Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith, Can Christianity be reduced to simple steps or stages?

"Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith."
"Can Christianity be reduced to simple steps or stages?"
1 Corinthians 2:6-16, Mark 4:10-12, Eph. 3:1-6, 6:18-20
Intro…In Seminary I took a class on Spiritual formation…We used the Richard Foster book, “The celebration of discipline.”
• Yet over the years I’ve learned that just like it’s hard to systematize theology, it’s hard to pin down exactly how we mature spiritually.
• Messy Spirituality…is unstructured, unpredictable, unstable, like the real life most people know.
Text: 1 Cor. 2:6-16
Big Pic: How someone comes to Christ and then continues to grow in their faith includes many diverse events and encounters that in retrospect, are obviously the work of God’s spirit and not man’s engineering.

The theme of 1 Cor. is that Paul wants the church to put aside its differences and work together for the advancement of the gospel.
• Paul wants them to drop the one-upmanship, build the faith of those who are weak and witness effectively to unbelievers. This is a pastoral letter to a spiritually troubled church.
• Chapter 2 of 1 Cor. is all about proclaiming Christ crucified.
• V. 2 Paul wanted to keep the message simple.
• At the fundamental level, becoming a Christian is a simple step of humbly admitting your need for a savior, Jesus Christ.
• But that’s just the start of the journey and the rest of the Christian life.
• Growth, maturity, discipleship, living like Christ etc., takes time and a continual willingness to be stretched and learn new things.

In that sense, the Christian life is complicated and different for all of us.
• V. 3-5 …”that your faith may not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
• Saving faith is produced by the heart-changing power of the Holy Spirit.
• The Christian life is beyond the wisdom of men. How someone grows deeper in their faith is a mysterious process that God engineers.
• V. 6-7, “secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.”
• The wisdom of God is centered in Christ and includes all of God’s plans for man’s salvation from before the foundation of this world.
• IOW, God knows what he’s doing as has known since before our world was even created.
• Even when Jesus walked the earth, the foolishness of men was evident. Most people didn’t understand who he was or what his mission was. V. 8
• V. 9 We can’t comprehend it
• God’s spirit bridges the gap between the deep things of God and the human heart, graciously enabling human beings to understand the message of the cross, which would otherwise be incomprehensible.
• V. 11 Only the spirit of God knows our thoughts, how we are progressing in our faith etc.
• Eph. 3:1-6

I think it’s tempting for us to want to put things in steps, stages or order.
• 5 steps to relationship happiness, 4 easy steps to shooting free throws, 7 steps to financial freedom, all the “Dummy” manuals…
• So, naturally it also seems like if we follow the logical steps in our spiritual life we can achieve maturity, humility, patience, the fruits of the spirit etc.
• It’s just not the same process for everyone.
• Christian faith “created in a lab” is a manageable faith rather than a scary and uncertain faith. Where there is no mystery, there is no reverence.
• Our Christian faith is constantly growing and changing.
• The Bible tells us to “continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12-13
• We can’t be content with things we already learned but need to continue to demonstrate our faith day by day as we nurture our relationship with God.
• We know that we are incapable of saving ourselves so if there are definite steps that every Christian must take to accomplish spiritual goals, then we’ve reverted to a performance based religion that negates faith, grace and the hand of God.

Basically we want to be careful when we start thinking that we’ve matured enough or “already heard that Bible story a hundred times.”
• God will grow and change us throughout our lives if we are open to his leading.
• For me, just when I think I’ve got my faith nailed down and it all “makes sense”…that’s usually when I’m about to learn something new.
• Our coming to Christ and subsequent growth from there can’t be reduced to simple steps or stages. It is a complex process, beyond sorting.
• Now this doesn’t mean we study the Bible less, it actually means we need to study the Bible more.
• The more we study God’s word, the more we can learn as we come to it with a fresh perspective at different times in our lives.
• Instead of trying to manage our Christian lives, we need ask for God’s guidance as we observe and discover what emerges, then respond accordingly.
• Through this process we can be confident that God is always in control so that even unexpected and painful events somehow fit into God’s great design.
• Most often the unplanned events are the most crucial life-changing moments in our journey.
• “When God doesn’t make sense.” Book
• “In our Christian faith we need to look for mystery, beauty, passion, love and God. Not a totally comprehensible god, dissected into miniscule doctrines and from whom all mystery has been drained, but the unpredictable and consuming fire of a God whose presence engulfed Abraham in dread and made Moses tremble.” Chuck Smith Jr.

Conclusion:
• Trying to simplify our faith is like trying nail jello…
• We need to approach the bible to see what it actually says, not to find the key chain of life’s secrets to wealth, happiness and piety.
• We also need to realize the danger of twisting scripture to support a philosophy, theory or practice that contradicts the overall message of the Bible.
• Let’s let God steer the boat as he takes us on this unpredictable journey called the Christian life.
• the armor of God….Eph. 6:18-20

Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith, "Do we need to sell God?"

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Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith “Do we need to sell God?” Romans 12:9-21

Intro….”Power team” and other gimmicks to get people into church
• An Arkansas church builds a new children’s sanctuary complete with a baptistry that resembles a fire engine that shoots confetti at the audience.
• A Brazilian church starts a new men’s club: a fight club in the basement.
• A denominational leader rides into a seminary chapel in a Hummer, dressed as General Patton, with blank-firing machine guns blazing.
• Dove World Outreach Center, a church with a name that could not sound like more of a scam if it tried, is hosting the first ever “International Burn a Koran Day,” which again succeeds in making almost every other group of people, except cannibals seem more reasonable.

Text: Romans 12: 9-18
Big Pic: In contrast to “selling God” if we have the true marks of a Christian, the Christian faith will sell itself.

When it comes to sharing our faith, some Christians struggle with questions like:
• Am I supposed to evangelize every single person I come in contact with?
• Is evangelism most effective through the spoken word or through large events?
• Am I always supposed to be on an agenda to convert all my friends?
• Does the church need to try and be the “coolest thing in town”
• in order for people to come?
• Were the disciples saved when Jesus said “follow me” or was it a journey that they took with Jesus which ended in salvation?

Let’s take a look at some of the marks of a true Christian.
Genuine love, Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good., Brotherly affection, Honor each other, Serve the Lord with zeal. Be thankful for the hope God gives us each day, Patient during tribulation, Constant in prayer, Hospitality, Bless those who persecute you, Rejoice with those who rejoice, Weep with those who weep, Live in harmony, Not too full of pride/helping the lowly, never wise in your own sight, Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone, If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
• Examples of how we do this?

This is such an amazing list, just reading through it, it is obvious that these are the marks of a true Christian.
• This is a description of a life that pleases God.
• What’s at the top of the list? Love
• And what I’m saying today is that if we live like this, we’ll never have to “sell God” or the church.
• If we are living like this every day of our lives, especially when we are around people who are not Christians, then the Christian faith will sell itself.
• That doesn’t mean we don’t participate in outreach events…I’ve asked you all to distribute these flyers, we’ll get a press release in the Coast News, we did the Skip Frye/Jay Adams deal back in November… we’ll do beach services this summer….
• I’ve tried lots of creative things over the years, but I do my best as a leader in the church not to go overboard.
• Yet, when people do actually come to church it’s important that they hear the truth, the gospel, the Bible, the words of God.
• Reader article…”vague spirituality” …which is worse!

When it comes to conversations with people about Christianity, we may be better off if we became skilled listeners, creating an atmosphere of dialogue.
• Yes it’s important to know what our faith is about, 1 Peter 3:13-17
• The average Christian lives, works, learns and plays among more non-believers than will be effected by church services.
• Evangelism is about so much more than just delivering a message. Conversation, dialog, interaction and listening as just as important as having a memorized speech about your faith.
• It’s not always our job to “close the deal” when it comes to sharing our faith. If it was, we’d be hucksters or telemarketers for Jesus.
• Movie, “Leap of faith.”
• As Christians we don’t need to live under a cloud of guilt if we don’t take every single opportunity to force the topic of salvation into every conversation and encounter with family, friends, coworkers, fellow students and strangers.
• As Matt. 22:36-39 reminds us, we need to “Love the Lord our God with all our heart, strength and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.”
• It’s actually not our job to convert anyone. God does it, and we are blessed to be a part of that process.
• Let’s get a new image of evangelism in our minds. Instead of “mass evangelism” only, it’s more about “you.”
• If we are not transformed into the kind of people who reflect Jesus, then what is the point in talking other people into becoming Christians?

Paul goes on to say in Romans 12:19-21
• Revenge or vengeance is not our job…
• On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
• This goes way beyond just caring for the poor and needy…
• In doing this, you will “heap burning coals on his head.”
• (This is a quote from Prov. 25:21-22 and is likely an image for leading someone to repentance, suggesting that they will feel inward burning pangs of guilt for doing wrong.
• However, in the OT, “burning coals” represented punishment. Christians are to do good to wrong doers, leaving their punishment up to God…12:19
• V. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
• Again, the marks of a Christian…

Conclusion:
• What come to mind when you hear the word Ambassador?
• A diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government/country as the resident representative of his or her own government/country.
• As Christians, that’s what we are here on earth…
• Some new Christians and even mature Christians just don’t want to ever tell others about Jesus. “It doesn’t fit my personality.”
• Promising to tell others about Jesus is not a requirement for being a Christian, but when we choose to accept Jesus, we become ambassadors for Christ.
• 2 Cor. 5:20, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors…”
• When God is doing great things in your life, it’s hard not to share it with others.
• Since we have been reconciled to God through Jesus, we now have the “ministry of reconciliation” according to 2 Cor. 5:18, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…”
• Since we are His ambassadors, it is our job to represent Christ well.





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Why the Bible?

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)



Frequently avoided questions of the Christian faith
“Why the Bible?” 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Intro…The “bible” for tennis etc…
Big Pic: When we live the Bible instead of just speak the Bible, people will be able to see the transforming, life-changing power of this God inspired book.
• New Series based on the book, "Frequently avoide questions"

Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

The theme of chapter 3 in 2 Timothy is “Godlessness in the last days.”
• One of the things that makes people Godless is having no moral base to work from. vs. 1-5
• Paul addresses these problems with advice to follow his example,
v. 10-11
• Knowing, believing and living the Bible solves that problem.

Now, that all makes sense to those of us who are Christians and have read and studied the Bible for years.
• However, there are some people who have questions like:
• “What makes the Bible better than the Koran, the book of Mormon or “Conversations with God?” “You mean you actually believe the Bible?” “Do I have to read the whole thing…what is the really important stuff?” “What good does it do me to read the Bible?” “Wasn’t it just written by a bunch of men with a limited world view?”

From about 320 AD until the 17th and 18th centuries, the Bible was THE sacred book for the Western world.
• After the enlightenment, ( a philosophical movement of the 18th century, characterized by belief in the power of human reason and by innovations in political, religious, and educational doctrine.) the Bible still continued to influence culture, language, thought etc. throughout Europe and the New World.
• Here in America, among the founding fathers there were many aristocrats who rejected the deity of Jesus and denied the God-inspired Bible, yet continued to use Biblical language and images.
• Early on in the history of our nation, the Bible carried the weight of absolute authority.
• Most public communication in the original 13 colonies, written or spoken was influenced by the King James Bible.
• Over time there developed a more liberal view of the Bible and a more conservative view.
• There is actually some danger is both views of scripture.
• Liberals tend to dismiss some of the larger miracles and core doctrines of the faith.
• Conservatives sometimes go to the Bible as if it were an encyclopedia of religious and secular knowledge.
• They have a topic in mind, find a verse or verses that in some way refer to the topic and congratulate themselves on finding the truth. “God has spoken.”

I’ve said it before, but the Bible does not have an answer to every specific issue in life. (sex outside of marriage…Heb. 13:4, 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20)
• The Bible is one large book consisting of stories, laws, poems, prophetic warnings, letters to churches etc.
• The Bible tells the overarching story of God, the plight of mankind and our divine redemption secured through Jesus and revealed to his people.
• We also need to remember that every verse in the Bible is embedded in a context that affects it’s meaning within that chapter, book, Old or New Testament and finally the entire Bible.
• The Bible is the word of God, but we shouldn’t use it as a club to win arguments (beating someone over the head with a Bible).
• The Bible may be “logical” to those of us studied it for years, but to the average non-Bible believing person, telling them the Bible “makes sense” doesn’t always work.
• Anyone can search the internet and find endless arguments against the Bible. Or people may just dismiss logic with a shrug of the shoulders.
• We live in a world of chaos and our worldview doesn’t always make sense, at least not to us humans.
• I believe we need to allow room for mystery and wonder as we study the sacred texts of the Bible…and to admit that sometimes it doesn’t “make sense.”

The Bible is alive and powerful!
• We need to approach the Bible with a sense of wonder, expecting to hear from God, wanting to hear truth and have our lives transformed.
• As we learn to properly interpret the Bible, we will be able to discover its depth, beauty and power.

Yet we can’t equate spiritual maturity only with Biblical knowledge.
• The critical issue is what effect the Bible produces in the lives of those who read it.
• Since there is more to the Bible that what is found in other holy texts, the proof will be in the loving lifestyle of people who travel the world demonstrating the kindness and integrity of Jesus.
• The Bible is God’s word to us today, but it’s also one grand story of God’s redemption of the human race.
• We are part of that story, ideally we should be living the bible.
• Our lives should show why we choose the Bible over other holy books, rather than just telling people or resorting to religious language.
• The Bible is the word of God and it does offer hope and salvation.

So, if you get to the point where you are ready to view the Bible as the inspired word of God that has real meaning for your life today, then Paul’s advice in vs. 14-17 will help.
• Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed…that’s called studying the Bible.
• As you read and study, God works in and through you, making you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

But here is the key: (v. 16)
“God breathed”, or “breathed out by God”
• At the time Paul wrote this these words applied to the OT and some of the NT writings.
• “God-breathed” comes from the Greek word: theopneustos. It’s the first time this word is used.
• This term emphasizes the divine origin and authority of the Bible.
• God worked through the authors of the Bible to make the scriptures inspired. These are words spoken by God.
• All of scripture is profitable in a variety of ways, ultimately leading to righteousness.

• Useful or profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. What a great place to be!
• Then we are competent and equipped for every good work…which is the balance to having only head knowledge.

Remember, the Bible takes place in the real world, our world, the world of our experience.
• Into this world order, justice and mercy must be imposed because those things are not here inherently.
• Our world needs to be fixed, rescued and redeemed.

The people in the Bible, like us, are sinful and broken and need to be rescued and redeemed.
• The Bible is an “R” rated book with people we can relate to.

The common theme throughout the Bible is God’s salvation of mankind.
• Unlike other sacred texts, the Biblical story includes a Redeemer/savior who, even though he is transcendent, steps into the human story, embraces it as his own and loves us to the point of self-sacrifice.

Conclusion:
A great response to someone who questions the validity of the Bible is: “What have you heard about the Bible?” “What would make you want to read it?” “What is your most pressing spiritual concern?”
• When the story of our lives is defined by the story of the Bible, people will see the power of the Word.
• When we as Christians live lives that are loving, generous, hospitable, and compassionate… and when we speak the truth in love, the Bible becomes a real, believable book.

(to listen to a podcast of this sermon, please visit www.pacificviewbaptist.com and click on "sermons" from the menu on the left.)

Service in the church, 2011

Intro… In the SuperBowl...it’s all about teamwork...

Big Picture: Today I am concluding our series, “Foundations of the faith.” I’m going to talk about being a servant, especially to our committed attenders, members and everyone who considers this their home church.

I’d like you to view our church in three ways today:
• 1. As a team where every member is vital.
• 2. As a body where all parts work together and need each other.
• 3. As a family where we all pitch in to get the job done.

Text: 1 Cor. 12:14-20

Our church as a team.
• Joshua 6:1-6 what a great story of teamwork
• God had a plan from the beginning. (vs. 2), same with this church.
• God set up leaders to guide the people in the defeat of this city. (vs. 4) We’ve got leaders in this church that head up our teams.
• They marched with the Ark of the Covenant as a constant reminder of God’s presence. (vs. 6)
• This was literally God’s presence.
• When you get on the team, it’s important to remember why we are doing all this...to the glory of God.
• It was a concerted effort. They had to work together to pull this off. (vs. 16, 20-21).
It’s the same way every week here. We need all the team members here each week to offer this service to the community.
• Just like they experienced a great victory (vs. 20-21) we do also. Every week just having church and being here gives people an opportunity to give their hearts and lives to Jesus. And when that happens, the wall of pride and selfishness comes down!
• It’s called teamwork. When we all work hard to have a great Sunday morning each week...what a great feeling to be part of that.

Our church as a body. (“Ok, I recognize some needs, but does the church really need me?”)
• Can you function without an arm? An ear? An eye? A foot?
• Yes, but it forces all the other parts to work extra hard to compensate. (Zach’s toe surgery. He was fine until the sedatives wore off, then he rest of his body reacted to the wounded area.)
• 1 Cor. 12:12. This is the church body.
Vs. 21-22 It’s obvious, we need each other!
Vs. 27-31 lists the different gifts God gives us. Now, these are specifically spiritual gifts listed here, but the principle is the same. Discover what you like to do and then do it.

You may not have specific “gifts” when it comes to our Sunday morning teams, but
what we really need is just a willingness to serve.
• Once a month!
• Rotate and substitute when needed!
• Specific needs: pass out the flyers…

Our church as a family. Mark 10:35-45
• Check out the selfish motives of James and John in vs. 35 & 37…
• Imagine if our kids came to us with this request...I know how I’d react…”What did you just say?”
• Jesus is so full of grace in this story. Look at his response in vs. 38.
• “Drink the cup” refers to the cup of suffering.
• Next Jesus deals directly with pride. These rulers were full of pride in their high positions of authority
• “Not so with you.” says Jesus. (Everyone else may be acting this way…)
• “Not so with you.” (may be the key phrase of our Christian life…)
• Instead…(vs. 43-45) even Jesus did not come to be served...that’s HUGE!
• Jesus came to serve and wash the disciples feet.
• By serving others we are following the example of Jesus.

(Back to the family analogy)...What were some of the chores or responsibilities you had growing up?…And were you expected to do them? Why would our parents require this of us? It’s called helping out…
• It’s actually selfish for you to come here on a regular basis and only take.
• Again, if you are a regular attender here and not doing anything on Sunday mornings to help out, check your motives.
• The call to greatness comes through service.

Frank Grubbs, World Vision

An out-of-towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area. Luckily, a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse, named Buddy. He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" Buddy didn't move.
Then the farmer hollered, "Pull, Buster, pull!" Buddy didn't respond.
Once more the farmer commanded, "Pull, Coco, pull!"
Nothing.
Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull!" And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch.
The motorist was most appreciative and very curious. He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times. The farmer said, "Oh, Buddy is blind and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't even try."