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Through the years, I have often worshiped in English at an early service and then worshiped in Spanish at a later service. I am blessed when I get to study the Bible and worship in Spanish. That blessing is seldom more apparent than when my good friend and brother, Pedro Sanchez, from Santiago, Chile, is visiting.
Pedro is unique. He is committed to training church leaders and elders. He has a unique grasp of the word of God. He is vibrant, emotional, powerful in the Word of God.

Being with my Christian brothers and sisters is one of the things I most look forward to every Sunday. Each one encourages me and strengthens my faith. The time we share is precious. Today, and every Sunday, I will celebrate my gracious God and what he has done for me in Christ. I will also celebrate the beauty of God’s family, and the beauty of each Christian who crosses my path to show me God’s power.

Most people in this world want to be happy. There may be a few scrooges who relish negativism and pessimism, but in my experience such people are the exception. Are we looking for happiness in the wrong places? Many seek happiness in possessions, experiences, work, relationships, prestige, or popularity. John wrote to struggling Christians near the end of the first century, “so that joy might be complete.” What did he write?

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life–the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us–that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” (1 John 1:1-4, ESV)

“Dear God, as we today contemplate afresh the testimony of eyewitnesses–the resurrected Jesus, the certainty of eternal life through him, and the beauty of sharing life in Him and through Him, teach us rejoicing. Bring joy to our lives in the midst of disappointments and regrets. Give us confidence that nothing that we experience as part of life in this fallen world can separate us from your love. May being reminded of your inexpressible love bring us this day inexpressible joy. Our lives have been forever changed by your immeasurably rich grace–may our new life be continually transformed into the image of Jesus, through whom we pray, Amen.”

For many in churches of Christ, historically evangelism has been primarily a cognitive process focused on the acceptance of certain truths or propositions by an individual. The goal and primary emphasis has been simple–salvation. More recently some of us have been asking about transformed lives and genuine discipleship, seeking to be and help others become learners who follow Jesus (Savior) Christ (King). Do not miss the difference. Jesus never asked, “Do you accept me as your personal Savior?” He did said, “Follow me.” The purpose of a disciple must be the same as that of the Teacher.

How could a follower of Jesus, a disciple of Jesus, have a mission other than the mission of Jesus? If Jesus is our Lord, if he is our Teacher, if he is our King, does it not follow that his task is our task? That what matters to him matters to us? Jesus began his ministry and defined his own mission in the world by reading an Old Testament text in a Nazareth synagogue. He did not take up the prophecies of Isaiah 7, 9 or 53. He took up the words of Isaiah 61 (Luke 4:14-21).

Jesus declares to us the meaning of life under the kingdom rule of God. He alone can save. In Jesus Christ, salvation signifies deliverance from one kingdom (of darkness) to another kingdom (of light). Without doubt, we who are genuinely his disciples imitate his concern for the poor, persons in prison, the blind, and the burdened. We follow his example of righteousness, compassion, and love. These are part of the renewed kingdom. But until these are coupled with preaching the Good News and helping people experience the transformation from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Jesus, the kingdom renewal of our own lives is incomplete.

For whose soul are you praying today? Whose soul are you seeking for the kingdom? “If the souls all around you are living in sin…will you not tell them the good news today?”

The question resounds as we sing, Do You Know My Jesus?  A few moments later we sing the simple request, Jesus Let Us Come to Know You!

Familiar words, favorite songs, not always easy to bring to life.  Knowing Jesus is seldom easy, often quite difficult. The Jesus of Matthew is both servant and royalty.  The paradox must not escape us.  The lineage is right, but the circumstances seem wrong.  The markers line up (Jesus, Emmanuel, Christ, Son of God), but the purpose catches us off guard (to serve, not to be served).

Life in the kingdom of this King is possible only because he is continually present.  He leads us in kingdom living which is generally not at all as we thought it would be or should be.  The life to which he leads and challenges us is internal more than external.  It is sacrificial and faces rejection more often that victory.  It is both present and future.

We sing, O To Be Like Thee. Our servant king comes teaching and preaching and healing; but he ultimately comes dying. How much do I really want to be like him?

Jesus, Let Us Come to Know You!

It is common to read the Bible in small sections, ignoring the larger context. One place that happens is in 1 Corinthians 3. The context of chapter 3 includes chapter 2 where Paul explains that authentic spiritual wisdom is available to spiritual people who think in spiritual ways and can apply spiritual truths to real life settings.
To explain the problem in Corinth, in chapter 3 Paul uses two similar adjectives. There is only a slight difference. The words are sarkinos and sarkikos. The root of both words is sarx (literally, flesh); they are different only in the suffix, the last four letters. The “inos” suffix points to the material of composition, “made of….” The “ikos” suffix points to characteristics, thus “characterized by, influenced by, or controlled by….”
Can you see Paul’s point? He would like to write to those who are characterized by spiritual realities (pneumatikos, 3:1, reflecting chapter 2). He cannot; he has to write to those who are very much like every other human being, composed of flesh (sarkinos, NET uses the phrase, “people of the flesh.”) He calls them babies in Christ.
They are not only “people of the flesh” (v. 1, sarkinos) they are still influenced or characterized by the flesh and fleshly concerns (v. 3, sarkikos). The evidence Paul cites is their jealousy and dissension. They are acting like mere human beings—-both by nature, and in their thinking.

A picture of the contemporary church! When we begin the faith journey, we face two challenges. One, our nature is transformed so that we become participants in the divine nature. Two, how we think and the things we value changes, so we are influenced and characterized by the spirit and not the flesh, described in chapter 2 as spiritual people discerning spiritual things.
Too many Christians are trying to live using only one or the other of these two powers. We cannot stop being humans and living in this world. (The New Testament never describes Christians as pneumatinos, made up or composed of spirit). Nevertheless, we have two natures—-human and image of God. As Christians, w are given a new nature and become participants in the divine nature. When we walk by the Spirit we do not fulfill fleshly desires (Gal. 5). We have a new outlook (Rom. 8) and live according to spiritual influences and values.
Christianity is not only how you act. Christianity is how you think! Some do reasonably well with actions but keep on thinking like the world. This method will eventually fail! When we bring every thought into control (2 Cor. 10), when we are influenced and characterized and controlled by spiritual realities, our actions follow. Our challenge is to grow until our spiritual nature supersedes our physical, fleshly nature. Our challenge is to be led by, characterized, influenced, and controlled by the Spirit. That is how one stops thinking like the world!

Not too long ago, Jan and I watched the movie, Music Within. The movie is based on the story of Richard Pimentel, a brilliant public speaker with a troubled past. When he returns from Vietnam severely hearing-impaired, he finds a new purpose in his landmark efforts on the behalf of Americans with disabilities.
One line in the movie was especially memorable for me. During his years as a capable but arrogant student, he was told by one of his professors, “Go out and earn the right to have a point of view.”

Not bad advice! Live life, live it fully, experience it completely with all of its victories and challenges. Look, observe, process, analyze, listen, learn. Develop an integrated point of view; earn the right to have a point of view. And then, Speak.

We spend a lot of energy in the church trying to get people to do what they ought to do. We study motivation–we encourage, we scold, we “lay on” guilt trips. We have missed a basic truth of Scripture. I am, therefore I act. One cannot get “faith actions” out of “unfaith” people. According to James 2, faith acts. If faith is present, actions follow. If actions are lacking, faith is lacking. My actions tell others who I am. My identity comes first–my actions follow. My actions are consistent with my identity. If I am a person of faith, that faith clearly defines my loyalties and allegiances, priorities and purpose. I do what I am made to do, what I am intended to do, what I must do to live a consistent life (without internal conflicts which lead to doubts).

A great need in the church is the development of genuine faith that determines the nature and actions of our lives in every circumstance. Paul told the Corinthian church that Christians are “compelled by Christ.” Christ is our life. Christ is our identity. Some churches have spent a lot of energy developing mission statements–statements of desired or intended actions. The best of those mission statements begin with identity statements: we are…. Identity statements must precede mission statement. Identity precedes planning. “This is who we are, therefore, this is what we do.” Churches that fail to develop plans are in danger of losing their identity.

Too many Christians live in an “identity crisis.” We think of ourselves as “church members” but have little interest in becoming disciples. We have made it easier to be a member (be baptized) than to be a disciple (total commitment of all I am and do and have). People are baptized but worship only sporadically. We misunderstand: baptism is invitation to forgiveness, commitment and community. We use the word Christian impotently. Some are called Christians (or call themselves Christians) who little resemble Christ. Some who call themselves Christians jump in and out of church like it was a social club or automobile association. Genuine Christians are not “in it” for the benefits. Genuine Christians are “in it” because of who they are, or more accurately, who they have become through the transformation effected in Christ and by Christ.

When people look at our lives–what we do–do they take note that we have been with Jesus?