Something significant has happened

Something significant has happened.  The ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States last Friday has forever changed the way in which our government views marriage.  In a 5-4 split the top court of our land has ignored thousands of years of historical precedent, the will of the people AND the Biblical teaching regarding marriage as it voted to require all fifty states to sanction same-sex Marriage.  This change has only made “official” what has been a long, steady, yet seismic shift in our culture over the understanding of marriage.  No doubt this change has been unsettling to most of us and a cause of more than a little concern.  I have been profoundly disappointed in our government with this decision and since I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way, I felt the need to form a response.

As a man who takes Romans 13 seriously, I believe in respecting and submitting to those in authority insofar as I am not called upon to violate the Laws of God.  Sadly, this is becoming an increasing conflict within me.  Let me assure you of this.  At Washington Street we still believe in God’s ideal for marriage expressed numerous times in Scripture- one man and one woman for life (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:5; Eph. 5:31).  The fact that the SCOTUS thinks one way about “marriage” does not change the Christian’s thinking of marriage.  It is a holy union, a covenant between one man, one woman and their God.  We cannot redefine what God has determined.  Further we understand that the practice of homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of God.

That being said, let me also say this.  Our posture towards all people and the homosexual community in particular remains one of loving compassion with arms outstretched , eager to share with them the good news of God’s redeeming love.  Indeed I believe that “love wins” and only the love of God can overcome any of the sins of which we are all guilty.  The love of God is too strong to leave us in the sinful state He finds each of us in, but calls all of us to repent of our sin, to come to Him and because of His love, He will make us new.  To my friends who struggle with the temptation of same-sex attraction, I want to re-affirm God’s love for you, but I also want to remind you of the way our enemy, the devil,  deceives and holds us captive to sin.  He wants nothing more than the destruction of our souls.

For Christians who are disheartened by the decision of the court, I am reminded of the book of 1 Peter.  Peter writes at a time in which it was not easy to be a Christian.  Yet Peter calls on his hearers to live in hope, gentleness, and love among the nations.  We know that the imperial Roman culture was saturated with absolutely non-Christian values, practices and traditions (homosexuality just one of them.)  These shaped every aspect of their culture- education, entertainment and even their civic government.  Christ-followers could not escape the realities of living as “foreigners” and “aliens” in this kind of culture.  Yet, Peter called on believers to be a people saturated with goodness and hope.

12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.  1 Peter 2:12  NIV

Jesus, himself, called on his followers to be people of salt and light.  As I reflect on that statement in Matt. 5:14, I realize that light shines brightest in the darkness.  Perhaps this is an opportunity to let our lights shine even more brightly.   Church, do not be discouraged.  Do not lose heart.  Do not react out of fear or out of anger.  Our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await our Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ!  So keep shining!

Waking a Sleeping Giant

The church needs

a wake up call.  That is not just my opinion but the conclusion drawn from mountains of research and empirical evidence over the course of years from just about every denomination.  The world, it seems, continues to move farther and farther away from God and His desire for His creation.  Our country, the greatest country in the world, founded upon principles of freedom and individual liberty given by God continues to move farther and farther away from the moral foundations laid out in His Word.  The church has seen decline… a steady decline for more than thirty years.  Despite greater efforts at youth ministry and stronger priorities being placed upon teaching our children, young people continue to leave the church… and every indication is that they are not coming back.  Worse… the church is asleep!  Like Eutychus who fell asleep while the apostle Paul was preaching (Acts 20:9) the church is “asleep in the window” and on the verge of teetering out.

I am not one of those “prophets of doom and gloom” always talking about the end of the church or the demise of the Christian era like some.  Rather, I prefer to think God has more up his sleeve and a plan to restore, refresh and revive His people!  Yet, I would be remiss if I did not heed the warnings of Scripture (i.e. Revelation 3) and the insight of history and take up the call for a new awakening of God’s people in our time to rise, see what is happening and to invite God once more to “turn the world upside down!” (Acts 17:6)

That is what “Waking Eutychus” is about… not just another sermon series… but a call for our congregation- our small expression of the Lord’s church which meets at the corner of Washington Street and Franklin- to wake up and invite God to use us in a mighty way to bring our “village” of Fayetteville to a greater knowledge of the Lord.  Who knows but that we might have the same impact as that Samaritan woman Jesus met at a well in John chapter four… who went home to her village and told people about Jesus and the result was “many” came to faith?  Could God do that again?  Could he bring 3,000 to Him in a day like he did in Acts 2?  Join us Sunday as we seek for ways that we can put ourselves in the position to be used by God in those ways… as we seek to wake up and to be about the business of the Lord.  Eternity really does depend upon it.

-Jim

Generation Next… What they are telling US about the faith we are passing down to them

On Sunday we kicked off a new and very important series of studies on the faith of the next generation.  During the course of the next few weeks I will be sharing information from various studies which have been done on the thought patterns and the faith of the next generation… particularly those born between 1980 and 2000.  Known as “Millennials” they are America’s largest generation EVER… and what we are learning is that they are a generation in crisis!  Here are some of the stats I shared yesterday…

Major Findings of the National Study on Youth & Religion (www.youthandreligion.org)

1. Most American teenagers have religious beliefs (that’s good)
2. Organized religion doesn’t matter to most teenagers  (not so good)
3. For a significant minority of teens, faith DOES matter.  They are referred to as “highly devoted” (great!)
4. Adolescents are incredibly inarticulate about their faith (not so great)
5. Religious vitality differs by tradition (denomination)—Mormons ranked to be among the most highly devoted.
6. Highly religious teenagers fare better in other areas of life than less religious teens. (not news to us)
7. Teenagers- by and large- mimic the religious devotion of their parents. (ouch!)

Further Findings…

• A decline in the number of adolescents reporting affiliation with a traditional
• A decline in certainty in beliefs about God, judgment, angels or the afterlife
• Decline in attendance in Sunday School, in bible reading & prayer
• Increase in the proportion of adolescents who believed in demons, evil spirits, reincarnation & astrology
• Increase in teens reporting to be “more religious”

Kenda Creasy Dean in her recent book of the same title calls this kind of faith, “Almost Christian.”  Yet, to be “almost Christian” is really to be nothing at all.  What’s more… the study suggests that we are responsible!  This is the faith we are passing on to the next generation.  Ouch!  This week we will delve more deeply into this idea and take a look at just what it is we are passing on and how we can make much-needed change now before it is too late in order to reclaim the next generation for Christ!  You will want to be a part of these important lessons!

Generation Next- Reaching Tomorrow's Generation Today

I am about to begin a new sermon series on Sunday, "Generation Next: Reaching Tomorrow's Generation Today" and we will be exploring the church's mission to reach our young people for Christ.  I thought that I'd provide a list of references that I have used throughout this study which I would recommend for anyone to read... especially those of us who are parents of teenagers.  Please let me know if you know of other good material that we might add!

Altrock, Chris.  Preaching to Pluralists: How to Proclaim Christ in a Postmodern Age.  St. Louis: Chalice, 2004.

Clark, Chap.  Hurt 2.0  Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011.

Dean, Kenda Creasy.  Almost Christian: What the Faith of our Teenagers is Telling the American Church.  New York: Oxford, 2010.

Kinnaman, David and Gabe Lyons.  Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity.  Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007.

Kinnaman, David.  You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church and Rethinking Faith.  Grand Rapids: Baker, 2012.

Nash, Robert.  An 8-track Church in a CD World.  Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 2001.

Rainer, Thom S.  The Bridger Generation.  Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2006.

Rainer, Thom S. and Jess W.  The Millennials: America's Largest Generation.  Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2011.

Smith, Christian.  The National Study on Youth and Religion.  www.youthandreligion.org

Yeakley, Flavil R. Jr.,  Why They Left: Listening to Those Who Have Left Churches of Christ.  Nashville: Gospel Advocate, 2012

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

I cannot believe that this time has rolled around once again… time for our annual “Christmas Letter” to all of you.  This final bulletin before Christmas always sneaks up on me, but I SO appreciate the opportunity to write up a little “end-of-the-year” note.

This year has been an incredibly blessed one at Washington Street!  We ended 2012 with an emotional “note-burning” dinner as this congregation made final payment on our building which had consumed so much of our time, attention and financial resources throughout the previous seven years.  With that behind us, we faced 2013 with a renewed focus and a new energy to take on whatever God wanted for us!  I truly believed… as I continue to believe that “Greater Things are Yet to Come!”

In May our prayers were answered and we welcomed Wes and Stephanie Collum to our church family.  Wes got off to an incredible start as our new Youth & Family Minister… hitting the ground running with a jam-packed schedule that kept our young people busy with camps, retreats and, most importantly, service opportunities.  He and Stephanie have been a tremendous blessing to Washington Street and they are a joy to work alongside in the ministry here.  Our church family has grown as we welcomed twenty seven new members place membership and witnessed what will be seven baptisms this year!

As I look back and reflect over this past year, I think of so many who have left us.  This year we have seen the passing of many beloved church family members here at Washington Street.  My heart goes out to each and every one of you who have lost a dear loved one this year.  Their absence is felt especially at this time of year.

At our house, things are busy as usual.  Andy and David are playing on the Middle School Basketball team for Riverside Christian Academy and having a great season.  Michael is about to start his basketball season in RCA’s “Jr. Pro” program.  They are 13, 11 and 9 respectively… which still blows my mind!  Daniel, our precocious 3 year old, runs the household giving orders to his brothers (which they usually follow) and is full of life… and energy!  This year marks the twelfth anniversary of our coming to Washington Street (December 2^nd of 2001 was my first Sunday here!) … and we celebrated 18 years of marriage AND ministry in July!  I thank Celeste profusely for hanging in there!

One change that has affected both our family and our church family has been Celeste taking on additional responsibilities here at church as our new Children’s program director.  She coordinated a Children’s Christmas party on Sunday that was a great success and she is looking forward to greatly expanding this incredible ministry to the kids of the congregation.  This means our schedule and daily routine have changed just a bit and we are still getting used to it and figuring things out.

We continue to be so blessed to be a part of this church family.  There is no way that we could send every one of you, our family, the traditional “Christmas Card” so let me take this opportunity to say to every one reading these words, “Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!”  We sincerely pray that the holidays will be filled with joy and laughter… with good times and great memories!  May God bless you.

-Jim, Celeste, Andy, David, Michael & Daniel

Is America a "Christian Nation"?

Nobody can speak as much as I do on a weekly basis and not say something every now and then that bears further explanation.   On Sunday, as I was discussing the Apostle Paul’s preaching of the gospel throughout the pagan world of the first century, I offhandedly made a comment that several have asked me about.  I referred to our own country, the United States, and commented on how similar it is to the world of Paul’s day.  I remarked that it has never been a “Christian nation” as some have supposed.  Here is what I meant by that.

A “Christian” is one who has submitted himself or herself to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  By definition, a Christian is an individual, not a group or a nation.  In that technical sense a nation can be neither “Christian” nor “non-Christian” since a nation is made up of all kinds of people with all kinds of different beliefs.  America is a “Christian nation” only insofar as its citizens are Christians.  While many Americans have a background in “Christianity” that is not the same thing as personally submitting oneself to His Lordship.

In fact, our founding fathers ensured that the government of our nation could not be “Christian” in the principle of the separation of church and state implicit in the Constitution.  While that principle may have been misunderstood and even misapplied today, the idea very clearly is that the government is to stay out of the affairs of religion.  Therefore it cannot properly be called “Christian” can it?

This is a great thing, as it allows for the free exercise of my faith!  I love my country, not because it endorses Christian teaching, but because it allows me the freedom to actively pursue my Christian teaching!  I suppose England is “officially” a “Christian” nation with the Church of England as its national religion.  Early Americans fled that country because of the abuses inherent in that system.  Surely no one wants a state religion in the United States today.

I understand, though, that when many of us use the term “a Christian nation” we are referring to our background and heritage.  It is very true to say that our founding fathers came from a very similar Judeo-Christian background and that the values and principles they held dear were written into our founding documents.  Certainly, most of them were believers and unashamedly acknowledged God even in those documents.  I am very grateful for that and wish today’s leaders shared those same convictions.   However that does not make our nation “Christian” today.  The fact that my parents were Christians does not mean that I am.  I must have my own faith.  I must own my own relationship with Jesus in order to properly be called a “Christian.”  Just because our founding fathers were “Christians” doesn’t make our present government “Christian” does it?  What would it look like if they were?

When I look around our country,  I do see so much good and I see God’s people at work in so many ways, yet there is also much fallenness.  Our people laud and applaud what was once called evil and sin.  Our culture glamourizes infidelity and adultery and mocks purity and uprightness.  I can’t turn on the television without hearing the Lord’s name used in vain or seeing people treated as objects of someone’s sexual fantasies.  If you look at ancient Israel in the books of Joshua, Judges and the Kings… you find much the same thing.  Israel was supposed to be a “Godly nation.”  In fact, it was supposed to BE “God’s nation.”  Yet, it was unfaithful to that call and experienced the consequences of its unfaithfulness.  God was harsh enough to allow those consequences and even used other nations around them to bring His judgment on them.

So, when I say that America (the country that I love) is not and never has been a “Christian” nation, that is what I mean.  I pray for the day when all of its citizens will bow on their knees and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord… but until that day, it is my job as a Christian to faithfully witness to those around me that day is coming.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

What an incredibly busy time of year this is! In some ways this past year has just flown by and I cannot believe that it is time once again to sit down and write my annual “Christmas Note” for our bulletin. In other ways, it has been a long and difficult year for many. As I look back and reflect over this past year, I think of so many who have left us. This year we have seen the passing of many beloved church family members here at Washington Street. My heart goes out to each and every one of you who have lost a dear loved one this year. Their absence is felt especially at this time of year. Our hearts are also heavy this week with the news of the tragic shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. Words cannot express the heartache that everyone feels over these events and especially parents.

Perhaps it is fitting that as we reflect, we are also turned to the wonder of the story in the Scriptures… the story of the Christ-child, born to humble parents in a small town called Bethlehem all those years ago… laid in an animal’s feeding trough and visited by curious shepherds. It seems like such a simple story. Children are born every day, many of them into circumstances even more difficult than that. Yet this wasn’t just any child. This was Jesus. This was Immanuel… “God with us.” This was God in the flesh, come to set things right. He was born at night, into the darkness. Max Lucado reminds us, “The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. [Jesus’] first cries were heard in the shadows. To see [his] face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod’s jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence. “

Yet it was into our dark world that Jesus came and brought light! The apostle John would write, “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” (John 1:9) Indeed, even amidst the darkness of recent days our world is brighter as we turn our eyes upon Jesus.

This December my family began our twelfth year as a part of this church family and we continue to be so blessed. This year, more than others, we have felt the love and the prayers of dear brothers and sisters and we are so thankful for you all! God has truly blessed us through you. There is no way that we could send every one of you, our friends and family members the traditional “Christmas Card” so let me take this opportunity to say to every one reading these words, “Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!” We sincerely pray that the holidays will be filled with joy and laughter… with good times and great memories! May God bless you.

-Jim, Celeste, Andy, David, Michael & Daniel

for real?

Was he or wasn't he?  That's the question we've been exploring all month.  Was Jesus who he said he was, or not?  We've been exploring some of the questions of our faith, wrestling with our doubts in some cases and examining the evidence.  As I've promised, below is a list of resources (which may grow longer over time.)  These are books that have been helpful to me through my own personal search and from which I have drawn heavily for this sermon series.  I hope it helps!

Copan, Paul.  When God Goes to Starbucks: A Guide to Everyday Apologetics.  Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2008.

Ortberg, John.  Know Doubt. (prev. titled Faith & Doubt).  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008.

McDowell, Josh.  Evidence that Demands a Verdict: Historical Evidences for the Christian Faith. Vols. 1 & 2.   Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1979.

McDowell, Sean.  Apologetics for a New Generation: a biblical & culrurally relevant approach to talking about God.  Eugene, OR:  Harvest House, 2009.

Shelly, Rubel.  Prepare to Answer: A Defense of the Christian Faith.  Nashville, TN: 20th Century Christian, 1990.

Strobel, Lee.  The Case for Faith.  Grand Rapids; Zondervan, 2000.

_________. The Case for Christ.  Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.

_________. The Case for a Creator.  Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004.

_________. The Case for the Real Jesus.  Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010.

(each of Strobel's books have 'Student' & 'Kids' versions as well!)

A Few Words for Paw Paw

“A Few Words… for Paw Paw”
February 24, 2012

Virgil Boyd Crowe –September 31, 1913- February 21, 2012

Wow—98 years… we’d better get going.  We’ve got a lot of ground to cover!  Actually I’m only kidding.  I couldn’t begin to touch the life of my Paw Paw in the short amount of time that he gave me this afternoon.  He told us he wanted this short & sweet!  And that’s okay… because he doesn’t need another sermon anyhow… and you don’t need me to convince you what a good man he was.  And he certainly doesn’t need anybody to preach him into heaven… as they say.  Paw Paw preached his own funeral every day that he lived.  So, there’s really very little to be said today… but he did ask me to ‘say a few words’… so I’ll give it a try!

98 years may seem like a long time… but for some reason today, it doesn’t hardly seem long enough.  I suppose we’re never really ready to see those we love depart, but for my Paw Paw… I know he was ready to go.  He told me the other day, when I told him to ‘hang in there’… that he was going to try, but that when it was his time, he was looking forward to being with the Lord.  So I have no hesitancy today in saying that he’s right where he wants to be… right home with the Lord.  The Bible says, “Blessed are those who die in the Lord”… and indeed my Paw Paw was a blessed man!

And not only because of his relationship with the Lord…  He was blessed in this life with two beautiful daughters…   My Aunt, Bettye Jo Smith and my mom, Marcia Boydene Black.  Giving his girls names like ‘Jo’ & ‘Boydene’  I always wondered if he had been expecting boys or if my Nanny was just asleep when he filled out the birth certificates?  Two devoted daughters who loved their daddy… you could say they were ‘daddy’s girls’ or at least I bet that’s what my uncle Bob or my Dad would tell you.  And then (to make matters worse) when he and Betty married… he inherited yet another daughter, Brenda- but she has also been such a blessing to him… and a step-son, Mike, who preceded him in death just a few years ago.

Blessed with a number of smart, intelligent and good-looking grandchildren…  Bobby & Kim came along first and paved the way for my sister Debbie and I.  We enjoyed having the best grandparents God ever invented.   Grandparents were such a great idea… I always thought.  Old & responsible like parents.  They could do the things to take care of you like feed you and tuck you in at night… but they were a lot more fun!  They doted on us… spoiled us.  Probably gave us whatever we wanted.  I remember having Coca Cola for the first time at Paw Paw’s house.  Ice cream.  McDonalds happy meals… whatever we wanted we could usually talk either he or Nanny into it.  And then when he and Betty married… we got to share our Paw Paw with your sweet girls, Brenda… Carmen & Shannon.  And he loved them just the same… and I know spoiled them, too.  He would always tell me about how tall Shannon was getting to be!

Blessed with more great-grandchildren than I can count…  Travis & Kylie… Andy, David, Michael & Daniel… Riley, Reagan & Ryan… & Carmen’s family… Austin, Madison (Madi), Payton… All of whose pictures you can find plastered all over Paw Paw’s house like wall paper!

And twice blessed to find special women with whom to share his life…  My grandmother, Una Ray.  She and Paw Paw married Nov. 29, 1935… but were married for only 54 years.  She would often slip me money when I’d come to visit and tell me not to tell Paw Paw.  Then he’d slip me some more and tell me not to tell Nanny.  I think it was a game they played on each other.  I didn’t mind it.

When they married I’m told it wasn’t ‘proper’ for a school teacher (which Nanny was) to be married… so they kept their marriage a secret for a short time.  Eventually somebody let the cat out of the bag, I suppose, because I always knew they were married.  He grew up in what is now Meigs County, she lived in Ray County.  That was before they divided the county along the River.  He used to cross the river over to see her.  I guess he crossed one too many times.  But I guess it worked out.  54 years ain’t bad.

After she passed away in 1988 after a long battle with Alzheimers, we were all worried about Paw Paw.  What would he do?  Wouldn’t he be lonely?  Little did I know how his sister-in-law was already scheming to fix him up!  Dating is an awkward thing.  It’s really weird when your granddad starts dating… or courting (whatever it was.)  But we were all thrilled when he and Betty met and tied the knot.  They’ve been married 21 years now… and you (Betty) have been such a blessing to all of us… and especially to our Paw Paw… so thank you!  You told me the other day that you knew you weren’t my ‘real grandmother’… but you you’ve been my ‘Ma maw’ for all these years and that’s not fixin’ to change any time soon.  The relationship you shared was special… and when Celeste and I needed wedding advice those years ago… the best couple who had just planned a wedding that we could think of was you!  Thanks.

As I said… 98 years seems like a long time.  Paw Paw has seen many things thru the years…  Many loved ones pass on… his mother & father… James William & Louella Barger Crowe…  brothers & sisters… Marion, Charlie, Imogene, Claude, Walter, Willie, and a brother Luther who died as an infant.  His brother Ray & sister Gayle survive him.   His wife of 54 years, my grandmother, Una… a son-in-law, my uncle Bob Smith…

He did a lot of cool stuff…  He served in Oak Ridge during WWII as a civilian working at the facility that made the Atom bomb and resulted in the end of the war… saving who knows how many lives around the world.  He worked most of his career at Dupont… working in the facilities department as they made a radical new product called ‘nylon’.

And he’s seen many changes in our world…  In 1913 the price of a gallon of gas was 27 cents at the first drive up “filling station” which opened in Dec. of that year, not that there were all that many people with cars needing a gallon of gasoline!  After all, a new car cost almost $400 and that was more than most could afford.  The price of a gallon of milk, though, was almost a dime.  Other Happenings of 1913…  Woodrow Wilson was in the White House.   The NY Giants signed Jim Thorpe.   The 16th amendment ratifying federal income tax was passed and the IRS immediately began collecting.   The British House of Commons rejected a proposal that would allow women the right to vote in Great Britain.   (Such a measure would not pass in the US for another 6 years.)   Veterans of the Civil War held a Great Reunion in 1913.  Stainless Steel was invented by Harry Brearley.  The first paved highway from coast to coast opened, the Lincoln Hwy.   Charlie Chaplin began his film career… and was paid $150 a week by the film studio.   Thru the years Paw Paw saw… 17 Presidents (& was very much looking forward to the 18th), ten decades, two world wars, and about 1700 Bob Hope television specials… many of which we watched together.

He had a lot of great experiences & great days… but none of them can compare to last Tuesday, which was perhaps the single greatest day of his life.  You might think that I would’ve said that about his birthday… or the day he was baptized in Wolf Creek (Rhea County), or his wedding day… or maybe the birth of his daughters… but I daresay that not even the greatness of those days hold a candle to what happened on Tuesday… Because Tuesday he went home.  After  a debilitating stroke just 5 weeks ago, he had hoped to recover and get back to his chores at home… but despite all of his hard work at rehab… his body was just used up.  And after really only four days of it… he was ready to go home.  And I don’t mean to Red Bank.  He was ready to see his parents, his brothers, sisters… his friends & family members… my Nanny… and he told us so.

Our prayers were answered and on Tuesday afternoon… just as the sun peaked through the clouds… having been surrounded by family all week… he went home to be with the Lord.   His body was just all used up.  Of course he got more mileage out of his than most folks do, so we can’t fault that.  He had 98 full, wonderful, blessed years upon this Earth… and he knew how fortunate he was!  He told me that many times.  But… he has gone home.  So today is a day of celebration!  It is a day to rejoice & be glad!  Because, like the Apostle Paul, he has finished the course.  He has won the race!  And he has received his prize… the crown of life!  (And it’s something we must ‘just accept’ as he would say.)

Now, for me… and those of us left behind… its stinky, I don’t mind telling you.  I’ve lost a Paw Paw… a wonderful grandfather… the best a boy could have!  He retired before I started school just so we could spend more time together—at least that’s what I thought!  We hung out a lot… I helped him in his garden.  He came to my ball games.  I helped him mow the yard.  He drove me to McDonalds.  I’d help him decorate the house for Christmas, he’d pitch balls to me in the front yard.  Tit-for-tat.  When Nanny sent him on errands, I’d often tag along.  We went everywhere.  I used to hate going places with him, though, because everywhere he went he’d find somebody to stand and talk to for days!  I was a little guy and had places to go… especially to the toy store if we were at the mall.  I didn’t have time to waste catching up with all of Paw Paw’s old DuPont buddies.  But he after his conversations, he always had the time to take me to the toy store anyway.

When he and Nanny would go to Florida, I’d go down w/ Mom & Dad and help water his plants.  And he’d bring me back a rubber crocodile or some other cool souvenir.   And a few times we’d all go to Florida together… which was a lot of fun.  My Paw Paw loved the beach.  Nanny loved Florida, but she wasn’t a beach person… not like Paw Paw.  He’d get up early, go down to the beach and walk as the sun came up.  Then he’d go back a little later to play in the sand or dive for sand dollars out on the sandbars.  He’d go back at night to watch the sun go down.   And when we’d be with them, he’d go swim with me or build sandcastles.  One of the most fun vacations I remember as an adult was when all of us were down there together in ’99.

And he loved all of the grandkids.  I always thought he was the coolest grandfather ever… and I count it a real blessing that we were able to share him with Carmen & Shannon & the great grandchildren as they came along, too!  Because, I figured, everybody ought to have a grandfather as great as mine!

But its going to take some getting used to… to adjust to his not being around… which is why I take great comfort in… John 14, which was one of his favorite books of the Bible.  He and I talked not long ago.  Last year he decided he was going to read the whole Bible from start to finish in a year.  Now that’s a daunting task for anybody!  He started in January and was done by October!  And that was reading King James !  It takes me that long to get thru one of the psalms reading it in King James English!  But he did it… and we talked about what a blessing that experience had been to him.  John 14 is one of those great encouraging chapters… Jesus is about to go to the cross and he knows what he’s about to say is going to be some of his final words upon this Earth.  He also knows the heartache, fear & loneliness that the disciples are likely to face after he has gone… but he says this:

John 14:1-4

1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going."  NIV

Can’t you just imagine Paw Paw in the house of God… in a room prepared just for him… enjoying catching up with all those who’ve gone on before…  and having an eternity to stand there and talk…and looking forward to the time when we’ll get to join him there to?  And don’t you just know he’s already out back in the garden planting some squash or okra or turnip greens… ‘cause that’s just what Paw Paw would do.

Christianity 101

Its Back to School time! I would hate to have to go back to school today… there is so much I’ve forgotten and would have to go back and re-learn! Especially Math! It’s been 20 yrs since I’ve had a math class. If I had to go back and take math again, I’d need to go back to the basics and re-learn everything… I’ve forgotten so much. Today I want to begin a new series of lessons… Christianity 101… and challenge us to go back and take a fresh look at some of the “basics” of the Christian faith. This is always good for us… for new Christians… to learn why we do things the way we do him… the fundamentals. It is good for our children… to instruct them in the basics… AND even for those of us who’ve been Christians for a long time… to go back and re-examine what we know (or think we know) about some of the basic doctrines of Christianity.

In the next few weeks, I want us to take a fresh look at Worship, at Prayer, at Baptism & Lord’s Supper, etc. There may be more…

Today… start with the most basic: What is Christianity? What is the Christian faith? That may be a difficult question to answer since there are so many different views out there… different definitions of Christianity. Some see it simply as a HERITAGE… the way they grew up… how they were raised. It’s the tradition that their family abided in, and so they are ‘Christian’ by virtue of the fact that momma & daddy raised them in the Christian tradition. Some see it as a PHILOSOPHY of life… a moral code or system of ethics that one ought to abide by. Live by the code, be blessed. Some see it as their IDENTITY… its what sets them apart from others. I’m not Moslem, or Jewish or Hindu… I’m Christian. Some see it as a SYSTEM of truths that must be believed… doctrines that one needs to ascribe to in order to be ‘right’ instead of ‘wrong.’

I’m wondering… WHAT did Jesus really intend to start? When he called those guys out at the sea of Galilee… what was he calling them to? Because I don’t think he was interested in starting just another religion! The world in the 1st century was FULL of religions… there was a religion for everybody! The Greeks had their pantheon of ‘gods’; the Romans largely adopted the ‘gods’ of ancient Greece and gave them Greek names… but again there was a religion for everything. There were mystery religions. There were cultic religions. There were all sorts… and I don’t think they really needed another one! The world today is full of religions! Again, there’s a religion for everything! If you want to lose weight- there’s a religion for that. If you want to feel good about yourself- there’s a religion for that. If you want to go out and kill others- there’s a religion that will tell you that’s what you need to do in the name of God in order to get to heaven! If you want to worship Elvis- there’s a religion for that. The world doesn’t need another religion! But I don’t think Jesus went out to the sea of Galilee that day thinking, “Gee, I think I’ll start a new religion today.” So, what was his intention? What is Christianity really & truly about? What is at the heart & core of the Christian faith?

Let’s look again at the text:

Matthew 4:18-20

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. NIV

Jesus called them to “follow him.” He didn’t invite them to be a part of his social network, a club, a clique, a church or a denomination! He called them to follow him. He was inviting them to discipleship. Some observations…

Christianity is about a person: Jesus

When Jesus invited them to follow him, he was inviting them to discipleship… not membership. It was about them becoming his students, his apprentices. A disciple is a student… but being a student is more than writing real neatly, turning your homework in on time and making passing grades! Being a disciple is about becoming like your teacher… taking on their trade… adopting the ways of your teacher… becoming so much like him that the products you produce can’t be differentiated from the products produced by the master. A disciple’s goal is to become like his master in every way… THAT’S what Jesus was inviting them to. We mustn’t forget that Christianity is first & foremost about Jesus.

Christians have always had a tendency to tack on other things… all sorts of traditions & interpretations… opinions & creeds… And some of those may be good and may be things we ought to do or believe… but let’s not forget that at the heart of Christianity is a REAL person… Jesus. He really lived… and he really gave us an example.

1 Peter 2:21

21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. NIV

Now, this is so simple… Walk as Jesus walked. Listen to what Jesus said. Believe who Jesus is. Why do we complicate it? Why do we fuss & fight and splinter into hundreds of denominational groups… when the call to follow him seems so simple? That’s why I love the restoration plea that we’ve been screaming in churches of Christ for 200 years… let’s just go back to the Bible and to new testament Christianity and simplify! Let’s forget the opinions & interpretations & creeds of men that have separated us… and come back to the Bible (& the Bible alone) as all-sufficient for us to know God. I love that idea… if we could just go back to that… go back to simple Christianity… Jesus.

I’m going to be somewhat critical of churches of Christ here (even though I love them) I’m not sure we’ve always had the emphasis on the right syllable… In our zeal to restore pure & simple Christianity as it was practiced in the early church.. I wonder if we’ve missed the point? I wonder if we’ve focused too much on the pattern of the NT church to the neglect of the pattern laid out for us by Jesus. In our efforts to get church right, have we gotten Jesus right? Example: We’ve gone back and studied church leadership & try to organize our churches like they were in the 1st century. But have we had the same desire to restore Jesus’ care for the poor, the orphaned, the widow, the undesirable in our churches? We cannot forget that 1st & foremost… Christianity is about Jesus!

And so everything we do & believe as Christians ought to be firmly rooted in the person of Christ. What do I mean by that? Everything we do ought to be linked to the character & work of Jesus in some way. The doctrine of baptism? I believe in baptism not only b/c Jesus himself was baptized, but also because of the symbolism involved. It is a death/burial & resurrection… like Jesus. Ro. 6 Why do we do Lord’s Supper on Sundays? Well, Jesus commanded us to AND he gave great meaning to it… as we ‘remember’ the body & blood of Jesus. Rooted in Jesus. Why do we worship on Sundays? We DO know the early church did that… but they worshipped on Sunday because that was the day of Jesus’ resurrection! Everything we do ought to find its roots in the person of Jesus… he is the “author & perfector of our faith” the Hebrew writer would say!

Christianity is about CHANGE

Jesus said to that bunch of guys that day, “Follow me… and I will make you fishers of men.” Now look at who he’s talking to… a bunch of fishermen. I imagine them to be a rough bunch of dudes. Peter & Andrew… James & John. Maybe I just imagine that because I’ve got a stereotype in my mind of what a professional fisherman looks like. But I don’t think I’m way off. You don’t get a nickname like the “Sons of Thunder” by being a wimp or a sweet little gentleman! And Jesus says I’m going to give you a new life. You used to fish for fish… NOW you’re going to fish for men! He gave them a new job… and a new heart! Its about CHANGE!

Bill Brant spoke to us last week and mentioned Matt 5… where Jesus calls his disciples to be SALT & light. We like to think about being a light, but salt? Salt is essentially a change-agent. It’s a preservative that changes the makeup & flavor of food that it comes into contact with. Jesus is saying that Christianity is about change. Some people act as if they’re afraid of change! Talk about change as if it’s a bad thing! But following Jesus demands change… it calls us to change from who we used to be to become who God wants us to be! Sometimes that change is painful… but Christianity is about change!

Changing within ourselves… but also out in the world as agents of change in our culture. And don’t we all agree that our culture could use a few more Christian change-agents in it?

Christianity is about Pagans/Unbelievers/Non-Christians

Really, let’s be honest. Christianity isn’t about us… its about others. What does Jesus tell the disciples to do? Who are they supposed to go find? “Fishers of … ?” What kind of men? Yea… the world. He doesn’t call them to go and look out for just one another. He doesn’t call them to go create a commune somewhere where all the Christians could huddle up together and not have to deal with the outside world. NO! He calls them to ‘go into the world’ (Mk 16)… he calls them to get out there in the sea of humanity and go FISHING! Not sheep-stealing. Not member-transfers. But fishing! And if you’re like me (and not a big fisherman) you’re thinking… BUT, Jesus, fish are slippery. They’re slimy & scaly. They smell bad… and its an awful lot of trouble to get out there! But isn’t that what Jesus told the disciples to do? Isn’t that at the heart of what Christianity is all about… reconciling a broken and chaotic world with its creator? Christianity is about getting outside the walls of “Christianity” or the church… and bringing others in. Its about telling the world who Jesus is!

Jesus said…

Luke 19:10

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." NIV

Matthew 9:13

13 … For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." NIV

Jesus’ focus was always squarely on the lost… on the sinners… on the pagans & the outsiders. The church is often so focused today on the saved… on its building… on the programs… that we forget… at the heart of Christianity is a love for those outside of Christ… and a desire for them to come to know him like we do. THAT’S the heart of Christianity! Having the heart of Jesus for those who don’t know him.

Towards the end of Paul’s life… in Acts 26, the worn-out, beleaguered apostle found himself standing before King Agrippa having to give a defense of his ministry. He had witnessed to his faith… he had laid out his case, made his defense and proclaimed the gospel of Christ to the unbelieving king… to all those in the court… to anybody within earshot… And Agrippa responded… “Do you think that in such a short time you can convince me to become a Christian?” (its one of only 3 times the word ‘christian’ is used in Scripture.)

Acts 26:29

29 Paul replied, "Short time or long-I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains." NIV

Day Seven

Well it's day seven. We were actually only supposed to be here six days. Today was to be our travel day but we missed our flight this morning and so we are waiting. After watching Ricky Pierce come unglued we got back to the hotel where we will wait and try again tomorrow. Actually Ricky handled it really well.
The airline is going to do everything they can to help us get a seat on their flight tomorrow but they can't guarantee it. We'll have to see. So be praying for some cancellations and/or no-shows tomorrow! If we can get to Miami I think we can figure out a way home. The airlines aren't guaranteeing anything but I know God is in control and he'll work it all out. Jim

Sent from my iPod

Day Six

At least I think it's day six. They have started running together for me. But today was another great day in Honduras. The weather was just perfect as we drove to the community of Maqualiso (spelling?) to distribute bags of food. They were gone in no time. It's one of the poorest areas I have ever seen but the area is absolutely beautiful. It sits on the side of a mountain with a breathtaking view of the Honduran countryside. The people were so friendly and wonderful to meet. We gave away 200 or more bags and could have given away hundreds more.
Jimmy and Joel finally picked up their bags from the airport today! Yay! Just in time for tomorrow's return flight home. Ha ha.
What a wonderful trip this has been. It's going to be hard to leave our Honduran family here in the morning but I am sure looking forward to getting home. I have four little boys and a pretty special wife at home that I've missed quite a bit.
I can't wait to share more stories of our Honduran adventures with you in the days ahead. In the meantime be praying for us as we travel tomorrow and start thinking about making the trip with us next year! Jim

Sent from my iPod

Days Four & Five

Exhausted is the best way to describe myself tonight. I tell you what... It takes a LOT to keep up with Ricky Pierce down here!
After a little down time on Sunday in the Valle de Angeles on Monday it was back to work! We headed out to Jovenes en Camino to finish up some projects that the Smyrna group wasn't able to complete last week. Jimmy's plumbing skills came in handy as they worked on getting water to a new washer. I did some carpentry work (if you can call it that) with Ray & Leroy. After working all day there we met up with Walter Goodwin last night and visited the hospital. We setup some cots and gave away 350 burritos. If you've never been there there is no way to describe the hospital to you. We were so blessed to be there.
Today we returned to Jovenes and finished up the projects we started yesterday. I think we got everything done and had a great day! It's such a great place. Some of the guys got drenched riding in the back of the truck on the way home but they didn't seem to mind.
Good news today! Jimmy's lost luggage has been found and is at the airport today! We couldn't get there before it closed however so we'll have to get it tomorrow... Just in time for leaving on Thur! Now we're waiting on our orders for tomorrow from our fearless leader.

Sent from my iPod

Day three

What a great day in Honduras. We received an overwhelmingly warm welcome by the brethren at church this morning! They sang Bienvinidos as we arrived welcoming us with smiles, hugs, a few kisses and Honduran coffee! My kind of church!
After worship we enjoyed a great meal they prepared for us and then did a little shopping in the Valle de Angeles... In the rain.
The highlight had to have been getting to see a little girls face light up when we presented her with a wheelchair for her to have. She is 9 yrs old, has cerebal palsy and.... I'll have to let Ricky share the story with you. It was so touching to see! God is at work and I was blessed to see Him today! Jim

Day Two

It was a crazy but typical day in Honduras! One crew finished up the house. Another crew ran errands with Carlos picking up materials at Jovenes and trying to find an alternator for his truck. It took the better part of the day and most of it was spent waiting. Speaking of waiting, Joel & Jimmy spent all day at the airport looking for their luggage... No luck. The airline can't tell them where the bags are. Otherwise it was a great day!
Tomorrow it's off to worship with our bros and sisters in the Valle de Angeles! We'll send greetings from all at Washington St. Jim

Sent from my iPod

Day One

We drove up to the most beautiful spot today to build a house on the top of a mountain! What a view! It rained on us a couple of times but I sure can't complain. The temp that high up stayed in the 70's all day making for a very pleasant day. We plan to finish it tomorrow.
We ended the day with a celebration at El Patio honoring Darrion's 13th Birthday. A great day! Now it's off to bed to get ready for tomorrow.
By the way... It looks like Jimmy's luggage is sightseeing in El Salvador and should be rejoining the group tomorrow at least he hopes so!

Sent from my iPod

Safe Arrival

Well, we all arrived more or less on time this afternoon in Tegucigalpa!  Thankfully, it was an uneventful flight and pretty smooth' all things considered.  After a quick minute to freshen up and an even quicker bite to eat, we headed out to the clinic where we packed over 300 food bags which you donated!  Thank you!  Lord willing, we will be delivering those this week.  Tomorrow, our plan is to head out to the Valle de Angeles to start construction on a house for Sis. Rosa from the church there.  I met her in 2007 and let me tell you... she lives WAYYYY up a very high mountain! Will keep you posted.

By the way, Jimmy has recieved proper introduction to Honduras as he awaits the arrival of his luggage.  Apparently, his bag decided it wanted another day layover in Miamai... perhaps to sight see...  Hopefully it will arrive in the morning.

God bless!

Honduras 2011

This week our Honduras Brigade leaves for Tegucigalpa, Honduras for another great week of work and ministry alongside our dear missionary friends, Carlos & Marla Toledo.  We solicit your prayers and ask that you remember us as we are away!  We plan to spend a couple of days building a house for a sister in the church in the Valle de Angeles and then the rest of the time working on some facilities at Jovenes en Camino just outside of town. 

Thanks for your prayers!

Praying for Curt

We are learning new meaning to what the Apostle Paul instructed the Christians at Thessolonica to do... "Pray without ceasing" he told hem. Our church family at Washington Street has been doing just that these last few days and we would like to ask the entire Christian community in Fayetteville to join us today in prayer for a little boy so dear to us .

Curt Cannon, the 7 yr old son of David & Marcia Cannon was injured in an accident on Sunday evening, was med-flighted to Vanderbilt and remains there in very critical condition. David, Marcia, Curt and his sister, Amy Ann are dear members of our church family as are his grandparents, Curtis & Ruth Ashby. Our hearts go out to them, our thoughts are with them, and our prayers are covering them through this difficult time. They would cherish your prayers as well as they wait.

Tonight, following an abbreviated Bible class time, our church family with gather for a concentrated period of prayer. All are welcome to join us around 7:30pm for this. We'll ask all of our teachers to excuse their classes at that time so that we can all gather in the auditorium to lift this precious little boy up in prayer. We would love for other churches to do the same.

God bless & thank you for your concern,
Jim Black
for the Washington St Church Family

Missio Dei: The Role of Christ... "A Savior Has Been Born!"

Luke 2:1-14
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." NIV

What a beautiful text to read… I can’t help but remember the Charlie Brown Christmas special… and Linus reading these words every year… the children singing around that poor pitiful little tree. This story is especially important this time of year as the world pauses to remember the significance of what God did in the sending of his Son! Today amidst all the hustle and bustle of the season… and the battles that wage over Santa Claus & Snowmen… that those of us who know of the truth of THIS story won’t let it die… and won’t let it be heard ONLY this time of year… but all year round! It is perhaps THE most significant story in all of human history… it was certainly the biggest NEWS story as far as Heaven was concerned on that day… “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you!” But what does that mean? “A Savior has been born to you”???

We’re talking about the Missio Dei- the Mission of God… and looking at what his grand plan has been for his fallen world. How God has been working his plan to bring all things “in heaven & on earth” back unto him… (cf. Col 2) … to rescue his fallen creation from the dominion of darkness & into the kingdom of Christ! That is what he has been up to since the very beginning… even taking Abraham & Sarah (an elderly childless couple living in Babylon) and forging their descendants into a nation… a people who existed for the purpose of “blessing the nations.” We know now that one of the ways they were a “blessing” was in their being the family thru which the Messiah would be born. Joseph & Mary both trace their ancestry straight back to Abraham & Sarah!

Today, I want to focus our lens on Jesus… not because its Christmas… but because He has been at the center of this grand Missio Dei all along! The Bible doesn’t give us much about Jesus in the years that immediately followed those events in Bethlehem… The gospel of Luke gives us more than the others. In ch. 2 we read about Mary & Joseph presenting the baby Jesus at the Temple and the blessing by Simeon who had waited his whole life for the Messiah. We also get the story of Jesus getting left behind in Jerusalem and his distraught Mom finding him in the Temple, listening to the teachers. (that’s right where your kids would go if you left them, right? School.) In ch. 3 (at the age of 30) we see Jesus presenting himself for baptism at the Jordan River… and the great moment when John baptizes him… the heavens open, the Spirit comes down, the Father speaks “THIS is my Son!” and Jesus is anointed for ministry. Of course in ch. 4, not immune to the temptations of the devil, Jesus squares off against the Tempter himself… but unlike Adam & Eve, Jesus stands & doesn’t succumb to the tempter’s snares.

But its his first official act of ministry in Luke’s gospel (ch. 4) that I want to look at more closely this morning… because it’s a fundamental text for understanding Jesus’ mission. If you were to ask Jesus, what’s YOUR mission statement… I think this would be it. It’s a hugely significant text… and for us Gentiles we may not get the full sense of whats going on here without a little background. Let’s look at it…

Luke 4:14-22
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked. NIV

Galilee—we know Jesus was born in Bethlehem, just outside of the big city of Jerusalem… but Nazareth was home. That’s where his Momma & Daddy were from and that’s where he was raised… and that’s where people knew him. News about him spread—we know about how news travels in small towns, right? The Synagogue—of course this was something Jesus did every week… not once or twice a year, but this was his custom. It was just a natural part of his life. And folks were used to men standing up to read scripture… but look at what he reads. It says he “found the place where it is written”… he deliberately selected Isaiah 61 to read. Why? Was it the random selection that day? No, he chose it and he chose it for a reason!

Isaiah 61… which Isaiah wrote some 800 yrs before Jesus… was about the Messiah. Clearly that was understood as a Messianic text. When Isaiah spoke of the “Lord’s Anointed” he was talking about the Messiah… who would bring good news! And so when Jesus selected that passage and then said, “Today this is fulfilled in your hearing” he was saying to them, “I’m him! I’m the anointed one. I’m the messiah. And I’m the one who has come bringing good news! THIS is the year of the Lord’s favor!” More than just being a great quote from a great prophet, Jesus was setting the stage for the rest of his ministry. As you read thru the gospels, you see that this mission is really the framework for what Jesus would do in the next 3 yrs.

THIS was his mission… and it ought to be ours, too!

Notice Jesus saw it as his mission to…

“To Preach Good News to the Poor”

Who needs ‘good news’ more than the poor? The poor are constantly the focus of Jesus’ attention. In Luke 6:20 he said, “Blessed are the poor.” In Luke 12:32-33 he told an audience of hearers, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.” NIV In Luke 14:13 he said, “When you throw a party, invite the poor… b/c they can’t repay you.” Over & over again, Jesus taught & modeled looking after the needy.
Matthew 6:2
2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. NIV
And when he told stories as he loved to do… the poor were often the heroes! Like in the story of the rich man & Lazarus in Luke 16. The rich man is portrayed as proud & arrogant. Lazarus has nothing… and yet the point of the parable is that it’s the poor man who ends up at Abraham’s bosom… while the rich man burns in torment.

Why all this attention given to the poor? Maybe it’s because the poor often responded to Jesus more readily than others? I think of the story in Luke 21 of the widow who put in two very small copper coins (worth only a fraction of a penny) into the Temple treasury. Yet when contrasted to the fellow who threw in a massive amount, SHE was commended for her offering… because he gave out of his abundance and she out of her poverty. Maybe it’s because God has always had a heart for those who realized they needed NOTHING but Him in this life. So, when Jesus came… he ministered to the poor, and he fed the hungry… not because it was the politically correct thing to do… but because it was a heart of God thing to do! And we could do that, too!

“To Proclaim Freedom for the Prisoners”

The word transl. ‘freedom’ here is elsewhere in Luke translated ‘forgiveness’… and that makes sense doesn’t it? That’s what most prisoners need most… forgiveness. Now is Jesus/ Isaiah speaking of those literally imprisoned? I think so. But is he also speaking of a spiritual bondage… a spiritual imprisonment? That too! Unforgiven sin holds each of us prisoner… and in a way no physical jail cell can accomplish! When we have unforgiven, aka unconfessed sin, in our lives… it holds us back… enslaves us…

But OH, how liberating it is to be set free from all of that! What do you suppose it feels like to be a prisoner? I’ve never been in jail (other than at Cahoots) but it can’t be a good feeling… can’t go where you want to; can’t do whatever you want to; can’t act on your own; completely at the mercy of the one who has bound you. Like sin? I understand that. We just this Fall finished a 9 week series in Galatians… and the theme: “Finding Freedom in Christ.” It could have just as easily been called… “Finding Forgiveness in Christ” because that’s what freedom is! Jesus said in John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” NIV
Paul wrote to the Galatians 5:1
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. NIV
There were those who did not understand that freedom… either wanted to take it away from others… OR wanted to turn it into a license to sin. T for those who understood!

They understood that THIS was the very reason Christ had come! To secure their freedom!
Matthew 20:28
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." NIV
What’s a ransom? It’s the price you pay to free somebody from bondage! When the jailer is the government you call it ‘bail’ but when it’s a kidnapper or the devil… it’s a ransom! Jesus paid it… with his own life! We could tell people that message, too, couldn’t we?

“And Recovery of Sight for the Blind”
Do you think Jesus is talking about a literal, physical blindness or a spiritual one? Yeah, probably both! We know that Jesus healed many blind folks! (almost a specialty!) In Luke 18, there was a beggar on the side of the road as Jesus was going to Jericho. He cried out to Jesus, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” Even though he was annoying everybody around, Jesus took the time to go to the man, talk to him, and he healed him. And people praised God b/c of it. In Matt 9, there were two blind men… same thing. In John 9:25, the authorities hauled in a man whom Jesus had healed and they were questioning him… he told them, “I don’t know who he is, but one thing I DO know… I was blind but now I see!” (sort of sums it up well!)

There was a lot of spiritual blindness, too… in Jesus’ day AND in ours. Jesus in fact said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." John 9:39 NIV What was he talking about? For those “who had eyes to see” who were ready to believe… Jesus lifted a veil from their eyes! But for those who weren’t ready… the veil remained. Isn’t it a shame… that there are so many with 20/20 vision who cannot see that God is real! Or cannot see all that he has done!

Our world is darkness… that’s the way John describes it…
John 3:19-20
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. NIV
Jesus came to shine a light into our dark world… “I am the light of the world,” he said (John 8:12). Isn’t that what WE ought to be doing, too? Shining our lights? Its going to make some uncomfortable. Its going to make some run & hide from us. It may even make a few folks mad at us. But the world doesn’t need any more darkness! It needs light!

“To Release the Oppressed”
The 21st century is much different from the 1st, but we know a thing or two about oppression, too! Have you ever felt beaten down by the world… by the drudgery of life? By sin, sickness, circumstances? Has the hurt & heartache of the world ever gotten you down? Ever felt like the score was “The World - 17…. Me- 0”?? Ever felt like life wasn’t fair… (you’re right!)

This world is a fallen place and part of what Jesus came to do was to release people from the oppression… from the cares… from the burdens & worries of this life! He said, “If your Father in heaven cares about the birds of the air and the grass in the field… how much more do you think he’ll take care of you?” (paraphrasing here –Matt 6)

“To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor!”
What a proclamation! “The Lord loves you! The Lord is looking with favor/ kindness upon you!” Wouldn’t you love to get THAT in a Christmas card from God? And it harkened back to the year of Jubilee. Built into the law (Lev. 25:8-17) was this provision, that every 50 years Israel would celebrate the “Year of Jubilee” as a reminder to them of God’s grace and provision! Debts were forgiven. Slaves were freed. It was a time when God would bring freedom from the guilt & effects of sin and a time in which Israel would look expectantly towards a new age when these problems would be done away with once & for all!

Jesus was proclaiming, “That time is NOW! NOW is the time of the Lord’s favor!” With Jesus, God was ushering in a new era… an era in which God would act to finally do away with the problems of sin & death once & for all! Jesus would go to the cross and take those with him… so that we wouldn’t have to!

THIS was Jesus’ mission… the center of the overarching Mission of God (Missio Dei)… and it is OUR mission, too!

Not to get ahead of myself… because I want to talk about the role of the church in the next post… but as the body of Christ on the planet today… isn’t it incumbent on US to continue the work of Christ in our day & time? To continue his ministry to the poor, the imprisoned, the blind, the oppressed? Including those who are poor in spirit, those imprisoned by sin, those blinded by the glitter of this world AND those oppressed by the fallen structures of this world?

WE have good news to share! “A Savior has been born!” It doesn’t get any better than that? What are we doing to proclaim that message? What are YOU doing?