The church is first and foremost about God (John 4:23-24). It’s what we bring to Him in our lives and in our worship. But there’s more – and here is where we so often miss the point. The church is about the Body. Not just your part of the Body (1 Corinthians 12, the hands, the feet, the eyes etc), but the entire Body. You are part of something much greater than yourself and the Body needs you to function properly.

One of my FB friends, a pastor, posted this statement. Every Sunday at church each person has something to contribute to others and when they’re absent, their words of encouragement and exhortation are absent as well. When you sleep in or choose another activity over being in God’s house someone else misses out!!

That’s the reality of the Body of Christ. How you and I are involved in our church impacts everyone else in the church. It’s not so much what you get out of the service (and I hope you do get something out of the service) as much as it is what you contribute to God and then to the rest of the church. Whether you realize it or not, you minister to other people every Sunday. When you are not there you not only deprive yourself of the opportunity of ministry but you deprive others of the ministry that they may need in their lives – a ministry that only you can give.

God put you in your church for a reason. He has people there that need your ministry. And He’s counting on you to be His hands, His feet, His heart. He’s counting on you to speak words of encouragement to the discouraged; to be an example to the spiritually weak; to pray for those in need; to come alongside those with burdens; to fellowship with the lonely.

There will be someone in your church this week that needs someone to minister to them – and only you can reach into their heart and life.

As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, but especially to those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).

Stay in the Word

Pastor Steve

The first words of the chapter set the tone for what follows: Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end (verse 1). So much packed into so few words. Jesus knew that His hour had come.

For some time the actions of Jesus had been guided by the fact that His hour had not yet come (John 2:4, 7:30, 8:20), but now, in His omniscience, He knew that the time had come for suffering and death.

While we recognize the importance of His suffering, we are tempted to reason that in His deity Jesus knew that death was followed by life; the grave by resurrection; suffering by glory. It was this knowledge that allowed Him to submit to the horror that was crucifixion without fear. If we knew that death would not be the end we too could endure untold suffering for a brief period of time. Maybe. Probably not. Reasoning like this ignores His humanity.

But ignoring His humanity poses several problems. First it removes the intensity of His suffering. Roman crucifixion was one of the most barbaric and excruciating forms of death ever devised by man. Only those who lived through the scourging were crucified. Many never made it that far. The prophet Isaiah tells us that His physical appearance was so marred that it was not possible to recognize Him (Isaiah 52:14). Deity does not lessen pain.

Ignoring the humanity of Jesus also devalues His trust in a God of grace. It was His knowledge that God was with Him and would sustain Him in His hour of need that carried Him through. Even though Jesus knew that His death was not the end, it was His conviction that He could trust God for resurrection that gave Him the strength He needed to endure.

Which brings me to this: If Jesus could trust God in His darkest hour is there any time when we cannot trust Him? Is there any circumstance, any trial, any suffering when we cannot put our lives into His hands and trust Him to carry us through? Grace is needed most in the darkest hour and that’s exactly when it comes.

Stay in the Word

Pastor Steve

Before we go too far here, we need to be honest and admit that Tim Tebow isn’t the greatest football talent anyone has ever seen. You can question his throwing motion, his decision making and his talent, and rightly so.  One thing you cannot question is his heart. But heart doesn’t consistently win games. It can take you to a point but no farther.

Having said that, it’s also fair to say that a lot of the scrutiny that Tim Tebow has received has been related to his faith and that’s unfortunate. Yes, he wears his faith openly, but so have other Christian athletes. Reggie White comes to mind. I don’t remember Reggie being criticized the way Tim has been. Maybe his size had something to do with it – or his talent. There has been, among the media and certain football players, a bias against Tim’s faith that is obvious to any objective observer.

That’s one of the things that I find impressive about Tim Tebow. With all of the scrutiny, with all of the negative press, with all of the criticism and mocking of his faith, he has not backed away. He has not chosen to remain quiet. Many twenty-four year olds would have been intimidated and chosen to keep their faith to themselves. Many fifty-four year olds would have been. He has a remarkable spiritual maturity for someone so young. And that’s admirable. I admire Tim for his leadership qualities, his heart on the football field, and his passion for the game. But I admire him more for his love for Christ. And that may be his lasting legacy. I doubt that Tim Tebow will ever be in the Football Hall of Fame. He doesn’t display that caliber of talent. I would love to be wrong, but I doubt it. What is more important is not the legacy that he will leave on the playing field but the legacy of a life lived well for God. His example should inspire all of us to live the life of faith, regardless of age; whether you are a fan of the game or not.

The words of the Apostle Paul to another young man of his day are appropriate, not only for Tim Tebow, but for all of us: Let no one despise you because of your age, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity (1 Timothy 4:12).

Wear your faith openly. Wear it well.

Stay in the Word

Pastor Steve

Think about your own life. When was the last time you repented of a sin without someone finding out what you did? As a young boy I normally wasn’t sorry until I was caught with my hand in the proverbial cookie jar (confession is good for the soul!). In reality, I was sorry I had been caught, not that I had done wrong. And that’s how it is for so many people today – and unfortunately for so many Christians.

The Biblical definition of repentance is to turn away from sin and turn back to God (Hosea 6:1, Joel 2:12). But when? When is turning to God really repentance? I am tempted to say that repentance that waits for judgment is not godly repentance, however we have ample evidence in the Bible of people and nations repenting after God brought judgment on them. The Old Testament prophets exhorted Israel to repent before judgment came, however, they also pled with Israel to turn back to God after judgment had come.

That is not, however, the ideal situation. I’m sure that God would much rather we repented because we realized the enormity of our sin against Him. It also leaves open the question; did you repent because you were sorry for your sin or simply because you were caught in your sin? Godly sorrow for sin leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9, 10) the other may simply be regret.

One way to know the answer is by your subsequent actions. The New Testament refers to fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8, Luke 3:8, Acts 26:20).  Repentance is link to lifestyle. Regret isn’t. When you are in fact sorry for your sin, when repentance has taken place, it will lead to changes in your life. You will take the necessary steps to avoid the temptation in the future. Fruits worthy of repentance will be evident.

Stay in the Word

Pastor Steve

Forgiveness is uniquely a Christian responsibility. I don’t know of any place in scripture that tells a non-Christian to forgive. But it does teach Christians that they have a moral and spiritual obligation to forgive. The question that often runs through our minds is: Why should I forgive? That’s the right question and God has given us the answer. You should forgive because you have been forgiven. That’s one of the lessons of the parable Christ told in Matthew 18 when the disciples asked Him, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? (Matthew 18:21). In the parable one man who owed a rather large debt was forgiven but he was unwilling to forgive the small debt someone else owed to him. The relevant statement in the parable is in verse 33, should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you? That’s the issue we are faced with. God has had pity (mercy) on us and forgiven us much, yet we are unwilling to forgive our brother on smaller issues. We should forgive because we have been forgiven – much.

Another part of the answer to the question Why should I forgive? is that forgiveness says I have no interest in getting even. We have to admit that we don’t forgive because we secretly (sometimes not so secretly) hope that the person who has hurt us will be hurt in return. We want to get even. We want them to feel our pain. But as a Christian that is not an option for you. That is not your domain.  Dr. Roger Moore, Vice-President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has written, When we forgive, we are confessing that vengeance is God’s (Rom. 12:19). We don’t need to exact justice from a fellow believer because justice has already fallen at the cross. We also don’t need to exact vengeance from an unbeliever because they are already under God’s judgment. Our hope for them should be that they come to Christ and find forgiveness, not judgment.

When you forgive someone you are saying that you can trust God. That He knows what is best for everyone involved and that He will handle it better than you can. Again, Dr. Moore says it well. You don’t have to store up bitterness, and you don’t have to find ways of retaliation for what’s been done to you. You can trust a God who is just.

And that’s the bottom line for the Christian. To forgive says that you trust God; that you can put it all into His hands. Not to forgive says that you don’t trust God – you don’t trust Him to do what is right; you don’t trust Him to take care of you. In reality forgiveness is more about you and God than it is about you and the person who hurt you.

Forgiveness is not easy. It is what God has asked you to do.

Stay in the Word

Pastor Steve

One of the sad aspects of the two situations that have dominated the news is that in both cases the men involved had long tenures at their respective schools. For most of their careers they had been respected, even loved by those who knew them and worked with them. Now everything they achieved in their lives has come crashing down around them. It’s sad to end life that way.

There is a lesson in this for those who are willing to do a little self-inspection. I was discussing this with my wife when she summed it up this way: You can be careful to do the right things all of your life and make one wrong choice and it can change how you end your life. That’s the lesson for all of us. It’s not a matter of the good outweighing the bad at the end of life; it’s a matter of finishing well.

Of course the coaches involved had made numerous wrong choices but that doesn’t change the lesson. How many people have lived exemplary lives only to destroy everything they achieved by one wrong decision? It can happen to any of us – in a moment in time.

The Apostle Paul made reference to this when he wrote: Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate [self-controlled] in all things (1 Corinthians 9:24-25). The prize that we strive for as Christians demands self-control.  It is crucial to victory. As Paul goes on to point out, our victory is not just a blue ribbon at the end of the race, but something far more important.

So what is demanded of us if we are not to fail? Again, the Apostle’s words are instructive when he wrote; I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified (verse 27). Paul kept his passions in check so that at the end of his life, after living an exemplary life, he did not disqualify himself – he did not end his life in disgrace. It is not easy. It demands diligence. It demands courage. It demands hard work. Paul did not claim perfection. Although he was an apostle he struggled with temptations just like the rest of us (see what he wrote in Romans 7:15 about his struggle with sin). But he never gave up. He continued to press on, making the right choices, doing the right thing (see Philippians 3:12-14) so that at the end of his life he could say, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7).

There are those who will end life in disgrace and there are those who will end life having fought the good fight. The difference between the two is not as great as we like to think.

Finish well.

Stay in the Word

Pastor Steve

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who  judges righteously.

In the darkest hour of His suffering Christ committed Himself to the Father. That’s our example. That is what we have been called to do as Christ-followers. To commit our lives to God, the righteous judge, even in our darkest hour.

Sometime later I was asked the question: What does that look like?  What does it look like in practical terms to commit your life to God in your hour of trial? Good question. The only words that can answer the question are the words absolute trust. That’s what Christ did. He put His absolute trust in God. When He faced verbal and physical abuse, He trusted God. When all of His earthly friends abandoned Him, he trusted God. When He faced certain death, He trusted God.

That’s a good answer but it is only part of the answer. There is still the question: What does it look like to trust God? The answer is that trusting God is not that different from human trust. While it’s not a perfect analogy (we fail – God doesn’t), it is instructive to examine trust expressed in human relationships to learn what it means in our relationship with God.

Trust between two people is the trust of a little boy whose father says, Jump, I’ll catch you.  It’s the trust of a teenage daughter whose heart has been broken when her mother tells her that this is not the end of life. It’s the trust of a friend who tells you that he/she will always be there for you no matter what you go through in life. It’s the trust of a wife who knows that her husband will always provide for her and protect her.

To trust God is to accept His word without doubt. It’s to believe that He is and always will be there for you. It’s to accept the reality that He is concerned about you and will always have your back. It’s to recognize that He knows the end of the path and that He can use even the dark times to bring about good in your life for His glory.

Committing yourself to God is to place your absolute trust in Him in all areas of your life, in all circumstances of your life. It’s what Proverbs 3:5-6 means. I like the Amplified Version of this passage; Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

It goes against our natural inclination and everything our minds and others tell us, but that is how you commit the day-to-day events of your life to God.

Stay in the Word

Pastor Steve

But there is a fundamental question that still needs to be addressed and that is: How should we as Christians respond to these events?  How do we view the people involved?  Many have rushed to judgment before all of the evidence is known. On the other side of the issue are those who have rushed to defend the involved without considering the pain of the victims. For the Christian there are three words that should define our position: Compassion, Grace and Forgiveness.

Compassion can be difficult for us, especially compassion for the offender. It is certainly not a normal response. But it is the right response for those who desire to follow Christ. Compassion because Christ exemplified compassion for us (Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34). Compassion for those wounded by another’s actions (Luke 10:33). Compassion even for the sinner (Luke 15:20).

I’ve often written about grace. That’s because it has such an important impact on life. Grace is receiving what we do not deserve – it is a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). At the same time grace does not negate justice. God is a God of grace – He is also a God of justice. The wonder of the Christian message is that justice and grace met at the cross and were perfectly reconciled in Christ (Romans 3:23-26). As Christians we have received grace even though we deserve justice. Whether we like to admit it or not, our sin against a holy God is as disgusting and dirty as the sin committed against young boys by someone they trusted (Isaiah 64:6). And yet we have received grace. How can we who have received grace refuse it to even the vilest sinner? While we abhor the sin that has taken place and while we should do everything possible to help the victims, we cannot forget that all important word – grace.

Compassion and grace lead to forgiveness. Without forgiveness for others, even those guilty of heinous sins, we stand in jeopardy (Matthew 6:14-15). Forgiveness is only logical in light of the fact that we have been forgiven of so much (Colossians 2:13-14). Forgiveness may not be easy, but it is right (Matthew 6:9-13).

Our society is wrestling with life-changing issues. People are angry and that is understandable. The weakest in our society have been injured by people in positions of power. But anger that is not resolved will turn cancerous and destroy the soul (Hebrews 12:15). The only hope is that anger will turn into compassion; compassion will result in grace; and grace will lead to forgiveness. That’s the example of Christ. That is the difference in the Christian message and life. That is the essence of the gospel.

Stay in the Word

Pastor Steve

People have already begun to ask me to share my most memorable experience (thinking perhaps that if they limit me to the most memorable, they won’t have to listen so long!). When you are in a place like Israel with so many sites that hold historical, biblical and spiritual meaning, it is hard to narrow it down to just one. I imagine everyone has those “aha” moments. Places that jog your memory to something you heard as a child in Sunday School and now you are literally standing in that place. Moments when something unexpected triggers your emotions and you feel unexpected joy – or tears.

I will never forget the rush of emotions as our bus climbed the hills on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem. The sun was sinking in the western sky and as we neared the summit of the hill. Without a word our driver slowed the bus to almost a crawl, as the words of the song came softly over the sound system

Last night I lay a-sleeping
There came a dream so fair,
I stood in old Jerusalem
Beside the temple there.
I heard the children singing,
And ever as they sang,
I thought the voice of angels
From heaven in answer rang.

And as the words of the climactic chorus rang in our ears, there across the valley we had our first glimpse of the city of Zion.

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Lift up your gates and sing,
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna to your King!

Talk about chills up and down your spine! Many in our group listed that moment as the one that will forever stand out in their memory.

As moving as that experience was, the moment that will forever change my life came the next day as we visited the Western Wall. Leaving our group I made my way down through the throngs of Orthodox Jewish men who had gathered before the wall surrounding the Temple Mount. I wanted to be among them. I wanted to stand before this wall. I wanted to touch it. So standing shoulder to shoulder with them as they prayed I placed my hand on this ancient wall. The wall that Jesus would have known.

I’m not sure why it became important to me. I’m not sure what I expected. But I do know what happened to me in that moment. In that moment I realized that I was standing in a place, not of spiritual light, but of spiritual darkness. All around me were hundreds, perhaps thousands of extremely religious people. People crying out to their god. But people who did not understand that their Messiah had already come. And in that moment I understood better than I ever had before why the Apostle Paul wrote, I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh (Romans 9:2-3). And why Jesus, as He looked over the city of Jerusalem cried out, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . how often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! (Matthew 23:37). And in that moment I prayed that God would open their eyes to the truth of who Jesus is; their Messiah and Lord. Never have I been moved to pray for the Jewish people as I was standing before that magnificent wall. That was the moment in my journey that will forever be imprinted on my mind. It was the moment that defined my pilgrimage to Zion.

Thank you to my special friend who made this possible.

Stay in the Word

Pastor Steve

But even before I leave the inconsistency of my own thoughts (and I imagine this applies to many other people) indicate something is very wrong. Here’s what I mean: As Christians we get giddy with excitement at the prospect of walking where Jesus walked – but is that really so important? Nowhere does scripture hold out to us the spiritual goal of walking where Jesus walked. We’re not promised blessing if we do. We’re not promised holiness if we do. We’re not promised sanctification if we do. In fact walking where Jesus walked as a goal of the Christian life is never address in the Bible as something Christians should long for. It’s something that we have made up.

There is a sense, however, in which we are to walk (a word that is often used in scripture to indicate the manner in which we are to live) where Jesus walked. Not in a literal sense but in a spiritual sense. Galatians 5:16: Walk in the Spirit. Ephesians 4:1: Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. Ephesians 5:1-2: Be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us. Colossians 1:10: Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him. Colossians 2:6: As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.

Walking (living) the way Jesus walked is far more important than walking where Jesus walked. The first will change your life and the lives of those around you; the second is less likely to do so. And that is the  inconsistency that I see. We (including myself) get far more excited about walking where Jesus walked but not so excited about walking how Jesus walked. We are willing to spend large amounts of time and money to walk where Jesus walked but little time or money to learn how to walk in the way Jesus walked. It is only when we begin as Christians to walk through life the way Jesus walked through life that we will have an impact on our world.

I’m looking forward to walking where Jesus walked. I hope that I’m looking forward with the same eagerness to walking how Jesus walked.

Stay in the Word

Pastor Steve