A new life that provides a hope for the future that is certain and sure...

This week, we are looking at the opening section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of 1 Peter. Yesterday, we looked on as the Apostle Peter, who penned this letter in 65 A.D. to Jewish followers of Jesus that found themselves in what we know today as modern day Turkey by describing these early followers of Jesus as those who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood. Peter here is revealing for us the reality that, as followers of Jesus, they had been chosen and drawn by God to experience a relationship with God by the predetermined plan of God.

Peter  pointed these Jewish followers of Jesus to Jesus death on the cross in their place, for their rebellion that cleansed and removed their sins. We discovered that, in the same way today, as followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God as a result of the predetermined plan of God and not because of our performance. As followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God by the transformational intervention and activity of the Holy Spirit who gives us a new heart and a new spirit within us.

As followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God and to live lives that reveal and reflect Jesus to the world around us by the power of the Holy Spirit. And as followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God through Jesus death on the cross, in our place, for our selfishness and rebellion that satisfies God’s right and just response to the selfishness and rebellion of humanity and removes the guilt that results from our selfishness and rebellion.

After describing how these early followers of Jesus were chosen by God to experience a relationship with God, Peter extended a traditional greeting of grace and peace. Peter hoped that these early followers of Jesus would experience God's divine favor in their lives and a state of well being with God that was continually increasing in their lives.  Peter then makes a statement that reveals for us a powerful and timeless truth when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. So let’s look at that statement together, beginning in 1 Peter 1:3-5:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Now Peter’s statement, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “Praise God, who according to His great kindness and compassion that He has expressed to us in our greatest need has caused us to experience a spiritual birth that results in us experiencing a certain and sure hope for the future through Jesus life, death, and resurrection." Now the phrase, has caused us, is passive and is past tense.

In other words, this is something that has already been done to you if you are a follower of Jesus. You have already been born again. The phrase "born again" is the idea of being born from above. To be born again is a figurative phrase used to describe the spiritual birth of followers of Jesus into new life in relationship with Jesus. As Jesus pointed out in a conversation that is recorded for us in an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of John, being born again, being born from above is not something you do. To be born again, to be born from above is something that the Spirit of God does to you.

In addition, when Peter uses the phrase living hope, he is revealing to followers of Jesus throughout history that God's transformational activity and intervention in history through Jesus life, death, and resurrection results in a new life in relationship with Jesus and a confident expectation for the future that is certain and sure.  Then, in verse 4, Peter explained to these early followers of Jesus that this confident expectation for the future that is certain and sure that flows from God's activity in history through Jesus that brings them into relationship with Jesus provides them an inheritance as a part of the family of God.

Peter stated that this inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away. When Peter uses the word imperishable, this word refers to something that is impervious to corruption and death. In addition, when Peter uses the word undefiled, this word refers to something that is pure. And when Peter uses the phrase will not fade away, this phrase conveys the sense of something that does not lose its quality or character.

Peter's point is that the inheritance we possess as a result of our relationship with Jesus is incorruptible, is pure, and is unfading in its character or quality. Now a natural question that could arise here is "Well Dave how could this inheritance be so certain and secure that it is incorruptible, pure, and unfading?" Peter provides the answer to that question in the last half of verse 4 by explaining that this inheritance is "reserved in Heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

In other words, this inheritance is preserved in its incorruptible, pure, and unfading condition in Heaven for followers of Jesus to experience in the future. However, notice what Peter states in verse 5: "who are protected by the power of God through faith." The phrase who are protected is passive. In other words this is not something you do to you. This is something that is done to you.

And what is done to you is that God is guarding, protecting, and providing security for followers of Jesus. And how God is guarding, protecting, and providing security for followers of Jesus is through faith. The word faith here refers to a state of confident trust in the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel. Notice that Peter does not say by your faith. Instead Peter states through faith. In other words, faith is not a work that we do for God. Faith is placing our confident trust in what God has done for us through Jesus life, death, and resurrection.

Peter's point is that God is actively at work to guard, protect, and provide security, through our trust in what God has done for us through Jesus, so that we would experience the incorruptible, pure, and unfading inheritance that He has in store for us in Heaven.  In addition, when Peter states that this inheritance as a part of the family of God is protected for a salvation to be revealed in the last time, he is revealing for us the reality that at the end of God’s story here on earth, as Jesus ushers in the kingdom of heaven in its fullest sense, the incorruptible, pure and unfading inheritance that has protected by the power of God through faith will be made fully known to followers of Jesus throughout history as they receive that inheritance. 

And in the same way today, as followers of Jesus, God's transformational activity and intervention in history through Jesus life, death, and resurrection results in a new life in relationship with Jesus and a confident expectation for the future that is certain and sure.  As followers of Jesus, we possess an inheritance as a child of God who is a part of the family of God.

An inheritance that is incorruptible, is pure, and is unfading in its character or quality. An inheritance that is preserved for followers of Jesus to experience in the future: An inheritance that God is actively at work to guard, protect, and provide security for: An inheritance that will be made fully known when Jesus returns to defeat selfishness, sin and death and to usher in the kingdom of heaven in its fullest sense. Peter then transitions to address the current circumstances that these early followers of Jesus found themselves in.

 

We will look at those circumstances Friday...

How do we respond to a rapidly changing culture?

After a season of leadership retreats and conferences, mission trips, and a vacation, it is great to be back at the church where I serve. Summer is over half over and soon we will launch into a new school year and then a new season of the year. And I am finding that the older I get, the faster time seems to go by. I am also finding that the older I get, the faster that the pace of change seems to be.

For example, did you know that, for someone who was born after 1994, Kurt Cobain, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Richard Nixon and John Wayne Gacy have always been dead? Those born after 1994 have always lived in cyberspace; the internet has always existed. Those born after 1994 have lived in an era of instant stardom and self-proclaimed celebrities, famous for being famous. Star Wars has always been just a film, not a defense strategy. History has always had its own channel. The Twilight Zone involves vampires, not Rod Serling. Lou Gehrig's record for most consecutive baseball games played has never stood in their lifetimes. The Green Bay Packers have always celebrated with the Lambeau Leap. Little Caesar has always been proclaiming “Pizza Pizza.”

You see, we live in a time where societal and cultural change occurs at a frequently increasing rate. And as followers of Jesus, we feel this exponential change in culture most acutely when it comes to how the culture views Christianity. In the last 10 years, we have seen radical change in how the culture approaches such topics as sexuality and marriage, the nature of the Bible, and the role of the church in culture.

For example, the Biblical sources of terms such as “Forbidden Fruit,” “The writing on the wall,” “Good Samaritan,” and “The Promised Land” are unknown to most people born after 1994. Up from 17 percent in 2004, 22 percent of Americans now say that they never go to church - the highest ever recorded by the General Research Survey.

David Kinnaman, a researcher for Barna research, conducted a survey of 16-29 year olds that revealed the top six perceptions that Millennials have of Christians. 96% of Millennials viewed Christians as Anti-Homosexual. 87% viewed Christians as judgmental. 81% viewed Christians as hypocritical. In addition those surveyed viewed Christians as sheltered, politically motivated, and insecure. It would seem that as culture and society continue to rapidly change, that Christianity is being left behind. And as a Christian worldview is left behind, Christians now find themselves feeling marginalized and isolated.

In many quarters, Christianity is now mocked and criticized. And in many quarters, those who claim to be Christians find themselves the object of ridicule and slander for clinging to a religious belief system that is viewed as being outdated and outrageous. And for many Christians, regardless of age or stage of life, the change of how culture and society views Christianity can negatively impact their social status, their family relationships, and even future career advancement.

As a result, many Christians, especially younger Christians begin to question, or even doubt the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel. And even if Christians remain true to the core truths of Christianity, many Christians, especially young Christians, struggle when it comes to how to respond when their faith in Jesus is ridiculed, criticized, or slandered.

So how are we as followers of Jesus to respond to such a rapidly changing culture? How are we as followers of Jesus to respond to our faith being minimized and marginalized? How are we as followers of Jesus to respond when our faith results in us being ridiculed, criticized, and slandered?

To answer these questions, we are going to spend several weeks in a letter that has been preserved and recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible, called the book of 1 Peter, where we will discover the power that hope has to answer to these questions. So let’s jump into this letter and meet the author together, beginning in 1 Peter 1:1:

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen ² according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

The letter of 1 Peter begins by introducing its author, the Apostle Peter. Peter was the undisputed leader of the twelve closest followers of Jesus. Peter describes himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. An Apostle was someone who had seen Jesus after He had been raised from the dead and had been given the unique role and gifting by Jesus to a foundational leader in the early church and a primary messenger that would deliver a new message from God to the world.

After introducing himself as the author of this letter, Peter introduces us to the recipients of this letter as those who reside as aliens. This phrase was used to refer to someone who is staying temporarily in a strange or foreign place. These were Jewish followers of Jesus who had been scattered throughout a region of the world that was known as Asia Minor, which we know today as modern day Turkey. This was a region of Asia Minor that the Apostle Paul did not travel to during his missionary journeys. 

These early Jewish followers of Jesus were residents of this region of the world either as a result of their ancestors being scattered during the Babylonian invasion of the Jewish nation, or as a result of a persecution against followers of Jesus that is recorded for us in Acts 8. In addition, the new movement of Christianity began to experience persecution at the hands of the Roman Empire. And it is in this context that Peter, in 65 A.D. penned this letter to these Jewish followers of Jesus that found themselves in Turkey.

Peter proceeded to describe these early followers of Jesus as those who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood. Peter here is revealing for us the reality that, as followers of Jesus, they had been chosen and drawn by God to experience a relationship with God by the predetermined plan of God. Peter's point was that God was actively at work throughout history, according to His predetermined plan, to bring these early followers of Jesus to the place where they would experience forgiveness of their selfishness and rebellion and the relationship with God that they were created for.

Peter then explained that these early followers of Jesus were chosen and drawn by God to experience a relationship with God by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Now the word sanctified is a fancy church mumbo jumbo talk word that means to be set apart and dedicated to God.  Peter's point here is that the Holy Spirit's transformational power and activity in the lives of these early followers of Jesus had set them apart as being dedicated to God.

Peter then stated the reason why these early followers of Jesus were chosen and drawn by God to experience a relationship with God was to obey Jesus Christ. Peter here is revealing for us the reality that these early followers of Jesus were chosen by God the Father to live lives that reveal and reflect Jesus to the world around them by the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter then revealed that, in spite of their selfishness and rebellion, these early followers of Jesus were chosen and drawn to God to be sprinkled with His blood.

Peter is painting a word picture of a sacrificial offering that would be offered as part of the Jewish sacrificial system. In the Jewish sacrificial system, there were two times every day that sacrifices were made to God for the sins of the people, one early in the morning and one in the in the late afternoon at 3 p.m. These sacrificial offerings involved animals who were offered as a substitute to pay the penalty for acts of selfishness and rebellion that had been committed against God.

Peter is pointing these Jewish followers of Jesus to Jesus death on the cross in their place, for their rebellion that cleansed and removed their sins. You see, Jesus death on the cross provides salvation because Jesus death alone satisfies God’s right and just response to the selfishness and rebellion of humanity and removes humanities guilt that results from selfishness, sin, and rebellion.  

And in the same way today, as followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God as a result of the predetermined plan of God and not because of our performance. As followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God by the transformational intervention and activity of the Holy Spirit who gives us a new heart and a new spirit within us. As followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God and to live lives that reveal and reflect Jesus to the world around us by the power of the Holy Spirit. And as followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God through Jesus death on the cross, in our place, for our selfishness and rebellion that satisfies God’s right and just response to the selfishness and rebellion of humanity and removes the guilt that results from our selfishness and rebellion.

After describing how these early followers of Jesus were chosen by God to experience a relationship with God, Peter extended a traditional greeting of grace and peace. Peter hoped that these early followers of Jesus would experience God's divine favor in their lives and a state of well being with God that was continually increasing in their lives.  Peter then makes a statement that reveals for us a powerful and timeless truth when it comes to our relationship with Jesus.

Tomorrow, we will look at this statement…

We have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized instead of the tired eyed father....

This week we have been addressing the distorted view of God as our parents supersized. We talked about the reality that when we see God as our parents supersized, we end up with a distorted view of God that will keep us from knowing and experiencing the true father/mother heart of God. And the reason why this is the case is due to the fact that God is not a reflection of our earthly fathers. Instead God is the perfection of our earthly fathers.

We see this reality revealed in a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of Luke. In Luke 15, Jesus tells a parable involving a father who had two sons. The younger son asked his father for his share of the inheritance because the younger son did not want a relationship with his father; he just wanted what he could get from his father. Jesus explained that the father responded to his sons request by granting his request. The father divided up his estate between his older and the younger sons.

After receiving his share of the inheritance, the youngest son gathered his inheritance and "went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.” As a result, the younger son found himself broke and without a job, with no friends and instead lost and alone. The younger son hit rock bottom.

Jesus explained that, at rock bottom, the younger son had a V-8 moment and came to his senses. And as he came to his senses, the younger son came to a conclusion and a decision. The younger son came to the conclusion that his father's servants had it much better off than he had it off. The younger son came to the conclusion that his father treated his servants in a way that was way better off than he was being treated.

And as a result of coming to that conclusion, the younger son made the decision to return to his father and ask to be hired on as one of his servants. The younger son made the decision to own his selfishness and rebellion against his father in hopes that his father would take him in as a servant instead of a son. You see, the son came to the conclusion that he did not deserve to be in a relationship with his father as a result of how he had treated his father.

So the son made the decision to confess his selfishness and rebellion to his father in hopes that that his father would hire him and provide for him as a slave. And with that the son prepared and practiced the speech that he would give to his father and headed off to meet his father. Jesus then tells us what happens next in the second half of Luke 15:20:

                “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

Jesus explained that while the younger brother was a long off, his father saw him and had compassion for him. Now the reason the father saw him was because the father was looking for him. Every day, the father spent a good part of the day looking and scanning the horizon in hopes that the younger son would return home. Can you imagine looking on as the father spent day after day looking and hoping that his son would return home?

Then one day, as the father looked over the horizon for his son, in the distance he saw the faint outline of a figure. And as the faint outline of that figure came closer and closer, soon the father recognized that the figure in the distance was his son. The father recognized the familiar way that his son carried himself as he walked. The father recognized the familiar frame of his son. And as the father came to the realization that it was his son that was coming toward him, Jesus explained that the father felt compassion for him and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

You see, as the father saw his son approaching in the distance, he had pity for what his son had been through. The wear and tear of a life lived in rebellion against him was evident. The life of a lack of sleep and a lack of food caused his figure to be gaunt and tired. The lifestyle of whiskey, wine, and women had resulted in his son looking worn and weak. And in his compassion, the father ran to the son. In other words, the father would have had to pick up the robe that he was wearing up to his waist and hold it there as he ran to his son.

Now in the Jewish culture of the first century, no self respecting man would have done such a thing. After all, to act in such a way would be embarrassing. But the father did not care what others thought; the father just wanted to get to his son. And once he got to his son the father embraced him and kissed him. The father was so glad to have his son in his arms that he did not care about appearances.

And at that point, the son began to give the speech that he had been preparing and practicing throughout the journey from Vegas to his home. 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' However, the father would have none of it, as we see in verse 22:

             "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate.

Jesus explained to the crowds listening that instead of hiring his son as a servant, the father welcomed his son home as a son. And a part of that welcome home the father ordered his servants to make all the preparations necessary so that the father could throw a huge party to celebrate that the younger son had returned home.

The father ordered the servants to prepare to throw a huge party for his son because his son who was separated from him had returned back home to live in relationship with him. The father ordered the servants to prepare to throw a huge party for his son because his son who was an outsider that was lost and far from him had been found by the father who had been searching for him. Jesus then reveals how the father’s oldest son responded to what was happening in verse 25-27:

             "Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. "And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. "And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.'

Now this morning, I want us to take a minute and imagine ourselves in this parable as the older brother. I want us to take a minute and place ourselves in his shoes. You are out working for your dad in the field. And after a hard day's work, as you are returning home from work, you hear the sounds of a party going on. And when you ask why your dad decided to throw a party, you discover that the reason for the party was due to the fact that your younger, rebellious brother who had wished that your dad was dead had returned home. Your younger brother, who did not want a relationship with his father, but just wanted what he could get from his father had returned home. And your dad is throwing a party for him. You are the older brother. What would you be thinking? How would you be feeling? How would you respond? We see how the older brother responded in verse 28-30:

                "But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. "But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.'

Did you notice what the older brother did here? Did you notice how the older brother referred to his younger brother? "But when this son of yours came". You see, in his judgmental anger, the older brother had disowned the son. While the father had been searching for the younger brother, the older brother was done with his younger brother.

After all, he was an insider with his father, while the younger brother was an outsider. After all, he was better than the younger brother. He was faithful to his father, his younger brother was faithless. He kept all the rules for his father, while his younger brother broke all the rules. Yet dad was throwing a party for this outsider, younger brother, instead of for the insider, older brother?

And in his anger, Jesus tells us that the older brother wanted nothing to do with the younger brother. In his anger, the older brother would not go into the home where the party was. Jesus then concludes His parable by explaining how the father responded to the older brother in verse 31-32:

            "And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'"

Did you notice what the father did here? did you notice how the father referred to the younger brother? "for this brother of yours". You see, the father desperately wanted the older brother to welcome the younger brother back into the family. The father basically said to the son "You have always been with me, you never left me. And remember, I already gave you the half of the inheritance that was coming to you as a result of being my son. But son, we had to throw a party because your brother was separated from us and has now been reunited in relationship with us. We had to throw a party because your younger brother was an outsider that was lost, but now he is an insider that has been found".

Now if you grew up in or spent any time in church, you know that this famous parable has a famous name that is attached to it. This famous parable is referred to as the parable of the prodigal son. But Jesus point in telling this parable was not to focus on the behavior of the younger son who was the prodigal. Jesus point in telling this parable was to focus on the behavior of the older son.

You see, just like the older son, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day grumbled and complained about those who were outsiders that were lost and were far from God hanging out with the Son of God. Just like the older son, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day, in their judgmental anger, had disowned those who were outsiders that were lost and were far from God. Just like the older son, while God the Father had been searching for the those who were outsiders that were lost and far from God, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day were done with those who were outsiders who were lost and far from God.

After all, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day thought that they were insiders with God the Father, while viewing those who were lost and were far from God were outsiders. And in their anger with Jesus, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day were threatening to not go into the home of Heaven where the party was going to be held for those who were outsiders that were lost and were far from God but had been found by God through Jesus.

And it is here, in this event from history that we discover a timeless and true view of God given to us by Jesus that can enable us to rid ourselves of the distorted view of God as our parents supersized. And that timeless truth is this: We have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized instead of the tired eyed father.  The timeless reality is that we have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized. We have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized because God is not the reflection of our parents. Instead God is the perfection of our parents.  

And unlike our parents supersized, a more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who is a faithful and forgiving father. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who is seeking and searching for His children to return to Him. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who runs to His children when they return to Him. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who, who no amount of wandering and squandering can separate you from His love.

A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who invites you back, even in your darkest defeat. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who loves you for who you are, not what we do. We see this reality revealed for us in a section of an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Matthew. Notice God the Father’s response to Jesus at His baptism in Matthew 3:16-17:

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, ¹⁷ and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.

Now here is something to consider. Up to this point in His life, has Jesus done anything miraculous? No. Has Jesus preached any amazing sermons yet? No. Does Jesus have any followers yet? No. Yet at Jesus baptism, before He did anything, He heard and recognized that He was loved by His Father. You see, what we do should flow out of our love for God.

So here is a question to consider: Which of these two views describe how you view God? Do you view God as your parents supersized? Do you view God as the reflection of your parents?

Or do you view God as the tired eyed father?  Do you view God as the tired eyed father who is a faithful and forgiving father?  Do you view God as the tired eyed father who is seeking and searching for His children to return to Him and who runs to His children when they return to Him? Do you view God as the tired eyed father who invites you back, even in your darkest defeat and who loves you for who you are, not what we do?

Because the timeless reality is that we have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized instead of the tired eyed father. God is not a reflection of our earthly fathers. Instead God is the perfection of our earthly fathers.

A rebellious son who hit rock bottom...

This week we are addressing the distorted view of God as our parents supersized. Yesterday, we discovered that the view of God as our parents supersized is the most understandable, and in many ways the most impactful, of all of the distorted views of God that we have discussed. The role a parent plays in shaping a child’s view of God is real and unavoidable. Our parents are the first and foremost figures in our lives that shape and mold virtually every aspect of our lives.

And for many of us, this distorted view of God as our parents supersized is the reason that we want nothing to do with God. However, when we see God as our parents supersized, we end up with a distorted view of God that will keep us from knowing and experiencing the true father/mother heart of God. And the reason why this is the case is due to the fact that God is not a reflection of our earthly fathers. Instead God is the perfection of our earthly fathers.

We see this reality revealed in a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of Luke. And it is in this section of this account of Jesus life that we discover a timeless and true view of God that can help us rid ourselves of the distorted view of God as our parents supersized and replace it with an accurate view of God that will enable us to experience a growing relationship with God. So let’s jump into this section of the gospel of Luke together, beginning in Luke 15:11-13:

            And He said, "A man had two sons. "The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.' So he divided his wealth between them. "And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.

Now to fully understand what is happening here, we first need to understand the context in which we are jumping into this section of the gospel of Luke. As Jesus was traveling toward the city of Jerusalem, large crowds were accompanying Him. And part of these large crowds consisted of tax collectors and sinners. These tax collectors and sinners were people who did not measure up to moral standards of the day in a way that resulted in them being viewed as outsiders. These were people who were far from God and who were viewed as outsiders by others.    

However, as the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day observed Jesus engaging these outsiders who were far from God, they began to grumble and complain out loud. Because that is what self righteous religious people do. Self righteous religious people unlovingly judge others as being outsiders, while considering themselves to be insiders who are better than anyone else.

Jesus responded to the grumbling and complaining of these self righteous religious people by telling a series of parables. Now a parable is an earthly story that reveals a deeper spiritual truth. In this parable, Jesus explains that there was a father who had two sons.

Now when Jesus states that the younger son said to his father "Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me", here is what the younger son was really saying to his father: Father, I wish you were dead so that I would not have to deal with you. But since you are not dead, give me what I should get from you once you are dead.” You see, the younger son did not want a relationship with his father; he just wanted what he could get from his father.

Jesus then explained that the father responded to his sons request by granting his request. The father divided up his estate between his older and the younger sons. Now here is a question to consider: If your child talked that way to you, would you have given him what he asked for? No, you might have given him something else, but you wouldn't have given him an inheritance from you, would you?

After all, your child does not want a relationship with you, he just wants something from you. To give your child an inheritance after saying such a thing would seem foolish, wouldn't it? You would have to be incredibly gracious and forgiving to do such a thing, wouldn't you? Jesus then explained that after receiving his share of the inheritance, the youngest son gathered his inheritance and "went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.”

Now, if Jesus was telling this parable today, this parable might have sounded something like this: the younger son took all that he received from his father and moved to Vegas. And once in Vegas, the younger son hit all the strip clubs and crap tables. The younger son called all the numbers that he got from the flyers that they hand out on the strip and had some fun. The younger son got his groove on at all the local clubs."

In other words, the younger son did everything that his father had taught him not to do. The younger son went as far away from his father as he could and lived a life that was as far from his father's lifestyle as he could. We see what happens next in verse 14-16:

              "Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. "So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. "And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

Now, if Jesus was telling this parable today, these verses might have sounded something like this: “After the younger son spent all the money that he had received from his father's inheritance, there was a severe economic downturn. And as a result of the severe economic downturn, the younger son ended up broke and without a job. As a matter of fact, things became so bad that the only job that the younger son could get was to work for a local casino cleaning out their garbage dumpsters with a toothbrush. And while he was so hungry that he wanted to eat all of the food that had been thrown into the dumpster, his bosses would not allow him to eat the food that had been thrown into the dumpster. So every day the younger son spent his day cleaning out nasty casino dumpsters with a toothbrush, while desperately wanting to eat the food that others had thrown away as being no good to eat."

 Now, here is a question to consider: Could it get any worse for the younger son? You have burned your relational bridges with your family. You are broke and without a job. You have no friends. You are lost and alone. You have hit rock bottom. If you were the younger brother, what would you do? What could you do? Maybe you can relate to the younger brother. Maybe you feel like you have hit rock bottom. We see what the younger brother did in verse 17-19:

             "But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men. ²⁰ So he got up and came to his father."'

Jesus explained that, at rock bottom, the younger son had a V-8 moment and came to his senses. And as he came to his senses, the younger son came to a conclusion and a decision. The younger son came to the conclusion that his father's servants had it much better off than he had it off. The younger son came to the conclusion that his father treated his servants in a way that was way better off than he was being treated.

And as a result of coming to that conclusion, the younger son made the decision to return to his father and ask to be hired on as one of his servants. The younger son made the decision to own his selfishness and rebellion against his father in hopes that his father would take him in as a servant instead of a son. You see, the son came to the conclusion that he did not deserve to be in a relationship with his father as a result of how he had treated his father. So the son made the decision to confess his selfishness and rebellion to his father in hopes that that his father would hire him and provide for him as a slave.

And with that the son prepared and practiced the speech that he would give to his father and headed off to meet his father. Friday, we will see how the father responded to the son...

God as our parents supersized...

At the church where I serve, we just concluded a sermon series entitled Distorted. During this series, we spent our time together addressing six distorted views of God that flow from a distorted perception and assumption about God and that can result in us shaping and molding God into our image. During this series, we strived to replace those distorted perceptions and assumptions about God with six accurate views of God that were given by us by Jesus Himself. And as we went through the series, our hope and our prayer was that God would move by the power of the Holy Spirit in our heads, hearts, and hands to enable us to rid ourselves of any distorted views that we have of God and replace them with an accurate view of God so that we would be able to experience a growing and maturing relationship with God.

During the series, we have discovered that we have a distorted view of God when we view God as a cop around the corner instead of a late night neighbor.  We have discovered that we have a distorted view of God when we view God as a sweet old man instead of the lord of a boardroom.  We have discovered that we have a distorted view of God when we view God as the cosmic slot machine instead of the green-thumbed gardener.  We have discovered that we have a distorted view of God when we view God as the talent show judge instead of the equal opportunity employer.  We have discovered that we have a distorted view of God when we view God as the all you can eat buffet instead of the single minded shepherd.

This week, as we come to the conclusion of this series, I would like for us to spend our time together addressing another distorted view of God that flows from a distorted perception and assumption about God and that can result in us shaping and molding God into our image. And the distorted view of God that I would like us to address is the view of God as our parents supersized.

The view of God as our parents supersized is the most understandable, and in many ways the most impactful, of all of the distorted views of God that we have discussed during this series. You see, the role a parent plays in shaping a child’s view of God is real and unavoidable. Our parents are the first and foremost figures in our lives that shape and mold virtually every aspect of our lives.

I mean, just take a minute and ponder the influence that a parent has on their children. A parent’s ability or inability to give us the affection that we need will influence how we picture God. A parent’s ability or inability to give us the acceptance that we need will influence how we picture God. A parent’s ability or inability to give us the love that we need will influence how we picture God. A parent’s ability or inability to give us the stability that we need will influence how we picture God. A parent’s ability or inability to exercise their strength and authority appropriately will influence how we picture God.

And for many of us, this distorted view of God as your parents supersized is the reason that you want nothing to do with God. Maybe for you, every time you hear God referred to as “Father” you gag in your mouth because of the negative experience that you had with your earthly father. Maybe you grew up in an environment where you never experienced the affection, the acceptance, the stability, or the love that you should have from your parents. Maybe you grew up in a home where your parents either abdicated their authority or abused their authority. Maybe you want nothing to do with God because you grew up in a home that was marked by hurt, pain, conflict, and divorce. Maybe your picture of God is the equivalent of a “big gulp” version of your earthly parents.

However, when we see God as our parents supersized, we end up with a distorted view of God that will keep us from knowing and experiencing the true father/mother heart of God. And the reason why this is the case is due to the fact that God is not a reflection of our earthly fathers. Instead God is the perfection of our earthly fathers.

We see this reality revealed in a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of Luke. And it is in this section of this account of Jesus life that we discover a timeless and true view of God that can help us rid ourselves of the distorted view of God as our parents supersized and replace it with an accurate view of God that will enable us to experience a growing relationship with God.

Tomorrow, we will begin to look at this section of the gospel of Luke together…

We have a distorted view of God when we view God as the all you can eat buffet instead of the single minded shepherd...

This week, we have been addressing another distorted view of God as the all you can eat buffet. To do that, we have been looking at a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of John.  Jesus responded to being confronted by this group of religious legalists by telling a parable. In a parable, Jesus revealed the reality that there was only one entry way, or door, to God, and that was through the shepherd, who would lead the people through the door. And it is in this context that Jesus identifies Himself as being the good shepherd.

Jesus explained that as the good shepherd, Jesus lays down His life for the sheep. As the good shepherd, Jesus has total ownership and total commitment to His sheep. Jesus is the Co-Creator of the universe. And as our creator and Lord, Jesus loves us and is willing to sacrifice His life for us. Jesus then revealed the reality that as the good shepherd, Jesus has intimate knowledge of His sheep.

Jesus point is that, as the good shepherd, Jesus has a mutual and intimate relationship with His sheep. Jesus does not have a superficial relationship with His sheep; instead Jesus cares, feeds, and leads His sheep. Today, we will see John reveal how the self righteous religious leaders, and the crowds that had gathered around this conversation, responded to Jesus referring to Himself as the good shepherd, in John 10:19:

 A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. ²⁰ Many of them were saying, "He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?" ²¹ Others were saying, "These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?" ²² At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; ²³  it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. ²⁴ The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."

John tells us there was a division among the self righteous religious leaders of the day. You see, Jesus always divides people. Jesus is not the type of person that one remains on the fence about.

Many of  the self righteous religious leaders of the day responded to Jesus  referring to Himself as the good shepherd by viewing Jesus as being demon possessed and mentally unhinged.

Others, however, could not understand how someone who was demon possessed and mentally unhinged could perform a miracle that only God could do. John then tells us that this event from history occurred during the Feat of Dedication.  Actually, the Feast of Dedication is still celebrated today by Jewish people throughout the world as the celebration of Hanukkah.

The Feat of Dedication, or Hanukah, celebrates an event from history when the temple at Jerusalem was cleansed and rededicated after the Maccabean revolt from Antiochus Epiphanies in 168 BC. This revolt was the last great deliverance that the Jewish people had known from foreign occupiers.

And now, once again, the Jewish people were a conquered people who were living under the rule of the Roman Empire. And because of that reality, those who opposed Jesus continued their confrontation by asking Jesus a very direct question: "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." John records Jesus response in verse 25:

 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. ²⁶ "But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. ²⁷ "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. ³⁰ "I and the Father are one."

John tells us that Jesus responded to the direct question by basically saying “I have told you who I am and the miracles that I have done have provided the proof of who I am. I mean I just miraculously healed a man who was born blind. And the man who had been born blind, the man who never had an opportunity to study the Bible, responded to my activity in His life by believing in Me, but you will never believe and trust in Me. And the reason you will never believe in Me is because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

Now to fully understand Jesus answer here, we first must understand something else about sheep. Earlier this week, we discovered that sheep are some of the dumbest animals on the planet.  Sheep are so dumb that they cannot even play fetch. With a dog, you can say to a dog, go lay down, and a dog will go lay down. However, if you tell a sheep to go lay down, they just stand there. A sheep will never go anywhere on their own.

Instead, a shepherd would always have to go before the sheep, so that the sheep would follow the shepherd. So what would happen in the first century Jewish agrarian desert culture, where there was not a great deal of food for sheep, is that many flock of sheep would inhabit a same feeding area. When it was time to move, each shepherd would call out to his sheep; here sheep. The sheep would hear and recognize their shepherd’s voice and would follow that voice to where the shepherd was leading them. The sheep would not respond to a command to go somewhere that the shepherd was not at. The sheep would only go to where the shepherd was at and was leading them to.

That is the word picture that Jesus was painting to the self righteous religious leaders of His day who were confronting Him. As the good shepherd, Jesus knows His sheep and His sheep know Jesus. And because of the reality, when His sheep hear His voice they will respond by trusting that voice and by following that voice. If you do not know the shepherd, you will not trust the voice or follow the voice of the shepherd.

Now if that did not anger this group of self righteous religious people, Jesus then explained, that as the good shepherd, Jesus alone provides eternal life. Eternal life is not simply living forever. You see, everyone lives forever, humanity was created as eternal beings. The question is not whether or not you are going to live forever, the question is where are you going to live forever. When Jesus uses this phrase, He is revealing that, as the good shepherd, those who follow Jesus will not be separated from God as a result of their selfishness and rebellion, but will experience forgiveness of sin and the relationship with God that we were created for.

And that relationship with God, Jesus explained, cannot be taken away or lost. That relationship with God cannot be taken or lost, because nothing can take the sheep from the good shepherd’s grasp.  That relationship with God cannot be taken or lost, because God the Father, has given the good shepherd the sheep that follow Him as shepherd. And nothing and no one can take them out of God the Father’s hand.

Jesus then made a statement that resulted in this group of self righteous religious leaders losing their collective minds:  "I and the Father are one." Jesus had the audacity to call God His Father. Jesus had the audacity to claim that He was equal to God. Jesus had the audacity to claim He was God.

And it is here, in this event from history that we discover a timeless and true view of God given to us by Jesus that can enable us to rid ourselves of the distorted view of God as the all you can eat buffet. And that timeless truth is this: We have a distorted view of God when we view God as the all you can eat buffet instead of the single minded shepherd. 

The timeless reality is that we have a distorted view of God when we view God as the all you can eat buffet that we can customize your to avoid what we do not like so that we can double up on the things that we do like. We have a distorted view of God when we view God as the all you can eat buffet that we can customize around our preferences, our wants, our desires.

However, when we see God as the all you can eat buffet, just like continually eating at an all you can eat buffet, we can end up spending our whole lives filling our plates with our favorite parts about God, while our soul slowly starves from the Divine malnourishment that we really need and is necessary, but that we continually avoid, about God. And the timeless reality is that God is inseparably whole and cannot be divided and portioned out into the parts we find most palatable.

However, unlike the all you can eat buffet, a more accurate view of God is that of the single minded shepherd. A more accurate view of God is that of the single minded shepherd who knows each sheep. A more accurate view of God is that of the single minded shepherd who does not settle for a superficial relationship with His sheep but instead cares, feeds, and leads His sheep.

A more accurate view of God is that of the single minded shepherd whose love for His sheep would cause Him to do anything for the sheep. We see this revealed for us in a part of a parable that Jesus told that is recorded for us in a section of another account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Luke. Let’s look at this section together, which is in Luke 15:3-6:

So He told them this parable, saying, ⁴ "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? ⁵ "When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'

You see, a more accurate view of God is that of the single minded shepherd who displays a single minded devotion to His sheep: A single minded devotion to search for His sheep when they are lost; a single minded devotion that rejoices when they are found. A more accurate view of God is that of the single minded shepherd that recognizes that not only can we be found by God, but we can be lifted up out of the mess we get ourselves in and placed on the safe and strong soldiers of God.

So here is a question to consider: Which of these two views describe how you view God? Do you view God as the all you can eat buffet? Do you view God as the as the all you can eat buffet that you can customize your to avoid what you do not like so that you can double up on the things that you do like? Do you view God as the all you can eat buffet that you can customize around your preferences, your wants, your desires? Are you spending your life filling your plate with your favorite parts about God, only to be slowly starving your soul from the Divine malnourishment that you really need from God?

Or do you view God as the single minded shepherd?  Do you view God as single minded shepherd who knows you, who does not settle for a superficial relationship with you but who instead desires to care, feed, and lead you into the life you were created for?

Because the timeless reality is that we have a distorted view of God when we view God as the all you can eat buffet instead of the single minded shepherd...

A parable of Jesus as a shepherd...

This week, we are addressing the distorted view of God as the all you can eat buffet. Yesterday, we discovered that this view is reinforced by the current of the culture we live in. In Western American culture, we take pride in reinforcing the reality that everything is about us. And because we repeatedly reinforce the reality that everything is about us, we create environments, products and services that are customized to meet our wants and desires.

And as a result of living in a culture that makes everything about our preferences, our wants, our desires, we can find ourselves finding ways to customize God around our preferences, our wants, our desires. We find ways to double up our God around all the things we like about God while avoiding all of the things we don’t like and don’t want in or from God. 

However, when we see God as the all you can eat buffet, we end up creating a faith that is centered around ourselves. And just like continually eating at an all you can eat buffet, we can end up spending our whole lives filling our plates with our favorite parts about God, while our soul slowly starves from a lack of the Divine malnourishment that is necessary, but that we continually avoid, about God.

The problem with viewing God as the all you can eat buffet is that God is inseparably whole. God cannot be divided and portioned out into the parts we find most palatable. We see this reality revealed in a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of John.

And it is in this section of this account of Jesus life that we discover a timeless and true view of God that can help us rid ourselves of the distorted view of God as the all you can eat buffet and replace it with an accurate view of God. So let’s jump into this section of the gospel of John together, beginning in John 10:11-13:

"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. ¹² "He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³ "He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.

John begins this section of his account of Jesus life by giving us a front row seat to an event from history that occurred between Jesus and the Pharisees. Now to fully understand what is happening in this event from history, we first need to understand two things. The first thing that we need to understand is the context in which this event from history took place. Just prior to this event from history, Jesus did the unexplainable by healing a man who had been blind since birth.

The problem for Jesus however, is that he healed the man on the Sabbath, which broke one of the religious rules of the day.  As a result of breaking this religious rule, a group of men known as the Pharisees, who were the self righteous religious legalists of the day, confronted and challenged Jesus for breaking one of their religious rules. Jesus responded to being confronted by this group of religious legalists by telling a parable.

A parable is an earthly story that is designed to reveal a deeper spiritual truth. In this parable, Jesus painted the self righteous religious legalists as thieves and robbers who were attempting to steal people, who Jesus referred to as sheep, away from God. In the parable, Jesus revealed the reality that there was only one entry way, or door, to God, and that was through the shepherd, who would lead the people through the door. And it is in this context that Jesus identifies Himself as being the good shepherd.

Now that leads us to the second thing that we need to understand, which is the relationship between sheep and their shepherd. You see, while the Jewish people of Jesus day would have totally connected with this picture, we do not spend any time around sheep and shepherds. So let’s take a minute to understand a few things about sheep, shepherds, and how they related to one another. The first thing about sheep and shepherds is that sheep desperately need a shepherd.

The reason why sheep need a shepherd because sheep are needy. And sheep need a shepherd because sheep are stupid. Sheep are some of the dumbest animals on the planet.  And because of that reality, sheep need protection, sheep need guidance. Sheep need direction. Sheep need care. Sheep need feeding. Without a shepherd, a sheep’s needs remain unmet. Without a shepherd, the sheep suffer, and even die.

You see, Jesus used this metaphor because we are a lot like sheep, aren’t we?  Like sheep, we can be very needy. Like sheep, we can be very stupid. Like sheep, we need, guidance, direction. Like sheep, we need to be cared for. Like sheep, we can easily get off track, lost, and in a position where we suffer and even die as a result to the direction we decide to take in our lives.

Jesus explains that as the good shepherd, Jesus lays down His life for the sheep. Jesus then unpacks this statement by revealing the difference between Himself and the self righteous religious leaders of His day.  Jesus referred to the self righteous religious leaders as the hired hand and explained that when the sheep are threatened, the hired hand will not put his life in danger. Instead, the hired hand responds to the threats and danger by fleeing.

You see, for the hired hand, watching the sheep is just a job. For the hired hand who is working as a shepherd, his interest is in the money alone. He doesn’t own the sheep; he only does the job for the money and the money isn’t worth putting his life in danger. The hired hand does not have the investment in the sheep to sacrifice or endanger his life to save the sheep from the danger of wolves or other predators. The hired hand does not have the investment in the sheep to sacrifice or endanger his life to save the sheep from death if they fell in a pit or off a cliff.

However, as the good shepherd, Jesus has total ownership and total commitment to His sheep. Jesus is the Co-Creator of the universe. And as our creator and Lord, Jesus loves us and is willing to sacrifice His life for us. Jesus then continues to unpack His nature and character as the good shepherd in verse 14-18:

 "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, ¹⁵ even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. ¹⁷ "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. ¹⁸ "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father."

Jesus continued His confrontation with the self righteous religious legalists of His day by explaining, that as the good shepherd, I know My own and My own know Me. Jesus here is revealing the reality that as the good shepherd, Jesus has intimate knowledge of His sheep. In the agricultural culture of Jesus day, sheep were more like a family pet. A shepherd would name His sheep. A shepherd would call for and talk with his sheep. And the sheep would know his shepherd much in the same way that a family dog knows his owner.

Jesus point is that, as the good shepherd, Jesus has a mutual and intimate relationship with His sheep. Jesus does not have a superficial relationship with His sheep; instead Jesus cares, feeds, and leads His sheep. Jesus then revealed the reality that as the good shepherd, Jesus did not simply come to earth to be the shepherd of people who were like him ethnically. Instead, Jesus came to call people from every ethnicity to follow Him in communion with Him as their shepherd and in genuine and authentic community with one another that represented every ethnicity with Jesus as their shepherd.

Jesus explained that this was the reason God the Father loved Him. God the Father loved Jesus because, as the good shepherd, Jesus was willing to allow Himself to be treated as though He lived the selfish and sinful life of the sheep, so that God that Father could treat the sheep as though they had lived Jesus perfect life. John then turned to reveal how the self righteous religious leaders, and the crowds that had gathered around this conversation, responded to Jesus referring to Himself as the good shepherd.

Friday, we will discover how they responded together...