A day almost no one looks forward to...

This week an annual event will occur that almost no one looks forward to and that usually happens right around Easter. While we look forward to Easter, almost no one looks forward to this date on our calendar. And that date that almost no one looks forward to April 15^th. Normally, April 15^th is a day that you do not try to go near a post office. Normally, April 15^th tends to be one of the busiest days of the year for banks. Normally, April 15^th is a day that is often looked on with dread in our culture.

And we all have a pretty good idea why April 15^th is a day that we normally do not look forward to, don’t we? We tend not to look forward to April 15^th because April 15^th is tax day. April 15^th is normally the deadline to pay your federal and state income taxes. And April 15th, tax day, brings the issue of money and how we handle money to the forefront. And as I have had the opportunity to have conversations with those who have either failed to connect or have disconnected with the church, for some people, they tend to have a similar opinion of April 15th and the church.

So often, for some people who have failed to connect or have disconnected from the church, they believe that, just like our government on April 15th, all the church wants is their money. For this group of people, God seemed to be portrayed as simply someone you believed in so that you could use Him for your financial benefit by a “name it and claim it” pastor on TV who was wearing a gold suit and sitting on a gold chair.

For others, their refusal to connect with the church is based on Christians who they encountered who repeatedly stated that money is the root of evil in the world. Therefore, if you are rich you must love the world too much, but if you are poor, then you really are spiritual. And giving to God was communicated as being driven by a desire to fulfill a command and a duty that must be done.

Maybe I have just described encounters that you have had with Christians. Maybe you keep Christianity and the church at arm’s length because you believe that the church is all about the money. Or maybe you are a Christian but you still have many questions about the church and the subject of money and giving.

So, is the church all about the money? And even if you are here this morning and do not believe that the church just wants your money, then why is it we can tend to get so uncomfortable when the issue of money is brought up in church? And why do churches pass the plate and take an offering? Do they take the offering because God needs the money? Or is it just because the pastor needs the money? Why does the church ask Christians to give every week?

For the next two weeks, we are going to ask and answer these and many other questions by looking at a section of a letter in our Bible that was written to a church that was located in a city and a culture that was remarkably similar to American culture today. And it is in this section of this letter that we will discover that the issue of money and giving is not a new question. The issue of money and how Christians are to interact with money have been around since the church was born.

So let’s look at a section of a letter that a man named Paul wrote to a church that was located in Corinth Greece called 2^nd Corinthians. The section that we are going to spend our time in begins in 2 Corinthians 8:1:

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.

Paul begins this section of his letter to the church in Corinth by sharing with them the evidence of God’s activity in and through several churches that were located in Macedonia. These were churches that Paul had previously planted in the cities of Philippi and Thessalonica, which were located in the northern region of Greece. And in our Bibles today, we have several letters that were written to these churches. The book of Philippians and the books of 1^st and 2^nd Thessalonians were written to these very churches at around the same time that this letter was written to the church at Corinth.

Paul explains to the church at Corinth, which was located in southern Greece, that in spite of the trouble and distress that these churches were experiencing as a result of persecution and exploitation by the Roman government, these churches were marked by an unexpected joy. In spite of their outward circumstances, these churches demonstrated an attitude and mindset of gratitude and gladness.

But not only did this church demonstrate unexpected joy in the midst of their persecution. Paul also reveals for us the reality that these churches experienced deep poverty. What is so interesting is that this phrase, in the language that this letter was written in, literally means that their poverty was so significant and extreme that is was difficult to measure. The apostle Paul had a hard time wrapping his mind around how poor these followers of Jesus were.

Yet, in spite of their extreme poverty and the intense persecution they were facing, these churches were extremely rich when it came to their generosity. The phrase the wealth of their liberality, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would sound something like this: “these churches had a ‘no strings attached’ approach when it came to their goodness and generosity”.

You see, Paul was surprised, and even taken aback, by their attitude of gratitude and the actions of generosity that he experienced at these churches that were immersed in a culture of poverty and persecution. And as this letter continues, we see Paul unpack how these churches demonstrated their gratitude and generosity, beginning in verse 3:

For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

Here we see Paul sharing with the church at Corinth how he experienced the unexpected joyous gratitude and generosity of the churches. However, to fully understand how Paul experienced the gratitude and generosity of these churches, we first need to understand what Paul is referring to when he uses the phrase “participation in the support of the saints”.

When Paul talks about the support of the saints, he is referring to churches involvement in a special offering that was being taken for the church of Jerusalem, whose members were suffering as a result of a famine in the region. In a previous letter to this church that is recorded for us in the Bible, called the book of 1 Corinthians, we discover that while other churches were following Paul’s instructions to invest their treasure to meet the needs of the church in Jerusalem, the church at Corinth was failing to follow through on their commitment.

In verse three, Paul explains that, unlike the church at Corinth, these poor and persecuted churches were willingly investing their treasure to meet the needs of the church at Jerusalem. Paul did not have to make a sales pitch or a guilt trip to these churches. Instead, these churches heard of the need and were motivated to respond to the need. As a matter a fact, they were so motivated to respond to the need that they gave beyond their ability. In other words, they gave sacrificially. They responded to the need that they saw by pleading and appealing to Paul to be a part of God’s activity by meeting the pressing and practical needs of the church in Jerusalem.

What makes this act by these poor churches so significant as compared to the inaction of the church at Corinth was the difference in the socio-economic condition of these churches. You see, Corinth was a wealthy port city and commercial center and was a key player in the world economy. Unlike the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica, the members of the church at Corinth had the resources that they could easily invest to be a part of what God was doing to help the church at Jerusalem.

So, while the wealthy church at Corinth was dragging their feet when it came to following through on their commitment, the persecuted and poor churches of northern Greece dove in head first in order to be a part of God’s activity in the world. That is why, in verse 5, Paul makes the statement that he did not expect such gratitude and generosity. When Paul uses the phrase “gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God”, he is revealing for us the reality that these churches were first and foremost dedicated to God’s desires for their life and their investment and involvement in what He was doing in the world.

And as a result of his experience with these churches in Northern Greece, Paul was provoked to respond. We will see his response tomorrow…

Encountering Jesus will challenge us to see that it is the empty tomb, not the cross that provides us the opportunity to experience a relationship with God through Jesus...

This week, we have been looking at an encounter that two followers of Jesus who were depressed, disappointed, and heading in the wrong direction had with Jesus on that very first Easter afternoon. Wednesday we looked on as the stranger that they had been traveling with and who they invited to have dinner with revealed Himself as being Jesus who had been raised from the dead.

Now, can you imagine what it must have been like to have your eyes open that all this time you had been traveling with Jesus as He began to hand out the food to you? Can you imagine what would be running through your mind as you suddenly connected the dots that this was the same Jesus that you had eaten so many meals with before? Can you imagine watching Jesus vanish before your eyes only moments after connecting those dots?

If you were one of those followers of Jesus, what would you be thinking at this point? What would you be feeling? How would you respond? We see how followers responded to their encounter with Jesus in verse 32:

  They said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?" And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, "The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon." They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

Luke tells us that these two followers of Jesus who were walking away from Jesus responded to their encounter with Jesus by heading straight to Jerusalem to find the rest of the disciples. Their encounter with Jesus placed a burning desire with them to head straight back to Jerusalem to share their encounter with Jesus with others. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, Luke tells us that these two followers of Jesus related their encounter with Jesus to the rest of the disciples.

But not only did they relate their encounter with Jesus; Luke tells us that they also backed Peter’s claim to have encountered Jesus. These two followers of Jesus shared in great detail the events of that afternoon and evening that led them to connect the dots to the reality that they had encountered Jesus.

These two followers of Jesus shared in great detail the events of that afternoon and evening that led them to the belief that Jesus was alive and was who they had hoped that He was. However, as these two followers of Jesus shared about their encounter with Jesus, there was another individual who would make an appearance to the disciples. Luke introduces us to that individual in verse 36:

 While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be to you." But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit.

You think? I mean wouldn’t you be alarmed and in a state of fear if a man who had been killed appeared in the room that you were in without walking through the front door? Luke continues:

            And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?”

To which the disciples were probably thinking “probably because it is not every day that a man who was crucified and killed walks into a room three days later without opening the door. You see the disciples were filled with turmoil and thrown into confusion because they were having a hard time believing that Jesus actually rose from the dead. We see Jesus provide the proof necessary to calm their alarm and confusion in verse 39:

"See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate it before them.

Luke tells us that Jesus responded to their alarm and confusion by providing them two specific pieces of proof. First, Jesus showed His disciples His hands and His feet to provide the proof that He had in fact been killed. However, the disciples, who were extremely disturbed by what they were seeing while feeling a sense of joy over what they were seeing, were still having a hard time believing what they were seeing.

And because of that reality, Luke tells us that Jesus provided them a second piece of evidence by asking for and eating a fish sandwich to provide the proof that He in fact had been physically brought back to life. Jesus then followed up His evidence with a statement that reveals for us a timeless truth about encountering Jesus and Easter. Luke records that statement for us in verse 44:

Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem."You are witnesses of these things.

Jesus basically said to His followers “These are the very things that I had explained to you on three separate occasions while I was with you. I told you on three occasions what would happen to Me.” Jesus then opened their minds so that they could wrap their minds around the reality that He was the fulfillment of God’s promise to provide a rescuer, a deliverer, who would provide all of humanity the opportunity to change the trajectory of their lives that were going the wrong direction and walking away from God back to God by believing, trusting, and following Jesus as Lord and Leader.

And it is here, in this event from history involving and encounter between two individuals who were depressed, disappointed, and heading in the wrong direction and Jesus that we discover a timeless truth that ca n occur when we encounter Jesus. And that timeless truth is this: Encountering Jesus will challenge us to see that it is the empty tomb, not the cross that provides us the opportunity to experience a relationship with God through Jesus. Just as it was for early followers of Jesus, just as it has been for humanity for the past 2,000 years, encountering Jesus will challenge us to see that it is the empty tomb, not the cross that provides us the opportunity to experience a relationship with God through Jesus.

You see, the timeless reality is that the cross is not enough to experience forgiveness and the relationship with God that we were created for. Lots of people died on the cross on the behalf of a cause for other people. Lots of people died on the cross at the hands of people in a way that was designed to make a statement to people. It is not the cross but the empty tomb that brings us forgiveness and the relationship with God that we were created for.

Encountering Jesus will challenge us to see that it is Easter Sunday and not Good Friday that provides us the opportunity to experience life a with God through Jesus. Encountering Jesus will challenge us to see that it is the resurrection of Jesus, not the crucifixion of Jesus that provides us the opportunity to experience a relationship with God through Jesus. The fact that Jesus is no longer in the tomb proves that He was God and that our rescue is a reality through His death on the cross. The reality of the empty tomb and Jesus resurrection from the dead provides the evidence that Jesus was God in a bod that came to fulfill God’s promise of rescue from selfishness and rebellion. And it is the empty tomb that can turn depression, disappointment and a life that is heading in the wrong direction back to the place where they can experience the relationship with God that we were created for.

You see, the core message of the gospel; the essence of Christianity is not about theology. The core message of the gospel and the essence of Christianity revolves around an event that occurred in history. What makes the Bible so compelling and different than other religious literature is that Christianity is rooted in history. These are real events that occurred in real time and at real places that you can visit today. What we believe about God, or our theology, flows from events that occurred in history.

What makes Easter Sunday so significant and such good news is that while all of humanity was created for a relationship with God and one another, all of humanity selfishly chose to reject that relationship, instead choosing to love our selves over God and others. And it is out of our selfishness that we do things that hurt God and those around us, which the Bible calls sin. And it the events of that first Easter Sunday that reveals how God responded to our selfish rebellion.

On Easter Sunday, we see God provide the means that could rescue rebellious humanity by raising His Son Jesus from the dead, who came to earth and allowed Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives so God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life.

Because the timeless reality is that encountering Jesus will challenge us to see that it is the empty tomb, not the cross, that provides us the opportunity to experience a relationship with God through Jesus. The empty tomb, not the cross, provides the most powerful proof possible that God is a promise maker and a promise keeper. The empty tomb, not the cross, provides the most powerful proof possible that Jesus was who He said He was. The empty tomb provides the most powerful proof possible that Jesus was God-in-a-bod who came to earth to live the life we were created to live but refused to live and then allowed Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful life so God the father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life.

And what makes the message of the gospel; what makes Easter Sunday such good news is how simple the events of that first Easter Sunday make it to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Receiving the forgiveness for sin and entering into the relationship with God that you were created for can summarized in three simple words: believe, trust, and follow.

First, you need to believe that you have done selfish things that have hurt God and others and are in need of forgiveness and that Jesus was who He said He was; that Jesus was God in a bod, who entered into humanity and allowed Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived His perfect life. Second, you need to trust that Jesus life, death, and resurrection provides forgiveness of sin and the relationship with God you were created for. And third, you need to follow Jesus as Lord and Leader. It’s as simple as that. 

Getting Schooled By A "Stranger"...

This week we are looking at an encounter that two individuals had with Jesus on the very first Easter afternoon. Yesterday, we looked on as, unknown to these two men, Jesus, after being raised from the dead, had joined them on their journey as they headed back home from Jerusalem. And as Jesus joined them on their journey, Luke tells us that Jesus joined in on their conversation.

We looked on as these who men spilled their guts to Jesus regarding all that they had witnessed in their last week of following Jesus. We looked on as these men explained to Jesus that they were depressed and disappointed that following Jesus did not turn out how they thought it would. These men were depressed , disappointed, and heading in the wrong direction. Today, we see

Luke reveal for us how Jesus responded to the story that these men told in Luke 24:25:

  And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! "Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?" Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

Luke tells us that Jesus responded to these men by basically saying to them “Are you so foolish and so dull to believe all that the prophets had predicted and proclaimed when it came to the Messiah! Don’t you understand that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to enter the splendor and radiance of who He is?” Luke tells us that Jesus then basically gave these two followers of His a Bible study about what the Old Testament predicted and proclaimed about the Messiah.

Jesus basically started at the book of Genesis and went through every letter that makes up what we have today in our Bibles as the Old Testament and revealed how the entire Old Testament pointed to Him being the Messiah. Jesus basically started at the book of Genesis and went through every letter that makes up what we have today in our Bibles as the Old Testament and revealed how the entire Old Testament pointed to how the Messiah would suffer and die and then be raised from the dead.

Here is a question to consider: Don’t you think that Jesus was depressed and disappointed with His followers that first Easter? Don’t you think that Jesus was depressed and disappointed when He was raised from the dead to see no one at the tomb waiting for Him? After all, on three separate occasions Jesus had told His followers that He would be arrested, tried, killed and would be raised from the dead on the third day.

Yet on the third day, that first Easter Sunday, there was no one outside Jesus tomb as the sun rose that day. Jesus followers were not outside the tomb playing rave music and having a countdown as the sun rose in anticipation of Jesus rising from the dead. When Jesus exited the tomb and saw none of His followers waiting for Him, what do you think went through Jesus mind?

Do you think that Jesus was depressed and disappointed that His followers were depressed, disappointed, and heading in the wrong direction? Do you think that Jesus was depressed and disappointed that some of His followers who had walked with Him were now walking away from Him? However, Jesus did not respond to what occurred that first Easter Sunday by walking away from His disciples.

Instead, Jesus responded to what happened that first Easter Sunday by pursuing His followers. Jesus responded to what happened that first Easter Sunday by walking alongside those who He was pursuing so that He could reveal the reality that He was who they had hoped He was.

Now, I want us to take a minute and imagine ourselves as one of these two men who were walking away from Jesus and who had unknowingly encountered Jesus. Can you imagine what that Bible study must have been like? Can you imagine Jesus going through the entire Old Testament to reveal who He was and that what happened to Him had been predicted and proclaimed to happen thousands of years earlier? Can you imagine what you would be thinking as you listened to this stranger teaching you about the man you had been following? Can you imagine how you would be feeling? Luke reveals for us what happened after Jesus finished His Bible study with these two men in verse 28:

 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. But they urged Him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over." So He went in to stay with them. When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

Can you imagine what that must have been like? Can you imagine inviting this stranger who had just blown your mind with all the he knew about the Bible and what it said about the Messiah to stay with you instead of traveling through the night? Can you imagine preparing a meal for your guest, only to have the guest ask to pray over that meal? Can you imagine what it must have been like to have your eyes open that all this time you had been traveling with Jesus as He began to hand out the food to you?

Can you imagine what would be running through your mind as you suddenly connected the dots that this was the same Jesus that you had eaten so many meals with before? Can you imagine watching Jesus vanish before your eyes only moments after connecting those dots? If you were one of those followers of Jesus, what would you be thinking at this point? What would you be feeling? How would you respond? We see how followers responded to their encounter with Jesus in verse 32:

  They said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?" And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, "The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon." They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

Luke tells us that these two followers of Jesus who were walking away from Jesus responded to their encounter with Jesus by heading straight to Jerusalem to find the rest of the disciples. Their encounter with Jesus placed a burning desire with them to head straight back to Jerusalem to share their encounter with Jesus with others. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, Luke tells us that these two followers of Jesus related their encounter with Jesus to the rest of the disciples.

But not only did they relate their encounter with Jesus; Luke tells us that they also backed Peter’s claim to have encountered Jesus. These two followers of Jesus shared in great detail the events of that afternoon and evening that led them to connect the dots to the reality that they had encountered Jesus. These two followers of Jesus shared in great detail the events of that afternoon and evening that led them to the belief that Jesus was alive and was who they had hoped that He was.

However, as these two followers of Jesus shared about their encounter with Jesus, there was another individual who would make an appearance to the disciples. Friday, we will see Luke introduce us to that individual...

Depressed , disappointed, and heading in the wrong direction...

At the church where I serve, we have been spending the weeks leading up to Easter looking at various encounters that people had with Jesus that are recorded for us in an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Luke. And as we have looked at these encounters with Jesus, we have discovered several timeless truths that will have the potential to powerfully impact our lives today.

Now this week after Easter, I would like for us to look at another encounter that Jesus had while here on earth on the very first Easter Sunday. And as we jump back into an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of Luke, we are going to discover another timeless truth that can occur when we encounter Jesus. So let’s discover that timeless truth together, beginning in Luke 24:13:

And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place.

Luke begins this section of his account of Jesus life by setting the context for this encounter with Jesus that we are going to look at this Easter morning. Luke explains that on the first Easter Sunday afternoon, two followers of Jesus were making the seven mile journey from the city of Jerusalem to a village named Emmaus. And as these two followers traveled on foot from Jerusalem to Emmaus, Luke tells us that they were engaged in an intense discussion about the things that had taken place.

After all, there was a lot to talk about and discuss. The person who they were following, who they had come to believe was the Messiah, the person who they thought was the fulfillment of a promise that God had made to send a rescuer, a deliverer, who would bring them back to God, had been arrested and killed. And these two men who had accompanied Jesus to Jerusalem were now returning home without Jesus. These men, who had once walked with Jesus, were now walking away from Jesus. At least, that is what these two men thought that they were doing. After setting the context for this encounter with Jesus, Luke gives us a front row seat to this encounter with Jesus in verse 15:

 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, "What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?"

Luke tells us that as these two disciples were walking away from Jesus and returning back home, another traveler approached them and began to walk with them. While these men were unaware who this traveler was, Luke reveals for us that this traveler was the very person that they had walked with but were now walking away from. Unknown to these two men, Jesus had joined them on their journey.

And as Jesus joined them on their journey, Luke tells us that Jesus joined in on their conversation. Jesus asked the two men that He had joined on their journey "What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?" In other words, Jesus is basically asking these men “You guys seem to be having a pretty intense conversation. So what are you guys talking about?” Luke reveals for us how these two men who thought they were walking away from Jesus responded to Jesus question in the second half of verse 17:

 And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, "Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?"

Luke tells us that these men responded to Jesus question by stopping in their tracks. And as they stopped walking, Luke tells us that they looked sad. Actually this word sad, in the language that this letter was originally written in, conveys the sense of gloom. You see, these men were depressed, disappointed, and were heading in the wrong direction.

Luke then explains that one of the men, named Cleopas, replied to Jesus question by stating “"Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?" In other words, Cloepas basically said to Jesus “Where have you been, living under a rock this last week? You must be the only one who was in Jerusalem for the Passover who is unaware of all that had happened. What have you been doing that you are so clueless as to what has been going on?” We see how Jesus responded to the gloom of His fellow travelers in the first part of verse 19:

And He said to them, "What things?"

Now can you imagine what must have been going through Jesus mind at this point? Jesus basically sets these two men up to spill their guts by simply asking “What things?” Jesus places these two men who were depressed, disappointed, and were heading in the wrong direction in a position where they would reveal what they believed about Him to Him. Luke then reveals how these men spilled their guts to Jesus in the second half of verse 19:

And they said to Him, "The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. "But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. "But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. "Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see."

Here we see Luke reveal the story that these men told Jesus when it came to the events that occurred in the past week of them following Jesus. Their story to Jesus about Jesus, if it was communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “You want to know about what things that happened these past days? The things that happened these past days are all about Jesus. You see, it seemed that everyone thought Jesus was a spokesperson for God who was inspired by God to proclaim God’s word to the world. 

I mean the week started out so well. You should have seen it when we came into town last Sunday. The crowds were laying palm branches on the ground and screaming to Jesus “Save us now”. It seemed like the time that we had hoped for had arrived. We were all hoping that Jesus was the Messiah and that He was going to kick the Romans out and bring us back to God and back to prominence in the world.

But as the week went on, the Pharisees and the religious leaders began to question and challenge Jesus. And we started to sense that people were beginning to turn against Jesus. Then Thursday, as we celebrated the Passover, Jesus changed the script. Instead of celebrating the Passover like it has always been done, Jesus started talking about the bread being His body. Jesus started talking about the cup being the new covenant of His blood.

Then when Jesus went with the twelve closest followers of His to pray, the Jewish religious leaders arrested Jesus and found Him guilty of blasphemy. And if that was not bad enough, the Romans agreed with the Jewish leaders and crucified and killed Jesus. And besides all of that, it is the third day since He was killed. And while we remember that Jesus had said that He would be killed and be raised from the dead three days later, it is the third day and Jesus has not shown up.

 However, some women came running to us this morning saying that the tomb that He was buried in was empty and that angels appeared to them saying that He was alive. Peter and John, who were really close to Jesus checked it out and also said that the tomb was empty, but they did not see Jesus. And we have not seen Jesus. So we decided to head back home. That is why we are depressed; that is why we are so disappointed. That is why we are heading back home.”

Here is a question to consider: How often can we find ourselves acting just like these two men? Maybe you can relate to these two followers of Jesus. Maybe you have checked out Jesus in the past. Maybe you have even investigated the idea of walking with Jesus. Maybe you have tried to perform for Jesus by following the message and teachings of Jesus.

But now you find yourself at a place where you are depressed. Maybe you are depressed because you felt that you could not walk the walk that Jesus seemed to be asking you to walk.  And now you find yourself at a place where you are disappointed in Jesus. Maybe you are disappointed in Jesus because Jesus did not come through for you like you thought He would or should. Maybe you are headed in the wrong direction. Maybe you have walked away from Jesus because of the bad experiences you have had with Christians and the church. Maybe you are depressed , disappointed, and heading in the wrong direction.

Tomorrow, we will see how Jesus responded to the story that these men told…

7 Common Questions About Attending City Bible Church this Easter...

If you are considering visiting a church for the first time this Easter, or after not having been to church for a while, you may have questions, but you’re not sure who to ask. So here are 7 frequently asked questions that you may have if you are considering visiting City Bible Church this weekend for Easter:

What should I wear?

At City Bible Church, you will see all styles of dress. Some will wear suits and dresses. Some will wear jeans and t-shirts. You will probably see shorts since the weather will be warm enough. To answer your question, choose an outfit you already own, one you feel comfortable in, and join us.

 

What will we do? What can I expect?

We will have a fairly typical worship schedule. We will sing three songs, have a short greeting time, I’ll share a message, we will sing another song. We will attempt to have songs that would be somewhat similar in style to what you may hear on your radio and that all ages can enjoy. And, yes, in full transparency, and in case you’re wondering, we will receive an offering. Our offerings support the full range of ministries we offer in the church, community, and around the world. You are not required, however, to participate during this time unless you choose to do so.

 

Will you embarrass me?

I certainly hope not. It will be a primary goal not to do that. I don’t personally like to be embarrassed when I visit somewhere new, even in a church — and I’m a pastor — so my goal is to create an environment that is comfortable for all. You WILL NOT be singled out as a visitor. We don’t make visitors stand, raise their hand, or even fill out a card if you choose not to do so.

 

How long will the service last?

Slightly more than an hour. I’d love to say an hour, but frequently the service ends up being an hour and 5 or 10 minutes. At the most, you’ll be with us for an hour and 15 minutes.

 

What time should I arrive?

That’s a great question. We have  three worship services on Easter Sunday (8:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 5:00 p.m.). And, I’m really trying to help when I suggest you get here a few minutes early. Maybe even as many as 10 or 15 minutes early. It takes a little while to make your way through our campus, especially if you have children to check into our children’s areas or this is your first time. We especially want you to find a seat where you are most comfortable, and you’ll feel more comfortable if you have a few minutes to adjust before the service begins. We have a special Easter bulletin you can be reading while you wait for the service to start.

 

Do you have something for children?

Absolutely. Birth through 6th grade have their own activities designed especially for them. They will enjoy an time called Kids Konnection that will engage them at their level. Of course, we don’t keep you from bringing children with you in the worship service if that is more comfortable on a first visit, but our experience is that they truly do enjoy Kids Konnection. Either way, we love when entire families join us Easter Sunday.

 

Can I only come one time? Really, for what am I signing up when I come Easter Sunday?

There’s no obligation beyond Easter Sunday. Promise. Being honest, we do ask you to fill out a contact card and, if you do, we will follow up with you. And I hope you do. I love seeing who God brought to us as our guests. I love meeting guests. We won’t put any unfair pressure on you to ever come again. We hope you will, and we’d love if Easter triggered that desire in you, but that’s your call — not ours.

I hope that answers some questions of those who are thinking about visiting City Bible Church.

What other questions do you have? Seriously, I’d rather you asked. 

***Much of this post adopted from a great post by Ron Edmonson on this issue...

Encountering Jesus will challenge us to trust Jesus as our treasure instead of our treasure....

This week, we have been looking at encounter between a leading political figure and Jesus that is recorded for us in an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Luke. Wednesday we looked on as Jesus challenged the ruler, who was rich, to give up the one thing that was in competition with Him in terms of devotion and worship. Jesus challenged this ruler here because Jesus knew that how we handle our treasure reveals what we treasure. Jesus challenged this ruler because Jesus knew that this ruler treasured his treasure more than he treasured Jesus.

We looked on Jesus revealed that what ought to be present in this rulers life that was not present in this rulers life was that Jesus was to be large and in charge of this man’s life. What was deficient in this man’s life was that this man did not trust Jesus as his treasure. Instead this man trusted and treasured his treasure. Today, we see Luke reveal how this ruler responded to Jesus challenge in verse 23:

But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

Luke tells us that this ruler responded to Jesus answer by walking away from Jesus dejected. When faced with the decision about who or what he was going to trust in, this man walked away from Jesus because his treasure was more important than Jesus. If this ruler had to choose between his possessions and Jesus, this ruler would choose to trust in his possessions.

And that is the choice that this ruler made. This ruler walked away from Jesus and toward his treasure because that is what he had placed his trust in. We see how Jesus responded to this ruler walking away from Jesus in verse 24:

And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Now notice what Jesus does not do here. Notice that Jesus does not run after the ruler. Notice that Jesus does not say to the ruler “Hey come back, I really need to you to follow Me”. Notice that Jesus does not say to the ruler “Hey come back, I have decided that I will lower the bar of expectations when it comes to following Me".  Notice that Jesus does not say to the ruler “Hey come back, I have decide to compromise and change my position when it comes to what you must treasure”.

Notice that Jesus does not say “I’m okay with being second; if you want to put your possessions first that’s fine with Me”. Instead, Luke tells us that Jesus looked at the man as we walked away and said "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Now this saying was a common hyperbole about something that was impossible to occur. In the Jewish culture of the first century, a camel was the largest animal that lived in the region where Jesus lived and taught. By contrast the eye of a needle was one of the smallest items that a person in the Jewish culture of the first century would have dealt with on a daily basis.

By making this hyperbole, Jesus is revealing for us the reality that it was impossible for rich people by their own efforts or energy to live in a way that was right with God. By making this statement, Jesus was flying in the face of the cultural view of the first century and the prosperity gospel movement of today.

You see, in the Jewish culture of the first century and the prosperity gospel movement of today, material wealth was viewed as a sign of God’s blessing. Material wealth was viewed as evidence of being right with God. And because of that reality, people in the first century would have been shocked at Jesus statement. We see Luke reveal this reality in verse 26:

They who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?"

Jesus disciples, along with the large crowds that were following Jesus, responded to Jesus statement with a question that flowed out of fight and alarm: "Then who can be saved?" In other words, Jesus disciples and the large crowds were basically asking “Well, if that is the case, if it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, then who can be right with God so that they can be with God in Heaven?”

From the perspective of Jesus disciples and the large crowds that were following Jesus, if rich people who were viewed as being favored by God could not get into the kingdom of God, then who could get into the kingdom of God? From the perspective of Jesus disciples and the large crowds that were following Jesus, if rich people could not get in then no one could get in. Luke reveals for us how Jesus answered His disciples and the large crowds in verse 27:

 But He said, "The things that are impossible with people are possible with God."

In other words, Jesus basically says to His disciples and the large crowds that were following Him “what is impossible for people to do, which is to perform for God in a way that makes them right with God, God is able to do”. You see, Jesus wanted His disciples, and the large crowds that were following Him to clearly understand that it was trusting in God’s performance for us through Jesus, not in our performance for God, that makes us right with God. We see how one of the disciples, a man named Peter, responded to Jesus statement in verse 28:

 Peter said, "Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You."

Now you got to love Peter. I mean Peter responds to Jesus statement by basically saying “Well Jesus, what about us? What about the twelve of us who are following you? We are right with God, aren’t we? We are going to be with God in Heaven, aren’t we? After all, we left all of our treasure to follow You. We have made You large and in charge of our lives instead of making our treasure large and in charge of our lives. We are following You instead of following our treasure. So we are right with God, right?” Luke then reveals for us how Jesus responded to Peter as he concludes this section of Jesus life in verse 29:

 And He said to them, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life."

Now to fully understand what Jesus is communicating here, we first need to understand what Jesus is referring to when He refers to the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God refers to God’s royal reign that was to come through the arrival of the Messiah, whom God had promised to send to bring the Jewish people back to God.

To become a part of the Kingdom of God would result in not only a new relationship with God vertically, but would also result in new relationships with others horizontally. We experience those new relationships with others as a part of the new movement that Jesus instituted called the church, which is designed to reveal and reflect Jesus and the Kingdom of God here on earth until Jesus returns to usher in the Kingdom of God in its fullest sense for all eternity.

Jesus point to His disciples was that while the decision to trust and follow Jesus as their ultimate treasure may result in the loss of family relationships, those relationships would be replaced by a new set of family relationships as a part of the family of God. And while the decision to trust and follow Jesus as their ultimate treasure may result in the loss of family relationships, the decision to trust and follow Jesus as their ultimate treasure would result in them experiencing the forgiveness of their selfishness and rebellion and the relationship with God that they were created for in Heaven.

And it is here, in this event from history from the life of Jesus involving an encounter with a rich young ruler and his question that we discover a timeless truth that can occur when we encounter Jesus. And that timeless truth is this: Encountering Jesus will challenge us to trust Jesus as our treasure instead of our treasure. Just as it was for the rich young ruler, just as it has been throughout history, encountering Jesus will challenge us to trust Jesus as our treasure instead of our treasure.

You see, just as it was for the rich young ruler, we can find ourselves in a place in our lives where we can respond to an encounter with Jesus by walking away from Jesus because we view our treasure as more important than Jesus. Just as it was for the rich young ruler, we can find ourselves in a place in our lives where, when faced with the choice of trusting in our possessions or trusting in Jesus, that we choose to trust in our possessions. Just as it was for the rich young ruler, we can find ourselves in a place in our lives where we can respond to an encounter with Jesus by walking away from Jesus and toward our treasure because that is what we have placed our trust in and treasure.

So here is a question for us to consider: What are you placing your trust in as your treasure? What do you treasure as your ultimate treasure? What does how you spend your time, talents, and treasure reveal about what you trust in as your treasure? Are you walking away from Jesus because you treasure your pleasure, possessions, or position more than you treasure Jesus? Are you walking away from Jesus and toward what you treasure because that is what you have placed your trust in?

A Challenging Answer To A Timeless Question...

This week we are looking at an encounter that an individual had with Jesus that is recorded for us in an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Luke. Yesterday we looked on as a ruler stopped Jesus to ask Him a question. This ruler, who would have been considered a leading political and social figure in the Jewish culture of the first century, asked Jesus "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

In other words this political and social leader was asking Jesus “What must I do to be right with God so that I can be with God in Heaven?” This political and social leader was looking past this life and was wondering what would happen to him after this life. And this political leader wanted to be in a position that he could experience life with God in Heaven. 

We looked on as Jesus responded to this ruler’s question with a question of His own: "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.” Jesus responded to this ruler the way that He did was because Jesus wanted to question and challenge this ruler’s view of goodness. Jesus redefined good for this ruler was so that He could challenge the ruler’s view of who He is.

Jesus was basically saying to this ruler “so you believe that I am good. Well the only source of true goodness is God. So since you are calling Me good, do you believe that I am God?”  Jesus is, in essence, asking the ruler if he believed that Jesus is God.

We looked on as Jesus continued to engage this ruler and his question by quoting the 7^th, 6^th, 8^th, 9^th and 5^th commandments of the Ten Commandments that God had given the Jewish people through a man named Moses. When Jesus quoted the 7^th, 6^th, 8^th, 9^th and 5^th commandments, these commandments are all horizontal in nature and deal with our relationships with others as we live in community with one another.

Jesus was basically saying to this ruler “You know the answer to this question because God already answered this question. Remember the Ten Commandments that God gave Moses? Remember all those commandments that deal with how you treat others. You need to keep those commandments”. 

We looked on as the ruler basically said to Jesus “All of those commands I have followed and obeyed since I was a child. I haven’t slept with someone else’s wife. I haven’t killed anyone. I haven’t stolen from anyone. I haven’t lied to anyone or about anyone. I have always treated my parents well. If that is the scorecard; If that is all I have to do, then I’m good with God. If that is all I have to do, I’ll be in Heaven.”

Today, as we jump back into this event from history, while Luke does not tell us what Jesus was thinking at that moment, in another account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Mark, Peter gives us a glimpse into the mindset of Jesus at that moment. In Mark 10:21, Peter tells us that Jesus looked up at this ruler and felt a love for him.

You see, this ruler genuinely wanted to be right with God. This ruler genuinely wanted to be with God in Heaven. This ruler was genuinely seeking and searching for answers to his question. And Jesus loved this ruler and his desire to seek and search for answers to his question. Luke then reveals for us how Jesus responded to this ruler and his answer in verse 22:

 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

Luke tells us that Jesus basically said to this ruler “Well there is one thing in your life that is deficient when it comes to your relationship with God.  There is one thing that ought to be present in your life that is not present in your life. In order to be right with God and be with God in Heaven, you just need to sell all of your possessions and give them to those who are without possessions. If you would sell the abundance of treasure that you have accumulated for yourself here on earth in order to help those who are here with you on earth, you will store up treasure in Heaven. The after you do that, you need to come follow Me.”

Now to fully understand what Jesus is saying to this ruler, we first need to understand what Jesus is not saying to this ruler. Jesus is not saying that being rich or having lots of possessions is bad. Jesus is not saying that being poor gets you into Heaven and being rich keeps you out of Heaven. And Jesus is not saying that you get into Heaven by being generous to poor people.

Instead, Jesus here was challenging the ruler, who was rich, to give up the one thing that was in competition with Him in terms of devotion and worship. Jesus is challenging this ruler here because Jesus knew that how we handle our treasure reveals what we treasure. Jesus is challenging this ruler because Jesus knew that this ruler treasured his treasure more than he treasured Jesus.

By calling this ruler to follow Him, Jesus was asking him to follow him as His disciple. So Jesus here is calling this ruler to make Jesus large and in charge of his life instead of making his treasure large and in charge of his life. Jesus is calling this ruler to follow Him instead of following His treasure. You see, what ought to be present in this rulers life that was not present in this rulers life was that Jesus was to be large and in charge of this man’s life. What was deficient in this man’s life was that this man did not trust Jesus as his treasure. Instead this man trusted and treasured his treasure.

Friday, we will see how this ruler responded to Jesus answer and discover a timeless truth that can occur when we encounter Jesus...