What is a Gospel Community?

What is a Gospel Community?

A Gospel Community is a community of people continually encountering God in the gospel and engaging in God's mission in the world, as they enjoy God together.

We believe that God's people are meant to be communal and therefore are to live out the gospel in community.  This has to do with both encountering God regularly and being engaged in mission.  But ultimately, we live this way because we know that it is for our joy.

What is the Gospel?

Why use the term gospel?  Because the church is a people formed by the gospel and sent for the gospel.  So in order to understand who we are and what we do, we must understand the gospel.  This is how we talk about the gospel at Round Lake.

The Gospel is the good news that, for God’s Glory, Jesus died for our sin and was resurrected so we might move from death to life.

What is our mission?

To be witnesses for God’s Glory in the world by continuing the work of Jesus in word and deed through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Gospel Communities have 5 main identities:

1)Worshipers

We worship Jesus as God by living out the other 4 identities.

(John 4, Romans 12:1-2, Hebrews 13:15-16, Revelation 4-5)

2)Family

        We are children of God who live and care for each other as a family should.  

        (John 1:12-13, Galatians 4:4-7, I John 2:28-3:3)

3)Missionaries

We are sent by God to present the Gospel to all people.

(Matt 28:18-20, Acts)

4)Servants

We engage in serving God by serving others.

(Phil 2:1-11, John 13:1-7)

5)Learners

We engage in discipleship by teaching scripture to one another.

(Matt 28:18-20, Eph 4:11-13, II Tim 2:2)

The Hezekiah Commitment

Last month I preached a sermon on Biblical Giving.  At the end of that sermon (you can see the notes here) I reference a commitment to lead like Hezekiah does in II Chronicles.  I wanted to take some time to expand on that here.

Too often, churches accept the current state of things because that's the way they have been.  Leaders are guilty of the same drift.  Churches and leaders both get tired, worn out, and become paralyzed from continuing to pursue Godly change and repentance.  We stop asking the hard questions, stop looking for the areas to grow in.  I believe that giving and finances are one of those areas in the church.

We have accepted "giving to the church", the tithe, the need for buildings, programs, and debt as proper uses of how the church should handle her finances.  But in studying the scriptures on this subject I found some eye-opening realities.

The first and most challenge was the relative smallness of the "tithe" in all of scripture.  The tithe (meaning tenth) only consisted of a portion of the overall giving to the tabernacle/temple and priests in the Old Testament.  The tithe did not include sacrifices, offerings, freewill offerings, and many other forms of giving or sacrifice.  Why did we zero in on the tithe?  The NT only references in 3 locations, twice speaking against the legalism which it represented and once in referring to Melchizedek and Abraham.  So why do we perpetuate this concept?  I believe it limits our freedom in giving, uses a concept that is strange to people not raised in the church, and is not true to the NT heart of giving.  There is no where in the New Testament the idea that a tenth of what we have should be "given to the church".  You just won't find it.

So what does the NT say about followers of Jesus and giving (since it says so little about tithing)?  Well first and foremost it covers the same themes from the Old Testament.  Giving should be for the benefit of widows, orphans, those in hardships, the poor, and those working on the church (preaching, teaching, etc).  Too many churches today make business decisions with their money, not spiritual decisions.  I know the arguments against this stance.  That spending money on programs and buildings allows us to reach more people for Jesus.  Make that argument if you want, but the bottom line is you won't find support for that kind of thinking in the scriptures.  Money is meant to be a means of grace in the lives of those around us, not a way to attract the masses.

So my commitment is this.  As far as I am concerned, 4 categories take precedence in all financial decisions using money given by the church:
1)Caring for widows, orphans, and others in hardships.
2)Caring for the poor and impoverished.
3)Supplying the needs of those working on the church.
4)Supplying the needs of those spreading the Gospel globally.

I understand this leaves off a lot of what we do with money in the current church environment.  Am I saying the other uses of money are evil?  No, but what I am saying is that we have lost our priorities.  And I believe that when we pursue this kind of integrity with our spending as a church, we will see God move like He did in II Chronicles 29-31.

Biblical Giving: Sermon from 7/24/11

Biblical Giving

1. Who/What Should We Give To?
1. Widows, Orphans, and other Hardship Cases
1. Widows and Orphans are to be looked after by family first and then the church
1. God provided for the widows and orphans to be provided for through the giving of the nation of Israel
2. Psalm 68:5, “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.”
3. Psalm 72:4, “May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!”
4. I Timothy 5:3-8, “Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 
5. I Timothy 5:16, “If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.”
6. James 1:27, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
7. Bottom line: Giving by us as individuals and by the church should be for the benefit of the widows and orphans
2. Other hardships
1. Single moms and dads(b/c of divorce, unwed mothers, military wives, etc)
2. Elderly
3. Mentally/Physically challenged
2. Poor
1. God also always cared for and provided for the poor
1. Deut 15:11, “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’” 
2. Psalm 35:10, “All my bones shall say, “O Lord, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?” 
3. Proverbs 14:31, “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.”
2. As soon as the church was formed, they began to care for the poor
1. Acts 2:45, “And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” 
2. Acts 4:34-35, “There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.”
3. Romans 15:26, “For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.”
4. It ought to be a top priority for the church to fight against poverty and the oppression of the poor
3. It is NOT someone else’s responsibility
1. Because we are being shaped into His image, we should look more and more like Him.  If He defends the cause of the poor, so should we
4. Don’t forget the principles
1. Family, church, friends, neighbors
1. Don’t give $20 to a commercial that made you cry when there’s a single mom in your church family who couldn’t buy milk this week
3. Those Who Work ON The Church
1. In the OT, any of the offerings not burned on the altar fed the levites who had no land inheritance.  In fact, all references to tithe in the first 5 books of the Bible refer to supplying the need of the levites.
2. In the NT
1. Jesus refers to the “worker being worthy of his wages”
1. Luke 10:7, “And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house.”
2. Paul encourages the church to supply for those who devote themselves to working on the church
1. Gal 6:6, “One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches.”
2. I Cor 9:9-11, “For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?”
3. I Tim 5:17, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.
3. However, those who receive a wage from the church family have a responsibility to be example stewards
1. In Spending, Saving, and Giving
2. How Much Should I Give?
1. A Tithe?
1. The tithe referred to a tenth part given of grain and other produce to help feed the levites and the widows, orphans, sojourners, and poor
2. Overall giving according to the law actually came out to as much as 25% of their gross
3. Tithe is only mentioned twice by Jesus and both time the legalism of the pharisees is being called out
4. There is NO NT precedent for the phrase tithe, in fact the tithe was small compared to all the other giving in the OT
2. So How Much...
1. Should I give if I don’t have much...
1. Give out of what you have
1. Luke 21:1-3, “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them.”
2. Give out of JOY in Christ
1. II Corinthians 8:1-5, “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.”
2. Should I give if I am rich in this present world...
1. Store up treasure in heaven!
1. Luke 12:33-34, “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
2. Give as much as is possible to increase your joy!
1. I Tim 6:17-19, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
3. No Matter How Much You Have, Giving Should Be...
1. Joyful
2. Generous
3. Regular
4. Sacrificial
3. We Give Because Jesus Gave
1. God came to GIVE!
1. Luke 4:18-19, ““The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 
2. Matthew 20:28, “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 
2. The Gospel is about GIVING!
1. II Cor 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”
3. My commitment as A leader at Round Lake to live out these principles
1. We will make all financial decisions with much prayer
2. My values will always be the poor, the widows, orphans, other hardships, those who work hard on the church, and the global spreading of the gospel.
3. Anything that stands in the way of these principles I will preach against!
1. Debt: we will begin formulating a definite plan to eliminate our debt as quickly as possible.
2. My II Chronicles 31 commitment
1. II Chron 31:20-21, “Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.”

Hitchhiking Through Life

I've been doing a lot of reading in Genesis and a book entitled The Millenials by Thom and Jess Ranier.  The story of God developing the line of Jesus through Abraham has really gotten me thinking about how God is absolutely in control.  Even in the details.

The millenials are the generation born between 1980 and 2000, the largest generation America has ever known numerically.  They are now entering the workforce and facing some interesting issues.  But the one thing that continues to stand out to me is their sense of destiny.  They want to do something great, to change the world.

As the story of Abraham's family and the stories of the millenial generation intersect in my mind, the question of God's involvement in our lives stands out to me.  Joseph, Abraham's great-grandson, had to endure a near death experience from his brothers, being sold into slavery, falsely accused of sexual harassment, imprisonment, and being forgotten by the one person who could get him out.  But eventually, Joseph would see God bring about purpose in his life.

But what mattered more for Joseph was not the destination, but how he got there.  So many of us between 20 and 30 are trying to hitchhike our way to our perceived destination, looking for someone to give us a ride.  But there are no free rides to greatness.  God is working things out in our lives and our only responsibility is to be concerned with the present, how we live today.

If I could encourage my generation with one word it would be this, process.  God's end in our lives IS the process.  It is not so much about where we end up, but the how we get there.  Stop worrying about tomorrow, your 5 year plan, or what you want the world to look like after you change it.  Begin to focus on what God is laying in front of you right now.  Maybe you just need to get a job.  Maybe you just need to read your Bible today.  Maybe you just need to meet your neighbor.  But if we want to be a generation that changes the world, then please can we stop looking for someone to pick us up and give us a ride there.  Get out there and do something today.

Diagram of Identities (mostly borrowed from Soma Communities)

I am working on some things regarding what it means to be a church, especially what that should look like structurally.  I believe that God is calling our attention to examine our structures and what they say about what we believe theologically.  I picked up on this from Soma Communities in Tacoma, WA a while ago (thanks Jesse Kegg) and have been praying and thinking about it.  You can see their full identities and rhythms here.

This diagram is meant to help the church examine her main identities, with worshipers being the central identity that informs all the others.  It is also interesting that these identities are not just true for the church, but for anyone that worships anything (which is all of us.)  Take sports for example.  If you worship a sports team, then you will belong to a family (the fanbase), you will be a missionary (trying to convince others why your team is the best), you will sacrificially serve for the sake of the team (miss bdays, have people over to watch the game, etc.), and you will learn as much as you can about the team.  I would love to hear the thoughts of others on this.  Any feedback would be much appreciated.

The Mission of the Church - Sermon from Sunday, May 22, 2011

The Mission of the Church

1. Witnesses to/of/for God’s Glory
1. Witnesses - Martyrs
1. To - We have seen - Witness an event
1. Acts 5:32, “And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
2. Of - We tell others - A Witness on a stand
1. Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
3. For - Our lives - A monument/testimony
1. Eph 3:10, "so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."
2. God’s Glory - what about it?
1. Jesus is the Glory of God - His power and presence
2. He was full of and we witness to His...
1. John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
1. Grace
2. Truth
2. Read Ephesians 1:6-14
1. “To the PRAISE of His glory”
1. We praise and witness to what we love
2. We want others to love what we love
2. Our mission exists because of our worship, mission will cease when all that’s left is worship of God
2. In The World - who are we witnesses to?
1. Jesus was sent from heaven to earth
1. Post Resurrection - John 20:21, “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
2. We share Jesus’ mission in the world
1. II Cor 5:18-19, "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling THE WORLD to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation."
3. Continuing The Work of Jesus
1. Luke 24:19, “And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,”
2. Word
1. Luke 4:43, “but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
3. Deed
1. Eph 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
4. Phil 2:12-15, "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,"
4. The Power of the Holy Spirit
1. It is not by might, nor by power, but by God’s spirit
1. Zech 4:6, "Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts."
2. The power to do mightier works than Jesus!
1. John 14:12, ““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
2. John 6:28-29, “Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
3. We get to see people BELIEVE!

Young and Old

Proverbs 20:29, "The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair."

I have been spending a good deal of time in Proverbs lately and this one jumped out at me.  There is an important balance here that either side of the sentence can miss.

On the one hand, you have the picture of a young man, whose greatest asset is his strength.  It is in youth that we are most able to do the things our minds and bodies would like to do.  I think it is important to recognize that the author of this proverb had in mind that young men have both the physical strength and mental strength to endure a great number of hardships.

The value of youth in leadership is that they are willing to do the hard things, they still have the strength to endure a great many trials.  They can carry the load and stand up for what is right.  Any church that discourages the young men from being involved in leadership, will lack the strength to carry out the things that need to be done.

However, the second part of the sentence is as important as the first.  While young men glory in their strength, old men have splendor in their "gray hair."  I don't think this is a fashion statement verse, but rather about the symbolic nature of gray hair.  Wisdom, experience, and life stories come with an older man. He has accumulated life lessons over time that, if heeded, can prevent a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering.

The value of older men in leadership is the ability to foresee potential pitfalls and disasters.  They can speak up when necessary, share stories of similar events, and bring correction when correction is needed.  Without older men in leadership, the church will be left repeating the mistakes of history, leaving a trail of hurt people behind it.

What must happen is that old and young learn to co-exist and lead together.  The younger must learn to respect and heed the counsel of the wise.  The older must use their wisdom to help the younger grow and maximize their strength.  The strong youth should be allowed to move forward, but the older men must serve as guards against false and stray paths.

Pray for your church that they will have a healthy balance of strong youth and wise age.

Brothers, We Are Not Professionals

John Piper has written a challenge to all of those that care about the ministry of the church entitled, "Brothers, We Are Not Professionals."  You can order the book here.  I felt the need to share a few quotes from the opening chapter (which shares the title of the book):

"We pastors are being killed by the professionalizing of the pastoral ministry.  The mentality of the professional is not the mentality of the prophet.  It is not the mentality of the slave of Christ."

"I think God has exhibited us preachers as last of all in the world.  We are fools for Christ's sake, but professionals are wise.  We are weak, but professionals are strong.  Professionals are held in honor; we are in disrepute.  We do not ry to secure a professional lifestyle, but we are ready to hunger and thirst and be ill-clad and homeless."

"The aims of our ministry are eternal and spiritual.  They are not shared by any of the professions.  It is precisely by failure to see this that we are dying."

"The world sets the agenda of the professional man; God sets the agenda of the spiritual man.  The strong wine of Jesus Christ explodes the wineskins of professionalism."

Quoting E.M. Bounds, "The preacher... is not a professional man; his ministry is not a profession; it is a divine institution,  a divine devotion."

Dear God, please save our churches from professionalism.  Return a heart for raw, rugged pursuit of your Kingdom.  Help us to move past the business of running churches and get to the heart of being the church.  Plant your seed among us so that you might grow.  Forgive us when we are not about God glorification and sin mortification.  Save us from the professionalism of your Church!  In Christ's most holy, unprofessional name I pray, Amen.

Bible Studies and American Consumerism

What a mess we have made.  Under the pretense of Bible Studies we have perpetuated a system that Paul warned about in scripture.  We should not be surprised at the direction we have gone, as we all tend towards slavery.  But there is a serious problem plaguing many of our churches.  Formal Bible Studies.

I know, you're thinking "what could possibly be wrong with studying the Bible?"  Trust me, there is nothing I love more than a good discussion over the meaning of God's word and how it should be lived out in my life.  But we have moved away from truly seeking God and His word.  We now seek the opinions of professional teachers, looking for answers to all the questions that escape our grasp.

The question must be asked, "why do we do these formal Bible studies?"  Are they beneficial or just another form of American Church consumerism where I get my fix on knowledge from a pusher?  I'm afraid the tendency is for the students to find the best teacher to sit under.  This inevitably leads to impossible expectations for the teacher and disappointments for the students.  Does scripture have anything to say about a better way?  I believe Paul does.

Ephesians 4:11-16 tells exactly what the goal of teachers and leaders within the body should be.

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, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Notice that the only usage of knowledge in this text refers to "knowledge of the Son of God."  This is not mere intellectual knowledge, it can't be based on the rest of this text.  It must have something to do with an existential knowledge of Jesus that produces maturity, unity, work, and love.  The goal of teaching in Christ is not that we might have all the right answers, but that we might know Jesus more as a result.

This has led me to examine our method for passing on doctrine and Christian living.  I believe we have relegated all of what Paul says to Timothy to the intellectual realm, (II Timothy 2:2-"and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.")  But Paul's instructions to Timothy in both letters deal with how doctrine is lived, not just its content.  In fact, teaching without the above mentioned goals will always reveal itself for what it is:

II Timothy 3:5-7-"having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth." 

The church needs Jesus above all else and Jesus has sent one teacher, namely His Spirit.  He has gifted some to be teachers, but these individuals should be leading the heads, hearts, and hands of people into total service of Jesus.

Teachers, if we are engaging people's heads only, then we are producing a consumeristic people hungry for knowledge, not necessarily a knowledge of the Lord.  To all of us, if we are more hungry for a class than to study the word on our own, then we are consumeristic addicts.  If we are full of knowledge but unable to do anything about it, then James says we are actually deceived.  If we continually hear the word of God but never repent, then John says we are liars.  God forgive us of our wanderings and may we feast on You and You alone.

Godly Exiles Seek The Welfare of the City

There is an idea in many of our American churches that goes something like this, "this world is difficult and I can't wait to go and be with Jesus."  Maybe you've felt that way before.  Maybe you feel like that today.  I'm tired of all the mess going on around me in this life, all the drama, all the problem.  I'm tired of hearing about the fighting over there, the government over here, and everything that is on the news.

But as God's people in this world, we need to have a better grasp on what we are doing here.  Paul did say in Philippians 1:21-22, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell."

On one hand Paul wanted to go and be with Jesus (especially being in prison, being older, and having been through multiple hardships.)  But there was fruitful labor still to accomplish and he knew that this labor would bring about joy, "Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith," (Philippians 1:25).  So what possesses a man to talk like this?  Because Paul understood that we are exiles in this world seeking to bring about Godly joy to as many as possible for God's glory.

When the Israelite people were in exile in Babylon, which was a horrific time in their lives, Jeremiah the prophet wrote them a letter from God.  This is what God had to say to the exiles in Jeremiah 29:4-7:

"Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."

What God wanted His people who were in exile to know is this, "yes, you are there in a distant land that isn't home.  But I want you to live in that city in such a way as to shine my light there.  If you seek the benefit of the city where you live, you will become a light for me.  So remember that you have another home that I will bring you to one day, but for now live like that city is your home."  We could look at this passage and hope that the Jewish believers did what God said.  Or we could listen carefully and see that God is talking to us.

In the New Testament, Peter addresses his first letter to "those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia."  Now why does He call them exiles?  Isn't that a designation for people who had been captured or were in slavery?

But here is the truth.  We belong to a heavenly kingdom, especially because our King Jesus has said "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."  Jesus' kingdom is not of this world and yet those who serve Him as King do so IN this world.  What do you call members of one kingdom who are "stuck" in another kingdom?  Exiles.

So what are Peter's instructions to the exiles of Jesus' kingdom who find themselves living in a "foreign" land?  Here are just a few of the instructions:

• I Peter 2:1, "So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander."
  
  
• I Peter 2:11-12, "Beloved, I urge you as SOJOURNERS and EXILES to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."
  
  
• I Peter 2:15-16, "For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God."
  
  
• I Peter 3:8-9, "Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing."
  
  
• I Peter 4:8, "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."
  
  
  
  
• I Peter 4:19, "Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good."
  
  

Look at the focus on blessing others, doing good to our oppressors, and living as people who are free.  The church as an exiled people should seek the welfare of the cities we live in, because this is for our welfare and joy.  So my fellow exiles... what are you doing to seek the welfare of the city you live in?

Pray For Evangelists Around the World

Here is an excerpt from a letter from Jerry Thaprom, an evangelist we support from Round Lake Christian Church.

In recent months two major supporting churches have decided to discontinue their supports due to their budgets and this really hurts our ministries especially the Myanmar evangelistic and church planting work.

So my wife I have been contemplating what to do since we can no longer maintain the work in Myanmar with this situation so we have been praying a lot and are waiting for an answer from the Lord. So the good news from you for your continuous prayers and financial support is definitely the answer we have been waiting for.  So we praise the Lord that He has heard our prayers through you.

We have been delegating ten evangelist families to carry the work of evangelism and church planting in Yangon (formerly Rangoon) and one in Shan States and another one in north Burma. These evangelists are those we know personally and they are fully dedicated and love the Lord with their hearts and are trustworthy people. The know the language well and Burmese culture so as a result, nearly 500 people have turned to the Lord and were baptized within a period of five years since we have started the work.

These Christians scattered in ten different locations, or communities around Yangon proper, mostly at villages.  These evangelists have been so faithfully carrying the work around the clock.  In recent years unlike before the Burmese people have shown the unusual interest in Christianity because  the Lord has been touching  their stubborn hearts so that they may be saved, and also the political unrest and Buddhism can not offer them any hope. As they are in this situation they observed Christians around them and eventually they wanted to turn to the Lord, and this leads them to Christ. So it is the momentum for Myanmar for us to present to them the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Praise God!  Our giving for the sake of the Gospel bears fruit in the lives of men and women in places we have never seen.  Please pray for Jerry and his wife Boonporn as they continue in the work of the Gospel.  Also pray for these evangelists who are sharing the good news that for God's glory, Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected so we might move from death to life.  

What Is Satan Up to Anyway?

I saw this video earlier this week.  I can't get the tune and words out of my head.  I don't think that we as a church have given enough consideration to the attacks of Satan, especially in his subtle lies.  Check out what Scripture has to say about his work in the CHURCH!

II Corinthians 11:12-15, "And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds."

Look specifically at who are called the servants of Satan.  Not demons in this verse.  Not the world.  Satan's servants claim to be apostles of Christ!  Satan places his servants in the local church community to spread his lies and masquerade as men and women full of knowledge.  They intimidate and impress with their appearance of having something that everyone else is missing.  They place special demands on the body that only the "real" christians can understand.  These servants of Satan can call themselves preachers, apostles, house church leaders, prophets, misunderstood, devout, and all kinds of other terms. They could be leaders or they may just be a part of the visible community.  Listen to what Paul says to the church at Colossae in Colossians 2:16-19, 23:

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. 

How do we spot these servants of Satan?  Well are they connected to the head, that is Christ?  Do they spend more time talking about the fundamental elementary truths of the Gospel or more time giving convincing arguments and visions?  The subtlety of Satan is tremendous.  If we overlook it, we will be duped by it.  Don't ever think that just because someone leads a church, is in a church, or sounds spiritual means that they are.  Examine them thoroughly.  If they don't lead you to the truth of the Gospel, that for God's glory Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected, so we might move from death to life, then they are not from God.  And if they are not from God, they are certainly not neutral.

God's Glory Is His Power, Presence, and Praise

Glory is a strange word.  It has very little real significance in our every day usage.  I do not hear it very often in every day talk, so when I come to the scripture and see it everywhere it creates a conflict for me.  Several years ago in my personal study of John, I realized that Glory was more than an abstract concept, it was vital to understanding what Jesus was all about (John 1:14).  If we do not rightly understand the Glory of God we do not rightly understand Jesus or why He came.

Romans 1:23 informs us that the problem with man is that we have exchanged God's glory for images of man, birds, animals, and creeping things.  So at our core is a Glory problem, or as it is stated in Romans 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (fall short = lack).  We do not possess what we should about God, namely His glory.  And our fallen nature stems from this lack of Glory.  But what is this Glory?  Well Romans 1:20 says that His eternal power and divine nature should have been clearly perceived.  Trace the word Glory in the OT and when it refers to God, it was either a display of His power in miraculous ways or a manifestation of His presence to the people.  God's Glory is His power and presence on display!

What makes this even more amazing is that Jesus, called the Glory of God, is also described as being the power and presence of God on display.  Colossians 1:15-20 tells us that the fullness of God dwells in Jesus and that all of Creation came about and is sustained through Him.  Look at Hebrews 1:3, "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high."  Jesus is the radiance of God's glory, the imprint of His nature, and upholds the universe by the word of His power!  Glory is Power and Presence on display!

But God's Glory revealed demands acknowledgment.  This is the other use of the word Glory.  We give glory to God when we recognize His Glory.  By glory we mean praise.  In giving praise to God we are not giving Him something that He does not already possess, like a Christmas present.  Rather we are recognizing a truth that already exists.  We are joining with all creation to declare the mighty deeds of God (Psalm 19:1).  In fact, the only saving response to our recognition of the revelation of God's is to give praise to Him (Ephesians 1:11-14).  The Glory of God on display in Jesus moves us to give Glory to Him.

Pray For Your Family!

Some of you know my family or are my family so you'll understand how powerful these words are.  This was written in a Wednesday email by my Aunt Pat who lives in Texas.  Please pray great prayers for your families today!

Good morning! "This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it"! Easy to say, very hard to do most of the time. We take on so much stuff of this world that we tend to forget that God is the Creator and Designer. He made all things and He is in control of all things. We hit rough spots and hard times and we try to take over because we don't like the way He is doing things, but we just have to step back and trust HIM. He knew you before you were even formed! He knows the number of hairs on your head! How awesome is that! He changes not! You must open your hands and empty yourself to Him! Give Him every detail of your life. As a parent, I know that is hard to do, but I can tell you that when I turned my children over to God and said "they are Yours, and I can not carry the burden any more", He took over and although there have been some rough spots from where I sit, I think my children have become pretty good adults. I know that Granny gave us to God on a daily basis. Both she and Daddy prayed for their family daily. I will never forget some of the sweetest things I ever heard from my sweet Daddy. Toward the end of his life, when I would call home, I would be talking to Mother and could hear Daddy in the background talking and saying names of family members. I asked her what he was talking about and she said, "oh, he's just praying." What a comfort. So, parents, pray for your children. Give them to God and trust Him!

Resurrection Implications

Does the resurrection of Jesus from the dead have any implications other than to verify the story of Jesus?  Yes!  It has implications for all of creation and it has special immediate implications for those who believe in it.

For All Creation


Romans 8 makes it very clear that all of creation is eagerly awaiting the day when God will make everything right at the revealing of His children (Romans 8:19-22).  All of the world - fish, animals, birds, plants, people, and on and on - are fully aware that we live in a world of futility.  That no matter how much we accumulate, no matter how good we are, no matter how long we live, we all end the same way, in death.  Death is the unmistakable sign of destruction for all of us.  It points to the fact that something in this life is seriously off, that it all must either be a sad, twisted joke or that it's all very broken and needs fixing.

And this is the power of the resurrection for all creation!  For Jesus to actually raise from the dead means that death no longer carries with it the same power.  It shows that death is defeatable, that it is all in fact broken but someone is fixing it.  And that someone is Jesus.  His victory over death signals to all the world that in fact something is being done and it gives power to His promise that He will return to finalize the change.  So for now, the implications for all creation of Jesus' resurrection is that He will make all things new (Revelation 21:5).

For Those Who Believe In It


But Romans 8 has something in particular to say to those who believe and trust in the power of the resurrection.  Paul states in Romans 8 that based on the resurrection of Jesus (Romans 8:11) we no longer should trust in the things of our flesh but in the gift of the Holy Spirit.  But what does that mean?  It means that we have been saved to something much bigger than just existing as people that go to work, watch sports, eat food, and raise families.  It means that we have been saved to begin a new life of joining God on His mission of reconciliation.  Look at Paul unpack this in II Corinthians 5:14-21

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

The implications for those of us that believe is that we are new creations!  We have a mission to live.  We don't just exist in this world, we live with a purpose.  We join God in making all things new.  By the death and resurrection of Jesus we are declared to be the righteousness of God.  This gives us hope that we can actually see victory over futility in the world around us and that we have a message of hope to proclaim to the oppressed.

So if we claim to believe in the resurrection of Jesus, are we living like it?  Or are we content to say that we know that Jesus died for me and that's good enough?  Because if we end with the death of Jesus for our sins, we are not preaching the full Gospel.  Jesus also conquered death which tells us that death has no hold on those who have faith.  Trust in the power of His resurrection and get on board with God's mission of reconciliation in the world!

Celebrations, Cathedrals, and Cells

I am so thankful to those who have gone before us in the faith.  Men like Peter, Paul, John, Augustine, Justin Martyr, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and on and on.  Throughout every generation God has raised up men to call His people to follow after Him.  Even more amazing is the continuity of the message, that Jesus died for our sin and was resurrected so that we might move from death to life.  Glory to God for His unchanging nature and sovereign will!

But there is a great need in our day for repentance and reformation as well.  We have certainly not arrived at the final coming of the New Jerusalem and eagerly await our Bridegroom's arrival.  But until He comes, we continue to be purified as His bride.  And in that purification is the need for a reformation of church structure.

All around the world the reformation has already begun.  Churches in Asia, eastern Europe, Africa, and South America have already discovered the power of being gathered together by God's Holy Spirit.  My prayer is that God will continue to bring about this reformation of church structure to His Church in America.

One author, Wolfgang Simson, has referred to what I am talking about as "Cathedral style meetings".  I do not agree with all that Mr. Simson has to say, but on this point I find his analysis intriguing.  What we see in the New Testament and early church history are two distinct meetings in the church family.  There was an organic movement happening in the homes of the people.  This was the natural start of the church in Acts 2 and continuing on.  But also the church was gathered together in large groups for worship and teaching on a regular basis.  They often found themselves in synagogues, schools, amphitheaters, and the temple courts.  But each gathering had separate purposes, with the home based movement being the foundational gathering of the church.

With the rising of the Roman Catholic Church a new phenomena was begun, Cathedrals.  Cathedrals sought to bring together the large "Celebrations" and the small "Cells" into one meeting.  This structure has persisted to this day creating churches that are building, clergy, and program centered or as I say "centralized."  But the church is a movement of God scattered by the power of the Holy Spirit to advance the good news of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection!  The church is a messy, decentralized movement of believers witnessing about the Glory of God to the world in which we live.

I am not advocating the abandonment of all our buildings, structures, and responsibilities.  I AM advocating the rediscovering of a balance between celebration and cell.  Not a cathedral with a good small group program, but a true rediscovery of the necessary balance between the church gathered and scattered.  Many churches have already identified this necessary reform and have acted accordingly.  My prayer for us at Round Lake is that we will as well.  And in all things, may God be glorified through His people in whatever form He gathers them together!

The Gospel

When someone says Gospel, what comes to your mind?  Like gospel music or Billy Graham?  Maybe good news or Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John?  Well one of our tasks over the last few months at Round Lake Christian Church has been to define the gospel for our community of believers.

Why do we feel the need to define the gospel?  Hasn't it been pretty well defined for over 2000 years?  Yes and no.  We feel that every church in every culture should seek to find a way of describing the gospel that is Biblically accurate and culturally relevant.  And by culture I don't mean what media tells us that culture is.  I mean, what makes sense in the world around us.  So here is how we have defined the gospel.

THE GOSPEL IS THE GOOD NEWS THAT, FOR GOD'S GLORY, JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS AND WAS RESURRECTED SO WE MIGHT MOVE FROM DEATH TO LIFE.

Notice that we connected the Biblical historical truths of the death and resurrection with a statement about what Jesus accomplished in that.  He died so that we might live.  We believe the gospel is all about people moving from just existing in this world as the "walking dead" to becoming truly alive in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.  We want a church family that believes and lives like they have tasted life!

Please note as well that we believe the gospel exists for God's glory.  We have come to understand glory as the power, presence, and praise of God.  As John Piper has stated, "God is the gospel."  In Jesus, God displayed the fullness of His power and presence.  And only Jesus is worthy of all our praise.  Therefore, the gospel is for God's glory or you could say it IS God's glory.

Finally, take heed of the crucial little word "might".  Mark Twain said that words are the difference between a harmless lightning bug and lightning.  So words do matter.  And this word matters eternally.  The word might shows us that the promise of moving from death to life does not occur universally.  The Bible is clear that faith in Jesus Christ is the condition of the gift given called life.  Faith breaks down into a belief that Jesus is who He says He is and a trust that He is our Savior, King, and God.  Only this kind of faith allows one access into the promised "abundant" life that is offered through Jesus' death and resurrection.

So how would you define the gospel?  Check out I Corinthians 15:1-8 and John 5:24 to see more about how we define the gospel.