supports the Bible’s claim to be God’s Word.

That is some of the objective evidence which should lead us to trust the Bible. I’d like to focus now on some subjective evidence. In his study of religions called Dissonant Voices, Harold Netland writes that whatever religion you choose, it must be able to make sense of certain things.[6] For instance, he says, it must be capable of cultivating a sense of moral values. It must be able to provide the inner resources people need for coping with crisis. It must offer a prophetic voice against injustice. And it must effectively answer questions such as Who is God? Why is there suffering in the world? Why do we exist? What is the nature of salvation? We can stretch Netland’s argument to cover religious literature. If a supposed sacred literature cannot provide these things, it cannot be from God.

I’d like to focus on his last proposal: any document claiming to be from God ought to be able to effectively answer questions about life. In other words, it will make sense of life. English scholar N. T. Wright has written a book about this very thing. Called Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense the book explores how the Bible makes sense of four fundamental issues in life. [7] I’d like to summarize what the heart of Wright’s proposal.

As humans, one of the things we long for is justice. When children, we are quick to point out “That’s not fair!” Our bloated legal system is evidence of our obsession with justice. And those events which wound us deeply often touch on justice: an innocent person gets convicted; the guilty are let off; victims don’t get compensated; countries invade other countries. Nazi Germany. Rwanda. South Africa. American slavery. Human history is littered with examples of injustice and our longing for them to be made right. Wright puts it this way: “But all people know, in cooler moments, that this strange thing we call justice, this longing for things to be put right, remains one of the great human goals and dreams.”[8]

A second fundamental longing is the longing for spirituality. Though the skepticism taught in the academy has attempted to subdue this longing, the longing cannot be contained. Spirituality has erupted in Western culture like hidden springs, expressing itself in New Age mysticism, tarot cards, crystals, horoscopes, fundamentalism, and militant Christians and Muslims. These springs have bubbled even more vigorously in Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East. Wright puts it this way:“…the widespread hunger for spirituality, which has been reported in various ways across the whole of human experience, is a genuine signpost to something which remains just around the corner, out of sight.” [9] In other words, it begs for explanation. Why are we humans so thirsty for the spiritual?

Third, we humans long for community. We act as if we were made to be social creatures. We find meaning by seeing ourselves as part of a family, a neighborhood, a workplace, a town, or a nation. Yet we struggle with these relationships. From the most intimate—marriage—to those on a large scale—our civic relationships as a nation—we never quite achieve the community we desire.

Fourth, we humans long for beauty. Beauty, whether in something we see in nature or something that’s been created by humans, often evokes our deepest feelings of awe, gratitude, and reverence. And yet beauty slips through our fingers. We photograph the sunset but the image doesn’t match the moment itself. Our own physical beauty fades over time.

How do we explain these longings? Wright suggests that the Bible is the one story that best makes sense of them. Scripture is not a rule book. Scripture is not a moral guide. It is, above all, the true story about God and us. It offers the best explanation of our search for justice, our quest for spirituality, our longing for relationships, and our yearning for beauty. Here’s how:

In its opening chapters, Scripture speaks of a God who created the world and all that is in it and proclaimed it beautiful. He formed humans in his own image and intended for them to experience community with one another and spirituality with Him.

But the story went awry in the first few chapters of the Bible. Rebellion in Eden led to the first murder, to widespread violence, and to the absurd idea of building a tower to heaven. In eleven chapters the world was given over to injustice, spurious types of spirituality (like trying to stretch to heaven by human efforts), failed relationships, and the creation of buildings which spoke of human pride rather than natural beauty.

But in chapter 12, God launched a rescue operation through a man named Abraham. It was God’s intent to bless all peoples on earth through Abraham and his descendents. God held out a vision of a world of justice, where God and people would live in harmony, where relationships would thrive, and where beauty would triumph over ugliness.

The rest of the Old Testament focused on that vision expressed through kings, a temple, the law, and new creation:

Kings were placed over Abraham’s descendents, Israel, to help fulfill this vision. Most failed. Yet the prophets held out hope that one day there might be a new sort of king who would set everything right.

A temple was built as an object of beauty and as a space where heaven and earth met so that humans could rightly pursue spirituality. The priests and the kings, however, failed to care for the temple. Its beauty faded. Its religion ritualized. Yet the people held out hope for the reestablishment of a place where heaven and earth would meet, where our need for access to God could truly be answered.

A law was written to help people learn to live together, with God and with each other. Yet the people broke the law, and their community, spirituality, and justice was marred.

Still, hope was held out for a new creation, a time in which God would establish worldwide peace, reestablish the beauty of Eden, and harmony between creation, God, and humanity.

All of these hopes were fulfilled through Jesus. The New Testament is not about a new moral teaching, or Jesus’ moral example, or how Jesus created a new way to get to heaven. It is instead the story of Jesus inaugurating a new world of justice, spirituality, relationships, and beauty. He fulfills the hopes wrapped up in kings, temples, law, and new creation. He himself would become the place where heaven and earth meet. He would not simply rescue humanity from its own failings but from evil itself. In his crucifixion he would take that evil upon himself. In his resurrection, he would begin a new world. Wright puts it this way: “When Jesus emerged from the tomb, justice, spirituality, relationship, and beauty rose with him.” [10]

Jesus then gave his followers the Holy Spirit as a foretaste of the future when all creation will be fully rescued from the corruption which defaces its beauty, destroys its relationships, removes the sense of God’s presence, and makes it a place of injustice and violence. The Spirit was also given as a resource so that Jesus’ followers might work toward that future. The church, empowered by that Spirit, advances beauty, justice, spirituality, and community.

And the Bible itself has been given to fashion and form Jesus’ followers to carry out this work. Wright puts it this way: “[The Bible] is there to enable people to work for justice, to sustain their spirituality as they do so, to create and enhance relationships at every level, and to produce that new creation which will have about it something of the beauty of God himself.” [11]

There is no other document which explains the human longing for beauty, community, justice, and spirituality. Such a document could only come from God.

[1] Rubel Shelly Prepare to Answer (20^th Century Christian, 1990), 133-135.

[2] Lee Strobel The Case for Christ (Zondervan, 1998), 19-91.

[3] Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli Pocket Handbook of Christian Apologetics (Intervarsity Press, 2003), 83.

[4] Strobel.

[5] Shelly, 114-117.

[6] Harold Netland Dissonant Voices (Regent, 1991), 157.

[7] N. T. Wright Simply Christian (Harper One, 2006).

[8] Wright, 15.

[9] Wright, 27.

[10] Wright, 116.

[11] Wright, 182-183.