Are you self-important?

A friend of mine from Mexico told me a saying that I like a lot. If someone is acting self-important, full of themself, thinking they're all that, you say to them "Do you want me to go kill a chicken for you?" As if to say, "Do you really think you're so important? Shall we have a feast in your honor?"

We tend to make ourselves, our problems, our issues the big deal. My dad says "The definition of 'minor surgery' is 'surgery somebody else is having.'" One of the points of our new sermon series is this: God is the big deal. His will is the one that matters. Things that are big on his radar screen are the things we ought to care about and orient our lives around.

Let's let Jesus Christ become greater, and ourselves become less (John 3.30). In the words of Psalm 34.3, "Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness (or let us magnify the LORD); let us exalt his name together."

God in HD

I'm really looking forward to our new sermon series from the book of Malachi. We'll hear how God is bigger than we think. He's more holy, righteous, loving, etc. The more clearly we see who God really is, the more we burst open the boxes we keep God in, the more we can respond in appropriate ways. If our view of God is small, then it's easy for us to minimize his influence in our life. But the bigger our view of God, the more full-orbed our understanding of his magnificence, the more all-encompassing he can become in our life.

It's kinda like when I walk into my father-in-law's house and his 52-inch Plasma screen TV is turned on. No matter what it's tuned to, the HD images is hard to ignore. I want God to be that way in my life. I want to be totally engrossed in God's Word, captivated by his power and glory, and attentive to his Holy Spirit.

By the way: if you want to see our amazing intro video to the series, visit http://calmastoast.blogspot.com

Many thanks to Dale Patterson for his great work on the video!

How strange are you?

So we've spent four months studying 1 Peter, learning how counter-cultural we should be. We should be shocking to our culture, because of how seriously we take the claims of Christ and his instructions on how to live life. We've learned about how our marriages, our relationship to governing authorities, our response to trials in life, and more ought to show others the values of God's Kingdom.

So how strange are you? In 1 Peter 2:11 we are called "aliens," "foreigners," "sojourners," "pilgrims," "strangers," or "exiles," depending on your translation. Romans 12.2 tells us, though, that the pressure of the world, our normal tendency, is instead to "conform...to the pattern of this world." We know this to be true when we see teenagers all rushing to dress like each other, or suburbanites struggling to "keep up with the Joneses," or our language, preferences, and habits reflect our fallen world more than God's Kingdom.

There are so many places where we are asked to hold firm, not compromise to the world. Ephesians 5.1-20, Colossians 3.1-17, and more attest to the tendency to drift towards those around us, to live according to our old nature than our new nature.

One of the tasks of the Church is to call its people to ever greater degrees of faithfulness to our task. We ought to remind each other often that we are strange. We ought to encourage one another when the world dampens our resolve, stand by one another when things get tough in our marriages, at our places of work, in our parenting. We ought to cheer each other on, not gloat when we see yet another failed marriage or Christian leader leaving ministry in shame. We ought to be accountable to one another so these shipwrecks are prevented before they happen.

Let's be strangers together. Let's walk boldly with Christ, practice radical obedience to his commands, and help one another as aliens and strangers.

Romania #2

Hello Everybody,

We have just finished an amazing week at camp. Many lives were changed dramatically and the team has many great stories to tell. We came here to break down walls in the lives of Romanians and we did that.

Going to Paris tomorrow for some relaxation before flying 10 hours home.

Joe

Sunset Perspective

I love sunsets. I know, you scientists out there will just tell me it’s about refracted light, about the angle of incidence at which the sun’s rays hits the atmosphere at, but I am often moved by sunsets. I’ve seen lots of good ones on my vacation. It’s amazing how sunsets turn plain or even dull landscapes into gorgeous ones. The shadows and the richer colors highlight details we might tend to miss. Any good photographer will tell you that morning and evening are the best times to shoot landscape pictures. (And let it suffice to say I have way more experience with sunsets than with sunrises.)

I was thinking today about perspective. A sunset gives us a different perspective on our surroundings. A perspective more in touch with beauty, with majesty, with color, with contour, with the grandeur of Creation. I wonder how I can be more in touch with God’s perspective on this world. How can I come to see people in the same way that God sees them? I’m not saying that everything in this world is beautiful, there is a lot of ugliness that can be attributed to sin.
But we do read in the Bible that God created people in his image (Genesis 1.26). And even though the image of God has been badly marred by sin, it is still there. Further, God wants to redeem every one of his creatures, if they will turn from their selfish ways and turn to him (2 Peter 3.9).

I want to have a “sunset perspective” on the landscape of the people I encounter. How can I see every person as someone with potential, someone who can come closer to Jesus Christ, experience his mercy, and reflect his character to the world (2 Corinthians 3.18)? How can I act in such a way towards all people that it makes them want to follow Jesus more closely (1 Corinthians 11.1)? This is a daunting task, but I think to begin with I need to “have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had…” (Philippians 2.5) It comes when I set aside my selfish desires and look with eyes of compassion on people around me. (Matthew 9.36)

Romania #1

Hello from Romania,

Just wanted to let everyone know that we are safe and sound in Romania. We spent Friday doing some site seeing and shopping. We are going to spend some time with the kids that are going to camp tonight at a pizza party.

Please pray that even more people would sign up for camp. They are some times last minute.

Thanks

Pastor Joe

Desiring what we don't desire...

One comment from Sunday's sermon that stuck with me is the idea that God commands us to desire something we may not desire. 1 Peter 2.2 commands us to "crave pure spiritual milk," namely the Word of God. I can relate to late-night cravings for Golden Grahams, or cookie dough ice cream, but these seem to come upon me, unbidden. My only choice is to relent and dive into the kitchen to obey my craving, or to abstain for the sake of my waistline.

But the Scriptures indicate in a number of places that we can cultivate a craving for more of God's Spirit, more of his Word, more of Him! Hosea 10.12 says
"Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
for now is the time to seek the LORD,
that he may come
and shower righteousness upon you."
(see also Jeremiah 4.3)

I like that agricultural image (though I'm no farmer, nor the son of a farmer): our hearts can be fallow ground, hard dirt that is not pliable or receptive to God. We can prepare our hearts for God. We can ready ourselves for and develop a sensitivity to God's spirit.

Further, in James 4:8 we read, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." I firmly believe that, even if we don't "feel" close to God, even if we don't "feel like" reading Scripture or pausing to listen to his Holy Spirit, we ought to do it anyway, and our feelings (which we can rely too much on) will come along eventually. Faith that is based primarily on feelings of religious fervor is sure to be hollow and let us down as soon as our feelings change. Praise God that His Word endures forever, and isn't subject to change and whims like our feelings can be!

"For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say,
'People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
But the word of the Lord remains forever.'
And that word is the Good News that was preached to you."
(1 Peter 1.23-25)

This is your brain on drugs

Perry mentioned this morning Peter's command to be "sober-minded" and not allow our minds to be numbed by anything. I have talked to a number of drug and alcohol addicts who say they used drugs or alcohol to do just that: to make their problems go away, to numb their pain. "Life is pain, highness, and anyone who gels you otherwise is selling something." forgive the Princess Bride quotation. Let's get back to the Bible: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (Jn. 16.33) the world offers us plenty of ways to numb the pain that inevitably comes with life, or to forget our purpose for being here in the world. In fact, if we just follow the world's example we will become less and less mindful of God.

We can use lots of things to numb our minds: drugs and alcohol, of course, but also sensuality, amusement, a myriad of addictions, and more. In fact, any any cause or interest that we place in front of Jesus Christ and his kingdom will not only numb our minds but reduce our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and our sense of God-given purpose.

In two places, the Apostle Paul juxtaposes drunkenness to being filled with the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 5:18 he says "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit..." Rather than being intoxicated with alcohol (or anything else that might "intoxicate" us, I might add), we ought to be intoxicated by God's spirit, moved to give all we are and have to him. This kind of Spirit-filled living will indeed make us look different from the world around us. We might even shock those in our culture by our God-directed living. Now that would be something!

Shocked, or Shocking?

Our "Culture Shock" series on 1 Peter addresses how we live in a world that should feel very "foreign" to us. We are citizens of another place (heaven), servants of another King (Jesus), and our primary allegiance is to another Kingdom (the Kingdom of God).

Some Christians are very shocked at the world. They see people with different value systems and behavior, and feel repulsed or indignant about it. However, I believe that we shouldn't be shocked at what we see from those who don't love Jesus. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:32, "if there is no resurrection, 'Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!'" If there is nothing beyond this life, if our actions in this life have no bearing on anything, why not live it up? From our first parents in the Garden of Eden, people have chosen to behave in ways that are selfish, self-serving, and small-minded.

Instead of being shocked at sin and selfishness in our world, we should be a shocking example of what a life surrendered to Jesus looks like. If we live in obedience to Jesus, we'll live life the way it was meant to be lived. We'll be the most fully-alive human beings we can be. We will shock our co-workers and neighbors as they see the way we treat money, sex, food, work, ethics, and family. Do we look shocking to those around us? Or do we tend to get comfortable with the values of our world, so that we reflect our culture more than we reflect Jesus Christ?

"Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. " (1 Peter 2:12)

Are you an alien?

I've got a friend who is a Canadian citizen, but lives here in Lodi, has actually lived in the U.S. more time than in his native land. However, he's chosen not to become a U.S. citizen, because doing so would mean losing his Canadian citizenship. He's got a card much like this one that allows him to live and work in this country (his picture is on it, not this lady). It actually says "Resident Alien" on it. He even said they make you show your right ear, for enhanced security. They can use your right ear as well as your face to determine your identity.

All of this to say that this guy has a regular reminder that this country is not his permanent home. He is a citizen of another land. He lives among us, works among us, but this country isn't his home.

What a cool analogy as we think about our identity as aliens, sojourners, foreigners in this world. Heaven is our eternal home. It's our destination. It's our goal, and is promised to us if we trust Jesus for our salvation. Heaven ought to inform our values, inspire our obedience, and give us a purpose in life.

At the same time, we are called to live in this world. We are even called to influence this world for God. We ought to have significant relationship with lost people. We ought to engage our culture, to examine it, to challenge those who are tied up in it.

A common saying I've heard is "Don't be so heavenly-minded that you're of no earthly good." And the converse is also true, "Don't be so earthy, so tied to this world, that you forget you're a citizen of heaven."

If either of these statements describes you, this sermon series on 1 Peter should have much to say to you. I pray we let the Lord speak to all of us.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 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 2.9-12)

Who's the boss?

It seems like something in us loves to buck authority. This isn't just a crazy 1960's, Woodstock tradition. It's always been around. For example, consider the first human beings on the planet. In Genesis 3, the serpent temps the woman to consider that God might not be correct in his command regarding a certain tree. Adam and Eve both minimize God's authority, his right to command their lives.

We try to buck authority in many ways, whether it's government, teachers, church leaders, or just "The Man."

The problem with this tendency is that it's sin, plain and simple. The Bible commands that "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." (Romans 13.1) More importantly, God is the ultimate authority in the universe.

Our job is to simply recognize God's authority and submit to it. It's that simple. Make him "The Boss" in our lives, every day, with every decision.

Mighty to Save

You may check out the video referenced here by going to http://tbclodi.com/TBC/Videos.html

I know many in our congregation were touched by last week's drama. I don't know about you, but my favorite part was when the Jesus triumphed over the dark powers. It reminded me of Colossians 2:13-15, which says:

"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."

Jesus triumphed over the powers and authorities of the present world (which is under the dominion of Satan, the "ruler of the kingdom of the air," see Ephesians 2.2). He totally defeated them. That doesn't mean we don't still succomb to their influence. We each choose to let them influence us when we let sin reign in our lives, when we let bitterness or anger or lust or pride go unchecked and unconfessed. Maybe your temptation isn't one of the ones pictured in the drama, but anything can "beat us up" if we let it come between us and Jesus.

I also love the imagery of Jesus waiting, grieving, looking on with compassionate eyes, ready to step in when invited. It's been said many times before that "Jesus is a gentleman," waiting for us to ask for help and not just barging in uninvited. After the lead character turns to him, though, he fights for her and takes her place and takes our punishment. I am reminded of Isaiah 53.5:

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."

Why were many of us so moved? Why did tears well up in my eyes every time I saw the drama performed? Because it's such a powerful declaration of the supernatural, miraculous work of Jesus Christ. I choose stupid things over his good plan for me, and reap the consequences (because sin always breaks something.) But Jesus looks on with compassionate eyes, longing for me to give up my striving alone and return to his gracious presence. And when I do repent, or turn from my sin, he is always there to fight for me.

Let's praise God for his glorious grace (Ephesians 1:3-6).