"For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake" (2 Corinthians 4:5, NIV).
I love the Contact Church of Christ. I love my friends whose lives are changing as they follow Jesus. I love to see them reaching out to others, serving others, loving others, and sharing the message of Christ with others. They inspire me.
However, I try to refrain from bragging about the church to people who do not know much about us. Sometimes I fail, but I hold back a ton of positive information about the church.
I have come to realize a couple of important concepts that have led me to refrain from promoting the church very much.
First, our message is about Jesus Christ. He is more important. He is essential. We are incidental. When we talk about ourselves, we should be merely examples of his grace and forgiveness. Whatever good is accomplished in us or by us should be seen as coming from our Savior.
Second, people don't believe the hype about us anyway. A few years ago, I was engaged in a casual conversation with a co-worker when the topic of churches came up. Without knowing anything about my church background, she interrupted. "Don't tell me anything about your church," she said. "I don't want to hear it. Everyone thinks their church is the best." A little stunned and not wishing to argue, I asked her about her church background. She had been a very active member of a church that she considered the best around. She was always telling others about how good her church was. Then she was mistreated by the leadership and became disillusioned with churches. She stopped believing the hype, and I could not blame her. Nearly 15 years ago, I was forced to leave an abusive church situation, too.
Today, I try to make my conversations focus more on how good Christ is, rather than how good the church is. When I mention the church, I am more likely to let people know how we can help them with something (food, emergency money, drug addiction recovery, parenting classes, etc.), instead of asking them to attend services with us. (Strangely enough, they have been known to show up anyway.)
I have much to learn, but I know this: I am an imperfect Christian in an imperfect church loved by a perfect God.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Why Was Cornelius Baptized?
In a previous post (http://adisciplesthoughts.blogspot.com/2008/05/god-who-knows-heart.html), I mentioned that Cornelius along with his friends and family were accepted by God before they had expressed their faith and obedience. God had seen their faith before they had demonstrated it, and he had accepted them because of it.
So why did Peter order "that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 10:48, NIV)? After all, they had been accepted by God. Why did it matter?
First, when we have been saved by God's grace, we become changed people, a people who are "eager to do what is good" (Titus 2:11-14, NIV). We want to do God's will.
Second, Christ wants his disciples to be baptized and to obey everything he has instructed us to do (Matthew 28:18-20). When we accept Jesus Christ as Lord---as the one we depend on and serve---we do what he wants. Since he wants his followers to be baptized, we are baptized.
Third, we need a clear break from our past lives as we enter new lives with Christ. In baptism, our old lives are buried with Christ; we arise from baptism with a fresh start to a new life of following Jesus (Romans 6:1-7).
Finally, we want to accept the benefits attached to baptism. Peter taught that penitent believers would receive the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and salvation (1 Peter 3:21) when they were baptized.
Cornelius had been changed by God's grace. He was eager to do anything that Jesus demanded of him. When he was told that Christ wanted him to be baptized, he was eager to comply. Cornelius was ready to mark the end of his life without Christ and the beginning of his life with Christ. Knowing that God had accepted him, Cornelius would not reject the forgiveness of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and salvation by refusing to be baptized in the name of his Savior. Why would he?
So why did Peter order "that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 10:48, NIV)? After all, they had been accepted by God. Why did it matter?
First, when we have been saved by God's grace, we become changed people, a people who are "eager to do what is good" (Titus 2:11-14, NIV). We want to do God's will.
Second, Christ wants his disciples to be baptized and to obey everything he has instructed us to do (Matthew 28:18-20). When we accept Jesus Christ as Lord---as the one we depend on and serve---we do what he wants. Since he wants his followers to be baptized, we are baptized.
Third, we need a clear break from our past lives as we enter new lives with Christ. In baptism, our old lives are buried with Christ; we arise from baptism with a fresh start to a new life of following Jesus (Romans 6:1-7).
Finally, we want to accept the benefits attached to baptism. Peter taught that penitent believers would receive the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and salvation (1 Peter 3:21) when they were baptized.
Cornelius had been changed by God's grace. He was eager to do anything that Jesus demanded of him. When he was told that Christ wanted him to be baptized, he was eager to comply. Cornelius was ready to mark the end of his life without Christ and the beginning of his life with Christ. Knowing that God had accepted him, Cornelius would not reject the forgiveness of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and salvation by refusing to be baptized in the name of his Savior. Why would he?
Great Links
Here are a few great links:
At http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?articleID=20080511_46_E7_spancl586795, you will find an article by business columnist Harvey MacKay titled "Practicing Compassion Brings Happiness." I liked its emphasis on bringing compassion into the workplace and the information about the chemical changes in our bodies caused by compassionate acts.
At http://urbanlogfamily.blogspot.com/2008/05/day-in-life-of.html, you will learn about a day in the life of an urban youth minister. Bob Logsdon, the Contact Church's youth minister, shares information about his work.
At http://www.christianchronicle.org/article2158347~E-mail%3A_Speak_-_and_forward_-_the_truth_in_love, you will find a column by Erik Tryggestad encouraging us to refrain from spreading gossip and slander on the Internet.
Heartlight ministry has published two outstanding devotional pieces over the last few days. At http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200805/20080513_hardchoice.html, Steve Higginbotham wrote "Sometimes the Hard Choice is the Right Choice." At http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200805/20080515_uprighting.html, Ann Voskamp wrote, "Uprighting the Earth."
At http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?articleID=20080511_46_E7_spancl586795, you will find an article by business columnist Harvey MacKay titled "Practicing Compassion Brings Happiness." I liked its emphasis on bringing compassion into the workplace and the information about the chemical changes in our bodies caused by compassionate acts.
At http://urbanlogfamily.blogspot.com/2008/05/day-in-life-of.html, you will learn about a day in the life of an urban youth minister. Bob Logsdon, the Contact Church's youth minister, shares information about his work.
At http://www.christianchronicle.org/article2158347~E-mail%3A_Speak_-_and_forward_-_the_truth_in_love, you will find a column by Erik Tryggestad encouraging us to refrain from spreading gossip and slander on the Internet.
Heartlight ministry has published two outstanding devotional pieces over the last few days. At http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200805/20080513_hardchoice.html, Steve Higginbotham wrote "Sometimes the Hard Choice is the Right Choice." At http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200805/20080515_uprighting.html, Ann Voskamp wrote, "Uprighting the Earth."
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The God Who Knows the Heart
"After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: 'Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are'" (Acts 15:7-11, NIV).
God knows the heart. When he looked into the hearts of Cornelius, his family, and his friends as they were hearing the good news about Christ, God saw hearts that had been affected by his grace. He saw faith in Jesus Christ and a willingness to obey; and he accepted those new believers. Before the other Christians accepted them (because of ethnic differences), God accepted them. Before they had expressed their faith and their willingness to obey, God accepted them. He knew their hearts. He knew they believed. He knew they would follow his instructions. Even if they would have been rejected by the church (which they were not, to the credit of the church), God saw their hearts and accepted them. What a great God!
God knows the heart. When he looked into the hearts of Cornelius, his family, and his friends as they were hearing the good news about Christ, God saw hearts that had been affected by his grace. He saw faith in Jesus Christ and a willingness to obey; and he accepted those new believers. Before the other Christians accepted them (because of ethnic differences), God accepted them. Before they had expressed their faith and their willingness to obey, God accepted them. He knew their hearts. He knew they believed. He knew they would follow his instructions. Even if they would have been rejected by the church (which they were not, to the credit of the church), God saw their hearts and accepted them. What a great God!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day
"Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you" (Deuteronomy 5:16, NIV).
Happy Mother's Day to my mom, my mother-in-law, my sister, my wife, and all other mothers who may be reading this post!
A good devotional thought from Our Daily Bread may be found at http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2008/05/11/devotion.aspx.
Happy Mother's Day to my mom, my mother-in-law, my sister, my wife, and all other mothers who may be reading this post!
A good devotional thought from Our Daily Bread may be found at http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2008/05/11/devotion.aspx.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
One Busy Saturday
We have had a busy Saturday. This morning and early afternoon, we volunteered at the post office to help with the National Letter Carriers Association's Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Janet helped with setting up the food for the carriers to eat when they returned from their routes. Christopher sorted the cans from the boxes. I helped a carrier who was new to his route get his mail ready for the street and also with sorting the cans and boxes of food donated by our customers. We had a good time helping out. (As a bonus, the food that has been picked up from the routes later ---because some customers have forgotten to leave it on Saturdays---has been donated to the Contact Church's food bank in years past. I hope to be able to deliver it to the church building again this year.)
Late this afternoon, we went to see Bill Cosby at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. He performed one of his great comedy routines, and had us in tears at times because we were laughing so hard. It was nice to be able to enjoy seeing a living legend.
Late this afternoon, we went to see Bill Cosby at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. He performed one of his great comedy routines, and had us in tears at times because we were laughing so hard. It was nice to be able to enjoy seeing a living legend.
Friday, May 09, 2008
An Evangelical Manifesto
Earlier this week, a group of evangelical scholars and leaders released An Evangelical Manifesto (http://www.anevangelicalmanifesto.com). The manifesto seeks to define the evangelical movement as a theological movement, rather than a political or cultural movement. Several news organizations covered the release of the document, probably due to the political ramifications of broadening evangelical Christianity's concerns beyond the stereotype of opposing abortion and same-sex marriages. (Actually, Christians are concerned about those issues, but it would be a caricature to state that we are concerned only about such issues.)
Here are a few excerpts:
"Evangelicals are therefore followers of Jesus Christ, plain ordinary Christians in the classic and historic sense over the last two thousand years. Evangelicals are committed to thinking, acting, and living as Jesus lived and taught, and so to embody this truth and his Good News for the world that we may be recognizably his disciples. The heart of the matter for us as Evangelicals is our desire and commitment, in the words of Richard of Chichester and as Scripture teaches, to 'see him more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow him more nearly.'" (Can one be a Christian without agreeing with the sentiments expressed in that paragraph?)
We are simply Christians, or followers of Christ, or adherents of 'mere Christianity,' but the Evangelical principle is at the heart of how we see and live our faith." (This section reminded me of the old slogan circulated among Churches of Christ and Christian Churches: "We are Christians only, but not the only Christians.")
"We confess that we Evangelicals have betrayed our beliefs by our behavior.
All too often we have trumpeted the gospel of Jesus, but we have replaced biblical truths with therapeutic techniques, worship with entertainment, discipleship with growth in human potential, church growth with business entrepreneurialism, concern for the church and for the local congregation with expressions of the faith that are churchless and little better than a vapid spirituality, meeting real needs with pandering to felt needs, and mission principles with marketing precepts. In the process we have become known for commercial, diluted, and feel-good gospels of health, wealth, human potential, and religious happy talk, each of which is indistinguishable from the passing fashions of the surrounding world." (I was most impressed with that paragraph. It takes a lot of humility and courage to admit our faults and our sins with such boldness.)
"All too often we have failed to demonstrate the unity and harmony of the body of Christ, and fallen into factions defined by the accidents of history and sharpened by truth without love, rather than express the truth and grace of the Gospel." (I was touched by this paragraph, because it describes the Christianity that we have inherited. Most of us had nothing to do with the divisions and factions that have arisen within Christianity. Our task is to see if we can return to the unity and harmony intended by God as we seek to follow Jesus Christ as the Scriptures reveal him.)
"We call for an expansion of our concern beyond single-issue politics, such as abortion and marriage, and a fuller recognition of the comprehensive causes and concerns of the Gospel, and of all the human issues that must be engaged in public life. Although we cannot back away from our biblically rooted commitment to the sanctity of every human life, including those unborn, nor can we deny the holiness of marriage as instituted by God between one man and one woman, we must follow the model of Jesus the Prince of Peace, engaging the global giants of conflict, racism, corruption, poverty, pandemic diseases, illiteracy, ignorance, and spiritual emptiness, by promoting reconciliation, encouraging ethical servant leadership, assisting the poor, caring for the sick, and educating the next generation. We believe it is our calling to be good stewards of all God has entrusted to our care so that it may be passed on to generations yet to be born." (I agree completely with this sentiment. I have no intention of backing away from my pro-life and traditional marriage convictions, but I will not neglect other appropriate concerns if I can help it. You may click on the links at the side and bottom of this blog to find ways to help with these issues. See Pro-Life News, FamilyLife, International Justice Mission to fight slavery and other injustices around the world, Contact Church of Christ ---an urban ministry dedicated to helping Tulsa's urban poor with both physical and spiritual needs, and several other groups featured on this blog.)
"Called to an allegiance higher than party, ideology, and nationality, we Evangelicals see it our duty to engage with politics, but our equal duty never to be completely equated with any party, partisan ideology, economic system, or nationality. In our scales, spiritual, moral, and social power are as important as political power, what is right outweighs what is popular, just as principle outweighs party, truth matters more than team-playing, and conscience more than power and survival." (If we do not embrace this attitude, we are in danger of being used as pawns and we are in danger of committing idolatry. Most of us have seen people who worship and depend on their political parties and leaders as if they were gods. Christians must never be among them.)
Overall, An Evangelical Manifesto is a thoughtful and good document worth reading and considering. I found it to be refreshing in its honesty and its direction.
Here are a few excerpts:
"Evangelicals are therefore followers of Jesus Christ, plain ordinary Christians in the classic and historic sense over the last two thousand years. Evangelicals are committed to thinking, acting, and living as Jesus lived and taught, and so to embody this truth and his Good News for the world that we may be recognizably his disciples. The heart of the matter for us as Evangelicals is our desire and commitment, in the words of Richard of Chichester and as Scripture teaches, to 'see him more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow him more nearly.'" (Can one be a Christian without agreeing with the sentiments expressed in that paragraph?)
We are simply Christians, or followers of Christ, or adherents of 'mere Christianity,' but the Evangelical principle is at the heart of how we see and live our faith." (This section reminded me of the old slogan circulated among Churches of Christ and Christian Churches: "We are Christians only, but not the only Christians.")
"We confess that we Evangelicals have betrayed our beliefs by our behavior.
All too often we have trumpeted the gospel of Jesus, but we have replaced biblical truths with therapeutic techniques, worship with entertainment, discipleship with growth in human potential, church growth with business entrepreneurialism, concern for the church and for the local congregation with expressions of the faith that are churchless and little better than a vapid spirituality, meeting real needs with pandering to felt needs, and mission principles with marketing precepts. In the process we have become known for commercial, diluted, and feel-good gospels of health, wealth, human potential, and religious happy talk, each of which is indistinguishable from the passing fashions of the surrounding world." (I was most impressed with that paragraph. It takes a lot of humility and courage to admit our faults and our sins with such boldness.)
"All too often we have failed to demonstrate the unity and harmony of the body of Christ, and fallen into factions defined by the accidents of history and sharpened by truth without love, rather than express the truth and grace of the Gospel." (I was touched by this paragraph, because it describes the Christianity that we have inherited. Most of us had nothing to do with the divisions and factions that have arisen within Christianity. Our task is to see if we can return to the unity and harmony intended by God as we seek to follow Jesus Christ as the Scriptures reveal him.)
"We call for an expansion of our concern beyond single-issue politics, such as abortion and marriage, and a fuller recognition of the comprehensive causes and concerns of the Gospel, and of all the human issues that must be engaged in public life. Although we cannot back away from our biblically rooted commitment to the sanctity of every human life, including those unborn, nor can we deny the holiness of marriage as instituted by God between one man and one woman, we must follow the model of Jesus the Prince of Peace, engaging the global giants of conflict, racism, corruption, poverty, pandemic diseases, illiteracy, ignorance, and spiritual emptiness, by promoting reconciliation, encouraging ethical servant leadership, assisting the poor, caring for the sick, and educating the next generation. We believe it is our calling to be good stewards of all God has entrusted to our care so that it may be passed on to generations yet to be born." (I agree completely with this sentiment. I have no intention of backing away from my pro-life and traditional marriage convictions, but I will not neglect other appropriate concerns if I can help it. You may click on the links at the side and bottom of this blog to find ways to help with these issues. See Pro-Life News, FamilyLife, International Justice Mission to fight slavery and other injustices around the world, Contact Church of Christ ---an urban ministry dedicated to helping Tulsa's urban poor with both physical and spiritual needs, and several other groups featured on this blog.)
"Called to an allegiance higher than party, ideology, and nationality, we Evangelicals see it our duty to engage with politics, but our equal duty never to be completely equated with any party, partisan ideology, economic system, or nationality. In our scales, spiritual, moral, and social power are as important as political power, what is right outweighs what is popular, just as principle outweighs party, truth matters more than team-playing, and conscience more than power and survival." (If we do not embrace this attitude, we are in danger of being used as pawns and we are in danger of committing idolatry. Most of us have seen people who worship and depend on their political parties and leaders as if they were gods. Christians must never be among them.)
Overall, An Evangelical Manifesto is a thoughtful and good document worth reading and considering. I found it to be refreshing in its honesty and its direction.
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