Whose Church Is It Anyway?

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.            -Matthew 16:18

It seems almost superfluous to ask questions regarding ownership of the church. Shouldn’t the answer be obvious? From its very beginning, Jesus claimed ownership of the church. He did not tell Peter that men like him could build their own churches – it belongs to Him. There are few within Christendom who would argue against this fact.

Yet, in spite of the fact that ownership of the church seems to be a settled issue, we must ask ourselves, “Whose church is it?” If we believe that what we are part of is the church established by Christ, then how should we function as such a church? What responsibilities fall upon us, and what work should be left to God? Are there times when we are taking authority that was never entrusted to us?

Our understanding of the church must begin with the fact that it is not our church. We speak of it in those terms when we refer to “our church”, and the use of that language may betray what some actually believe at times. Though the Bible says that the church was purchased by Christ with His own blood (Acts 20:28), modern Christianity has subjected it to the ever-changing whims of contemporary society. There is a distinct possibility that we have allowed the work and direction of the church to be determined by the culture in which we live. Rather than allowing the church to be counter-cultural, it has been molded and conformed to the image of the society it was intended to change. However, the relevance of the church is always a direct result of its distinction from worldly cultures. If the church cannot be holy, or set apart, from the world, neither can it be relevant to the needs of humanity. So, even though it seems unnecessary, let us consider the implications of Jesus’ ownership of the church.

The Foundation of the Church

Jesus’ statement about the church was in response to Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Son of God (Matt. 16:16). Jesus told Peter that it was not man who had revealed this truth to him, but God Himself. He then asserted that this is the rock upon which the church would be built. What rock is Jesus describing? Peter’s name signifies a stone, or a fragment of rock. Jesus was not referring to a stone, but to a rock that would provide a solid foundation for the church. Peter confessed his faith in Jesus as God’s Son, and it is on this firm foundation that the church was built.

On what foundation is the church built today? Jesus said that those who hear His words and respond to them (Matt. 7:24) are building on a foundation that will support them. The church must be built on Jesus Christ and what He teaches. There is no greater foundation than the Incarnate Word who brings the light of God into this fallen world. All that we do must be built on the work, and character of Jesus Christ. We are not given the authority to choose our foundation, but it is laid for us in all that has been done by Christ.

The Builder of the Church

The Bible is clear that humanity is a necessary part of the church. The Bible says that we are the blocks that make up the temple of God. You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). It is important for us to understand our place in the church Christ builds. We are a part of His church. It is always built through the saints, but it is never designed by them. It is not our purpose to structure the church according to our desires, or for our own ease. It is always Christ who puts the members in place where He sees fit. And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11, 12). There is no doubt, the body must be built, but it is the work of Christ to erect the structure through the call He places on His people.

 We are stones, but it is not our purpose to be architects. All that is built grows out of the work of Jesus. Every ministry, ever committee, every organization must grow out of the work and purpose of Jesus Christ. He is the master builder, and the church always surrenders to His design.

The Purpose of the Church

We talk a great deal about purpose and vision within the church today. Conferences are offered, and books written, to help us identify our vision and establish goals that will help us pursue them. At times, it seems that we believe it to be our purpose to determine the direction of the church, but what we miss is that He has already provided direction. The gates of hell shall not prevail… The work of the church is to march into battle to conquer that which hell possesses. The imagery used in Matthew 16:18 is not one that requires the church to sit back and hope to endure. In ancient times cities were surrounded by walls. There were gates in those walls to protect the citizens, but no nation every marched into battle with gates. They are always a defensive structure. So the implication of Jesus’ statement is that the church is to be an offensive force against the powers of hell. We must be willing to fight the spiritual battles before us in the name and power of Christ.

The church of our day has become a collection of spiritual pacifists in many cases; unwilling to stand for the truth of God’s Word. Some have abandoned doctrinal principles that have been held orthodox for centuries to gain acceptance with society. How can this be when it is the stated purpose of Christ for the church to stand against the sinful things of the world? Jesus established the church for a purpose: to bring light to the darkness of the world. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). It this is true, then our purpose must be to boldly proclaim that which makes the church different from the fallen world in which we live. The purpose of the church, according to Jesus, is to march against the gates of hell.

Based on the words of Jesus, what do we believe about the church today? If we believe the words of Jesus, do we see the church that He established when we look at our congregations, or the church at large? If we are to be the church today, we must first establish where ownership lies, and that is always with Christ.

Visions of Christ

Visions of Christ

Revelation 1:9-20

 

            Every once in a while you read something that leaves a lasting impression; something that forces you to consider it even years after you’ve read it. I read such a book in high school. In 1953 Ray Bradbury’s book, Fahrenheit 451, was published. Bradbury’s story described a society where truth was hidden at all costs and self-centeredness was the rule of the day. The people did everything possible to shelter themselves from the realities of the world. They lived in a self-induced stupor having been intoxicated by their self-indulgence. Bradbury wrote about people whose lives were consumed by their entertainment and were lived vicariously through the televisions that ruled their living rooms.  The people were happy to live in self-delusion with their allusions of joy until they were brought face to face with the harsh reality of war. When the time came that they had to face truth they had no idea how to handle it. They were ill-prepared to face the trials and tribulations of life. As terribly equipped as such a society seem, are we really much different?

            John faced a similar situation. The Romans filled coliseums with countless thousands of people who went to find some kind of fulfillment and happiness. The empire provided all the entertainment people needed through sports and wealth, but they did what was necessary to hide the truth. That’s why John found himself on Patmos.

            Sometimes it seems like the world will stop at nothing to hide definite truth. We see it all around us. We read stories of scientists who are pressured by politics to make sure their studies find what is considered acceptable by the powers that be. There have been college professors who have lost jobs because they refuse to blindly promote unproven theories of evolution in favor of intelligent design. Many dictators have controlled the media of their country, and some have gone so far as to censor what people are allowed to read.

            Suppression of truth is a means of inhibiting the freedom of people as they try to understand life. By directing them to specific, well-chosen information they are led to a conclusion that is desirable for their leaders. This has even happened in the church. There was a day when Bibles were chained to pulpits and the common man was not allowed access to God’s Word. This allowed the rulers to maintain control over the conclusions that people would draw by denying them access to all that is available to them. We see it in the church once again today. The Bible is not kept from God’s people, but they have willfully allowed themselves to live in ignorance of what it teaches, and the result has been leaders who have led the church astray.

            We look around us and see a church that is largely failing in America. Our leaders continue to promote leadership techniques and programs while the church continues to decline. Outreach is the theme of the day, and if we aren’t growing in great numbers we are not successful. Scripture teaches us that the church grew in the New Testament as the Bible became more important to the Christians. “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). When we do not know Scripture we do not know how to deal with life’s circumstances, so we turn to leaders who will give us instruction. Is this not how the Christian life is lived today? We don’t go to the Word, but to some self-help guru for our direction. The absolute truth of God’s Word has been confined to the shadows of the world, and hidden in the dark corners of the church. Over a couple thousand years it seems that some things haven’t changed all that much.

            John, the great apostle who proclaimed God’s truth to the early church, was exiled to Patmos as a way of keeping the truth from people. F.G. Smith explains, “Having confined him to a barren spot [Patmos], the emperor no doubt thought he had effectually cleared the world of this preacher of righteousness…But when men think the truth is dead and buried out of sight, God suddenly gives it a resurrection with thirty-fold greater glory. It was so in this case.”[1] Just when it seemed like the truth of God might be stamped out of existence, the apostle received a vision on the far reaches of the prison of Patmos. He was not given a structure or program that would obscure the glory and power of God. He was not given instruction on where to find the nearest church growth seminar, or tips on the amendment of bylaws.

            When God’s Word was hidden away the church received what she needed most: visions of an all-powerful, resurrected, living Christ! As John contemplated the church on the Lord’s Day a vision of a triumphant church came forth through the words of Jesus. It is in times such as these that we experience visions of the work of Christ. It is when the truth seems to be losing ground to the lies of man that God speaks to His people and directs them back to His Word, and to His revelation. It is in such times that God brings revival to the submissive heart.

            It is important that we understand the victory that God is showing in this vision. There are many who insist on a literal interpretation of what John saw on Patmos, but to look at this in such a way is to take away from the victory won by Jesus. We do not interpret Jesus – or His work – in light of the visions of apocalyptic literature, but we always interpret such literature in light of Jesus Christ and His victory over the powers of hell.[2] It is truth that sets us free, and for that purpose God revealed the truth about a victorious church through the book of Revelation. That purpose must be kept in the forefront of our thought as we read the visions of John. Jesus told us in John’s gospel that He came for the purpose of freedom. “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (John 8:31, 32). Paul also told the Galatian church, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). God has provided visions in Scripture that will free us from the bondage of worldly ideas. We find ourselves in bondage to the world, but the church need not live in that prison. The truth, if sought and applied to our lives – individually and corporately – will truly set us free.

 

It Is During Tribulation That We See Christ

 

            We cannot deny that the church of John’s day was facing tribulation. This has often been a result of the world’s response to the faith of God’s people. Faith in the Word of God offends the sinful hearts of the world and brings conviction to their souls. When we place our trust in the moral standards set forth by God it gives us a hope that the world does not possess. By putting our trust in God’s Word we are making a clear statement that the testimony of His Son will be the example by which we live. We will not settle for the relativity of the world, or the universalism that has become a part of the beliefs of so many. John was sent to Patmos for this faith. Many Christians have lost their lives for the same type of faith. God’s people have been martyred, exiled, beaten, imprisoned and publicly shamed for their commitment to something greater than the government rulers of this world.

            It is during these times of great trial that the church has historically risen to new heights as men and women of God come together to support one another as they endure hardship. In verse 9 John claimed to be partnered with the church in tribulation, the kingdom, and patient endurance. We experience the presence of Jesus today during these times as His body lives in harmony with one another. As we encourage and carry one another we see God at work. This is what John meant when he said he was their partner in the kingdom. We live together in mutual submission to God’s reign even under the most sever tribulation. “Just as Jesus suffered in order to establish his rule so must believers. Those who put themselves under the lordship of Christ open themselves to tribulation in this in-between-time before Christ’s return and the final consummation and destruction of all evil.”[3] History proves that Satan will do anything to keep God’s people from submitting to His reign. We will face trial, tribulation, difficulty and obstacles, but God will overcome all these things through His people living together as His kingdom. Visions of our King remind us of the One whom we serve as we face this opposition of the Devil.

            God has not left us alone to face difficulty. It is during this time that we experience the work of Christ. We see Him move through His church, and in the lives of His people. We experience His peace and comfort, His love and mercy. If our faith remains steadfast in Jesus, we will never face a trial without a “partner” in tribulation. When we meet obstacles we see Christ work.

 

It Is When We Are In the Spirit That We See Christ

 

            It is no coincidence that John was “in the Spirit” when he saw a vision of Christ. The Spirit is the one who reveals Christ to us. He testifies to the work of Jesus. “He will glorify me, he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14). Since the Spirit reveals Christ to us we see Him most clearly during the times when we are led by the Spirit. John Stott pointed out, “It is only logical. If Christian maturity is maturity in our relationship to Christ, in which we worship, trust and obey him, then the clearer our vision of Christ, the more convinced we become that he is worthy of our commitment.”[4] Stott went on to say, “For the discipleship principle is clear: the poorer our vision of Christ the poorer our discipleship will be, whereas the richer our vision of Christ, the richer our discipleship will be.”[5]

            It is the Holy Spirit who allowed John to look to the heavens and see the vision of Christ rather than to his immediate circumstances of difficulty. The testimony of Christ that we see in Scripture helps to teach us that it is never our circumstances that should dictate the way we live, but the Spirit of God. When we become bitter over troubles we face visions of Christ are more difficult to see. The church has been called to live in a world that is hostile to her culture, but we must live in light of the visions of Christ that Scripture reveals to us. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2). If our witness is to stand, we cannot afford to respond to adversity in the same way the world responds. We can’t allow ourselves to live in panic and worry over what is going to happen. Jesus said, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34).

            The Spirit of God will always direct us to Christ. When it is the Spirit who is guiding our decisions and responses we will always respond in light of our vision of the work of the Son of God. It is from this position that John sees the vision of Christ and His triumphant church.

 

It Is Among the Churches That We See Christ

 

            John did not simply see a vision of Jesus. He saw our Risen Lord walking among seven golden lampstands. In fact, the text would lead us to believe that John the first thing John saw after hearing the voice of Christ were these lampstands. We are not left to guess what these lampstands must be; Jesus told John exactly what they are: “As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches” (Rev. 1:20).

            It should come as no surprise that we find Jesus among the congregations of His church. Jesus told His disciples, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matt. 18:20). He also reminded them before He ascended to heaven, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).

            Jesus walks among His people today – just as He walked with the church in John’s day – to fill the role of high priest. “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come…” (Heb. 9:11). In Old Testament times it was the responsibility of the high priest to trim the lamps in the tabernacle. “And Aaron shall burn on it incense of sweet spices; every morning when he trims and fills the lamps he shall burn it” (Exod. 30:7 AB). The lamp was put in place to light the holy place in the tabernacle. Without the light of these lamps the tabernacle of God would be dark, so twice a day the high priest filled the lamps with oil and trimmed the wicks. This kept deposits from building up that would eliminate the light that was given. Jesus fulfills the same role in God’s New Testament tabernacle.

            The churches give off the witness of God’s power and glory. Jesus walks among the congregations to tend their lamps. It is through visions of Christ that the witness of the church is carried into the world. As we see His revelation in Scripture it trims and removes deposits from the wick that lights God’s lamps today. He continually works through His Spirit to empower the church to do His work in the world today. As we are built up into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5) we see visions of Jesus walking among His people to fulfill His role as our high priest maintaining the work of God within our lives. It is the presence of Jesus that makes this tabernacle the church. It is this presence that allows us to rightly consider ourselves the temple of God. John was given a vision of one who trims the lamps.[6]

 

It Is In Humility That We See Christ

 

            It is important that we see Christ through His Word and His church. We must understand the work He does through His church. We must also respond to these visions. John responded to the presence of God’s Son as many have reacted throughout history. His response mirrors that of Ezekiel, “Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking” (Ezek. 1:28). Moses removed his shoes and bowed before God (Exod. 3:5).  Even the Apostle Paul fell on His face before the Risen Christ, “And falling to the ground he heard a voice” (Acts 9:4)…

            A real vision of Jesus Christ should give us a sense of inadequacy, and should leave us standing in wonder and awe of our God. As we begin to understand what God reveals to us through such a vision it reminds us that even the brightest and best of our day cannot compare to the wisdom of Jesus Christ, and His power working through His people is unmatched by anything that is spawned within the finite mind of man. This revelation of the mind and will of God is what has drawn His people back to Him in times of revival over the course of history. Dennis Kinlaw commented, “I am convinced that every great revival in the history of the church has started when God’s people began to seek ‘the mind of Christ.’ When they set aside the normal human way of thinking about the world and allowed Christ to direct their lives, the world has been turned ‘upside down.’”[7]

            For decades the church of our day has stood as a darkened tabernacle, not knowing whether or not our high priest stands among us. We have turned to programs, gimmicks and fads to light the lamps of the church once again, but nothing has reignited the fire among God’s people. Visions of Jesus Christ serve to reignite the passion of God’s people. These visions bring revival to the church. As long as we continue to look within ourselves for guidance we will never be the lamps that burn brightly in the dwelling place of God. It is through visions of Jesus, and the revelation of the mind of Christ that the church moves in power in this sinful world. We experience God’s power when we respond to visions of our Lord as Isaiah, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isa. 6:5). Our trials are not overcome by our own ingenuity, but by visions of Jesus Christ and His plan for a triumphant church.

 

            It is during eras of difficulty that apocalyptic literature was written by the Jews before the time of Christ. It is in the same kinds of circumstance that John was given this vision. “Here is the meaning of the vision: A living, holy, majestic, omniscient, authoritative, powerful Christ stands in the midst of the churches, holds their destiny in his hand and says: ‘Stop fearing. I was dead. I am alive forever. More than that, I hold in my hand the keys to death and the grave. You should not fear to go to any place to which I hold the key. You may be persecuted to death but I am still your king.”[8] It doesn’t matter what we are facing today – individually or corporately – we are kept by our risen Lord. The Apostle Paul’s words still hold true today:

           

            "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall     separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:31-37).

 

            Do we live in light of a Scriptural vision of a risen, victorious Christ? One who stands amid a Spirit-led, triumphant church?

 

---

[1] F.G. Smith, The Revelation Explained, 36

[2] Richard K. Eckley, Revelation: A Commentary for Bible Students (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2006), 57

[3] Carol Rotz, Revelation: A Commentary In the Wesleyan Tradition (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2012), 59

[4] John Stott, The Radical Disciple (Downer’s Grove: IVP Books, 2010), 42

[5] Ibid, 47

[6] David Ravenhill, The Jesus Letters (Shippensburg: Destiny Image, 2003), 33

[7] Dennis Kinlaw, The Mind of Christ (Anderson: Francis Asbury Press, 1998), 19

[8] Ray Summers, Worthy Is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman &Holman Publishers, 1951), 105

The Salt of the Earth

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.  -Matthew 5:13


If you spend much time around church people you will inevitably hear mention of Christians being "salt and light." We talk about that and proclaim it, but do we really understand what it means? How can Christians possibly represent salt to this world? What does the statement say about the world, and about our lives? Let's consider these questions.


Historically, salt has had three purposes: It is used to purify, preserve and give taste. If Christians are to be salt in the world then we must accomplish one, or all, of these three things. I would contend that the purpose of Jesus' statement deals with the issue of preservation and purification since it would be completely inaccurate to claim that we are to make a sinful world palatable.


Before anything else this verse implies the need of the world. If we are salt then the world is in need of what salt provides. It is in need of purification and preservation. It is difficult to dispute that the world is in a decaying state. We need look no further than the morning news to see the sinful things that are taking place around us. Our societies are driven by sex and materialism, and decisions are made by governments for the self-preservation of their politicians. Just when we come to the point that we do not feel the world could get any worse we are always unpleasantly surprised by the ways man conceives to sin.


When we consider the call to be the salt of the earth we must do so against this context. In days gone by salt was used as a means of purifying. It was used on wounds to clean them and protect from infection. It is no mistake that this verse comes directly after the last of the beatitudes, which says, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matt. 5:11, 12).  


To answer the call to be salt is to bring persecution on ourselves. We use the term "rubbing salt in a wound" today as a negative thing. But this is what was once necessary to clean and protect a wound. As the world decays it is necessary that salt be applied to it. What the world needs is a cleansing agent. Something that will help stop the decay. If Christians are to do this they must look and act different than the rest of the world. When we look at the church we too often see gatherings that are not much different from the world. We neglect the biblical mandate to live a holy life; sue one another in secular courts even though Scripture says we're already defeated when this happens, and many times we even do whatever is necessary to look as much like our sinful world as possible. The world does not need such a church.


What the world needs are people who will model the character of Christ. People who will be faithful witnesses, and display His love to all. People who will stand in truth and will not allow the decay of this world to drag them down. That's what it means to be salt. There is no compromise in the call of Christ. If salt loses its saltiness how will it be restored? It won't! Salt cannot lost it's inherent properties. It can only become corrupted and impure. Salt that is not pure is of no use to the work of Christ. It is good only to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.


In light of the call to be the salt of the earth, where does the church stand today? Are we useful to the purifying, preserving work of Christ? We could go even further. Are we personally living in a way that allows Christ to work through us? Are we really salt?

The Power of Resurrection

Philippians 3:1-11

 

            There are numerous events that have shaped society and the world we live in.  Wars have been fought and won throughout all of human history.  Nations have risen and then fallen; the impact and culture of some lasting long beyond their own existence.  But of the thousands of events that have impacted the race of man one stands out above all others.  Whether you are the most devout atheist, or have walked with God for your entire life, there is one man, and one event in His life that has somehow affected you.  The laws of our society, and the ways that we relate to one another, our sense of morality and human decency are based on His teachings and life.  Every person who lives in this country today has in some way been affected by Jesus Christ.  But it is more than His teachings that have affected those who know Him today.  For His followers, the focal point of His life and ministry, the culmination of His work took place on top of a hill called “Golgotha” as He was crucified on a Roman cross between two criminals.  The sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the events surrounding that crucifixion have the power to give us more than a civil society and a good sense of law.  Those events – even 2,000 years later – can be life changing for you and I as they were for the Apostle Paul.

            Look at the life Paul had lived.  He did not need the work of Christ at Calvary that day to live a comfortable life of ease in this world.  He was a devout Jew.  He had followed the law for his entire life and zealously defended the Jewish religion and law – persecuting the church as every good Jew would have.  Paul was well respected and had the potential to live a life of relative ease.  But when confronted with a choice between these things and the life that God called him to live through Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul not only gave these things up willingly, but COUNTED THEM LOSS.  His lineage, education, social status and every worldly achievement were put off by this great man of God because even the greatest things the world has to offer pale in comparison to the power of God working in the human life through Jesus Christ.  In fact, Paul believed that these things would KEEP HIM FROM GOD if he had not been willing to put them off and seek a greater power than he could have gained through the political religious system of the Jews.

            That may sound extreme to us, but that’s because so few of us really understand what Paul was suggesting here.  He was not teaching a half-hearted Christianity.  Paul was promoting and instructing the Philippian Christians to live a life that required them to sell themselves out to God.  He was not interested in getting them free admission to heaven through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  The Apostle Paul wanted them to live in the SAME POWER that resurrected Christ on this earth! 

            It was not simply the death of Jesus that makes a difference in our lives, it is the fact that He overcame that death, and stepped out of the grave victorious over the very things that man had tried in vain to overcome for all of his history: sin and death.  Paul had so much faith in this power of resurrection that He told us in verse 11 he wanted to take part in it “BY ANY MEANS.”  Can you imagine such a thing?  Something so powerful that one of the most prominent, powerful men in that society would stop at nothing to experience it.  This is what the cross was all about.  It’s what the entire life of Christ was about – the power of God BRINGING NEW LIFE! 

Consider the profound affects the power of resurrection had on Paul’s life, and can have in our lives today:

 

Resurrection Overcomes the Deficiency of Human Achievement

 

            In ancient times, Israel built some of the greatest structures that man has ever seen.  They built a tabernacle in the wilderness with the wealth that they brought with them out of Egypt.  This was no simple tent, it was the greatest temporary structure the world has ever seen.  The contents were lined with gold, and the structure itself was made with the most desirable material of its time.  It was impressive to say the least, especially for a structure built by a band of nomads. 

            After having settled the land God gave them in Canaan they built the temple in Jerusalem.  They took that tabernacle that had been built in the wilderness and escalated the craftsmanship infinitely.  Everything about it was made to honor a God that transcends all that man has to offer. 

            As impressive as the accomplishments of Israel were, they were nothing without the presence of God.  The greatest thing about these achievements was not the craftsmanship or the architecture.  It was the presence that inhabited these buildings.  It was the fire that filled the Holy of Holies and the voice of God that thundered from that place.  Without that presence those things were simply buildings.  They had earthly value, but where are those structures today?  The tabernacle faded into obscurity thousands of years ago, and even the temple in Jerusalem is nothing more than ruins on top of the temple mount today. 

            There is really nothing that man can achieve that will outlast God’s work.  That’s why the book of Ecclesiastes says, There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after (1:11).  And, For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten (2:16).  Even the most impressive works of man are temporary.  The pyramids in Egypt have stood for thousands of years, but, given enough time, the elements and weather will even wear them away.  Those buildings of the Old Testament have faded into obscurity, but God’s work still goes on in the world today.  It goes on through His people as His power works in their lives to influence the world. 

            From the time of His crucifixion and resurrection there has never been a time when Jesus Christ – and His followers - did not influence the world in some way.  The power that resurrected Him from the dead has worked in the hearts of man and been passed from one generation to the next.  People have experienced His love through those who know Him and walk with Him and it has transformed lives.  It has provided the only lasting legacy that we can ever leave in this world.  Our education and knowledge will someday pass away.  Our wealth and property and the small kingdoms we try to build ourselves on this earth will someday pass away into the forgotten annals of history, but the love of Jesus Christ, and the power of His resurrection will continue to work.  It will work through our lives – if we will submit to the power of God – and influence countless lives through the years to come.  At the end of human history we will see the results that the same power that resurrected Christ has had in our lives to shine the light of God into a darkened world. 

There is no human achievement that will outlast the resurrecting power of God.  There is no life that is too dismal, no sin too great, and no person too far from God to experience this power if they will surrender to God’s Spirit.  But the work of God does not stop at our achievements or with the legacy we will leave.

 

Resurrection Overcomes the Futility of Trying to Earn Righteousness

 

            Everyone seems to have some sense of morality or ethics.  We all feel some accountability to God somehow.  That’s why we feel guilty about some of the things we do and the ways that we have lived.  We can spend a lifetime trying to overcome that guilt and shame, but no matter how good we are, or how much we help others it just never seems to go away.  It seems like there is nothing we can do about it.  We are doomed to struggle through a life of disappointment because we just cannot get away from sin.  But the power of resurrection will deliver us from this guilt that nothing else will take away.  It will take us from that life of wandering through a spiritual wilderness looking for direction to an adventure where God’s Spirit guides us through everything that we will face and leads us away from the snares and traps that the devil has laid before us.

            We so often wander with one another and use those around us to help us feel better about our failure to live a righteous life.  As long as the people around us are worse (or what we perceive as worse) than we are everything will be alright.  We measure ourselves against one another and figure that God has bigger problems to deal with than me, so I don’t have anything to fear.  This is why it offends us when someone close to us starts to get committed to God.  Someone who is a nominal “Christian” gets upset when their children or their spouse gets committed to God because it threatens our subjective sense of ethics and morality.  When someone around us lives a better life then God has one less problem to worry about and we move up on His list.  It’s scary.

            In reality, we are only deceiving ourselves with all this.  We can never live a righteous life under our own power.  We can’t earn favor with God because we can’t make up for the things we have done.  All we can do is hope to be obedient.  But Jesus overcame all of this through His resurrection.  He rose, not to take on our burden of sin like He had done at Calvary, but to live a new life, free from the penalty that we had laid on Him.  Jesus did not only die for sin, but He OVERCAME IT and delivered us from the world of sin to a RESURRECTED LIFE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!  The kind of life that places us securely in the presence of God as we journey through this life.  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4). 

 

Resurrection Give Us Confidence In the Victory of Jesus

 

            For too long we have promoted the mistaken idea that Jesus died to take away our guilt from sin.  This is true, but it is only part of the story.  We look at Jesus as having simply appeased God, but not really having won a significant victory.  We give the impression that people can live however they would like to live as long as they acknowledge what Jesus did for them. 

            Jesus did not come to deliver “cheap grace” to man.  On the day that He walked out of the tomb outside of Jerusalem sin was defeated.  He had taken on our iniquity and our lawless works, He had received the sentence and penalty that had been reserved for us, and Jesus Christ walked out of the tomb victorious.  Sin no longer had dominion because its power had been overcome.  Jesus died so those sins would be forgiven, and those who were forgiven then became suitable dwelling places for God’s Holy Spirit.  For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s [Jesus] obedience the many will be made righteous (Rom. 5:4).

            Jesus became our “Sacrificial Lamb” at Calvary, but three days later He did something that man had been unable to do since he was cast out of the garden of God in Eden.  Jesus Christ overcame the one thing man seems to fear most – the penalty of sin – death.  That’s why people have such a hard time with the work of Christ.  That’s why we deny His sacrifice on the cross and even His resurrection.  It offends our sense of pride and our self-image.  It brings us face to face with the reality that we stand before God as those who need mercy because there is NOTHING WE CAN DO to overcome sin.  We cannot save our lives.

            BUT JESUS CAN!  The lives that we had lived were not fitting for the presence of God.  We could not walk with Him, we could not experience His presence.  All we could do was try to fill the void with things of the world.  But Jesus was resurrected to lead us into a greater life; something greater than even the most successful have been able to create for themselves.  Jesus raised us to a new life, something different, something free from sin and shame.  He brought us from the spiritual death of separation from God to an experience of His presence and a relationship with Him.  Do not present your members to sin as instruments for righteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and you members to God as instruments of righteousness (Rom. 6:13).

            When the resurrection power of Jesus Christ becomes a part of our lives, we can say with the Apostle Paul that all those things we trusted in before are “counted loss.”  We can leave behind all the things that have distracted us and consumed so much of our existence.  We can turn our attention to God and the relationship that He wants to have with us.  We are confronted with the idea that God wants to walk with us, to lead us, to guide us, and to care for us.  God wants to create a life for us the likes of which we could have never imagined.  God wants to resurrect our wandering souls to the most vital, fulfilling relationship we have ever known; a relationship that begins here and culminates in eternal life.

            But it took a cross to bring the power of resurrection.  Jesus took on our sin, and died to that sin so that He could be resurrected to a new life.  Not a life that was destined to die for sin, but a life of victory over it.  That’s the life He has called us to today; a life that overcomes all the trials, and the hardships, the difficulties and the obstacles of this world.  We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  For one who has died has been set free from is (Rom. 6:6, 7).

            We stand in need today of more than the sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvary – though we cannot get by without it.  He was put to death by the sins and guilt that have brought spiritual death upon us.  We need His blood to atone for the sins we have committed, but we need more than that.  We need the power of God that brought resurrection; the power that kept Him from being contained by the grave; the power that could not be held captive by death; the power that is not subject or prisoner to sin; the power of God that raises us above the sins of the world and the guilt and the shame and the lonely life apart from God.  What we celebrate today is the power that resurrects us to new life!

            We celebrate it and talk about it, but have we really experienced the power of resurrection?

Confessions of a Thankful Heart

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.           -Psalm 50:2

We don’t have to look very far in our day to find criticisms of the church.  We need go no further than our local Christian bookstore to read about all the ways the church is “getting it wrong.”  If we aren’t feeling ambitious enough to go to the bookstore we can find this attitude perpetrated on thousands of web sites.  If you type the question, “What’s wrong with the church today?” into Google you will find 76,500,000 hits.  A lot of the criticism deals with the idea that we are too “narrow” when it comes to doctrine, and that the church today is “judgmental” and “legalistic.”  Everywhere we go we are told that doctrine doesn’t matter anymore and we need to change course and focus entirely on the mission of getting people to make a profession of faith, even at the expense of compromising the Word of God.  We call that being “missional.”  Is it possible that in spite of all the criticism, maybe the church isn’t so wrong on some of these things?  I understand that there are certainly issues in every congregation that need to be addressed, but as I consider some of the things we claim to be wrong I find that I don’t think they are all entirely bad.  In fact, I have to confess that I am grateful for some of them.

1)       The Issue of Narrow Mindedness.  We have all struggled with those who will not open their mind to the truth God has to reveal to them, and I understand that this is a problem.  But some people in our day seem to want us to be so open-minded that we will accept things that we know to be wrong.  We are expected to ignore what the Bible says about divorce and holiness.  We are considered narrow-minded if we make the claim that God has called us to live above sin.  I am thankful that there are some who are willing to be true to God’s Word in spite of the unfounded accusations against them.  Some of the greatest influences on my life and ministry are those who have been willing to stand firm in the truth whether it’s popular or not, and for those faithful men and women I am grateful.

 

2)       The Issue of Legalism.  Scripture teaches us that we are called to be holy, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy (1 Peter 1:16, 17).”  Don’t mistake this, I’m not condoning that we become tyrannical about the way people dress or look.  I don’t believe that those things make us holy, but I do find a standard in Scripture for God’s people.  There are some things that Christians just should not do.  And there are some things in Scripture that are very clear and should not be compromised.  This postmodern idea that truth is different for everyone and each person should use the Bible as they see fit has no basis in the revelation of God that we have in Scripture.  Countless thousands are misled today by those who teach that we can live however we want to live as long as we claim to be a Christian.  We have lost the glory of God that comes through the transformed lives of those who are truly saved.  I am grateful for those who will uphold and teach the standard set for in Scripture of Christlikeness. 

 

3)       The Issue of Judgmentalism.  I’m not saying that we are free to tell everyone we meet everything they’re doing wrong.  I am saying that I am grateful for those who are close to me, and their willingness to tell me when I am off base.  I am grateful that they will tell me when I am not thinking clearly and can do so without fear of me telling them they are “judging me.”  We claim we want to be submissive to God, but the fact is that, at times, we deceive ourselves and are blinded to things in our lives that need to be pointed out. 

 

4)       The Issue of Truth.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them (Hebrews 13:8, 9).  We are told that everyone has a different doctrine, so it is not worth our time to study it.  In a world that does not recognize definite truth I am thankful for direction and guidance from God’s Word.  We do not have to stumble around in the darkness trying to find direction.  God has called us to a life lived in His light!  This keeps us from being subject to the constantly changing whims of man, the trends of the world, and the fads embraced by the church.  It is truth, Jesus told us, that will set us free!  When other search for some foundation in this sin-cursed world, we build on the truth of Jesus Christ.  What greater gift could God have given us than Jesus, the embodiment of His truth and character?  I do not claim to know every truth in all the world, but we can stand firm on what God has revealed to us.  It is unchanging, uncompromising, and definite.  I am thankful that we can sing as we did in days past, “When the voice of heaven sounded warning all to flee, from the darksome courts of Babel back to Zion free, Glad my heart to hear the message and I hastened to obey, and I’m standing in the truth today.”

 

The world around us teaches that the church is irrelevant to our modern culture, and if God’s church is to survive “everything must change.”  Despite the constant rhetoric, some of these things are not wrong.  In spite of the difficulties we face today, the church is still God’s city.  The church remains a place where God provides for, and empowers His people.  We talk a lot about the things that aren’t going well in the church, but I remain grateful.  Grateful for the people God has placed around me to share this journey of faith.  Grateful for the truth of His Word and those who have made it their life’s work to carry that truth, clergy and laity alike.  Maybe we would be better served if we quit worrying so much about what we think is wrong, and spend our time doing what God says is right.  My ministry has never been without trial.  There have been difficulties and frustrations, but as I reflect on the church, I do so with a grateful heart.