Reflections on the EFCA Challenge Conference, Part 5...

This week, I would like to continue sharing some reflections on what I experienced with nine High School students and staff as we traveled to New Orleans for the EFCA Challenge Conference. The theme of the conference was "Everything is New" and focused on the fact the Jesus life, death, and resurrection changes everything.

Thursday, I shared what Eric Mason challenged us with from the third chapter of a letter that is recorded for us in our Bibles called the book of Colossians. Today, I would like to share with you a message that Craig Gross shared with us, as he unpacked the reality that there is a new "you" and a new "we" as a result of our relationship with Jesus. Craig pointed us to reality beginning in Colossians 3:5:

Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.  But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.

Craig explained that as a result of our new life with Christ, that Jesus is our life. Jesus wants to help us become like Him, so instead of hiding stuff from God, we are to run to God. Jesus is our life and our life is with Jesus. Craig then explained that a new "we" requires being honest with one another. Craig pointed us to reality in the first part of Colossians 3:9:

Do not lie to one another,

Instead of lying and avoiding others, Craig explained that, as followers of Jesus, we are to get connected with others who care for us. And as we get connected with others, we are to seek loving accountability that keeps us focused on following Jesus and getting rid of the old self that is opposed to Jesus. We see this beginning in the second half of verse 9:

since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him-- a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Craig explained that we are to get rid of the old, because the old holds us back from what God wants to do. And until we clean up the old, we are going to continue to go back to the old way of living life before we came to know Jesus.

Craig concluded that you cannot manage the old self because it does not get easier over time. Instead, we are to get rid of the old and put on the new "you" as part of the new "we" called the community of faith.

So, where do you need to get rid of the old so that you can experience the new "you" as a part of a new "we"?

Reflections on the EFCA Challenge Conference, Part 4...

This week, I have been sharing some reflections on what I experienced with nine High School students and staff as we traveled to New Orleans for the EFCA Challenge Conference. The theme of the conference was "Everything is New" and focused on the fact the Jesus life, death, and resurrection changes everything.

Yesterday, I shared what Eric Mason challenged us with from the second chapter of a letter that is recorded for us in our Bibles called the book of Colossians. Today, I would like to share with you a second message that Eric shared with us,  as he unpacked the reality that we have a new kind of life as a result of our relationship with Jesus.

Eric began by explaining that if we are going to have a new kind of life, we have to recognize that our life is rooted in eternity, which the Apostle Paul reveals for us in Colossians 3:1-4:

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

In this passage, Eric unpacked for us that a person who has a new kind of life has an undomesticated passion for Jesus. In addition, a person who has a new kind of life has a heart that is no longer hardened to God. And as a result, a person who has a new kind of life will walk with God through difficulty.

Eric then challenged us that a person who has a new kind of life will prioritize Heaven's agenda. They will understand that God will edit your life to what He wants it to be. Also, a person who has a new kind of life that recognizes several Heavenly realities. First, they recognize that they have a new identity as a result of their relationship with Christ.

Second, they recognize and respond with a deep sense of the love of God. Third, they find themselves always feeling a sense of awkwardness in the world. Because their mind is set on the things above by having a spiritual mindset, they feel awkward with the fleshly mindset that is focused on the things of this earth.

And fourth, a person who has a new kind of life has an understanding that God gives us the grace to connect what is unconnectable. Jesus is our life and connects us with God as a result of His transformational activity.

Eric then concluded by reminding us that when Jesus returns, we will return with Him to experience the fullness of the life we were created for.

So, are you living a new life as a follower of Jesus that is rooted in eternity?

Reflections on the EFCA Challenge Conference, Part 3...

This week, I am sharing some reflections on what I experienced with nine High School students and staff as we traveled to New Orleans for the EFCA Challenge Conference. The theme of the conference was "Everything is New" and focused on the fact the Jesus life, death, and resurrection changes everything.

Yesterday, I shared what Bryan McWhite challenged us with from the second chapter of a letter that is recorded for us in our Bibles called the book of Colossians. Today, I would like to share with you what the third speaker, Eric Mason, shared with us as he unpacked the reality that we have a new kind of death as a result of our relationship with Jesus.

Eric began by explaining that we are trained in our culture to do things on our own. We are driven to be independent and self-sufficient. However, following Jesus requires us to experience and new kind of death; a death to two different types of lifestyles that Paul begins to expose in Colossians 2:16-19:

Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.

Eric explained that in these verses we see that if we are going to live a new kind of death to self, we must recognize that Jesus is more powerful than man-made religion. In these verses, Paul was revealing the reality that the Old Testament rules and regulations were a shadow that reveals Jesus. Just as a shadow is flows from and points to the source that casts the shadow, the Old Testament flows from and points to Jesus Christ. Eric then pointed to a second lifestyle that we must die to in Colossians 2:20-23:

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)-- in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

Eric explained that in these verses we see that if we are going to live a new kind of death to self, we must recognize that Jesus is more powerful than lone human effort. In these verses, we discover that Spirituality is not based on what you give up or on human effort, but on what Christ has done and is doing in our lives.

While religion is based on "I obey and I am accepted", Eric reminded us that a relationship with Jesus is based on "I am accepted so I obey". Our manner of life and obedience to Jesus should be driven by a response of gratitude.

Eric concluded by driving home the reality that Jesus not only supplies our needs; Jesus is enough. Jesus plus nothing is everything.

So, are you living a lifestyle that is based on man-made religion or on lone human effort? Or are you living a new kind of death; a death to self that recognizes that Jesus is more powerful than religion and our own efforts...

Reflections on the EFCA Challenge Conference, Part 2...

This week, I am sharing some reflections on what I experienced with nine High School students and staff as we traveled to New Orleans for the EFCA Challenge Conference. The theme of the conference was "Everything is New" and focused on the fact the Jesus life, death, and resurrection changes everything. Yesterday, I shared what Francis Chan challenged us with from the first chapter of a letter that is recorded for us in our Bibles called the book of Colossians.

Today, I would like to share with you what the second speaker, Bryan McWhite, shared with us as he unpacked the reality that we have a new status as a result of our relationship with Jesus. Bryan began by making the provocative statement that "some of you are dead and you do not know it, and some of you are alive and do not know it".

Bryan then asked the question "What doe sit mean to be alive?" and pointed us to Colossians 2:6-15 for the answer:

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,  having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;  having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

Bryan explained that when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are signing up for a new Lord. We are not praying a prayer to get to Heaven, but to have a new King. Following Jesus is not about getting a ticket to Heaven, but is getting a new King and Lord. Bryan then challenged us with the reality that obedience is hard. While it is easy to be disobedient, striving to be obedient requires submitting our desires and our lives to follow Jesus.

Bryan then reminded us that no external behavior modification can do what Jesus has already done in you if you are a follower of Jesus. Jesus not only gives us life after death; Jesus gives us life before death.

Bryan then illustrated this reality by making a comparison between Superman and Batman. You see, Batman's true identity is Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne needs to work out, train, and put on his external uniform to become Batman. However, Superman's real identity is Superman. Superman is always Superman. He may put on clothes and glasses to be Clark Kent, but at the end of the day, his true identity is Superman.

Bryan's point is that as followers of Jesus, we need to live like Superman instead of Batman. We do not have to try to live beautiful lives because of Christ because we are already beautiful because of Christ.

Bryan then ended our time together by asking a pointed question: How are you walking in the ways of the dead instead of walking alive in the new life and status we have in Christ?

So, how would you answer that question?

Reflections on the EFCA Challenge Conference, Part 1...

Last week, I had the opportunity to travel with nine High School students and staff to attend the EFCA Challenge Conference in New Orleans. This week, I would like to share with you some reflections on what we experienced through the four speakers who spoke during Challenge 2012.

The theme of the conference was "Everything is New" and focused on the fact that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus changes everything. We spent our time together looking at a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of our Bibles today called the book of Colossians.

The first speaker, Francis Chan, unpacked the reality that we serve a new kind of God, by looking at Colossians 1:15-19:
 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,

Here we see Paul reveal for us the reality that Jesus Christ is supreme and rules over all of creation. But not only is Jesus Christ large and in charge of all creation,  everything in creation was created through Jesus and for Jesus.

And if that is not enough, Paul reveals for us the reality that Jesus holds all things together. Jesus holds the universe in place. The last breathe you took, you were able to take because Jesus allowed you to.

Paul's point, reinforced by Francis Chan, was that God uses all people to bring glory to Him. God even uses those who reject Him to bring glory to Him.

The next morning, Francis Chan unpacked the reality that we have a new kind of news, by looking at Colossians 1:20-29:

and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--  if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

Francis Chan challenged us to not allow familiarity with God's word to rob us of the wonder of God's word. The new kind of news is that we have been reconciled to God through Jesus. Jesus, who hold all things together reconcile us back to God.

To reconcile is to bring two people together who are at odds with one another. And in the passage we see that Jesus reconciliation removes alienation from God through faith in Him. Jesus made everything and made everything right by the cross.

We ended our time with Francis Chan asking us a very pointed question: If everyone turned their back on Jesus, what would you do? Would you stand firm?

So, how would you answer that question...

We take a detour when pastors do not live or lead in a way that honors God...

This week, we are looking at a section of a letter in the Bible called the book of Malachi, where Malachi confronts the pastors of his day for failing to fulfill the roles and responsibility that they have as pastors to make much of God in a way that gives God the glory and honor that He so rightly deserves as the One True God. Yesterday, we discovered a pastor’s job description is to live a life of Christ-like character and integrity that calls people away from selfishness and rebellion and to follow his leadership as He follows Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit through the preaching and teaching of the word of God. Today, we will see Malachi contrast God’s expectations with the pastors of his day’s performance in verse 8:

"But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi," says the LORD of hosts.

Here we see Malachi reveal the reality that instead of walking with God in integrity, the pastors of his day had now walked away from God. Instead of helping the Jewish people turn away from selfishness and rebellion, the pastors of his day were now causing the Jewish people to fall into selfishness and rebellion. Instead standing in awe of God and honoring God, the pastors of his day thought lightly of God and dishonored Him. And as a result, the pastors had violated and broke the covenant that they had entered into with God. Malachi then concludes by revealing the consequences that had already begun to occur for the pastors of his day in verse 9:

"So I also have made you despised and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in the instruction.

As a result of the pastors failure to make much of God in a way that gives God the glory and honor that He so rightly deserves; as a result of the pastors being unimpressed with God and looking lightly upon God, Malachi proclaims that God was making the pastors despised and abased before all the people. When Malachi uses the phrase “showing partiality in judgment” this phrase in the language that this letter was originally written in, literally means to carry more than one face.

The pastors were two faced when it came to the teaching and carrying out of the message and teachings of the Bible. The pastors began to look for loopholes when it came to what the message and teachings of the Bible called people to do and live. The pastors were no longer following the way of the Lord of teaching the word of the Lord. And people began to see through the hypocrisy; people began to see through the false teaching.

And as a result, the pastors began to lose the amazing status and respect that they had previously held with the Jewish people. By the time Jesus appears, the pastors had only the level of the respect that their position required. By the time Jesus arrived, the pastors were positional leaders who had either no influence or faulty influence. The pastor’s failure to honor the Lord resulted in their loss of honor. The Jewish people were no longer impressed with their pastors and though lightly of them.

And it is here that we see revealed for us a timeless detour that can get us off track when it comes to our relationship with God and can result in us living a life that dishonors God. And that timeless detour is that we take a detour when pastors do not live or lead in a way that honors God.

Now you might be thinking to yourself, “well that’s fine Dave, but how does this detour impact me? What does this have to do with me?” If I have just described the thoughts that are running through your mind, here is my answer: This has everything to do with you. This has everything to do with you because you are reading this. And the reason that you are reading this is because at some level you are either exploring faith or growing in your faith. And at some level, you will be impacted and influenced by what you have read this morning.

Every Sunday morning, and in environments throughout the week, people are listening and watching me. And what you see or hear from me will influence, at some level, how you view God and how you live with God. So this has everything to do with you. This message is a warning to you from God to make sure that your pastor is actually doing what he is supposed to be doing. Because, chances are, if I begin to take a detour by not living or leading in a way that honors God, your lives can also end up taking a detour.

John Maxwell says it this way: leadership is influence, plain and simple. And based on the level of involvement that you have with me, my words and my actions will have influence in your lives. And to be honest, that is incredibly humbling and incredibly scary for me. The fact that my words and my actions could result in you taking a detour that dishonors God- that is a responsibility that I must continually keep in the forefront of my life. And you need to know what God expects of me and pastors when it comes to their roles and responsibilities.

Because we all take a detour when pastors do not live or lead in a way that honors God. So now you know.

A Pastor's Job Description...

This week, we are looking at a section of a letter in the Bible called the book of Malachi, where Malachi confronts the pastors of his day for failing to fulfill the roles and responsibility that they have as pastors to make much of God in a way that gives God the glory and honor that He so rightly deserves as the One True God. Yesterday, in Malachi 2:1-4, Malachi called the pastors of his day to repent from giving God less than their best when it came to fulfilling their role and responsibility. Malachi called the pastors of his day to repent from being unimpressed with God that resulted in them fulfilling their roles and responsibilities out of duty and as a tiresome nuisance that gave Him what is of little value and worth. Malachi then explained that just as the unclean refuse of the offerings was carried away to be discarded outside the camp, the pastors would be removed from serving the Lord in utter disgrace if they refused to repent from their selfishness and rebellion.

Today we will see Malachi, as God’s spokesman, provide the pastors of his day a history lesson when it came to how they came to be pastors in Malachi 2:5:

"My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.

Here we see God bring the pastors back to a story that is recorded for us in a section of the New Testament of our Bibles called the book of Numbers. After being delivered from slavery at the hands of the nation of Egypt, instead of embracing a relationship with God, the Jewish people selfishly rebelled against God, which caused an entire generation of the Jewish people to die off in the wilderness. And it is in that context that we read the following story in Numbers 25:1-13:

While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry against Israel. The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor." Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. Those who died by the plague were 24,000. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy. "Therefore say, 'Behold, I give him My covenant of peace; and it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.'"

As a result of the reverent respect and awe that Phinehas displayed for God, God entered into a covenant relationship with him and his descendants that they would be the priests, or the pastors of the Jewish people. In this covenant agreement would give the priests life and peace as long as the priests held a reverent awe that gave honor to God. Malachi then unpacks for us what that reverent awe and honor looked like in the lives of Phinheas and the other pastors in verses 6-7. Let’s look at it together:

"True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity. "For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

In these verses, God, through Malachi, is revealing the expectations that He had for pastors as they fulfilled the role and responsibility that they have been given. First, God reminds the pastors of Malachi’s day that pastors are to preach and teach the truth of the word of God. The true instruction the God refers to in verse 6 refers to the Law, which were the first five books that are recorded for us in our Bibles today. Phinehas had a passion for the truth of God’s word and communicating God’s word.

Second, God reminds the pastors of Malachi’s day that pastors are to speak in ways that are marked by righteousness and justice. Phinehas did not speak unjustly in ways that promoted injustice. Instead, Phinehas speech was marked with words that were true, right, and just.

Third, God reminds the pastors of Malachi’s day that pastors are to live lives of integrity. When Malachi uses the word peace, this word conveys the sense of completeness of wholeness. The word uprightness conveys the sense of standing firm and living right before the Lord. Phinehas lived a life of integrity before the Lord. He lived a complete life; publicly and privately, that was faithfully following Jesus.

And fourth, God reminds the pastors of Malachi’s day that pastors are to live lives that lead people away from selfishness and rebellion and to Jesus. Phinehas was used by God in a powerful way to bring repentance from selfishness and rebellion.

In verse 7, Malachi then provides the reason why these expectations are so essential for pastors in order for them to fulfill the role and responsibility that they have been given: “For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” In other words, a pastor is responsible to be the type of a person who keeps watch over and guards the truth about God and the word of God in a way that results in people having the confidence that they could come and would be able to receive clear and accurate guidance and direction that comes from God and the word of God. These are essential because, as Malachi points out, a pastor is a messenger who is responsible to deliver God’s message to God’s people and to all humanity.

A pastor’s job description is to live a life of Christ-like character and integrity that calls people away from selfishness and rebellion and to follow his leadership as He follows Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit through the preaching and teaching of the word of God. And that should be my job description and that is what you should hold me accountable for, because that is what God says He will hold me accountable for.

Tomorrow, we will see Malachi contrast God’s expectations with the pastors of his day’s performance…