Vision 2013

Watch or Listen Here: Audio/Video

Vision 2013 – Do You Have What it Takes to Grow?

     Creekside began with a prayer that God would move in the hearts of people on the west side of Katy. The year was 2000, and there was almost nothing but farms in this area. Each week I would drive the 7 mile x 2 mile circuit of 1463, 1093, Katy-Gaston Road and Katy-Flewellen, praying that God would bring churches to this area as it grew. It never occurred to me that we would be part of that prayer. But you are, and I am, we are together. 

In May of 2008, as I was driving and praying, I clearly heard a Holy Spirit of God say in my spirit, “You are one of the people you have been praying for. I want you to start a church here.” I questioned God, out loud. But the answer came again, “You are one of the people you have been praying for. I want you to start a church.” Needless to say it was a strange thing to ponder. I already worked for a church in Katy. I was happy and successful in that ministry. But I will admit I was restless, having sensed for some time that God might be up to something more.

I learned that there was a 3-5 mile gap west of here where no church had yet touched. There were new neighborhoods being built and 100,000 people projected over the next 8 years. So after many months of praying, talking with mentors, and planning, we began the process of figuring out what this church would look like, how it would function and, most importantly, what the vision would be. As 2009 began, God planted in our hearts this vision: to create a church that unchurched, dechurched, skeptical and seeking people would love to attend.

God knew our heart for the community and for its people. We wanted to be a church for people who didn’t “do” church. We longed to be a part of a growing, natural organism rather than just another part of organized religion: a place where relationships were primary, community – foundational and where anyone could come and explore their faith at whatever point of the journey they find themselves.

About a month later, in March of 2009, God clearly added another component to this vision. Katy had grown from a small town of mostly white and Hispanic people to a large city of 300,000+ with 220 people groups and 70 languages. And God clearly said to me, “You need to reach across those ethnic lines, cultural lines, socioeconomic lines and any other barrier that keeps people from knowing that I love them.” This new component to reach out was so stretching that I concluded it must be from God, and so it was incorporated into our vision statement: 

“Our vision is to create a multi-ethnic, cross-cultural church that unchurched, de-churched, skeptical and seeking people from any walk of life would love to be a part of.”

This has been our drive from the beginning. This was a new adventure. So, there were meetings, development, coaching with mentors, fundraisers, planning and much prayer and sweating. This vision did not carry with it any guarantees – success, provision or continuance. This was a pivotal moment in many lives to do a new thing, to believe in the possibility and to fulfill a vision that we believe came from God. And out of those time together we developed a mission statement to focus us and values to drive every decision we have made ever since. Our mission is this:

“Creekside Community Church exists to lead people to grow in their relationship to God, others and the world around them through Jesus Christ.”

We are not just a church centered around knowing ABOUT God, though that’s very important. We are not a church that’s just about developing successful and inclusive relationships, though that’s important, too. We decided to be a church that takes Truth and Grace, as illustrated in Jesus Christ’s actions and teachings, and willingly incorporates those into ALL our relationships, being open to people who are different from us and serving people with the love of God in any way possible. This is how our values became Seeing, Serving, & Sharing:

1. Seeing people that others might not see, and intentionally building authentic relationships with them.

2. Serving God and others in tangible ways

3. Sharing the story of God’s love through the Bible and the stories of God’s work in real peoples’ lives.

If you have been here for any amount of time, you know that we continually strive together to see this vision, this mission and these values lived out – individually and collectively. I am so proud of your contributions to our community – food, clothing, shelter, financial help and accountability; spiritual community, celebrating and sorrowing together, walking a journey of faith at different paces but together. We cannot lose sight of these great characteristics. 

We cannot become inwardly focused and self-satisfying. It would be the demise of all God has planned for you and through you. We cannot afford to think, “what about me? What’s in it for me?” The Kingdom of God has always been about others, it’s always been about serving; it has always been about following God’s will no matter what the cost. This is the price of vision. It is the necessary cost of the mission, and of living out God-centered values. It is why Jesus said to his disciples and to us, “If anyone wants to follow me, you must take up your cross daily and do what I do.”

A few of you have been with us from the beginning – the very first meeting to discuss this possibility. There were about 25 adults. Yet today, you are 120 people who attend monthly or more. You’ve invited your friends and family to join you in serving God and this community. You have served countless hours doing missions work for the poor, for orphans, for the elderly and the disabled. You give away your hard earned resources to help others. Your belief in this vision and love for God have taken you to India, Africa, Belize, Honduras, Brookshire, Richmond and next door. Those are visual manifestations of spiritual fervor.

And, on that same spiritual level, there have been 48 people decide to become followers of Christ since we began. 27 people have been baptized publicly as a witness to their faith. More than half of all adults meet weekly for fellowship and to study God’s Word. And a significant majority of you volunteer monthly so that others can come, and see, and hear, and be served. Your actions of love and commitment are evident.

You inspire me to keep on going. You challenge me to push ahead and become rather than sit still and stagnate into a “normal” church organization. YOU are the church – the body of Jesus Christ. YOU are Creekside Community, a group that welcomes all comers, helps those less fortunate than themselves, lives out the life of Jesus in the world around you. You do not lack vision or passion at all. I only pray that I and your pastors do not dampen the fire in your heart to fulfill this great endeavor, but rather fan into flame those embers of love, compassion, grace, and truth. Because the truth is – this is only the beginning. The truth is – we possess a vision greater than ourselves, our abilities, or our resources. So here are a few things I want us to think about as we begin year 4 of Creekside Community Church.

• Fulfilling a Vision Greater than Ourselves

• Requires gifted people
• Requires time and effort
• Requires resources

• Financial commitments
• New systems and organization
• Creating impactful environments
• Increasing excellence while welcoming change – feedback

 

• Why should we want to grow? 

• Anything that doesn’t grow is stagnant 
• All of us are becoming, but haven’t yet arrived
• God calls us to “Go and make disciples”

• 48 of us did not have a relationship with Jesus three years ago; 48 people who might not have heard the Good News of Jesus’ love and forgiveness without your effort.
• There are 4800 or 48000 more who need what we have to offer – the love of God & the fellowship of His people

So I ask you this very important question: Do you have what it takes to grow? Love for God and others; commitment to the vision; willingness to flex and change; grace and truth to walk this journey with others who are not like ourselves? 

This is our challenge for the next year. And I believe we can see exponential spiritual growth, numerical growth, and growth in our impact on our community and world. I invite you to continue this journey with me. And, because I know that life on a journey like this can be complicated, and distraction and discontent can begin to surface during any significant work of God, I leave you with this important message from Nehemiah, a great leader of the Jewish people:

Nehemiah Nehemias 尼希米记 Неемия 6:3

3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.”

3 Y les envié mensajeros, diciendo: Yo estoy haciendo una gran obra y no puedo descender.
3  於是我差派使者去見他們說：“我正在進行大工程，不能去。
3  Но я послал к ним послов сказать: я занят большим делом, не могу сойти;

Don’t miss God’s best for your life and the lives of your friends and family by being distracted with anything other than Him.
Resolve to prioritize your time by spending it with God each day and looking for ways to fulfill His purpose for you. In doing this you will also fulfill God’s purpose for you as a part of His body at Creekside. And I give you this guarantee: the best is yet to come. Let’s pray.

 

Free Pt 4 – LAWLESS

Watch or Listen Here: Audio/Video

            So we have spent the last 4 weeks trying to get a New start to the New Year with this premise that it is possible for us all to be free! Free from the ravages of sin and death, free to live a new life. We know this subject is on people’s minds, because it’s been on people’s minds for thousands of years. People of every religion and no religion struggle with this quandary the Apostle Paul describes in Romans 7

Romans Romanos 羅 馬 書 7

15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.

19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.



            If we’re honest, we all know what that feels like. We struggle with these thoughts whether it has to do with right or wrong, or whether or not we are going to live out our addiction to food, anger, or something else. We are taking time to address this thoroughly because our mission as a group follower of Jesus is simply to “lead people to grow in their relationship to God, to others, and to the world around them through Jesus Christ.” The understanding I hope we reach today at the conclusion of this series of teachings can be one of those moments of growth – in all three areas. So let’s review just a little bit and move on to the conclusion.

            Paul contended that the truth of our human condition is that we are all born with an inherent issue: we are born in Adam, therefore we are born in this thing called “sin.” This sin is our standard of operation. We are all basically innately sinners who happen to do good things once in a while. His premise is proven by the fact we struggle to meet our own standards of conduct or goals, so we can easily surmise we will never live up to God’s standards. But Paul goes on to say that we are not stuck in that situation permanently, that God sent a way for us to escape the “power of sin,” not the do it, don’t do it, but the actual power and control over us through of Jesus’ death and resurrection. This historical event allows us to accept God’s forgiveness through Jesus and become God’s child, thereby taking us out of being “in Adam,” and placing us firmly and permanently “in Christ,” in God’s family. Paul said it this way,

18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.



            That’s good news. In fact, this is what we refer to as The Good News. This Good News is completely different than what any of us know of religion, because religion, any religion says this, “You ought to, you don’t, you’re toast.” Religion places rules, regulations, laws, and formulas on its followers to earn the favor of God or the universe or whatever. That’s what Paul was struggling with as a devoutly religious person. That’s what you and I struggle with quite often as well. “I want to, I don’t, I fail, I feel bad.” Or “I don’t want to, but I do anyway, I fail, so I feel guilty.” What religion doesn’t address, though, is the issue of the “power of sin.” People try and try and try and try to do the right things and not to do the wrong things. But until we address the power of sin there is no success. That’s why we need Jesus – his perfect life, his death to pay the penalty of our sin, his resurrection that breaks the power of sin and death, because death follows sin every time.

            Let’s talk about the connection between sin and death. Whenever sin is in charge or is given control over a situation, it is quickly followed by death. Physical death sometimes, but more often than not, the consequences are emotional death, the killing of a relationship or trust, the death of a dream. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of living with the impending affects of death on my life and relationships. I’ve had enough of rules, regulations, laws, and commandments. And I’m tired of guilt, shame, powerlessness, failure, and brokenness. Aren’t you?

            So our goal for today is to take the teachings from the last three weeks and connect them with the key component of our relationship with God, the power of being “in Christ,” that also will also affect our relationships to others and the world around us.

            Now – you can hold onto your religious approach to God by following rules and trying to please God and trying to do more and be more like Jesus, but you will always be frustrated, because you can never do it for very long. Or, or you can open your mind to the Truth of God for us today, the lawless truth of being “in Christ.”

Romans Romanos罗马书 8:3 says this,

3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.

            You know what this really means? Do you know what the Law is good for? What is your conscience good at? “You’re bad. Fail.” You have two good weeks than you lose it again – “fail.” Law, any law, is only good to grade your performance. And the grade will always be the same – “F”=”Fail!” Laws just prove how incapable we are of being “good,” of doing what’s right. Worse still – the Law cannot make you a better law follower. It can’t help you be a better person. It only tells you that you’ve come up short – again! The law is a mirror of how awful you are, how powerless you are. The law is a microscope that points out all your deficiencies and defects. In fact, the Law supercharges the power of sin – the power that sin has over you – because it keeps you reeling, and failing, and feeling shamed and insecure. Here’s the good news:

3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.


            So, like we memorize two weeks ago – “Sin is not your master.” Sin no longer has any power over you except the permission you give it. “In Adam” you were “in sin and sin was in control of you, it mastered your decisions. You had no choice but to choose the wrong thing. But “In Christ” sin is NOT your master, and sin can call you, text you, entice you, show up in front of you; sin can say, “Hey, you remember those other times we…?” But now you can reply, “Yes, but you’re not my master any more.” Jump with me to Romans 6:14, because I think Paul says what we need to hear right about now.

¹⁴ Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law (as a slave to the law). Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.


                    This is probably a new concept for most of you, religious or not. We are so used to rules or the Law saying, “You should, you didn’t, you failed.” It’s the old “you get what you get,” “what goes around comes around,” “you reap what you sow.” But that’s not the case in this part of our relationship with God. If you choose to live without the law, to live in God’s grace, you will experience freedom! Sin will have no power over you. So here is where the road divides between the Law and Grace. One path leads to failure, failure, disappointment, never measuring up. The other leads to freedom, a new perspective, and a full and joyful life. But as we will find out next, you have to abandon living under the law to understand the way of grace, the way of freedom. You have to give up control and performance in order to let God work in you. Let me read you a compelling illustration from Jesus’ own teachings.

John Juan 约翰福音 15:5
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.


            Great, Tim, more metaphors! Yes, but I brought a plant, too. This is simple stuff, but most of us were never taught it this way. When you walk through an orchard or a vineyard what do you see? Do you see the plants going, “Urrrrrrrr.” Fruit!! No! When you see that it’s not fruit being produced, if you know what I mean. No! There is no struggle for a branch on a well cultivated, healthy vine to produce fruit. “Those who abide in me will produce much fruit.”

            But what do we do when it comes to changing our lives? We try – harder, we try – more harder, and we fail. Jesus says right here, apart from me you can do – what? What? Nothing! That’s actually more good news. We don’t need to try harder – we need to abide, ie, rely on, trust in, give up to, let go of and let God work. Jesus went on to tell his disciples that when he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven that he would leave IN them the Holy Spirit. We’ve talked about that before, that the Holy Spirit of God would actually come and live within and empower every believer in Christ. The power of the resurrection, the power that raised Jesus from the dead, would be at each believer’s disposal. That’s a promise and the truth whether you believe it or understand it or not. That’s why we are here together.

            With that in mind let’s jump to Paul’s letter to the Galatians chapter 5. You can find more about this also in Romans 8, but turn to Galatians 5. Here’s what it says in this regard:

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 
17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.


            What are “the desires of the flesh?” We don’t even have to go there. We don’t need a list, we all know them instinctively. They are the natural drives that God created in us, but sin twists for purposes outside of God’s best. So here’s the daily conflict we face – sin offers us the things we desire with a twist, we are enticed by them because they are so natural – but when we give in, we feel like failures, and sin laughs at us. Our conscience berates us. Culture mocks us. “Why did I eat that much? Why did I drink so much? Why did I burst out in anger again? Why did I go there and do that? Arggghh!

            We all know this. But as God’s children, as people who have accepted Christ’s forgiveness of our sins, we are “in Christ,” and we are able “walk by the Spirit.” Another translation says, “walk in the Spirit’s power!” I like that one. After all we’ve already said it’s not about doing more or trying harder, rather it’s about letting God do His thing to produce His fruit through us. Before we decided to follow Christ we had no choice but to follow the “desires of the flesh,” God’s best things twisted by sin. But as God’s children we have a choice – and that’s good news.

            Did you know that Jesus never called anyone to follow him by keeping the law and doing the right things to earn God’s love? Never. Following Jesus isn’t about the law and keeping rules. It’s not about what we do or don’t do or should and shouldn’t do. It’s a personal relationship, not a religion or religious activity. It’s about “being” – being “in Him, with Him,” letting his Spirit live through us. It’s letting him bear fruit in our lives. And our effort? Our only effort should be to abide…to walk by the Spirit.

            It sounds mystical, strange, perhaps complicated, but it’s not. Look at our plant – fruit does not grow because the branches struggle, work harder, or do more. Fruit grows because it keeps connected to the vine. The vine has the nutrients and the moisture. The vine has connection to the ground from which it can draw all it needs. The vine has the power to grow fruit THROUGH the branches. In the same way, the fruit of following Christ is not produced BY us, it’s produced IN us. What are the fruits of the Spirit that should be produced in Christ – verse 22:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.


            So let me warn some of you now – you type “A” people, you rule-followers and law keepers. Because I know what you’re thinking, ’cause I am one. Your thinking, “Ok, God, you’re right. I need to walk by the Spirit and produce fruit. So this week, this week I’m going to produce love – yeah, that’s it. And then, then I’ll work on peace – oh give me peace, give me peace, give me peace. And the week after that – that’s when I’ll tackle self-control, no matter what!!!! I’m going to do this list.” Paul knows what you’re thinking, too. And he would simply redirect all of us and say, “It’s fruit, not a “to do” list. It’s not about the Law and your effort. It’s about simply, daily abiding in Christ – walking with the Holy Spirit.

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.


            You still have to eat, drink, be active, have relationships, a drive to succeed, and all that. But not the warped way or the twisted way that sin and our culture say. Remember how we said that we are “dead to sin” because Jesus died in our place? All of our junk, our stuff, our sin, was crucified – nailed to the cross and buried with Jesus. And, to be perfectly clear, only Jesus rose from that grave. Our sin didn’t – it’s dead. Our habits didn’t – they’re dead. Our old way of thinking didn’t – it’s dead. Being “in Adam” = death. Only Jesus sprang to life – death and sin were buried and rendered powerless for those of us who are “in Christ.

            Jesus really is the vine. He gives us life, nutrients and refreshment through the Holy Spirit. Trying to act like him is useless. Just trying to imitate him is second best. Learning to be with him – that’s how bearing fruit happens. Learning about him through the Bible is a simple and great way to start. Talking about God in a LifeGroup and discussing day to day stuff is another way to grow. Taking time to pray each day, telling God you’re open to whatever He has planned for you that day, that week, that year – it grows you, it cultivates your faith, and it produces the fruit of the Spirit. Vs 25

25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.


            I wanted to close this series by giving you some starters, some practical things to grab onto from these teachings. If you will consider and internalize these truths, it will change your life:

1. Accept your identity “in Christ” – if you have accepted Jesus’ forgiveness and put your faith and trust in him, then you are a new creation; you are forgiven, forever; you are dead to sin and alive to God; and the Holy Spirit lives in you. If you have not – consider doing so.

2. Embrace this new approach to God – make “sin is not my master” a part of your daily mantra. You can’t do anything on your own. Willingly admit to God that you need the Holy Spirit’s power for everything – pray “God, only you can make me fruitful.”

3. Refuse to interact with God based on the Law – quit saying, “Oops, I did it again.” “Man I’m so messed up. I am really screwed up.” Stop that religious talk and simply say to the God who is your Father, “I’m out of step. I’m sorry. Help me step back in line with your Spirit.”

            And my prayer for you is that this is the beginning of a new understanding of the Truth of God’s love for you. If you have never decided to accept God’s love, you can do that today. On your own you can say, “God, I’m trusting you for my forgiveness today. Save me from my sin. I want to be your child.” And God will do that for you – forever. And if you’re stuck living the “christian” life on the basis of the Law and actions and rules, choose to stop it. Choose to live in freedom from now on. Say to God, “I don’t want to try to do right anymore, I want to let YOU live through me.” This is a great time, a great opportunity to be Free. Let’s pray.

Dear God –

            Please, please, please bring us all into the freedom of Christ. Help us to let go of all of our rules and achievements and measurements. Let us rest in the power of your Holy Spirit and rely only on you for the good to come out of our lives. Remind us each day that “sin is not our master,” and that we are ALIVE to you through Jesus Christ. In his name we pray, amen and amen.

Blessing: May you find yourself full relying on God this week. May you be caught in the trap of religion. And may God’s Holy Spirit convict and convince you that you are fully… and finally…free. Be blessed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

 

Free Pt 2 – Now You Know

Listen or Watch Here: Audio/Video

Last week we started the New Year with this brilliant observation – you can’t solve a problem that you don’t know about. It’s virtually impossible. The problem is that you don’t know what the problem is. Yet people try to do this all the time. Many of you have tried to solve “you” for a long time: spent lots of time and money to do so, but you didn’t know what the base problem was to start with. You only know that your career has fallen apart, or your kids have no respect for you, or your spouse keeps hinting that they know a “professional” that could help you. But you CAN’T fix what you don’t know is wrong or what you don’t understand. And I think the Apostle Paul did a great job of relating to us last week with these words in his book entitled Romans.

 

Romans Romanos 羅 馬 書 7

¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.
¹⁵ Porque lo que hago, no lo entiendo; porque no practico lo que quiero hacer, sino que lo que aborrezco, eso hago. ¹⁶ Y si lo que no quiero hacer, eso hago, estoy de acuerdo con la ley, reconociendo que es buena.
¹⁵ 因 为 我 所 做 的 ， 我 自 己 不 明 白 ； 我 所 愿 意 的 ， 我 并 不 做 ； 我 所 恨 恶 的 ， 我 倒 去 做 。
¹⁶ 若 我 所 做 的 ， 是 我 所 不 愿 意 的 ， 我 就 应 承 律 法 是 善 的 。

 

¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
¹⁹ Pues no hago el bien que deseo, sino que el mal que no quiero, eso practico.

¹⁹ 故 此 ， 我 所 愿 意 的 善 ， 我 反 不 做 ； 我 所 不 愿 意 的 恶 ， 我 倒 去 做 。

It doesn’t take much thinking to agree with that statement. Every human being has felt that way at one time or another haven’t you? You’ve probably felt that way at least once this week! So last week we asked this question, “Why don’t we just stop those things and do the right thing or the thing we WANT to do?” What’s wrong with you? What’s up with me? Why, why, why? Well, Paul talked about that as well and we tried to illustrate his explanation with these props. I changed them this week because I got tired of the ribbing about being a single guy with dolls. Anyway, here’s what Paul said. 

 

     Adam is the source of sin entering the world. His decision to disobey God, along with his wife, opened the spiritual gates of the world and allowed sin to enter. This “sin” was not an action or activity, but rather a real thing, an entity, a state of being. In Adam sin controls us, it is our master. We are, so to speak, slaves to sin. We do the things we shouldn’t do and don’t want to do because of sin that rules over us. And since we are, as Paul says, “in Adam,” then we are “in sin” from the moment we are born. Now, some people react to that and say, “That cannot be true, it’s not fair.” But we all know that things can be true and unfair at the same time. If my parents have diabetes and pass it down to me it’s not fair, but it is true. When a child is raised in poverty because the parent(s) can’t break that cycle it is not the child’s fault – it’s not fair, but it is true. Welcome to the reality of life. As we always say, “Fair ended where?” That’s right, in the Garden of Eden. When sin was allowed entrance into the world, it became the ruler and “fair” ended.

      Because we are in Adam we came into this world with the guilt and condemnation of sin.  As one preacher says, “The reason there is an internal battle for you, at times you feel like you have no options but to do those things is because of the sin that lives in you and controls you.” In Romans 7, turn there for a minute – about 3/4 of the way through your Bible, Paul expresses this angst as well.

Romans Romanos 羅 馬 書 7

24 Oh, what a wretched person I am!

²⁴ ¡Miserable de mí!
²⁴ 我 真 是 苦 阿 ！  

Notice it wasn’t something small – (it’s “wretched, miserable, condemned”) It’s not speeding or not cleaning my room…. It’s something we all shout sometimes, “why can’t I stop doing this…I’d do anything to get rid of this issue! When will I be rid of this anger? Why does my insecurity leak out into all my relationships? Can’t I go a single day without these thoughts?” 

Paul understood what you and I go through every single day. Even that long ago, in a much less complicated society – so we think – Paul really identified with your struggle. That’s because it is the human condition. It comes because we are all born “in Adam.” And he’s wrestling for the same solutions we clamor for, “What can I do? What can I change? What new insight from an expert can help? What new world view do I need? What can I read? What, what, what, what…?” But Paul, as if he heard us, would quickly redirect us. “I didn’t say, ‘what’!” Because there’s not a “what” on earth or in heaven that can rescue you. There’s only one solution. There’s only one rescue. There’s only one way to deal with this. And it’s not a what, it’s a WHO. 

 Vs 24 

Oh, what a wretched person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?
²⁴ ¡Miserable de mí! ¿Quién me libertará de este cuerpo de muerte?
²⁴ 我 真 是 苦 阿 ！ 谁 能 救 我 脱 离 这 取 死 的 身 体 呢 ？ 

“I can’t do it on my own? I’m not strong enough? I can’t think that fast? I, I, I can’t do something?” To which Paul would say, “You’re right about that. You’re owned. Sin OWNS you. Sin is your MASTER. So you will never be your own solution to anything. But there’s someONE who is – verse 25:

25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

The solution is not a what. It’s not will-power. It’s not in your human potential. It’s not trying harder, though Paul encourages effort and wise decision-making. It’s the “who” of Jesus Christ. Over the next couple of weeks Pastor Angelo and I will flesh that out even further. Paul’s writing will help us, help you, connect the “who” (Jesus Christ) with the “do” (why can’t I), so that we can begin to understand how to overcome those things that hold us captive. Paul continues verse 25:

So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Así que yo mismo, por un lado, con la mente sirvo a la ley de Dios, pero por el otro, con la carne, a la ley del pecado.
这 样 看 来 ， 我 以 内 心 顺 服 神 的 律 ， 我 肉 体 却 顺 服 罪 的 律 了 。

Here’s the bottom line:
Romans 5:12 said that “Just as the single unrighteous act of the one man ensured you were born a slave to sin…” (The whole “in Adam” thing) “so the single righteous act of one Man frees you from the power of sin.” (The whole “in Christ” thing) 

This means that the death of Christ on the cross to pay for sin, and his resurrection that proved he had the power OVER sin, has the potential to free you from the power of sin and sin’s control over you. You go from being “in Adam” and under that master to being “in Christ” and empowered by your new, benevolent, forgiving, loving Master – Jesus. That doesn’t mean you are going to be instantly “better,” or “holy,” or acting “perfectly,” it just means you now have a CHOICE and you will now have a POWER greater than your own will, decision making capabilities, or emotional security. You have the POWER of Christ – and Paul even says that this is the power of the resurrection! Think about that for a minute or two and it will blow your mind. The same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead is now given to YOU to live a life of freedom from the control of sin. Wow. I’m getting ahead. 

Now Paul is going to explain how all of this is possible. And you may push back and say, “I didn’t know,” and that’s because you DIDN’T. That’s why Paul is going to explain it to us these next couple of weeks. And at the end of today you will be able to say, “Now I know.”

Romans 6:2 -

Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?
Nosotros, que hemos muerto al pecado, ¿cómo viviremos aún en él?
我 们 在 罪 上 死 了 的 人 岂 可 仍 在 罪 中 活 着 呢 ？

Since we have “died to sin” – how can we live in it any longer? That’s a good question. Even I can answer that question, it’s simple – follow me around for a day. Paul would offer the same thing, he didn’t think he was perfect, either. The how is easy, it just happens. I may not be obligated or controlled by sin as my master anymore, but tell that to my mind, my eyes, my tongue, and the rest of my body! Tell that to my attitude, my emotions, and my creative speech center that activates around ‘stupid’ people!” Right?! “How” is a good question, but the better question is “why?” “Why” do you keep doing that while claiming to be a disciple of Jesus? Why would you give sin permission to be in charge when it’s no longer your master? I’ll tell you exactly why – sin may be an entity, but “sin-ning” is a habit. Sin-ning is a well oiled, well practiced, favorite pastime of every human I know, follower of Jesus or not! We can’t seem to get a grip on the power of God within us. We don’t seem to comprehend it’s not about us and our will-power, but God and His holy, unending power.

 I was talking with Robert just yesterday about this at breakfast. Sin is like our family of origin – sometimes EXACTLY like that. No, really, hear me out. Why do we want the dishes done a certain way, our tools put back a certain way, or our dinner at a certain time? Because it’s what we are used to…it’s how we were raised. Why do we act or react certain ways with our family? Why do we treat certain people a certain way, or ignore them altogether? It’s how we were raised. It’s our life experience that shaped us. It’s habit. And what does it take to NOT do things like our family of origin did? What does it take to break the negative cycles of abuse, addictions, emotional turmoil, or regular old family dysfunction? Two things: it takes time, and it takes understanding – knowledge and empowerment to change. For me, that’s the “why” we can be free from sin “in Christ,” but continue to give sin permission to control part of our lives. But here’s where the time, understanding and empowerment to change and be changed comes from – Romans 6:3

 ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

³ ¿O no sabéis que todos los que hemos sido bautizados en Cristo Jesús, hemos sido bautizados en su muerte?
³ 岂 不 知 我 们 这 受 洗 归 入 基 督 耶 稣 的 人 是 受 洗 归 入 他 的 死 麽 ？

“Baptize” is one of those funny words that modern people consider out of place. But back it Paul’s time it was commonplace, and not for religious reason. The word was not a religious word at all. It was used to describe a person or thing that was fully engulfed by or fully immersed in something. Paul was simply using a very familiar way to look at things by saying, “we were fully engulfed by Jesus’ death. We were fully immersed in the results of Jesus death for our sin.” Meaning, we are DEAD to the power of sin.

“In Adam” – what was true of Adam was true of you – sin was his master, so sin is your master. That’s what it means to be immersed “in Adam.” And because of the nature of sin and its hold on this world, on our families, on the people around us, we are hopelessly lost in sin. But in the same way, “In Christ” – what is true of Christ is true of you – when he died it’s as if YOU died, all the benefits and ramifications of his death are true of you. In his death to conquer sin, your obligation to sin died. Your “old self” died. The power of that control over you was broken and you ARE completely new and holy and righteous in every spiritual sense. Yet we are stuck in these bodies, corrupt and dying. We are stuck with our minds, and wills, and emotions, all shaped by our sinful families of origin and our life experiences of a fallen world. But in Christ, in Christ there is a power to LIVE in a new way – verse 4:

⁴ For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
⁴ Por tanto, hemos sido sepultados con El por medio del bautismo para muerte, a fin de que como Cristo resucitó de entre los muertos por la gloria del Padre, así también nosotros andemos en novedad de vida.
⁴ 所 以 ， 我 们 藉 着 洗 礼 归 入 死 ， 和 他 一 同 埋 葬 ， 原 是 叫 我 们 一 举 一 动 有 新 生 的 样 式 ， 像 基 督 藉 着 父 的 荣 耀 从 死 里 复 活 一 样 。

Since Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead to conquer the power of sin over all the world, the results of the death and resurrection of Christ are true of you and applied to you because you are “in Christ.”

- And yes, part of that is the promise of heaven when you die. But that is just the final promise…

- The truth is that you are in Christ right now, right here, even though you suffer living in a corrupted, degrading, degenerating body and mind. 

Vs. 6 – 

6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 

⁶ sabiendo esto, que nuestro viejo hombre fue crucificado con El , para que nuestro cuerpo de pecado fuera destruido, a fin de que ya no seamos esclavos del pecado;

⁶ 因 为 知 道 我 们 的 旧 人 和 他 同 钉 十 字 架 ， 使 罪 身 灭 绝 ， 叫 我 们 不 再 作 罪 的 奴 仆 ；

Vs 7 –
⁷ For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.
⁷ porque el que ha muerto, ha sido libertado del pecado.

⁷ 因 为 已 死 的 人 是 脱 离 了 罪 。

Have you ever tried to tempt a corpse? You will never eat too much again. You will never look too long again.

Vs 10 – 

¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 

¹⁰ Porque por cuanto El murió, murió al pecado de una vez para siempre; pero en cuanto vive, vive para Dios.
¹⁰ 他 死 是 向 罪 死 了 ， 只 有 一 次 ； 他 活 是 向 神 活 着 。

When Christ died for your sins and my sins, he did it once for all. Now that means two things: 1. He died ONCE and for all. It’s permanent. His death and resurrection were only necessary ONCE. 2. He died once for ALL – He died for everyone who would ever believe – all. 

¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus

¹¹ Así también vosotros, consideraos muertos para el pecado, pero vivos para Dios en Cristo Jesús.

¹¹ 这 样 ， 你 们 向 罪 也 当 看 自 己 是 死 的 ； 向 神 在 基 督 耶 稣 里 ， 却 当 看 自 己 是 活 的 。

As Jesus died once for all and overpowered sin’s grip on the world, so YOU died “in Christ” and were made alive to God because of his resurrection. This is a revolutionary Truth to grab onto and hold tight! You are not longer a “sin-ner,” spiritually dead to God and his Truth. You are now “in Christ,” actually the Bible calls you a “Saint,” resurrected from the deadly power of sin, and you are ALIVE in God’s eyes as his child, even when you sin.

So you’re saying –  

      I’m a different person?

       I have a different identity?

      I may still think the old way, though – yes

      I may still act out those old habits, old tapes – yes, but…

 

Vs 14 – 

¹⁴ Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
¹⁴ Porque el pecado no tendrá dominio sobre vosotros, pues no estáis bajo la ley sino bajo la gracia.
¹⁴ 罪 必 不 能 作 你 们 的 主 ， 因 你 们 不 在 律 法 之 下 ， 乃 在 恩 典 之 下 。

Think of it this way. It’s like adoption – with the stroke of a pen (or a lot of strokes of a pen and often with many weeks or months of logistics), a legal transaction occurs where this child goes from orphan, poverty, and a family name they may not even know, to another completely new life and family, to security and stability, to a parent(s) that loves them completely. And, especially if they are older kids, it takes them a long time to acclimate to this new life, this new family, to realize this reality and permanence of this new life. Most importantly – that government, those bureaucrats, the state caregivers of that child, no longer have any authority over that child. They are now the children and the responsibility and under the authority of their new family. 

And just like that…when you became the child of God through Jesus Christ, when you accepted the gift of forgiveness and God’s leadership over you, sin LOST its authority over you…sin is not your master, anymore. And that state of newness can take years to realize, especially if you didn’t know what you didn’t know. But NOW you know. Now you can whisper this truth “sin is not my master.” Now you are empowered to shout in the face of temptation, “SIN IS NOT MY MASTER!” Now you are FREE to let Jesus take over and make your life NEW – day by day, experience by experience, moment by moment, decision by decision.

You died to sin when Christ died for you. You are no longer “in Adam,” a child of this world; you are an adopted, fully vested, completely accepted child of God. And because of that, sin is no longer your master, it is no longer your owner – unless you say, ‘yes’ and allow it. Unless you choose to live by those old experiences, your families’ dysfunctions, your choices to do what your OLD master suggests. 

Do this with me, say this out loud with me, “Sin…is not…my master!” Yes, now let’s whisper it, “Sin…is not…my master.” Ok, one more time, barely audible, “Sin…is not…my master.” 

You need to tell yourself that 100 times a day – because sin is not your master. So, here’s your homework for this week – figure out your version of this phrase to whisper or to shout when necessary. I’m not saying make a change in your behavior, to stop that, or move out, or whatever, BUT just to pause long enough, in the middle of that temptation, in the middle of that lust, that anger, that condescending outburst, just long enough to say:

 

 “Sin…is not…my master. 

I am dead to sin but ALIVE in Christ.”

 

If you do that – today is your first day of being truly “free!” 

 

Free – It’s Worse Than You Think

Watch or Listen Here: Audio/Video

Well, welcome to the New Year. It is 2013 and we are all still here, though perhaps, not all – all here. We are going to start this year with a bang. No pussyfooting around, no easy work our way into the year. God has some incredible plans for you as a person this year, your family and this church. So, hold on tight to your quest for Truth and let’s make it happen!

        Would you agree that it is impossible to solve a problem when you don’t know what’s wrong to begin with. Would you agree with that? Yeah, that’s pretty much the way it is. It’s a problem to solve a problem when you don’t know what the issue is, since the problem is that you don’t know what the problem is. Yet people try to do this all the time. Many of you have tried to solve “you” for a long time: spent lots of time and money to do so. Solving you is almost impossible because you don’t know what’s wrong with you: you’ve lost a job, a relationship, your children, your self-respect, etcetera. Your friends may have tried to point out some things, perhaps your spouse sent you on a required quest for self-actualization or whatever. But you CAN’T fix what you don’t know is wrong or what you don’t understand. So,

over the next four weeks in this series we have called, “FREE,” you will not only discover the problem WITH you, but also the solution FOR you…and for me.

 

        Here’s what’s going to happen: I’m going to offer you an explanation of what’s wrong with you and with me based on the evaluation of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament book of Romans chapter 5 specifically if you want to turn there. You may not like what Paul has to say, but that’s okay. You may not believe what Paul has to say, but that’s okay, too. You don’t listen to anything just because you believe it completely. You don’t read anything because you buy into everything that’s written. I’d just ask you to listen and explore this month, these Words from God, with an open mind and an open heart towards your journey of faith in this New Year.

 

        Before we go to the chapter for today, though, I’d like to read for you from chapter 7 of the book of Romans. This is where Paul looks at his own life and observes the lives of everyone around him and comes to some intriguing ideas and explanations for the human condition. This writing can be a little confusing because Paul had a scribe who wrote for him as he dictated. It’s believed that Paul had either palsy or was mostly blind or both. So, as Paul spoke, you can sense the angst of the scribe copying his every word as he wrestled with this whole issue of understanding and solving the “you” of being human. You may not agree with Paul’s observation or his solutions, but I think we can all identify with what he is trying to express.

 

Romans Romanos 羅 馬 書 7

            ¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.

        Have you ever felt that way? Better yet, have you ever NOT felt that way? This could be any law or standard. This could be any religion, any culture, any household standard. Rules tend to define for us what is right and wrong. And Paul is saying that for him, and consequently for all of us, we don’t do what we really want to do, rather we do the opposite. Now, you might not be buying that at this point. But let me illustrate it this way, and we’ve used this illustration since the first week that we opened Creekside.

        We all know that what Paul is saying and wrestling with is true, because – You can’t even consistently do what YOU think you should do. You can’t even keep the rules and standards that you’ve made for yourself! We ALL wrestle with this same, old dilemma. Paul wasn’t being legalistic or judgmental, he was being a realist and transparent with his humanity. We all have things we know we ought to do. “If I do this I’d be a better father, a better wife, a better employee, a better human,” but then we don’t do it or we do the opposite. Vs 19

 

        ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

        You know what’s great about this verse? We can all relate to this. Religious or not, spiritual or not, believer in anything or not, we can all relate to this. So, why don’t we all just do exactly what WE think that we should do? Do we really need someone else to tell what we should or shouldn’t do? Do we really need another diet book? Do you really need someone to tell you once again that looking at that stuff will ruin you relationships and your life? Do you really need a reminder that over-doing any indulgence leads to disaster? Do we need more advice? How about another self-help book? No.

So why don’t we just stop those things and do the right thing? Why can I train my dog but I can’t train me? Why can you mostly housebreak your dog but you can’t housebreak you? (Figuratively of course)  What’s wrong with you? What’s up with that? Ok, that’s probably enough ribbing for today, I just don’t want you to feel all alone with your issues. We’re all right there with you.

 

        Now I want to give you permission to “push back” or disagree agreeably throughout this series. Whether or not you buy the whole God, Jesus, God’s Word thing or not, please, please, please just consider the possibility of wisdom from what we are going to read. Because here’s what I know about you and about me – we all have things we would like to change, and we strive to change them; sometimes we struggle in pain to change them, but we are not successful. There are things we’d like to STOP doing, but we haven’t been able to. There are things we’d like to START doing, but we can’t seem to make that happen. So the Apostle Paul gives us lots of insights to think about, insight that he learned from being with Jesus’ disciples after the crucifixion, after the resurrection, after the persecution started against them. Paul learned an enormous amount of Truth that I want for us to grab hold of in this New Year of being free. So, let’s turn to our text for today, Romans 5:6ff.

Romans Romanos 羅 馬 書5

            ⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

        Ok, we’ll stop right there for a minute. Some of you may hear that, read that, and say, “I’m not ungodly. I’m a pretty good person.” But don’t be insulted. You see, every world religion sees God or Spirit as perfect, and you are not perfect, that is, you are un-like God so that makes you ungodly, right? So turn to your neighbor and say, “You are ungodly!” Moving on…

 

            ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person (think religious person), though for a good person (truly good) someone might possibly dare to die.

        People are selfish. Anyone would think long and hard about giving their life for anyone else, even a good person, right?!

 

⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

        Here’s the picture, Paul says, “While I was out sinning and doing my thing, Christ Jesus was dying for me. While Jesus was being betrayed by one of his disciples, while he was being falsely accused and beaten by the pagan rulers, while Jesus was being nailed to a cross, I was out sinning with my friends. WE were out doing what we wanted and acting out the SIN that plagues us.” That’s how incredible this Savior was. That’s how powerful this Jesus the Messiah is! He died while we were, they were, the whole world was…still sinners.

        Paul later writes that not only did Christ die for the sins of that moment, but that Christ’s death and resurrection was powerful to the point that, if we believe in him, our sins of yesterday are forgiven, our sins of this moment are forgiven, and the sins of our future are forgiven, paid for, redeemed. Christ Jesus paid for all of that, “while we were still sinners.” Now Paul is going to explain why life and human existence is the way it is, and why Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, is such an important and necessary part of our freedom. Verse 12

            ¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

        Paul tells us that through this one man’s decision, through Adam’s decision to be selfish, sin entered the world and death came on the heels of sin. Basically we are all born in sin because we are born after Adam. So, in Adam, here’s me – I’m in sin…Pastor Amanda – in sin; Pastor Angelo – in sin; Andi San…well, in sin; grandma – in sin; Mother Teresa – in sin; everyone, the whole world was born in Adam, the one man, so we were born “in sin.”

 

        Now some of us might say, “That’s not fair. Why should we all suffer the consequences of sin if only one guy and his wife committed sin in the first place?” To which I would say, “Life hasn’t been fair since the garden of Eden.” Have you seen babies suffer withdrawal or diseases because of their parent’s bad choice like the huge percentage of Swaziland’s orphans that we serve? Maybe they shouldn’t suffer, but they do. And no, it’s not fair, but it’s true! Our sinful actions and the consequences that the world suffers are a result of sin, and Paul just told us, no matter whom you blame or what you think is fair or not, ALL of us commit sinful acts because we are sin-ners.

 

        This is very important, especially for those of you who were raised with lots of rules about God, religion, church, and so on. I want you to think of sin as a ‘noun’ not a verb… because this thing, this disease, entered the world through this one man and let it loose like a disease. Over the next weeks Paul is going to explain all of this in detail because sin is a power, sin is an entity, sin is the spiritual disease that leads to sinning. And when sin entered the world it was followed by death. We are not paying for someone else’s “sinning,” we are simply experience the effect of this thing “sin” on us and our world. And the effect is that we can’t seem to get a handle on things or fix things, which ultimately leads to death, because we are focused on the verb of sinning rather than the noun – sin. There’s more – vs 12

 

¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

        Who sinned? All. When did we sin, in our lifetime? No, we were in sin from the beginning because of Adam. Now, you’ve seen this evident in your own life. If you have an addiction, a habit, a hang-up that you just can’t kick, you can see the destructive results of it, sometimes even death: you killed a relationship, you killed your finances, you killed those opportunities, all because of those choices you really didn’t want to make but struggle to NOT make again. Maybe someone was even hurt or killed because of your sin. The reason you know you’re ungodly is because you are dying one day at a time – you’re not God! In fact you feel a bit powerless or a lot powerless to escape that feeling of insecurity, failure, sinfulness, loss of expectation, losing to that habit or killing those relationships. So we have to acknowledge, for our own sakes, that this is not about activity or actions, it’s about an thing called sin. It’s about a state of being, a disease, that needs healed.

 

        Now that Paul has defined for us the REAL issue – we are born in sin, we are sinners, he is going to offer us the contrast between our sinful state of being caused by Adam, and the right relationship we can have with God because of Jesus Christ. And this he refers to as a gift.

 

¹⁵ But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.

       

        So there is power in this thing called sin. There is a power over us simply because we were born human and “in Adam,” and this power rules over us whether we want it to or not. But the real news here is this – there is a GREATER power, a GREATER gift, through this one man, Jesus Christ. This isn’t a yin/yang comparison. This isn’t the equal but opposite sides of the “force.” This is a bonafide, better than the rest, GIFT of God called grace and forgiveness. And it can be ours through believing in Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior.

 

¹⁶ And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation,

Now here is where a lot of people push back against the Bible and against anything “Christian.” How is it that all of us are condemned because of Adam? Again, that’s not fair. But you and I both know that when a child turns about 1 ½, 2, the reality of this becomes apparent. That sweet, precious, cooing baby boy or girl turns into Damien from the Omen, and we think, “what got into him or her?” And Paul replies, “They are ‘in Adam,’ they exist ‘in sin,’ until…we’re getting there.
The reality that we are all born into sin because of Adam is obvious. And, if you don’t believe it, I dare you to walk alone through the roughest part of any town with money hanging out of your pockets. You couldn’t even make it down the hallway of most of our well-to-do schools without losing a bill or two.

“For Adam’s sin led to condemnation…”

        but God’s free gift leads to our justification with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.
If you grew up in church you know what this verse is about. You know the big word “justification.” “Yes, I get to go to heaven when I die!” But notice Paul isn’t talking about going to heaven when you die, as nice as that will be, he’s talking about how we deal with the here and now, the day to day, the ‘why can’t I do the things I want to do rather than doing the things I DON’T want to do? Justification can be broken down fairly easily like this:

 

• I was born in sin, and death will be my end
• Jesus died and rose again to pay for my sin
• And when I believe in him I am “just-if-ied”

                                  Just As If I’d never been guilty of sin.

• That’s how God sees me now, and that’s how I need to see me.

 

Get it? That’s powerful stuff right there. Verse 17

¹⁷ For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

        We know what life looks like through Adam, overpowering us with the power of sin. But we can know what it’s like to live with the power of Christ that overcame sin once and for all. This is the “gift” Paul refers to at the beginning, the gift of righteousness, a right moral standing with God through Jesus. And through faith in Jesus Christ, the “one man,” God promises that we will “live in triumph” over sin and death. Is that really possible? It must be or God would never have allowed it to be written. The weeks to come will flesh that out more for us. He goes on…      

        ¹⁸ Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.
¹⁹ Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

        People want to push back so hard against this because NO ONE wants to admit they’re wrong. No one wants to admit they are a sinner. Yet everyone wanders around day after day wondering why they can’t live up to their own standards much less those of a religion or a god. So, please, push through your desire to deny your state of being – a sinner, in Adam, and consider this today. From the baby born diseased because of their parent’s choices to the innocent dying senselessly at school – none of us like the fact that the world is full of evil and sin, and we are unwillingly a part of it, and yet how can we continue to deny the reality? We ALL need these gifts of righteousness and forgiveness. We ALL need to believe in and live “in Christ.” Because HE’s the only power that can help us overcome the evil and junk we face. HE is the only one that can set…us…free.

 

        We’ll talk about this more next week.  But this week I want you to do one of two things:

1. 1.   Consider, if you have not done so already, admitting to yourself and to God, that you cannot be “Free” on your own.
2. 2.   If you are already a follower of Jesus, a disciple of his, meditate this week on the FACT that Jesus’ has made you righteous and given you the power to overcome SIN. I didn’t say DO something this week, just think about it, meditate on it.

 

Let’s pray:

        Dear God, open the hearts and minds of everyone who hears this message this week – here, on video, over their iPods, around the world, open them up to see the Truth of your forgiveness. And for those of us who have already chosen to follow you, would you help us to quit trying to “be good” or “stop sinning,” and rather just turn to you in desperation and say, “I can’t do it, but you can, go ahead, Jesus, go ahead.” Thank you for your forgiveness, your grace and for removing us from Adam’s sin and condemnation. In Jesus name we pray, amen and amen.

 

Christian Pt 5 – Grace and Truth

 Watch or listen here: Audio/Video

We have spent the last four weeks talking about why we don’t want to be known as “Christians” anymore. Each week has challenged many if not all of our concepts of what that word means. What we have discovered together is that “Christian” was a word use to describe anyone who followed this Jesus guy, or Jesus the Christ as we know him, so they called them “those little Christs.” It was not meant as a compliment. In fact, it was the equivalent of many racist, sexist and elitist terms people throw at each other today.

Since about 300AD or so the “Church,” that is people who claim to have the authority of the Christian religion, has adopted the term. Unfortunately, so much bad stuff has been done with the claim of being a “Christian” or in the name of “Christianity,” that it’s hard to get past all the wars, murders, torturing and cultural decimation of the past. So much so, that today in America especially, you can call yourself a Christian (and over 75% of Americans still do) and believe and do just about anything. No matter what the issue, whether theological, sociological, political or moral, there are people who call themselves “Christians” on every side. How can this be? The problem is that there is no clear definition of the word. The Bible only mentions it three times and never defines what a “Christian” really is. It was just an insult – “those little Christs.”       I’m glad that America is becoming less and less of a “Christian” nation. Because I hope people are really looking at Jesus’ teaching and his example and becoming what Jesus and his followers called one another – disciples – a nation of disciples would be completely different.

Being a disciple is a lot harder than being just a “Christian.” By definition, and it is a narrow definition, a disciple is a pupil, a student, a learner; one who puts himself/herself at the feet of the Master/Teacher; one who emulates the teachings and example of their leader. Disciples ask questions like these – given my current situation, Jesus, what would you do? I’ve got this decision I just have to make today, Jesus, what decision would you make? / So, these people have asked me to come with them to an event but I’m not sure it’s the best thing to do because of what happens there – would you go, Jesus? / This is what a disciple does, asks questions and seeks direction from the Master.

And Jesus gave those who would dare to call themselves his disciples one, main, focused and undeniable directive – “love one another.”

Jesus said this, “By this will everyone know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” That’s what he told the Apostles right before he was crucified. And after the miraculous resurrection and a surge of people believing in him, Jesus added this one “Go to all nations and make disciples” – lead them by your example of love to follow my teachings and my example. That seems like a pretty simple and clear command. Still, people want to start arguing and justifying their preferences and values and so they interpret and reinterpret Jesus’ teachings to fit their own agenda. But there’s a way to know what it means to love like Jesus and be a disciple of Jesus. If you want to know what Jesus meant by what Jesus said, then look at what Jesus did. If you want to know what Jesus meant by what Jesus said, then look at what Jesus did. You will not go wrong in understanding what it means to be a disciple of Jesus if you read what he said and then follow what he did. You can’t go wrong! You may not be popular. You may get harassed or made fun of, but you will NOT be just a “Christian,” you will be a disciple. And that’s been the driving force our messages these last four weeks, observing what Jesus did.

Now last week we had some fun. I think it was fun. We talked about judging others. For 200 years in America the most memorized and most quoted Bible verse was John 3:16 – “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believed in him would not perish but have eternal life.” Yeah, most of you know that one.

But about mid-way through the 80’s a shift began to happen in our “Christian” nation and even in the churches. People began to think more about themselves, their freedom and personal expression. So much so that, even among faithful, devout, Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists and all the rest, the most popular verse became “Judge not that ye be not judged.” “Don’t judge me.” You all know the drill.

Looked at that verse from the book written by Matthew and discovered that Jesus was talking to his followers and warning them to “be careful how you judge others, because you will be judged by the same criteria.” Then we looked at the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. He very clearly told them to “stop judging those outside of the church.” But, DO JUDGE, DO hold one another INSIDE the church accountable for living out the love of Jesus!

With that in mind we gave each other permission and encouraged everyone to be accountable to someone else who follows Jesus for our attitudes and actions, because that will make us stronger in our ability to love others, and thereby be a better example of God’s love to our community. “Love one another.” As we’ve said before, if we don’t get that right, nothing else we say or do will matter.

I know that was a long introduction, you can catch the whole series on iTunes or on TheCreekside.org, but recapping all those important teachings about love are necessary for today’s lesson. We are going to read from the Gospel of John chapter one. You can turn there if you wish or just watch the screen. The Apostle John wrote down these memoirs about 30-40 years after Jesus resurrection. John was a very deep thinker. He never wrote anything “just because,” there was always a purpose and a point.

John’s introduction of Jesus is just incredible. In fact, the word picture of the first chapter of John’s book is as if Jesus painted a beautiful picture and walked into it, but the other people in the painting didn’t acknowledge him as the artist and threw him out. Jesus lived with that conflict and, by word and action, loved them anyway, and loves us anyway.

John Juan 約 翰 福 音1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 He made all things. Nothing was made without Him making it. 4 Life began by Him. His Life was the Light for men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness. The darkness has never been able to put out the Light.

John says, “So here Jesus came…from heaven to the earth he created…God in flesh, to be the light for all people.” In other words – “you may want to pay attention to him.” Skip down to verse 14, this is where we land today –

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.

“We have SEEN his glory. And it’s the kind of glory that could only happen because he is God and from God the Father. Not only that, we have seen and heard and witnessed firsthand something that no one else could possibly display or accomplish – Jesus was full of both grace and truth. For some of you this may not seem like a big deal. But there is a tension here that people of faith, from every generation since Jesus, have wrestled with. Every church, every denomination, every person wanting to be a disciple of Jesus wrestles with this. This tension is why people say, “Don’t judge me.” This tension is why some churches tend to be really legalistic and rules oriented and others just kind of let “anything go.” The tension between grace and truth will always be with us, but Jesus was a complete embodiment of both. Our challenge is to learn to express both as well.

When you define truth and grace it looks something like this –

Truth is the facts of reality from God’s perspective…

Grace is God’s gift of love despite the truth…

Truth is the facts of reality from God’s perspective…

Grace is God’s gift of love despite the truth…

Truth says: you’re accountable                     Grace says: you’re forgiven

Truth says: you’re broken                             Grace says: I’ll make you okay

Truth says: work on it                                    Grace says: I’ll help you through

Truth says: you owe me                                Grace says: I love you, and I’ll pay

The fact is, all of us fall one way or another, living out lives of mostly grace OR mostly Truth. We switch back and forth, waiver in our decisions, treat people like we are confused every other day. There’s just a tension in trying to love people and offering them truth AND grace. We need to embrace both. We need to live with the tension of loving deeply and offering deep grace, too, by following Jesus’ example. I don’t know about you, but I like Jesus talking about Truth when it pertains to other people. But I sure like Grace when it applies to me. It’s like, “Oh yeah, God, dump the Truth on the person who hurt me the other day. But, hey, could you lighten up a little about my attitude and give me a little more grace?”

The Apostle John said, “I saw Jesus interact for years and watched him deal with this tension. And he was absolutely FULL of grace AND Truth.” Verse 16 - 

¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

I’m sure John wants us to know that this was not a mistakenly repeated word. He KNEW Jesus offered grace and grace, and grace and grace, and then more grace. John would say,

“I know what Jesus meant by what Jesus said because I saw firsthand what Jesus did!”  So here are a few stories from the Bible that John witnessed firsthand. They give us a clue sa to how we should treat everyone around us.

              There’s a story of a Samaritan women who was drawing water at a well. She was there during the day because of her “not so reputable” lifestyle. Jesus sent his disciples into the city while he spoke to this woman. Now the Samaritans were despised by the Jews because they were of mixed ethnicity. No Jewish person of reputation, especially not a teacher/Rabbi like Jesus would be caught dead talking to a Samaritan man, much less a woman. But Jesus was full of grace and he spoke to her kindly. He asked her for some water and offered her an eternal gift in exchange.

But Jesus was not ignorant of her story. He sent her to get her husband only to be told she had none. And this is where Truth came out – Jesus knew she had been married several times and was living sinfully with a man to whom she was not married. Did he condemn her for lying? NO. Did he belittle her for her sin? NO. He lovingly confronted her and said, “Go and sin no more. I will give you living water that will quench this void in your life you try to fill with these men.” He lived with the tension and offered her grace AND Truth. And do you know what she did? She became his biggest witness of love and grace and truth in that whole town.

How about this episode in Jesus’ life – do you remember when Jesus asked Matthew to be his disciple? All the other disciples sure remember it. You see Matthew was a tax collector; he worked for the Roman IRS. And they weren’t honest like the IRS today. He collected a certain tax for Rome, but he had permission to collect anything extra he could – it was basically legal extortion. Back in that day there were different classes of people. The bottom two were tax gatherers and sinners, and tax gatherers were considered the lowest. Yet Jesus called Matthew and said, “Come follow me.” You can just hear the other disciples moaning, “No way. What the?”

And if that weren’t bad enough for the other disciples, Jesus said, “Hey, we’re going to a party at Matthew’s house later. And guess who’s going to be there? Right, other tax gatherers and sinners, because no one else will hang out with them. But WE are going to hang out with them, because that’s what I’m here for. And now, that’s what you need to be here for, too. Forget your reputation. Everyone WILL see you going there. I need you to love everyone like I have dared to love you!”   That’s a lot of tension for followers of Jesus. That was grace. Matthew went on to become one of the greatest writers of Truth and a martyr for Jesus.

One final illustration of Jesus’ life of grace and Truth happened while he was hanging on the cross: tortured, beaten, and stripped of all dignity. The Roman’s placed Jesus’ cross between two others. Some translations of the Bible say these guys were thieves, but we know that the Roman’s didn’t bother to kill anyone that might be useful a slave. So, these guys were either murderers or insurgents, or perhaps both. This was not a legitimate place to crucify the Son of God.

One of these criminals hurled insults at Jesus and told him, “If you’re the Son of God then free yourself and us as well!” But the other reprimanded his fellow criminal saying, “Have you no shame? We are crucified for what we HAVE DONE. He is being hung here as an innocent.” Then he turned to Jesus and said, “Please remember me when you enter your Kingdom.” In other words, I know the Truth – I deserve my death, but you don’t. So, if you can find it in you, if you really embody God’s grace, please forgive me and remember me today.
And what did Jesus say to him?

“Too late. You got what you deserved.”

“Nope, sorry, the Truth hurts!”

No, Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in heaven.”

This guy didn’t have a chance to prove anything to Jesus. He couldn’t get down off his cross and go make restitution for his crimes. He couldn’t go to the Temple and sacrifice something. In a few minutes he would be dead. But he’d also be in heaven because he accepted the truth, and Jesus offered him grace. That’s just like Jesus. And, as his disciples, that should be just like us as well.

Our minds and moral compass often yell at us, “Truth, truth, truth, truth.” And other times our sensitive hearts scream, “Grace, grace, grace, grace,” and there’s a tension. But like Jesus, we are probably better off not resolving it and falling prey to the tyranny of either.

We need to learn to offer truth – with all of its ramifications and all of its painful consequences; and grace – with the promise of love, healing and forgiveness. Learn to live in the tension, just like Jesus’ did. Because if you want to know what Jesus meant by what Jesus said, then look at what Jesus did – and do the same.

Jesus did not shy away from calling “sin” “SIN.” Like he told the adulterous woman, “I don’t condemn you. But I’m calling you to ‘go and sin no more.’ And if you don’t – I STILL love you; I hate to think of you not being with me in heaven, but that’s your choice. / And if for some reason you CAN’T give up your sin because the emotional and psychological toll of your past just grips you like talons – I love you. Just know there are natural and spiritual consequences to every choice you make.” Then he died on a Roman cross to pay for the sins of the world. THAT is Truth AND grace.

So do you understand now why being “just a Christian” is so much easier than being a true “disciple” of Jesus? Having a label is so much easier, but there’s no love in it. There’s no grace in it, and there’s no Truth in it. Being a disciple of Jesus means loving others like Jesus would love them. Being a disciple means loving our neighbor, no matter what their color; no matter what their socio-economic status; no matter what their mental or emotional condition. It means loving God with all our heart, our mind, our strength and doing everything we can to shine that love around our spheres of influence. No condemning. No second guessing. No ‘greater than thou’ attitudes – just the love of Jesus filled with grace and truth. And that’s your challenge for this week. Will you decide to be a true disciple of Jesus, and love with grace and truth?

Let’s pray.

God of grace and truth, we have so far to go as disciples of your Son, Jesus. It’s so hard for us NOT to resolve the tensions in life, but rather to leave them in your hands and simply live like Jesus lived. Help us in our weakness. Strengthen us with your Holy Spirit. Shine your light and your love through us this very week. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Blessing:

May the love of Jesus overwhelm your heart with truth and grace this week. And may those around you receive the blessing of God’s love because you dared to live it out. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.