The Servant's Mission - God's Presence Confidently Leads to Peace (Isaiah 51:17-52:12) - Byrd

The Servant's Mission
Isaiah 51:17-52:12
Jordan Byrd

Think back before everyone had a GPS in their car. Or think back to a time when you tried to navigate to a destination without a GPS leading you. When you're in unfamiliar territory, unsure where to turn, and no clear signs to direct you, we tend to sit up, tighten our grip on the steering wheel, and make erratic moves to get into turn lanes, make turns, or get back to familiar territory. But when you stop to ask for directions, or finally put the destination in your GPS app, all of a sudden you have access to sure guidance. A local voice leading you with confidence, or a GPS voice leading you with confidence, saying: "Starting route to destination." A confident voice leading you to your destination, which brings peace.

Today, the Good news I hope you'll hear from God's word in Isaiah 51 & 52 is this: God's presence confidently leads to the peace we long for. God's presence confidently leads to peace.

One of the temptations that we face in our current world is the temptation to figure out problems on our own. When we feel: lost in our financial situation, alone in our marriage, unsure what the next step is with a situation at work, or confused about who we are we end up trying anything – maybe even avenues we'd never imagined to deliver us – to lead us to peace in that situation that we long for. The exiles addressed in Isaiah 51 and 52 are no different. They have been lost and alone in a foreign land for multiple generations. They were unsure what their next steps should be to get out of their captivity. And after living in a foreign land, amidst foreign values, they were confused about who they are: Are they God's chosen people? Or Captives? What is their identity?

The exiles faced a similar dynamic to us today: Who or what do they trust to lead them to the deliverance and peace they desire? Is it their own power? Unfortunately, their state of captivity is a result of pursuing their version of a peaceful, good life apart from God's presence. And that led them to anxiety about being overrun by foreign powers, which eventually happened. And it led them to frantically trying to preserve their way of life, apart from God, by making unwise allegiances with idol worshiping, ungodly people: From earlier in Isaiah: Isaiah 30:1-2, "Woe to the obstinate children," declares the Lord, "to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh's protection, to Egypt's shade for refuge." The exiles gave in to the temptation to rescue, deliver, and bring peace to their lives – by their own ability, or the ability of others, OTHER THAN THE LORD GOD.

But God's word through the prophecy of Isaiah 51-52 declares that while the exiles have ignored God. God has not ignored them. And the good news God makes known to them is that He desires to confidently lead them to the peace they long for. Isaiah 51-52 is a declaration that God's presence in the lives of His people is what will lead them to peace – what will lead them out of exile.

I think I'm fairly good with directions. However, downtown Buffalo challenges that ability. Mostly, because the roads are designed in a wheel-spoke-design originating from Niagara Square. So, most of the major roads are not North-South or East West, but directionally NE or SW. So, I'm generally confused about which way I'm going. But directions matter! If you want to go to Chicago, Illinois from here, you wouldn't want to go East: SN: You'd encounter a lot of other issues in getting to Chicago that way. Directions matter for guidance.

Isaiah 51-52 includes a lot of directional and guidance language: (51:17) Rise up. (51:18) …none to guide her… none to take her by the hand. (51:21) …hear this – is directional, in that you need to know where the voice is coming from. (52:2) …rise up – again. (52:4) went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them – both geographic locations. (52:7) How beautiful on the mountains… – elevational and geographical directions to look at. (52:8) Listen! – again, I need to know the direction the voice is coming from. (52:10) …all the nations, and all the ends of the earth…. (52:11) Depart… go out from there! … Come out from it…. (52:12) …the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard. – identifying the location of God's presence for the exiles to turn to. Throughout Isaiah 51-52, this directional and guidance language pertains to the exiles' awareness of God's presence – where to turn to Him, and where he is leading them from where they are. God knows the people are in exile; and He knows where to deliver them, and how to lead them to the peace they long for.

God is calling out to the exiles: Rise up, listen, come to me for guidance. Be relieved of the anxiety of delivering yourself, or turning to saviors, who don't fully save. With God, there isn't anxiety and frantic-ness. With God, there's confidence and peace. God is already leading the way to peace, and He's inviting those who trust Him to follow Him there: God's presence confidently leads to peace.

As mentioned earlier, we can be tempted to handle our problems and issues on our own. And we all can probably think of a situation (past or current), where we tried to handle it, and just couldn't on our own power: Where we experienced a weight, so heavy, and only someone more powerful than us, could remove it. That is the imagery of the cup that is referenced in Isaiah 51:17-23.

God recognizes the exiles have endured a heavy weight – a cup of wrath, that has been executed by invading forces. A cup they have drunk so heavily from that it's left them lost (with none to guide her, 51:18). A cup that's left their homeland destroyed (51:19). A cup that's left them without food and water (famine, 51:19). A cup that's left them confused and trapped (51:20). A cup so intoxicating, that they cannot escape its destructive impact on their life. A cup they cannot remove on their own power.

But God interjects good news to them, saying, you don't have to remove it on your own. I will do it for you. I will take the cup of wrath from you, and HAND IT to your oppressors. I will pour out the cup of wrath on your captors. God's revealing Himself to be the capable deliverer the exiles need. With this capability, the exiles can have confidence in his ability to deliver them.

God is calling out to the exiles: Rise up, listen, come to me for guidance out of captivity. Be relieved of the anxiety of delivering yourself, or turning to saviors, who don't fully save. With God, there isn't anxiety and frantic-ness. Instead, with God, there's confidence and peace. God's leading the way to peace, and He's inviting those who trust Him to follow Him there: God's presence confidently leads to peace.

About five years ago now, we lived through a period of time where we all hung on the words of the governor of NY, waiting to hear if Covid restrictions would be lessened for our area. Regardless how you felt about how that all was handled, the bearing of news like that, where restrictions were in place, and then were lessened – was good news. It was good news for freedom of movement. It generally meant good news for a reduction in the infection rate of the virus. That news was then shared and shared and shared, until all in our area knew and heard the good news. This is the imagery given in Isaiah 52:7ff for the deliverance that God's bringing to the exiles.

In ancient times, there wasn't the technology we have today to communicate good news. Instead, messengers were sent on foot, to tell a city of the good news. And that news would first come to the watchmen atop the walls of the city; and the information would be shared throughout the city from there.

In Isaiah 52, God's the initial messenger of good news to the exiles. But what is interesting about God's good news message is that it is a message of deliverance that will impact more than just the exiles. God's good news message of deliverance will reach the nations (Isaiah 52:10; Romans 10:13-15). The New Testament writer, Paul, captures this dynamic in his letter to the church in Rome, Romans 10:13-15, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written [in Isaiah]: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

God's good news in Isaiah 52 is good news for us today, as well! God is revealed as the voice of confident deliverance. With this confident good news of victory over their captors, the exiles can have confidence in God's ability to guide them out of captivity. They know the path to their peace is already prepared by God – the destination is already set and ready to guide. God need only say, "Follow Me," and he will guide them to their destination of peace. God's calling out to the exiles: Rise up, listen, come to me for guidance out of captivity. Be relieved of the anxiety of delivering yourself, or turning to saviors, who don't fully save. With God, there isn't anxiety and frantic-ness. Instead, with God, there's confidence and peace. God's leading the way to peace, and He's inviting those who trust Him to follow Him there: God's presence confidently leads to peace.

Anytime you see someone roll up their sleeves (or push them up) to get to work, you know they're ready to get to work. You know that person isn't skeptical of their ability to do the job in front of them. Rather, that action indicates that they're confident in what they're about to do. The imagery of Isaiah 52:10 to describe God's ability to lead the exiles to peace. (52:10) The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations. God isn't passive or inactive in the world. God saw the oppression of the exiles by their captors. And He confidently revealed His ability to lead the exiles out of captivity, and into peace.

God is revealed as having His sleeves rolled-up, and hard at work to lead those who trust in Him to peace. God already has a plan in place. God's already out in front, leading the way (52:12, …for the Lord will go before you). God's already guarding those who are following after him (52:12 …the God of Israel will be your rear guard). For those of us who have come to recognize Jesus, as the fullest revelation of the God referenced in Isaiah – we likely see an allusion to Jesus pulling-up his sleeves to deliver us from the oppression of sin, on the cross (arms laid bare) – leading us through death, and into resurrection life.

God is revealed as being the capable leader and protector that we need as a deliverer – that we need to lead us to the peace we long for. With his active and capable leadership and protection, the exiles can have confidence in God's ability to guide and carry them out of captivity. God's calling out to the exiles: Rise up, listen, follow me for deliverance. Follow me for guidance and protection out of your captivity. Be relieved of the anxiety of delivering yourself, or turning to saviors, who don't fully save. With God, there isn't anxiety and frantic-ness. Instead, with God, there's confidence and peace. God's leading the way to His Peace, and He's inviting those who trust Him to follow Him there: God's presence confidently leads to peace.

Like the exiles of Isaiah, we're tempted to make peace in our lives by our own means. But God's giving us the honest truth, that our ability, or the ability of another, other than Him, will never lead us out of the mess of our life – will never lead us out of the exile we find ourselves in today. Only God is able to confidently lead us to the peace we desire. Only God is able to confidently lead us to the abundant life we crave, and seem to always fall short of, apart from God's presence in our lives.

And like the exiles of Isaiah, our captivity, specifically our captivity to sin – to life apart from God – hinders us from the peace and life we long for. But the God of Isaiah is declaring the good news that while we can't attain this peace on our own. God's able. God's actively working to bring about justice in the world. God's already paved the way to peace. God has the ability to lead us out of captivity; and the ability to protect us from the forces that seek to keep us enslaved.

On our own we seek deliverance and peace that falls short and ends up in anxiety and us frantically trying the next savior. With God there isn't anxiety and frantic-ness. With God, there's confidence and peace. God's already leading the way to His Peace, and He's inviting those who trust Him to follow Him there: God's presence confidently leads to peace.

As you reflect on God's word in Isaiah 51 and 52 today, How might He be calling you to respond to his good news – that his presence leads to peace?

Will you turn and follow God to the peace you long for?
If you've never turned to God for the peace you desire, He's waiting for you to come to Him. He's already pursued you, and made a path for you to follow Him to peace. But He won't force you. Will you choose to follow the God of Isaiah, who's most fully revealed in Jesus, allowing Him to lead you to the peace and abundant life He wants for you? Our mission here is to guide all people to abundant life in Jesus. Jesus is the leader of this mission; and He's inviting all of us to follow His lead to an abundant and peaceful life with Him. Please find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you take a step toward following his confident voice: God's presence confidently leads to peace.

Will you trust Jesus and follow Him wherever He Goes?
If you're already following the God of Isaiah, who is most fully revealed in Jesus, How is God's Spirit prompting you to respond to His good news in Isaiah 51-52? Maybe He's calling you to match your actions with your words: Where you mentally know to follow Jesus, but are you actually following him? Are you doing life with Jesus? Are you going where he goes, and doing what he does? Are you consistently meeting with Jesus? By reading the Bible, but also with his presence in everyday life: Serving where Jesus would serve. Giving as Jesus would give. Going where Jesus would go. Interacting with whom Jesus would interact with. Maybe He's calling you to take your hands off the cup: allowing him to handle justice and vengeance and deliverance, rather than yourself. Maybe he's calling you to trust His ability to carry through your current situation, where there seems to be no way out. Maybe he's calling you to persevere, and stick with that hard situation, allowing him to lead and guide and protect you through it. Not that He'll just remove you out of it, but having confidence that He can carry you through it, even when you can't see how to get out of it yourself.

We long for confidence in the midst of uncertainty. The good news of Isaiah 51-52 is that We don't have to manufacture that confidence for ourselves. We have the confident ability of God to lead us, where we can't lead ourselves. God's presence confidently leads to peace.

The Servant's Mission: Remember What God's Done to Trust Him for What's to Come (Isaiah 51:1-16) - Byrd

The Servant’s Mission - Remember What God’s Done to Trust Him for What’s to Come
Isaiah 51:1-16
Jordan Byrd

I’m a child of the late 1900’s (...or 1990’s, LOL), So some memories of my childhood were captured or re-membered through watching home videos on VHS tape. Re-watching these memories helped remind me: Who I am. Where I’ve come from. And what shaped me for the present and the future. Today, the Good news I hope you’ll hear from God’s word in Isaiah 51 is this: Remembering what God’s done helps us trust Him for what's to come.

My Facebook account recently got hacked, I got locked out of it. And had to start a new account from scratch. Facebook has become a functional time-capsule for many of us. Memories popping-up – reminding us of the past: Who we’ve lived life with. Where we’ve lived life. And how those experiences shaped us for today. Since I had to re-start my Facebook account from scratch, I no longer had memories that popped up. Because there isn’t a history of experiences to pull from now. I lost access to almost 20 years worth of “imaged” pieces of my past experiences: College experiences. Friendship experiences. Family experiences. Connections to people. Places I’ve visited. Original thoughts and opinions I had. And meaningful quotes I shared.

When we forget our past – whether in this way, or other ways – it’s easier to doubt: Who really are my friends? Who do I belong with? What have I done with my life? Where do I come from? What am I known for? And the answers to those questions often shape how we make sense of our present and our future.

This is the context of Isaiah 51. God’s people had forcibly been sent into exile: Removed from their homeland in ancient Israel to other locations in the ancient Mediterranean. Removed from their Jewish way of life to foreign and unfamiliar ways of life. Removed from their leaders, neighbors, and relatives to oppressive leaders, segregation, and loneliness.

Have you ever started watching a tv show, all to find out it only aired for one season. The show abruptly ended, with no conclusion on the horizon. That is kind of how the story of the exiles went. They were living in the story God began through their forefather, Abraham. And then all of a sudden, their story was interrupted, with no more future restoration on the horizon. How often does your life feel like that? Where your life’s story gets interrupted? Job loss. A person close to you dies. You get a horrible diagnosis. Someone close to you causes un-imaginable hurt to you. Whatever it is, we get the feeling of having our life’s story interrupted.

And along with those interruptions, we find our life’s story taken over by competing story-lines: The exiles of Isaiah 51 experienced this. They were first forced to live into the Assyrian story. Then the Babylonian story. And then, by the time of Isaiah 51, they were forced to live into the Persian story. Through oppression and many years in a foreign land, among foreign people, and amidst non-Jewish ways of life – the exiles became shaped by these new stories. These foreign stories became the new, obvious story-line – for how they understood the world.

We see examples of this throughout Isaiah 51:2, their homeland is still in ruins and a wasteland, many years later. In Isaiah 51:4-5 and 13-14, the injustice and wrath of their captors has become a normal experience for them. In Isaiah 51:7, and 12-13, we see that their captors reproach and cast insults at them non-stop, leading to a constant state of fear. In Isaiah 51: 9, we see that they’ve been beaten so much, that they feel weak, without strength, to do anything about their situation. In Isaiah 51:11-12, we see sadness and sorrow has become their normal emotional state, because of their captivity.

In a similar sense, we too experience this same reality. Our stories get interrupted and taken over by competing story-lines: For followers of Jesus, we strive to live in God’s story, but competing story-lines interrupt, and pull us away from God’s story-line. The socially progressive story. The nationalistic: America First story. The “what makes me happy story.” The “climbing the company ladder” story. The “you only live once” story. The “make a name for myself” story. The “I have to be the hero (solve everything)” story. These are just some examples of competing story-lines that interrupt and pull us away from living in God’s story.

This is the same reality of the exiles in Isaiah 51. They became in-undated with unGodly story-lines and now they’ve shaped them. They’ve shaped them to see the world differently – to see the world as controlled by the violence of humans. To see the world as hopeless and full of constant sorrow. To see the world as inevitably unjust. Ultimately, they’ve been shaped to believe that their captor’s story is THE story – as the dominant story of life, and not God’s story. 

We live in a similar context where we’re constantly tempted in the same way as the exiles: Where we’re tempted to believe: other story-lines, as THE story – as the dominant story of life, and not God’s story. But the prophetic word from God in Isaiah 51 paints an alternative. Isaiah 51 describes a way out of these competing story-lines. Isaiah 51 describes a way to re-enter into the story of God that has been interrupted in our human experience. Isaiah 51 describes a way for us to trust that God’s story is the story of the future: That God’s story cannot be permanently interrupted or overtaken. That God’s story is THE story of life: The story of justice, joy, restoration, comfort, and peace. All throughout Isaiah 51:1-16, there is a clashing of these two dynamics: The exiles claiming the reality of their captivity is THE reality for their future. And God interjected, claiming: No. Re-wind my story, remember what I’ve done in the past, and that will help you trust me for my restoration to come. Isaiah 51:1-16 is an invitation to the exiles, and us today. Remember what God’s done to trust Him for what's to come.

Competing stories and story-lines can always seem bigger and more important than they are. Part of that is that many of them we only experience in the moment. So, it’s all we see and experience. It’s the water we swim-in. It’s hard to see the world otherwise. Or, at best, we can look back at a story’s history, which gives that story-line some teeth – to see how it’s impacted more than just you, and the people, community, or nation around you. But even the most historic story-lines have competition. And those stories ebb and flow in authority and power.

Take a look at this timeline. This timeline attempts to capture world history. You can see the ebb and flow of cultures, powers, and people-groups throughout history. One striking example that stands out from this visual is that the story of the United States, the culture of the United States, and most of what we think is “normal” – is not much in the grand-scheme of world history. We’re still barely into that story-line in history, yet many people put a lot of confidence, or trust, in that story to shape what’s to come. But in reality, it’s just another of the many competing story-lines happening in the world right now.

Another more recent example of this can be seen in the history of technology: Most of us can’t imagine life without the internet at our finger-tips on a portable device, but that history is really not even 20 years old yet. The iPhone ushered in a lot of this era, and that came out in 2007. We’re still barely into that story-line in history, yet many people put a lot of confidence, or trust, in that story to shape their daily life, and what’s to come: tomorrow, next week, or next year. But in reality, it’s just another of the many competing story-lines happening in the world right now.

As we look to  God’s word in Isaiah 51, we encounter God inviting the exiles, and us today to contrast his story with the competing stories that we allow to pull and drive our lives. Throughout the first sixteen verses of Isaiah 51, God constantly calls the hearers of this prophecy to remember His story – to recall how God has acted throughout history, to re-wind, and consider how God has faithfully acted in his story.

In Isaiah 51:1-2, God invites the exiles to remember the rock from which their existence began. The imagery here is an artist turning a raw piece of material into something new, and for a new purpose. And that is what God did through Abraham and Sarah. God made a people who were not a people out of an elderly couple, who were childless and barren. God raised up a mighty nation, essentially, out of death or life-lessness. Exiles: Remember what I’ve done. Remember that MY story is the dominant story, not the story of your captors. They are not the Lord overall, I AM.

God also invites the exiles to remember the life and beauty of the Garden of Eden that he fashioned for Adam and Eve and the animals: Just as I made a nation of nothing, I too can restore you from captivity. God promises to restore them to an existence of life and beauty like the Garden of Eden (vs. 2). Exiles: Remember what I've done to trust Me for what's to come. Remember what God’s done to trust Him for what's to come.

God invites the exiles to remember how he delivered them from the bondage of Egypt (vss. 9-10: How God dried up the Red Sea, and made a road for their people to cross to escape Egypt’s power. How God overcame Egypt, and cut it to pieces: Rahab is a reference to Egypt, which Isaiah identifies in Isaiah 30:6-7, …to that unprofitable nation, to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless. Therefore I call her Rahab the Do-Nothing. (Isaiah 30:6-7) … God recalls how generation after generation has looked back on that deliverance to spur their reliance on God and spur faithfulness to live in His story (Isaiah 51:9a). Exiles: Remember what I’ve done to trust Me for what's to come. Remember what God’s done to trust Him for what’s to come.

God reminds the exiles how the universe and the earth exist, because of Him (Isaiah 51:13, 15, 16). God reminds the exiles how the waves of seas roar, because of him. God reminds the exiles that they exist, and the world around them continues to function because of Him, and not because of their captors. Exiles: Remember what I’ve done to trust Me for what's to come. Remember what God’s done to trust Him for what’s to come. Remember that my story is longer and more dominant and more encompassing than the story of your captors.

If we look at the broad view of Isaiah 51:1-16, we see that God can confidently promise restoration to the exiles because of His past actions. God is able, but can the exiles trust that His future is worth their hope? God invites them to re-wind, remember, and recall God’s abilities over their story with Him. And in remembering what God’s done, will help them trust Him for what He’s still to do. Remember what God’s done to trust Him for what’s to come. 

We too are faced with the same question: God is able, but do we trust that His future is worth our hope? God is inviting us to re-wind, remember, and recall God’s abilities – revealed in his story in Scripture. Revealed in the life of his Son, Jesus. Revealed in our story unfolding within His story – remembering God’s faithfulness to our particular situation: Provision when there was none. Recovery when it didn’t seem possible. Hope in the midst of loss. 

Jesus is the clearest example of remembering what God’s done in order to trust Him for what’s to come: We see this most poignantly at Jesus’ death. Multiple times throughout the Gospels in the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – Jesus predicts his death and resurrection three days later. Meaning, Jesus was aware of the threat to his life, but also the hope he had in his Heavenly Father to bring him back to life. Jesus, growing-up as a Jewish man, would be well-aware of God’s past actions, like delivering Joseph from the slavery in Egypt. Or delivering Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – from the fiery furnace. Or delivering Jonah from death in the sea and in a fish. Jesus grew-up in the wake of Isaiah 51, where God’s people were shaped to face the future with confidence in God’s goodness and deliverance, because of God’s past actions. We see that because of his awareness of God’s past actions, Jesus could entrust his life to his Heavenly Father on the cross, saying, “Into your hands I commit my spirit” – remembering what God had done to help him trust Him for his death to come. Remember what God’s done to trust Him for what’s to come.

We are here today, following Jesus, gathering on this property, invested in guiding others to experience abundant life in Jesus, because many people before us remembered what God had done, to help them trust Him for what would come after them: you and me, this church’s continued witness.

Jesus remembered what God had done, to trust Him for what was to come for us: resurrection hope and restored creation. The saints of the past remembered what God’s done, to trust Him for what’s to come for us as a church today.

How might God’s invitation in Isaiah 51 apply to you today? Where do you need to be reminded of what God’s done, to help you trust Him for what’s to come? – for your own life? Or for the life of others (friends, kids, grandkids)? My oldest son, Pace, recently had a dental procedure, which was scary for him, and for us, as his parents. Right before the procedure, I reminded Pace, just like God carried Joseph through being sold into slavery, and God carried Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego through the fiery furnace, God will carry you through this scary situation. There are two things at play in that moment: One, I have to remember what God’s done, to help me trust Him for what’s to come. Two, Pace has to remember what God’s done, to help him trust God for what’s to come. For both of us, this involves knowing the history of what God’s done. I might have a more advanced awareness of God’s story, than Pace has. But, Pace also has an awareness of God’s story: Through Bible stories we read to him. Through Bible story shows we have him watch regularly. Through mentioning those stories in everyday conversation with him. Through hearing Bible stories in Impact on Sunday mornings.

Parents, grand-parent’s, aunts, uncles, siblings: How are you daily informing the next generation in God’s story? How are you reminding them – that God will carry you and them to a better future, just as he did for the exiles of Isaiah 51, for Jesus, for the saints before us, for you in your own crummy situations? These are Simple acts of faithfulness we can take to help our kids, friends, relatives, brothers and sisters in Christ – to remember what God’s done, to help us trust Him for what’s to come. Remember what God has done to trust Him for what's to come.

Compare and contrast God’s story with your current story.
If you’ve never surrendered your life to God, through faith in Jesus, I invite you to remember what God’s done, to help you trust Him for what’s to come. God has a hopeful future for you to live into, by being part of his story. Compare and contrast His story, with the story you’re currently following for your life. Reflect on Isaiah 51, and remember that God's story is THE dominant story. It’s the story of the future. Please find me or another trusted follower of Jesus to help you take a step toward becoming part of God’s story going forward!

How are you remembering God’s story?
If you’re already following Jesus, and striving to live in God’s story, How are you being reminded of what God’s done so that you can trust Him for what's to come? How are you remembering God’s story? How are you keeping his story at the forefront of your life? How are you allowing His story to inform how you face what’s to come? God’s story has proven time and time again to be the story worth living in – to be the story-line that leads to the hope, restoration, justice, peace, and abundant life – that we long for.

Repent from any story-line you’ve allowed to skew or dominate the one true story-line of God’s good future for you. Maybe that looks like investing more in God's kingdom, than making America first. Maybe that looks like putting someone else first, rather than your own happiness. Maybe that looks like God’s bringing about justice, rather than progressive, human-powered, law-enforced justice. 

Remembering what God’s done will help us trust Him for what's to come. Remember what God’s done to trust Him for what's to come.

The Servant's Mission: Why God Hasn't Forgotten You (Isaiah 49:14-26) - Byrd

The Servant’s Mission – Isaiah 49:14-26
Jordan Byrd

Have you ever written a quick note on your palm because you didn’t have paper? We do it to remember something important: a phone number, email, shopping list, or confirmation number. We write it on our palms because it’s valuable and needs to stay top of mind. Whatever it is, it’s something that will impact our future.

We all anticipate the future—whether it's years ahead, tomorrow, or just minutes from now. A couple of weeks ago, Sean led us in reflecting on Isaiah 49:1-6 and how we often fall into a narrow vision for our future and our lives. Today's passage, Isaiah 49:14-26, continues this theme. Over the past two Sundays, both Sean and Mitch helped us reflect on the earlier sections of Isaiah 49, highlighting the back-and-forth between God’s people and God: His people cry out in despair, and He responds with comfort and the promise of a hopeful restoration.

The book of Isaiah can be divided into two sections: Chapters 1-39 and Chapters 40-66. Chapters 1-39, set before the exile, serve as a prophetic warning that Israel's selfish, godless vision of life will lead to being overrun by foreign powers. Chapters 40-66 address God's people after their exile, offering a prophetic vision of God's restoration. Isaiah 49 falls within this second section, presenting a vision of restoration for those who hope in Him. While in Babylonian exile, God's people are tempted to narrow their vision of rescue and restoration. They focus on mere survival in captivity, the restoration of their national identity, or simply overcoming their human oppressors.

We’re all tempted by a narrow vision of restoration. Sometimes, we focus on what serves our own self-interests—our comfort, our survival, or just easing our daily struggles. We might think about restoring our future, securing our retirement, or leaving a legacy for our kids. But, in a bigger sense, we can also get caught in thinking that restoration is just about the here and now—about going back to what we already know, rather than something better. We start to believe there's little hope for anything beyond what we’ve already experienced. We feel like we have to handle everything ourselves, solve our problems with our own power. This narrow vision of life and restoration keeps us focused on control and what’s familiar. It doesn’t leave space for the suffering we face or the misunderstandings of others. It doesn’t give us wisdom for dealing with oppression, and it pushes us to fight through it on our own. It’s a limited vision of hope and restoration.

While we’re often presented with a narrow vision of the future, God’s word in Isaiah 49 offers us something greater. In Isaiah 49:14-26, God gives His people in exile a vision of restoration—one far beyond what they could imagine. When we view this through the life of Jesus, we see God’s vision of restoration more clearly for those who hope in Him.

Throughout Isaiah 49, we encounter a God who suffers for His people. And through Jesus, we get a clearer picture of God’s suffering. Jesus reveals the clearest picture of God and His character: The Son [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). In Isaiah 49:14-26, God shows us how His suffering points to a greater vision of restoration, one far bigger than anything we can imagine for our future.As we view this passage through the life of Jesus, we see how Jesus’ suffering highlights God’s greater vision of restoration. Jesus’ suffering shows us a vision far beyond mere survival for God’s people, whether in ancient times or today. It’s a vision greater than preserving a national identity, numbing ourselves to pain, or simply defeating oppressors. It’s a vision where all people can be restored to the abundant life God created them to live. It’s a vision where God carries us through oppression and overcomes forces beyond just flesh-and-blood oppressors.

Interpreting Isaiah 49:14-26 through the life of Jesus shows us that God’s vision is greater than our narrow view of the good life. Specifically, Jesus’ suffering—His deep commitment to love and call all people to life in His Heavenly Father, even to the point of death on the cross—highlights that God’s people in exile were not forsaken or forgotten, and neither are we today. Jesus’ suffering also shows that plunder can be taken from warriors and captives can be rescued from the fierce. It reveals that the forces behind flesh-and-blood oppressors—sin and death—can be overcome.

When it’s hard for us to see this greater vision, God has given us the life of Jesus and the example of His suffering to re-describe reality for us. Jesus’ suffering shows us that there’s more to life than just our immediate issues. It’s not that our issues don’t matter—they do. But there are greater things that need to be addressed in order to fully restore us. And that’s what Jesus’ suffering helps us see.

Jesus’ suffering helps us to see the bigger picture of what God is doing. Jesus’ suffering highlights God’s greater vision of restoration. That God has not forgotten you. That God wants all people to be restored. And God wants to overcome sin and death. Jesus’ suffering highlights God’s greater vision of restoration.

In our age of text communication, has anyone ever shown you their phone or screen and asked for your thoughts on a text exchange they’ve had? At first, you’re just trying to figure out the context of the conversation: who started it, who responded, how they replied, and so on. As we reflect on Isaiah 49:14-26, it’s helpful to remember that this part of the prophecy is like a text thread. It’s a dialogue between the despairing cries of God’s people in exile and God’s response to those cries.

Isaiah 49:14-26 captures two parts of this back-and-forth dialogue. In verse 14, God’s people, personified as Zion, cry out to the Lord, feeling forsaken and forgotten by Him. Zion refers to a mountain in Jerusalem where the temple of God was built. Over time, it came to represent the city and the physical place where God’s presence dwelled among His people. For more context, see 2 Samuel 5:6-7 and Psalm 48:1-2. In Isaiah 49:14, Zion represents the people who still identify with Jerusalem and worship the Lord in exile. The dialogue continues with the Lord’s response in verses 15-23.

Right now, our youngest is four, so we’re a little removed from the newborn stages of parenting. But I remember when our three kids were infants, and it was amazing how Julia instinctively cared for them. I’m pretty sure she could feed a baby in her sleep. Having carried each child in her body, and each one needing her for daily nourishment, there’s a connection to our kids that I, as a father, will never fully experience. It seems incomprehensible that a mother could ever forget her child. We even see this instinct in the animal world. While this behavior is normal for most, I know it’s not the case for everyone. Some of us haven’t had a mother who always remembered us. Some of us have been forsaken by our mothers, and for us, it’s hard to relate to this metaphor God uses in His response.

When accused of forsaking and forgetting his people in exile, God gives the metaphor of a mother never forgetting or forsaking her child. Notice that even God leaves room for the unfortunate reality, that it’s possible for a mother to even forget or forsake her child, though she may forget… (Is. 49:15) But the good news for everyone to hear – here is that God promises he WILL NEVER forget those who place their hope in him, Though [a mother] may forget, I will not forget you! (Is. 49:15) God shows that He is mindful of His people more than the best mother is mindful of her children. What God reveals here is that he is mindful of his people – more than the best mother is mindful of her children.

It wasn’t uncommon in the cultures during Isaiah’s time for captors or slave masters to mark their captives or slaves with a symbol on their hands to show who they belonged to. This mark served as a constant reminder of who they were tied to. While this form of identification was oppressive, God turns it around. He declares that He has marked His people on the palms of His hands. No one else marked Him this way—God chose to mark Himself to show His mindfulness of His people. God has marked those who place their hope in Him on the palms of His hands.

I’m always amazed when I re-read the capacity signs for this room and the youth room down the hall. This room has a capacity of 200 people. The youth room down the hall has an unconcentrated (seated) capacity of 84 people, but it can hold 184 people standing. The youth room is maybe half, or even a third, the size of this room, yet it can hold almost as many people as this room. The youth room has the potential to hold more people than you’d think for its size. That imagery is what God uses in His continued response to His people in Isaiah 49:18-21. God promises to restore His people and bring them back from exile, to the point where their descendants will say, “this place is too small.” (Is. 49:20)

The 1998 film, Saving Private Ryan gruesomely captures the fierce and seemingly unstoppable German war machine during World War II. The beach scene of the movie, alone, captures the sense of how little odds there were for anyone or anything to stop the power and force of Hitler’s Germany. One by one by one soldiers are killed before they ever reach the beach. It seems like there is no way this power and force will be overtaken.

In Isaiah 49:24, God’s people respond to His promise of restoration with doubt, Can plunder be taken from warriors, or captives be rescued from the fierce?” (Isaiah 49:24). Having been exiled, forced to adopt a new cultural identity, and start life over in a foreign land, God’s people struggle to imagine how their captors can be plundered or defeated. They can’t see how their oppressors can be stripped of their power. But God sees what they cannot. He knows that the ruthless power of their captors won’t last, that He is more powerful than those forces, and that one day, the tables will turn, and the oppression their captors once imposed will come back on them. 

The prophetic dialogue in Isaiah 49:14-26 initially gave hope to God’s people that He had not forgotten them, that they would return to the Promised Land, that their captors would be overcome, and they would be released back to their land. And all of this came true: God did not forget them in exile. He brought them back to the Promised Land through leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah. And He moved their captors to release them through Persian leaders like Cyrus and Artaxerxes I. 

While these were short-sighted fulfillments of God’s promises, when viewed through the lens of Jesus’ life, the promises of God’s restoration in Isaiah 49:14-26 take on much greater depth. In Isaiah 49:14, God’s people accused Him of forsaking and forgetting them. While it’s understandable that their immediate concern is their own well-being, God’s concern is far greater. The people’s vision of restoration is self-centered, focused only on their own rescue, while God’s vision is global. Their vision is limited to their immediate rescue, but God’s vision includes their rescue and the rescue of all people.

On this side of history, we have the benefit of knowing that God is up to so much more than just restoring people to a piece of land in the Mediterranean. He is actively working to move and shape the forces and powers of the world to restore all people to abundant life in His presence— in His Kingdom, with Him as King, ruler, and Lord. This is a far bigger vision of restoration than the people in Isaiah’s time were anticipating. To them, it seemed like God had forsaken and forgotten them. They were in a foreign land, among foreign people, with no way to restore themselves. Their only hope was God. But since He hadn’t yet acted, they accused Him of forgetting them. But in light of what we know through Jesus, we see that God hadn’t forgotten them. He was orchestrating a much greater restoration for His people—and for all people, if they would turn to Him for rescue.

In Isaiah 49, God suffers being misunderstood. He allows His people to voice their doubts and accuse Him of things that aren’t true. But He doesn’t let their narrow vision derail His bigger plan. How often is this the case in our relationship with God too? We accuse Him of forgetting and forsaking us, and God bears those accusations—He suffers our misunderstanding and limited perspective, all so He can continue working and help us see the greater restoration He has in store for us.

We see that God suffers our misunderstandings so much that He’s willing to meet us in our sufferings. He took on flesh as Jesus, entering into the limitations of humanity and even suffering death. He highlighted His mindfulness with the scars on His palms—all to help us understand how mindful He is of our need for rescue from a greater threat: sin and death. Those who have placed their hope in the God revealed in Jesus may already see the connection between Isaiah 49 and the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. Jesus intentionally suffered and took marks on the palms of His hands to demonstrate His mindfulness, care, and love for all people. He was willing to suffer for anyone, to make us aware of His Heavenly Father and the restoration to abundant life that is available to us. Some depictions of Jesus’ crucifixion show the nail marks in the middle of His hands, but it’s more likely that Jesus was nailed at the palms or the base of His hands. Regardless, the connection stands—Jesus’ suffering and death clearly show how God marked His commitment to His people on His hands.

This past Tuesday, our oldest son, Pace, had some long-overdue dental work done at Children’s Hospital. It was the first time he needed anesthesia, so it was a new experience for him—and for us as his parents, since we weren’t sure how he’d handle it. While Pace was in the procedure, Julia and I sat in the waiting area. I was fairly at ease, but Julia was in knots. She couldn’t be with Pace, couldn’t ask questions along the way, and was only given limited information about how things were going. True to the motherly imagery in Isaiah, Julia couldn’t possibly forget her child. And even more so, she suffered emotionally, mentally, and physically for him—because she is so committed to him. Even more so, through Jesus' death, we see that God is so mindful of us that He’s willing to suffer to show us that reality, even to the point of death. Through Jesus, we see more clearly how God suffered to bring a greater restoration to our lives. But God is far more aware of our need for rescue than we are. We think we just need rescue from our current pain, personal issues, or political struggles. But God sees there’s a bigger issue that needs to be addressed, so we can be restored to His abundant life.

Through the suffering of Jesus, we understand in the background of Isaiah 49:14-26 is God present and active – working to take captive an even greater captor than human rulers and authorities. Paul, the writer of Ephesians, notes that there is an even greater power that we’re held captive to, Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:11-12) Paul writes further in Colossians, When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15) And finally the writer of Hebrews ties this together even further, Since the children have flesh and blood, he too [Jesus] shared in their [our] humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those [of us] who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15) Our struggle is not with flesh-and-blood rulers, but spiritual ones. And through the suffering of Jesus, we see that God, even in Isaiah’s time, was bearing with the flesh-and-blood oppressors of His people, knowing they were misled by spiritual forces and powers. They were driven by a fear of death, but sin and death are the real threats that need to be overcome in bringing about a greater restoration of our lives.

Jesus' suffering highlights God’s greater vision of restoration. His suffering shows that sin, death, and the forces of evil had to be exhausted and overcome by the resurrection power of God. This is also what made the overpopulation of God’s people in Isaiah 49 possible. We see that this overpopulation comes from multiple generations, with all people—Jews and non-Jews—being welcomed into God’s future, “See, I will beckon to the nations, I will lift up my banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their hips. (Isaiah 49:22) and Isaiah 49:26, Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” (Isaiah 49:26) We catch a glimpse of this fulfillment in Acts as Jews and non-Jews comes to follow Jesus, where it says in fulfillment of what the prophet Joel also prophecies, “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ (Acts 2:17-21) This is similar to the declaration Paul makes in Philippians 2, …that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10-11) God will not forget those who place their hope in him. He will not falter in adding people into his restoration. He will not falter in having every knee bow and recognize his Lordship over all things. And all of that is made known and highlighted through the suffering of Jesus. God will stop at nothing to accomplish this!

The response that God invites the exiles to make to his promise of restoration in Isaiah 49:18 is to lift up [their] eyes and look around…. (Isaiah 49:17) Look beyond yourself to see the greater restoration God is bringing about. Look beyond yourself to Jesus – to see in greater detail what God’s greater restoration is all about. In the end, God says the people will be amazed at what they once thought impossible: The coming generations who find restoration in the Lord will ask, “Who bore me these? I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and rejected. Who brought these up? I was left all alone, but these—where have they come from?” (Isaiah 49:21). We have the benefit of encountering Jesus in this prophetic promise. We see more clearly what God is doing by viewing his actions through the suffering of Jesus. Jesus’ suffering highlights God’s greater vision of restoration.

Lift up your eyes to Jesus.
Do you have a short-sighted vision of restoration in your life? Is your vision just about immediate fixes, just about getting through the next day? Do you lack hope beyond the immediate relief of your suffering? If so, I invite you to lift up your eyes and look to Jesus. Allow his suffering to open your eyes to the greater vision of restoration God has for you. Lift up your eyes to Jesus and see that he is committed – to the point of death – for you. Lift up your eyes to see that he desires all people, including you, to be restored to abundant life with him. Lift up your eyes to see that he desires to overcome the forces and powers causing you to suffer and live without hope. If you’re ready to explore how to take a step of faith toward Jesus, please find me or another trusted follower of Jesus to help guide you in that step.

Lift up your eyes to Jesus’ suffering.
If you’ve already surrendered your life to Jesus, what vision of restoration is guiding you forward each day? Is it the narrow vision the world tempts you to have? Or is it the greater vision of God, highlighted in the suffering of Jesus? Lift up your eyes to Jesus' suffering, and see God’s greater vision of restoration. I invite you to view the world through the lens of Jesus' suffering. Allow his suffering to highlight how committed God is to restoring you to his abundant life. Allow Jesus' suffering to reveal a greater restoration, not just for your life or this country, but for all people coming to experience abundant life in him.

While Jesus’ suffering highlights God’s greater vision of restoration for us, as followers of Jesus, we are called to extend that same suffering on behalf of others – so they can see the greater restoration God has for them in Jesus. How is God’s Spirit calling you to suffer with Jesus? How is God’s Spirit calling you to bear the misunderstandings of others, like he did? How is God’s Spirit calling you to be so committed to someone coming to know Jesus that it’s as if their name is marked on your palm?

God’s greater vision of restoration disrupts our narrow view and invites us into a fuller vision of restoration in Jesus. It calls us to be an uncommon presence with others, bearing their ignorance, misunderstanding, or even judgment, as we walk alongside them to guide and point them to the abundant life found in Jesus. Jesus' suffering highlights the greater vision of God's restoration.

2 Peter - Preparing for What's Next: Holiness Readies You to Rejoice When Jesus Renews the World (2 Peter 3:14-18)

2 Peter - Preparing for What’s Next
2 Peter 3:14-18
Jordan Byrd

O no! I didn’t study for this question?! Uh… Uh… Uh… I think it’s this [write]?! Have you had that feeling in school, whether grade school, high school, college, driver’s test, or job training? If you prepare well for a test, you rejoice when you get the answers right. You’re studying and preparation is validated. And you have clarity that you know the information. If you don’t prepare well, you are relieved when you get a test score back that just passes. You may wish you’d prepared better. It would have led to a more celebratory reaction to the score, than the mere feeling of relief – the feeling of just getting through.

I had a professor in college, who only gave written exams. So, every student had to study, prepare – ready – themselves to take his tests. If a student prepared well for his test, a passing grade was a rejoicing moment – it wa a feeling of gratitude to have passed, but also accompanied with a feeling of validation – that he or she actually learned something – that he or she was ready for the material that would come next. If a student didn’t prepare well for his test, a passing grade was just a relief –  it was a feeling of gratitude to have passed, but also accompanied with a feeling of inadequacy – that he or she didn’t learn much – that he or she was behind for the material that would come next. 

It’s possible to pass a test – to squeak by on an exam, yet still feel very different about the end result. One is a feeling of rejoicing. The other is a feeling of relief. One is a feeling of ecstasy. The other is a feeling of humility. While both scenarios reach a passing grade, the difference between the feeling of ecstasy and the feeling of humility is generally the preparation that preceded the test. Studying ahead of time – to approach the judgment of the test – is what readies a person to be confident during the test and what leads to rejoicing after the test. This example can help paint a picture for the overall content of 2 Peter, and specifically the conclusion of this letter that we encounter in 2 Peter 3:14-18.

Much of the letter is a contrast between 2 approaches to life. One approaches life by preparing for what happens when Jesus rights the world. The other approaches life by not preparing for what happens when Jesus rights the world. One prepares for what’s happening next. The other doesn’t. In 2 Peter 3:14 the audience of the letter is encouraged “to make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with [God].” A simpler way to capture this idea is holiness – living according to God’s word – living like Jesus instructs and models.

Holiness, or living like Jesus, can often be distorted as an optional subscription tier in our personal theologies: Where we’re ok with affirming beliefs ABOUT God and Jesus, but actually LIVING LIKE GOD (godliness) seems burdensome or pointless, and not worth our investment. And according to God’s word in the letter of 2 Peter, this temptation arises when we don’t view the world through the timeline of God’s story. If we fall for the temptation that there is nothing better than what we experience in life, right now, then, we’ll be prone to live for now – trying to get the most out of life that we can. And with this perspective of life, holiness, or living like Jesus – is a hindrance: a hindrance to our selfish pursuits and pleasures – a hindrance to our immediate enjoyment in life.

Behind this distorted worldview are two theologies that often emerge: One, correctly denies that moral actions can earn entry into God’s future, BUT it overcorrects, leading one to just affirm God’s truth mentally and avoid living it out. The other rejects moral absolutes altogether, believing that if God is gracious, then it doesn’t matter what a person believes or how they live, because we’ll all end up in the same future. Both of these approaches leave room for God’s future to still be the truth, but downplay the importance of morality on earth now – living like Jesus on earth – now.

This is the same temptation the original audience of 2 Peter faced. They were faced with people distorting the truth of God that God had brought freedom by his grace through faith in Jesus, and that freedom was an open door to now do whatever one pleases. 2 Peter’s audience faced the same temptation to believe that living like Jesus – pursuing holiness — was burdensome, pointless, and not worth the investment.

But God’s word in 2 Peter gives a counter perspective. Overall, 2 Peter presents a view of the world where God is present and active – in creation and beyond space and time. 2 Peter reveals a world that is separated from the life of God, leading to its corruption and hopelessness. 2 Peter reveals a God who stepped into the mess of our world to show us how to life to the fullest – that God HAS…, IS…, and WILL make a way for all who entrust their life to him – to live in a world made right. 2 Peter presents a view of the world congruent with the rest of the Scriptures that the only SURE way to enter into a world made right is THROUGH Jesus.

In 2 Peter 3:18, Peter reminds his audience that any hope of living in the world made right by Jesus is IN the GRACE of JESUS. There is nothing any person could ever do morally to bring themselves into God’s future. It’s only in God’s grace.

The good news that 2 Peter 3:14-18 reminds us of is the PEACE and SECURITY we can have by entrusting our WHOLE life to Jesus – to bring us into the world he’s making right. By faithfully entrusting our lives to Jesus we can be readily confident that we will enter God’s future, where wrong is righted. This confidence is where God’s future intersects with holiness now. Holy living – making every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with God (as 2 Peter 3:14 says) – is what prepares, or readies us – now to rejoice in God’s presence later when he rights all wrongs and removes all of the corruption and temptation that keeps us apart from his full and abundant life.

2 Peter 3:14-18 invites us to prepare ourselves to rejoice when Jesus rights the world. 2 Peter 3:14-18 invites us to make ourselves ready to rejoice when Jesus renews the world. Holiness readies you to rejoice when Jesus renews the world.

We had a situation this past week where one of donuts that we got in memory of Julia’s late niece was ate, but no-one in our house owned-up to eating it. With our kids, the bigger overall issue we tried to communicate was that we wanted the culprit to just tell the truth to confess – to make the truth known, instead of hiding it,  and distorting it.

In an ideal sense, being pure, spotless, blameless, or perfect in one’s actions is the Godly and Biblical aim. However, in a world impacted by sin, we understand the concept of being “blameless” in relation to God's redemption. In the example of the donut and my kids, we wanted our kids to understand that taking something that wasn’t theres was wrong, but grace was available, if they confessed the truth. Our grace in the situation, made it possible for redemption – to return to a blameless state. So too, when we own up to our moral failures with God, we are participating in becoming blameless again – becoming holy, as 1 John 1:9 describes, If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and PURIFY us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Vulnerably taking responsibility for our choices, and going to God who can make it right.

Becoming like God, the source of right and wrong is a call given all throughout Scripture: Leviticus 19:2 - Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. Matthew 5:48 – Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 1 Peter 1:15-16 – But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. 1 John 3:3 – purify [yourselves], just as [God] is pure. God’s word calls us to pursue a godly life – to pursue a life like the God revealed in Jesus’ life. In a similar sense, that is what 2 Peter is calling for when it says to make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with God. Peter is saying: “:Stay in close relationship with the source of right and wrong: God – through faith in Jesus and living like Jesus.” You won’t do things perfectly every time. But, that doesn’t change the standard of right and wrong to shoot for. As you entrust more and more of your life and choices to God, he will lead and guide and transform you to more and more consistently make the right choice. The more you move toward godliness, the more you can be transformed to live that way consistently. It’s not by your effort ALONE, but the synergy of your participation with God’s ability to make right what was wrong.

Stephen Curry is considered one of the greatest NBA, 3 point shooters of all time. His proficient 3 point shot has drastically changed the game of basketball, where all ages are trying to make long-range shots, like Steph Curry. It is reported that after a normal team practice, it’s not unusual for Curry by himself to shoot an additional 300-500 shots – all to hone his basketball shooting skills. While to many of us, Curry may seem to have the 3 point shot perfected. Curry knows there is always more room for him to grow. He grows his skills – to be more complete as a basketball player.

In a similar sense, this is how the pursuit of holiness is for followers of Jesus. Throughout the Bible, living like Jesus is something we’ll always have room to grow in, until He sets the world right. Philippians 1:6 captures this well, …being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to COMPLETION until the day of Christ Jesus. See also: James 1:4; Hebrews 10:14; Ephesians 4:13; Hebrews 12:2; and 1 John 3:2. 2 Peter 3:18 captures this same idea when it says, …grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And this is within the context of Peter looking forward to the day of Christ Jesus, like Philppians 1:6 references.

Think back to the test-taking scenario I presented earlier. Which student is more likely to be at peace entering the test. The one who prepared – the one who grew? Or the one who didn’t prepare – the one who did grow? The one who prepared and grew, because he or she readied themself for the day of testing.

Similarly, 2 Peter is pointing toward a day of testing. The day of the Lord, a time when God will purify anything that is not of his abundant and righteous life. Pursuing holiness now can be arduous because it’s difficult to see the full, complete picture of what godly living looks like in a world not yet made right. But, if we view living holy through the lens of anticipating God’s future in the present, holy living is training or preparation for the day when we’ll be able to completely live into the abundant life of God. Holiness prepares us now for the purifying fire of God’s righteousness when he rights the world. Holiness readies our life for the day of testing. And if we’re readied by holy living now, the day of testing will be a day of rejoicing for us. It will be a day of celebrating that the God is renewing the world. A day of validating that Jesus’ way was the right way to live all along. A day of clarity and being perfected to most fully live out the right way of God in eternity – completing what we could never do all on our own. It’s in this sense, that 2 Peter can describe the Lord’s patience as salvation. It’s a time for us to ready ourselves to live into the future when Jesus renews the world. It’s a time to anticipate the rejoicing we will feel because we’ve been readied for what’s next in God’s perfect future. But what about someone who doesn’t pursue holy living? This is one of the age-old questions. What about someone who doesn’t live for Jesus?

The past couple of weeks have been interesting with freezing temperatures and icy conditions. In November for my birthday, my family got me slip-on tracks for my boots – to help me walk on snow and ice. Last Saturday night, I chose to not wear them when I walked our dog. And half-way through our walk, I slipped on a sheet of snow-covered ice. I went straight to my back. When I encountered the ice, I had unstable footing. I could have chosen to wear the tracks for my shoes, and have stability. But I chose not to, and it left me without confidence to walk on ice. In a sense, that is what 2 Peter 3:17 is saying about our question: “What about someone who doesn’t live for Jesus?” God has only revealed one way to be in the world he makes right, and that’s by entrusting your life to Jesus. As Acts 4:11-12 says, Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”  There is only one way to God’s future, and it’s being united to the death and resurrection of Jesus, as Paul describes in Romans 6:4-7, We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. For most of us here, we’ve been presented with this choice, and it’s up to us to unite to Jesus, or not. What this boils down to is that entrusting your life to Jesus is the most secure and stable way to face the day when God makes everything right. Without Jesus, like me without my boot tracks, you’re living on unsure footing. You’re unstable. You’re lacking stability as you approach the future. You’re lacking confidence in your readiness to enter into God’s renewed world.

We often get hung-up on what’s the minimum someone needs to do to be saved by Jesus. Throughout Scripture, we’re given an ideal. The conversions of the New Testament include: belief in Jesus as Lord, confession of sin, repentance (pursuing Jesus’ way), expressing this faith in baptism, and pursuit of holy living – living like Jesus. What happens if one of those dynamics is missing? We only have God’s word to go off of. We know that God is gracious: Exodus 34:6 – “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness….” Psalm 103:8 – “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” James 5:11 – “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” We know that God is waiting to right the world, so that as many people as possible have the chance to entrust their life to Jesus: 2 Peter 3:9 says, The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Romans 10:13-15a says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?” The closest example we have of how God is gracious to someone who barely responded to faith in Jesus is the thief on the cross at Jesus’ crucifixion. Luke 23:42-43 – …he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” While this doesn’t explain every question we have, it does at least give a glimmer of hope that there is the possibility for the most basic clinging to the grace of Jesus that places someone with Jesus to enter into God’s future. But it’s not the IDEAL, or the most confident  and secure position to enter into God’s future.

As mentioned earlier, for someone who has readied themself – by pursuing holiness during their life, the day of God righting the world will be a day of rejoicing – a day to be anticipated. For someone like the thief on the cross, who does not appear to have readied himself much who did not make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with God until his final breaths – it’s more likely that he on the day God rights the world will have the feeling of reverent relief – relief that he barely entered into God’s renewed world. The feeling of reverent humility that most of his life on earth was not readied for rejoicing on this day. Both responses are reliant on Jesus, but only one was ready (or prepared) for the future to come. Both responses endured the day of testing – the day of God’s refining fire to make everything right. But only one enters that time prepared in confidence, while the other enters unprepared by the skin of their teeth.

Holiness is worth the investment now, as it gives you confidence and peace to rejoice when God renews the world. We live in a cultural context that doesn’t value holiness, or living a moral life, like Jesus. But God’s word reminds us that it’s worth it. 2 Peter reminds us of the peace, confidence, and security we can have as we face death and the day of the Lord, when he rights all that’s wrong. 2 Peter reminds us that holiness readies us for the future by living the way of God’s future now; and living with joyful anticipation of the day when holiness won’t be arduous, but will be the normal and good way of life each and every day of God’s renewed world. Holiness readies you to rejoice when Jesus renews the world.

How ready are you to enter God’s renewed world? Have you forgotten about Jesus and his way of life? God has given you the opportunity to know the surest way to enter God’s renewed world: by entrusting your life to Jesus. If you’d like to explore further how to entrust your life to Jesus, please find me or another trusted follower of Jesus, and we’d be glad to help you discern your next step of faith.

If you’ve already entrusted your life to Jesus – uniting your life to his through faith in baptism how would you evaluate your readiness to enter Jesus’ renewed world? Are you ready to rejoice when Jesus renews the world? Are you currently being tempted and lured away from God’s future to pursue worldly interests and pleasures? If so, God’s word invites you to repent repent from living apart from God. Maybe you intellectually believe, but your life doesn’t reflect Jesus – holiness. If so, repent – turn and start following Jesus and living like him. Are you prideful? Believing you don’t need God to change you to be like him – holiness. If that’s you, God’s word invites you to repent of your pride. Humble yourself before God, and seek the way of Jesus. Seek greater understanding from his Word – by meeting consistently with Jesus. Being vulnerable before God and others, to allow yourself to be shaped further into the way of Jesus – as we call each other toward the truth and hope of his way. Are you complacent? Be honest with God that you just haven’t made holiness a priority in your life. If that’s you, God’s word invites you to repent of your complacency and start making every effort – with the Spirit of God’s help – to pursue holiness – the way of Jesus.

How is God calling you to repent from the priorities of the world to pursue the way of Jesus – to pursue holiness? God wants to ready you to rejoice when he renews the world. He doesn’t want you to just be relieved that you enter his renewed world by the skin of your teeth. He wants you to anticipate that day with joy. Holiness readies you to rejoice when Jesus renews the world.

2 Peter - Preparing for What’s Next: God’s Timing & the New Creation (2 Peter 3:8-13)

2 Peter - Preparing for What’s Next
2 Peter 3:8-13
Jordan Byrd

Are you fascinated with knowing what goes on behind the scenes of a: movie, sports team, how a product is made? The past couple of weeks, the Cleveland Browns defensive end, pass-rusher, Miles Garret has made sports headlines vocalizing that he’d like to be traded. The local sports shows here have been talking about the pros and cons of the Bills trying to trade for the top-end pass-rusher. I was curious, and wanted to know why Miles Garret is considered to be so good. So, I took a look behind the scenes, and viewed some of his stats. A particular stat that stood out is that, when the ball was hiked for a play, Garret left his stance and crossed the line of scrimmage, within and average 0.70-second. That means when the ball is hiked, Garret is already infiltrating the offense’s territory in under a second – “one–one thou…” – and he’s already across the line.

What makes Garrett stand out from other players? What else is going on that makes him able to respond so well to a play? There is one quality that Garret has that maybe gets missed, amidst his athleticism. This quality is beyond or behind the scenes of his rushing action. And that quality is “being ready.” Garrett is a ball of energy ready to be released instantly.

A pass rusher has to be disciplined in how they jump to action. If they take off too early, it leads to an offside penalty. But even before a pass-rusher takes off during a play, they are not passive. A pass rusher, like Garrett, when in his stance is actively readying to do something. What we’re really describing here is patience: The full ability to respond, but wisely discerning when to respond to a situation.

A number of years ago, a neighborhood development arose to become many familys’ slice of the American Dream. Yet over time, residents began experiencing health issues, including high rates of miscarriages and strange rashes.  At first, these issues were dismissed as isolated coincidences. Not everyone in the neighborhood was having issues, so there seemed to be no reason to look further into the situation. Unfortunately, the health issues got worse, enough to the point that a local teacher began investigating further. What eventually was uncovered is that toxic chemicals were buried beneath the community years earlier. The discovery of these chemicals led to greater and greater concern to where the community was evaluated, and the land became the location of the first and one of the most prominent Superfund pollution clean-up sites in the U.S. You might more directly know this site as Love Canal, southeast of the city of Niagara Falls.

Like the teacher who wondered if something more was going on at Love Canal, so also, we often wonder the same kind of thing about life in general: Is there something else going on behind the scenes of our chaotic lives – of this chaotic world? In pessimistic, negative ways, our minds wonder to ideas like: A secret cabal. Or the deep state. Or maybe broader: Demonic forces controlling people. Or karmic forces. Or the misalignment of the planets, causing the world to be how chaotic, like it is. But none of these are hopeful outcomes. All of these are hopeless outcomes, where CHAOS… STILL… HAPPENS. The audience of 2 Peter were in a similar situation. Their life is chaotic, it’s been chaotic before, and it just seems like it will stay chaotic. And the overriding temptation of their day is that nothing was going to change. That chaos would always continue, so LIVE IT UP NOW, before it catches up to you, and destroys your life too. With this worldview, there was no reason to pursue a moral life. There was no reason to care about others. There was no reason to love, be joyful, to be peaceful, be patient, be kind, be gentle, be good, or be self-controlled. All those pursuits did, was hold a person back, from experience all they could in life, BEFORE THEY DIED.

But 2 Peter 3:8-13 is God’s word saying this is not the full picture of life. 2 Peter 3:8-13 highlights that there is something more going on behind the scenes. 2 Peter highlights that there is a spiritual reality happening beyond what we see as humans with our limited perspective. And the good news we encounter in 2 Peter 3:8-13 is that God is actively readying to address the chaos we encounter in our lives, and in the world. The punch of 2 Peter 3:8-13 is that there is something more going on than just the chaotic forces of the world.

God is readying to set the world right.

2 Peter 3:8-13 highlights and reminds us of the good news and perspective that God is readying to set the world right. And God’s word invites us to respond to this good news by living in the paradoxical idea of: waiting and hastening. Waiting for God to set the world right – trusting in his judgment and timing to do so. And hastening God to set the world right – living now, as it will be when God rights the world – living in anticipation of the future. Readying yourself and readying others for when God will set the world right? 2 Peter 3:8-13 invites us to affirm the truth that: God is readying to set the world right. God is readying to set the world right. And Respond to this revealed truth readying ourselves and others for God to set the world right?

Even if you’ve never seen the Wizard of Oz, you’ve likely heard a phrase from it referencing “the man behind the curtain.” In the movie, Dorothy, tin man, the lion, and scarecrow bring the broom of the wicked-witch of the west to the Wizard of Oz. While they are talking back and forth with the wizard, Dorothy’s dog, Toto pulls back a nearby curtain to reveal just a man – talking into a microphone and pulling levers – to which Dorothy and her crew are SHOCKED. But the man behind the curtain even says, “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!” LOL. As if they’ll just keep believing what they knew about the wizard before he was revealed.

In 2 Peter 3:10 the language used is similar to this scene from the Wizard of Oz. In verse 10 it says, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be LAID BARE.” (2 Peter 3:10)

In Isaiah 34:1-4 we encounter similar language to 2 Peter 3:10, “Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it! The Lord is angry with all nations; his wrath is on all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter. Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will stink; the mountains will be soaked with their blood. All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens ROLLED UP like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.” (Isaiah 34:4)

Isaiah 34:4 helps us see the language of 2 Peter 3:10 as metaphorical. Similar to how we use metaphorical language to captures complex ideas: like saying Superman is faster than a speeding bullet. A speeding bullet wording helps us to picture how fast Superman can be. It’s not saying Superman is a speeding bullet. But a descriptor of what is happening when Superman flies. In Isaiah 34:4 and 2 Peter 3:10, the cosmic changes described help depict something drastic happening in reality. When we look up at the sky, we see the heavens. But what’s beyond what we can see? Language like the heavens being removed, help paint the picture that there is something more going on beyond what we can only see from our limited perspective. God’s word in these passages is revealing what is going on behind what we can’t see.

In Isaiah 34 and 2 Peter 3, God reveals that he is present and active – that he is actively readying to set the world right – to deal with the chaos. 2 Peter’s audience is reminded that God is not letting chaos reign. God is like a pass-rusher, He’s in his stance – readying to set the world right. God is all set to right the world, when the right time comes. And when it happens, it will be like a thief in the night. UNEXPECTED and INSTANT action – to right the world from chaos.

What’s emphasized to us in 2 Peter 3 is that God is fully capable and able to deal with the chaos of our lives and of the world. So, why isn’t he… NOW?! The answer we’re given is that God is waiting for the maximum number of people to respond to his offer of healing and restoration to abundant life in Jesus. From our perspective, we might be like, “It’s been long enough God.” “FIX IT NOW!” But God’s perspective is broader and wiser than ours. And in his wisdom, he knows when the right time to act will be. He’s readying to act, when the ball is hiked – when the most people possible have chosen fullness of life with God. And when that happens, God WILL ACT to set the world right.

If you’ve ever roasted a marshmallow over a fire for a s’more, you know there is a fine line between golden brown and burnt. Once a marshmallow hits a flame, it doesn’t take long for it to melt away. If a marshmallow falls into the fire, it quickly disappears into ash. This is a picture of what it’s like when God acts to set the world right: It will be instant, kike Miles Garret taking off after hearing, “hike!” Instantaneous. 2 Peter 3 is also a picture of what it’s like when God acts toward the chaos of the world: Throughout the Scriptures (Old and New Testaments), God is often associated with fire: God appears to Moses in a burning bush. God leads the Israelites through the dessert to the promised land by a pillar of fire at night time. The writer of Hebrews describes God as a consuming fire. God’s Spirit is often described as a fire:

The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. (Isaiah 4:4)

But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness…. (Malachi 3:2-3)

This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’” (Zechariah 13:9)

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:11-12)

They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:3-4)

…their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:6-7)

If we allow the Scriptures to interpret itself, we see here that the fiery and melting judgment described in 2 Peter 3:10 is a refining process. 2 Peter is describing – that when God sets the world right, his fire will melt away anything that is not of his abundant life. 

Part of what the language of 2 Peter points to, that we might miss, depending on the translation we’re reading/looking at, is that the “elements” that will be destroyed by fire can also point to heavenly bodies. Meaning, spiritual entities – like evil or demonic forces. When 2 Peter references the heavens disappearing, God being revealed, and the elements or heavenly bodies destroyed by fire – it is a reference to God pulling back the curtain on the chaotic forces of the world, to rid the world of them. What that doesn’t mean is destroying the world entirely, and entering into some non-earthly reality after this judgment. Rather, what 2 Peter describes is a refining process – through which the world will undergo. And, what is not connected to God through faith in Jesus, will be destroyed. But whatever is connected to God through faith in Jesus, will be resurrected in the same manner as the body of Jesus after his death on the cross. This resurrected reality will be the new heavens and new earth that 2 Peter describes. But it won’t be a return to the chaotic form we know right now. Rather, it will be the world set right – where righteousness dwells and chaos doesn’t.

2 Peter reveals the truth of reality that is difficult for us to see amidst the chaos of life: That: God is readying to set the world right. The question is, are we ready for such a life? Are those around us ready for such a life?

2 Peter invites us to respond to this good news by paradoxically waiting for and hastening this day. When we’re tempted to view life through constant chaos that will never change – we’re tempted to live like now is all there is. We’re tempted to: do all, get all, and experience all of life that we can – now – before we die, before this world ends. But God’s word invites us to believe that:

God is readying to set the world right. And believing that truth, means aligning our life with that destination – with that future. This means living with a broader perspective of life – a perspective that’s only possible by faith, by what God’s word in Jesus reveals. This means anticipating a world set right, by living that right way now – readying ourselves to live in a world set right. This means being loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, gentle, good, and self-controlled in a time when that all seems pointless – and a hindrance to getting the fullness out of life, now, before it’s gone, and it will seem pointless, without the broader perspective and belief that God will right the world for this kind of life to be possible. We pursue this life now as witness of what is to come by entrusting our future to God’s wise and restorative care. 2 Peter 3 is inviting us to consider if we’re living this way – if we’re readying ourselves for God to set the world right; and if we’re doing what we can to help ready others for God to set the world right – guiding them to be connected to God’s future, through faith in Jesus.

We can also think about this through our strategy as a church to guide all people to abundant life in Jesus, and asking ourselves What am I doing to invest sacrificially to ready myself and others for God’s future? (WORTH)

How am I investing sacrificially with my: Words, occupation, resources, time, and habits? Use “WORTH” to remember this: word, occupation, resources, time, and habits. How are your words an ongoing testimony to the future God is bringing about, and how you can live non-anxiously, with ready hope and not pessimism for the future? How might caring for your kids or performing your job be part of how God has called you to help ready others for God’s future? How might God be calling you to invest your money or use your property to help ready others for God’s future? How might God be calling you to fill your calendar to help ready you or others for God’s future? How are your daily actions, participating in readying you or others for God’s future?

God is readying to set the world right. Are you readying for God to set the world right?

If this is a newer view of life for you, and you’d like to explore further what a life with God, through faith in Jesus is all about, please find me or another trusted follower of Jesus to help you journey further in that process.

If you’ve already united your life to God, through faith in Jesus, God’s word in 2 Peter 3:8-13 invites you to affirm a hopeful outlook on life – that there is more going on, than what we just see from our limited perspective, that God is present and active behind the scenes, and soon enough the whole world will see what God is readying to do to set the world right, and counter the chaos once and for all! In affirming this belief, continue to WAIT for God to set the world right; and HASTEN – anticipate the day when God will set the world right. Ready yourself. Ready others – for God to set the world right. God is readying to set the world right. Are you readying for God to set the world right?

2 Peter: Preparing for What's Next - This Era Won't Last (2 Peter 3:1-7) - Byrd

2 Peter: Preparing for What’s Next - This Era Won’t Last
2 Peter 3:1-7
Jordan Byrd

This is a piece of guardrail. Many of you know Joe Ludwick as part of our congregation. Joe works with the New York State Department of Transportation. And part of his job is overseeing crews to install, maintain, and repair broken guardrail on state roads in our area. In asking him about the process of installing guardrail, Joe recalled the tragedy that occurred on The 198, near Delaware park in 2015, when a driver likely fell asleep, and their vehicle jumped over a median and into the park, and killed a 3-year-old boy in the process. Joe recalled that months before that accident, word had come down from the departments above him that guardrail should go up in the spot where the accident ended-up happening. The guardrail installation was stalled, due to pushback that the guardrail would mess with the aesthetics of the park. In the end, this tragic accident happened. No guardrail was in place to intervene at a moment of such chaos. 

This situation reflects how we’re often tempted to view life. Chaotic situations happen day-in, and day-out, and it never seems to change. It often seems like there’s no intervention in the chaos. And when life seems that way, it’s tempting to believe: That’s just how life is. IT’S THAT WAY NOW! IT’S BEEN THAT WAY BEFORE! IT’LL ALWAYS BE THIS WAY!

We have three kids that we adore: Pace, Towns, and Rhynn. But, before they were conceived, Julia and I went through a season of infertility. After constantly having trouble conceiving it was tempting to believe. This is just how it is. Nothing’s going to change. And it never will. This was a period of gloom. It was a season of soul-searching. It was an era of wrestling with where God was in the midst of that moment. Where was God to provide for us to participate in the original creation mandate, to “Be fruitful and increase in number….” (Genesis 1:28, NIV). We were desiring to be faithful to what God called us to be as a husband and wife, as a family – but it didn’t happen. It wasn’t happening. And seemed like it’d never happen. For us, this was an era where we were tempted to believe: GOD IS ABSENT AND INACTIVE. Life is chaotic. And, maybe that’s how life just is, and seeking God in this moment is worthless. 

Isn’t this how we all often feel about life some times? Life is chaotic. Life’s been chaotic before! Life’s chaotic now! Life will always be chaotic! And if life’s chaotic, it must mean God is absent and inactive. God doesn’t care. God is unable to do anything to intervene. God doesn’t want to intervene. BECAUSE CHAOS… JUST… KEEPS… HAPPENING! When this belief creeps into our lives, we make decisions one way or the other based on this belief. If we believe God isn’t going to step in, then we’ll doubt having faith in him; and we’ll move away from pursuing his way of life – we’ll be ok with loosening our morals or counter chaos with chaos: lies with lies, violence with violence, unhealthy desires with unhealthy pleasures. If we believe God is absent, then we won’t expect him to ever do anything; and we won’t seek him and ask him to intervene. Reality often seems like this: chaotic – that people being over and against each other, pursuing their own benefit over others is what is normal for life. Nothing will ever intervene. And why should we view life differently?

The audience of 2 Peter was faced with the same temptation to believe that: Life goes on in it’s chaotic form, and nothing has ever changed it. The audience was tempted to doubt belief that God will intervene to right what’s wrong. They were tempted to doubt Jesus will come back, as the Scriptures foretell. One example being Acts 1:11, This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11b)

But, God’s word in 2 Peter 3:1-7 presents an alternative to this temptation. 2 Peter 3:1-7 presents an alternative view of life; and how this view of life enables belief and ongoing trust that God is not absent – that God is not inactive amidst the chaos. 2 Peter 3:1-7 calls us to see life through the timeline of God’s active word. To view life through the lens of Scripture – God’s narrative.

Viewing history through God's actions enables us to have faith that God intervenes in the chaos.

Viewing history through God's actions enables us to keep trusting—having faith—that God HAS, IS, AND WILL intervene in the chaos. The perspective that every real intervention in the world's turmoil has always been impacted by God's spoken word IN ACTION. 2 Peter 3:1-7 calls us to believe that God’s word enables us to best make sense of the past, present, and future – that faith in Jesus enables us to navigate the chaos of life, even when it’s not obvious to us how God is at work.

Through faith in Jesus, know this era won’t last. God will intervene and bring change at last.

2 Peter reminds us of the good news that Through faith in Jesus we can know this era of chaos won’t last. God will intervene and bring change at last. Through faith in Jesus, know this era won’t last. God will intervene and bring change at last.

In our season of infertility, we had to remind ourselves, and others in the body of Christ reminded us in their own words – that God is not absent. God is not inactive. God loves us. God cares for us. And God is active in our lives and the world around us to bring about his best for us.

In 2 Peter 3:1-7, Peter is reminding his audience to not forget how God’s word has acted in the past, and how that is indicative of how he is acting right now, and how he will act in the future.

Don’t forget, this era of chaos won’t last.

On our own, and without faith in Jesus, and using his revelation as the lens through which we view life, we will only see the past, present, and future as unchanging, hopeless chaos. But through faith in Jesus, Peter reminds us to not forget that this era of chaos won’t last. God has time and time again, intervened in the chaos of this world. And we have his promise that he will still intervene and bring change at last. One example of this is Revelation 21:4-5, ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:4-5)

Through faith in Jesus, know this era won’t last. God will intervene and bring change at last.

When I was younger, my younger brother’s bedroom was in my parent’s basement. Being the basement, the sun didn’t intrude into his room very much. So, it was easy to think it wasn’t morning yet, with little light to indicate that. Beyond that, my brother was a deep sleeper. He is the kind of person who goes, goes, goes all day long, and then is OUT when goes to sleep. And when I say out, I mean OUT! I remember many times yelling from the top of the stairs for him to wake-up, and he never would. Many of those times, someone in my family would physically go down into his room, and tell him to wake up. And many times that still didn’t wake him up. Many times someone would have to gently shake his body to wake him up; and it was life the dead coming back to life, with a giant GASP of air and sudden alertness.

That imagery is what Peter is using when he writes, “Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to STIMULATE you to wholesome thinking.” (2 Peter 3:1)

Peter’s writing is intended to be the verbal equivalent of shaking his audience: “WAKE UP!” Saying, “THERE’S A DIFFERENT WAY TO VIEW LIFE than the worldview that says “everything is chaos” – the worldview that says, “nothing will ever be different.”

In the story I referenced earlier about the guardrail that was supposed to be installed on The 198, near Delaware Park, the intervention of the guardrail is a double-edged process. Joe and his team physically would install the guardrail – making it a physical reality. But that intervening action of installing the guardrail doesn’t start there. The intervening action starts with the authority of someone’s word – someone further up the chain of command from Joe and his team.

Peter is highlighting that this is how God’s word intervenes in the world. In 2 Peter 3:5,

 Peter points to how “long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being….” How the cosmos came into being by the spoken word of God. But God’s word isn’t just exhaled, invisible breath. God’s word intervenes into reality, with physical planets being shaped and formed. And Peter continues by noting how “...by God’s word… the earth was formed out of water and by water.” How the land and water became separated from each other by the spoken word of God. But again, God’s word isn’t just exhaled, invisible breath. God’s word intervenes into reality, with land physically being separated from the water. And Peter finally concludes this point by noting in 2 Peter 3:5-6, how, “...by God’s word… these waters… the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.” How God removed the barriers that kept water under the earth, and in the skies above; and removed his protection to intervene in the chaos caused by those who turned away from God in Noah’s day. The removal of this protection occurred by the spoken word of God. But again, God’s word isn’t just exhaled, invisible breath. God’s word intervenes into reality, with God’s intervening action in physical reality – with God intervening in this world against chaos.

2 Peter 3:7 continues this point by pointing to a future time when God will intervene against the chaos going on in the world right now. It was promised for Peter’s day, and it’s just as true for our day too. Overall, these verses, 2 Peter 3:5-7 point to a timeline of God’s intervention against the chaos in the world. These verses point toward a worldview where God constantly intervenes against the chaos of this world.

Creation → Fall → Redemption → Restoration

One simple way to capture this worldview is to look at the timeline of the world in four stages: Creation –- God creates everything. Fall – The world separates from life with God, and starts heading toward life-lessness. Redemption – God steps into history to intervene in this separation. This accounts for all that we encounter in the Bible after Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 through Jesus’ birth and death and resurrection. God intervening against the chaos of the world, even in the most intimate, personal manner. Restoration – God bringing new life out of chaos. God fulfilling his promise to right the world. God bringing change at last.

Peter is writing to his audience to GET THEIR ATTENTION to have faith and not forget that the timeline of God’s actions is reality – that this is the TRUE way to view the world – to continue believing that God WILL intervene in the chaos of this world, and eventually once and for all!

Sometimes in the collision repair process of a car a metal body part is repaired with a filler: scratches, dents, stuff like that. From far away, such a repair is probably unnoticeable. But someone with a good, critical eye can probably point-out a repair area. Such a person is able to tell the difference between what’s unblemished and what’s blemished – between what’s true and what’s false.

Peter uses similar language to compare the worldviews of the false teachers and scoffers of his audience’s context – when he writes in 2 Peter 3:1, Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to WHOLESOME thinking. (2 Peter 3:1)

“Wholesome” thinking unblemished, pure thinking. This is the concept of sifting – separating the useless from the useful, leaving something pure and unmixed.  Or similarly the idea of how military personnel must maintain a clear-cut division from civilian affairs to avoid distractions and stay focused. In the context of 2 Peter 3:1-7, it’s the ability to tell the difference between the true worldview, given by the word of God in Christ Jesus; and the false worldview, given by false teachers, scoffers, and doubters of God. It’s the ability to think and make sense of the world according to the rightness of God’s perspective, and not the perspective of survival of the fittest amidst never-ending chaos.

Keep viewing the world through the story of God’s historic actions.

Peter writes to encourage and instruct his audience to keep viewing the world through faith in Jesus – through the story of God’s historic actions. We, like Peter’s audience, are constantly tempted to interpret the world according to only what we see – only what we feel – from our perspective. We’re constantly tempted to believe the chaos we see and feel is reality, instead of what God reveals about reality.

Few forsake God outright, but the more we accept a worldview contrary to His word,  the more our faith becomes divided – trusting God in some moments while doubting Him in others.  As doubt grows, our belief fractures, leaving us without God, hopeless,  and grasping for anything to make sense of this chaotic world.

Continue to view the world through faith in Jesus.

Peter’s instruction and encouragement to his audience and to us today, is do not forget how God’s word has already intervened in our world, time and time again. Continue to view the world through faith in Jesus, the truest surest guide to navigate you through this chaotic world.

Meet consistently with Jesus.

Part of our strategy, as a church, for experiencing and developing as people who guide all people to abundant life in Jesus is by meeting consistently with Jesus. By meeting consistently with Jesus, through time in his word, and with his people – to remember that true story of reality – that God’s HAS, IS, AND WILL continue to intervene amidst the chaos of life. By reminding ourselves that God is always present and active. By reminding ourselves that faith in Jesus is what enables us to continue entrusting our future to God’s ability to right the chaos of the world.

Through faith in Jesus, know this era won’t last. God will intervene and bring change at last.

By reminding ourselves that through faith in Jesus, know this era won’t last. God will intervene and bring change at last.

See life through faith in God.

If you believe nothing will change in this chaotic world, please consider seeing it through faith in Jesus. You can start by taking steps to follow Jesus, in faith, and letting Him guide you to see the world through God's history of intervening in the chaos; and have a hopeful view of life ahead. Please find me or another trusted follower of Jesus, and we’d be thrilled to help you discern your next steps.

Remind each other of God’s intervention history.

If you’re already following Jesus in faith, spend some time evaluating if you’re default view of the world is through God’s story or the story of chaos? How might God’s Spirit be prompting you to be reminded of his ongoing story of historic interventions? What time with God’s word can you make part of your daily rhythm? What other members of the body of Christ could you start meeting with more regularly – to help remind each other of God’s story of ongoing intervention?

The story of Jesus is good news, and as the body of Christ, we have the opportunity to remind each other of the hopeful good news that we have, when God will intervene and bring lasting change, once and for all. The good news we’re invited to hear and respond to today is that: Through faith in Jesus, know this era won’t last. God will intervene and bring change at last.

2 Peter: Preparing for What’s Next - God Has Righted, Is Righting, And Will Right All Wrongs (2 Peter 2:1-10) - Byrd

2 Peter: Preparing for What’s Next - God Has Righted, Is Righting, And Will Right All Wrongs (2 Peter 2:1-10)

Jordan Byrd

Every time I go to Niagara Falls, I’m always amazed how much water constantly pours over. And. It. Never. Stops! Year-round, people from all over the world come to see Niagara Falls. Yet, we can easily take for granted that this wonder of the world is in our backyard here in WNY.

Over 347 years ago, Native American people witnessed the non-stop flow of water over Niagara Falls. And since 1678, when European explorers discovered Niagara Falls, they too experienced vast amounts of water continuing to pour over the falls every second. Today, over 680,000 gallons of water pour over the Horseshoe Falls portion of Niagara falls… every… second.

The flow of water over Niagara Falls is consistent and continuous. When I moved to WNY 10 years ago, water was flowing over the falls. Today, water is still flowing over the falls. And Lord willing, 10 years from now, water will still be flowing over the falls. Because of the long history of water flowing over Niagara Falls, we have confidence that water will still be flowing over the falls the next time we go to see it.

Confidence is simply trust, or assurance in your own abilities, or the abilities of someone or something else. Like, the historic ability for water to constantly flow over Niagara Falls.

What gives you confidence? More specifically: What gives you confidence things will be okay when they don’t seem that way? And who do you usually have confidence in? Yourself, through your own abilities? Someone else, through their abilities or position of power? Or something else: Ingenuity? Creativity? Technology? Science? Astrology? Fate?

In our current cultural context, we can be tempted to believe that confidence in our own abilities will carry us through a tough moment. During a press conference on January 19, 2025, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker while addressing the Philadelphia Eagles’ playoff run, attempted to energize the crowd by leading an Eagles chant. But she stumbled, spelling Eagles: “E-L-G-S-E-S! instead of E-"A"-G-L-E-S. After the mistake, she quickly added, “Let’s go birds!” Often, even our confident actions fall short of what's correct, true, and right.

While it may not be spelling a word correctly, our confident attempts can fall short in other ways. Confidently handling a conflict on your own and ending-up in over your head. Confidently tearing someone down with our words and damaging a relationship. Confidently entrusting policies to a politician and feeling betrayed when they vote or craft policy in an undesirable direction. Confidently following advice and it ends-up backfiring on us.

We live in an a cultural context where it’s often difficult to trust what’s correct, true, and right. The audience of 2 Peter was no different. In 2 Peter 2, we encounter an audience surrounded by differing voices, each claiming to be: correct, true, and right. Like us today, the audience of 2 Peter had the word of God revealed most fully in Jesus (highlighted at the ending of 2 Peter 1, as Sean Cronin referenced last Sunday). And like us today, Peter’s audience had the word of prophets and teachers of their day that Peter calls “false.”

These prophets and teachers, were proclaiming a way of life that they announced as good news. They claimed that a life of twisted truth a life of: greed (2:3), despising the authority of the Lord (2:1, 10), distorted lustful desires, or desires of the flesh (2:10), and confident, or bold arrogance (2:10) – was a correct, true, and right life – that the good life, an abundant life is experienced according to our own version of the truth. Does this contrast seem familiar to our day and age at all?

Does this contrast seem familiar to the competing spiritual voices of our day as well? Like: There’s only male and female. No, gender is a human construct. Be understanding and compassionate. No, ruthless arrogance is the only way to get stuff done. Be content. No, strive to get as much as you can, if you can, no matter the cost or sacrifice to you or others. The situation of 2 Peter’s audience is very similar to the situations of our own day and age.

In our cultural context where God’s revealed truth is distorted and disregarded, it can be tempting to shift our confidence. We’re tempted to shift our confidence away from God’s authority and power to deal with falsehood, when it seems like falsehood prevails all – the – time. We’re tempted to shift our confidence to our own abilities to correct falshoold – taking up our own limited attempts to stomp-it-out, and force truth to the surface. We’re tempted to shift our confidence to another’s ability or power – to no let falsehood go unchecked, not wanting people to get-away with distorting the truth.

But 2 Peter 2 paints a different perspective. 2 Peter 2 describes a different reality. 2 Peter 2 describes how the God revealed in Jesus has not let falsehood go unchecked throughout history. How God is actively dealing with falsehood right now. And how God will permanently right all wrongs one day.

In our cultural context of rampant falsehood, it can be very tempting to believe God is not who he says he is. That God is not doing anything about the wrongs of the world. That God is all talk and no action. The good news 2 Peter 2 calls us to lean into is that we can be confident that God is not letting falsehood slide; and that God does not need our limited abilities alone to deal with the wrongs of the world. Rather, God has righted wrongs in the past. God is righting wrongs now. And God will permanently right all wrongs in the future.

Greater than our confidence that water will continue to flow over Niagara Falls – is the confidence we can have in God to continue righting the wrongs of the world. God has righted, is righting, and will right all wrongs.

2 Peter 2 invites us to respond to this good news of the God revealed in Jesus by having confidence that God is present and active to right the wrongs and falsehood of the world. Rather than be confident in ____ (e.g., our own abilities or the ability of another human) which secretly infiltrates our worldview tempting us to believe those are the only ways to deal with evil – 2 Peter invites us to be confident in what God claims he is doing to right what’s wrong.

Have confidence that God is present and active to right the wrongs and falsehoods of the world.

Rather than confidently giving into a false, distorted view of the world, which secretly infiltrates our worldview tempting us to believe that it leads to life, but actually end up destroying our life and other’s lives – 2 Peter invites us to be confident in the truth of life that has been revealed in the Lord Jesus.

The Lord knows right from wrong. And 2 Peter 2:9 says, the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. (2 Peter 2:9)

The Lord knows how to carry you through trials or temptations, as the prayer Jesus taught us says, …lead us not into temptation…. (Matthew 6:13a)

The Lord knows how to hold the unrighteous for punishment; and how to delivery us from evil, as the prayer Jesus taught us also says, …but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:13b)

Have confidence that God is present and active to right wrongs and falsehood. God has righted, is righting, and will right all wrongs.

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to hear about moral failures in churches. One commonality of many of those stories is that the moral failure: the marital unfaithfulness, the embezzlement, the bullying, the abuse normally weren’t done out in the open, at least not in the beginning. They were likely done privately and behind closed-doors, to where the immorality was subtle and deceptive and eventually and regretfully: normative. The secret introduction of these false ways of living end-up leading to destruction: destroyed marriages, destroyed organizations, destroyed relationships.

This is the same way Peter describes the manner of the false prophets and teachers of his day. Their twisted beliefs are introduced subtly and secretly. In Peter’s day, these twisted beliefs were subtly introduced within the community of Jesus followers – tempting them away from the truth revealed in Jesus. And this false way of living was causing destruction. Division within the church. Confusion about what’s right and wrong. And leading individual’s lives toward the destructive ends of: Greed (2:3). Removal of God’s authority (2:1, 10). Unrestrained lustful desires (2:10). and arrogant attitudes toward each other (2:10).

Throughout 2 Peter 2, Peter reminds his audience that this is not the first time truth has been twisted. Angels have pursued falsehood, and God didn’t let it continue unchecked. The people in Noah’s day pursued falsehood, and God didn’t let it continue unchecked. The people of Sodom, in Lot’s day, pursued falsehood, and God didn’t let it continue unchecked.

When people pursue falsehood, God does not let it slide.

Peter reminds his audience that when people pursue falsehood, God does not let it slide, Peter reminds his audience that God has righted wrongs time and time again – and he won’t stop righting wrongs in their day. God continues to right the wrongs of the world. God has righted, is righting, and will right all wrongs.

One of the news headlines of this past week was the lake Freighter boat stuck in ice, just beyond Buffalo, on Lake Erie. News of the stuck ship made headlines on Thursday, but as of Friday morning, the boat was still stuck. But, a Coast Guard ship was actively cutting through ice around the freighter to free it. On Friday, the freighter was in the process of actively being rescued.

This is the language that is used by Peter in 2 Peter 2:9, when it says, the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials… (2 Peter 2:9a). The grammar of the passage reflects God’s active, ongoing rescue of the godly from trials and temptations – God’s active, ongoing provision of ways out of falsehood, wrong-doing, and evil.

Peter reminds his audience that when the world around them pursues falsehood, or when they, themselves, pursue falsehood – God does not let it slide, Peter reminds his audience that God is actively working to right wrongs in the present. God righted wrongs in the past, time and time again – and he continues to right wrongs today. This was true in Peter’s day, and it’s just as true for our situations today.

God is righting the wrongs of the world as we speak. We may not fully understand how, but we can be confident that he is righting wrongs, because of how God has righted wrongs in the past. God has righted, is righting, and will right all wrongs.

You likely remember a similar scenario to this in your own life, a time when you did something your parent’s told you not to do, and you got sent to your room, until they came up and settled on what else to do about the disobedience. In this scenario, when a kid is sent to their room, the righting of the wrong has not fully happened. It is still to come. But, the wrong is also not just ignored. It is caught, addressed, and being dealt with.

Now, but not yet.

The scenario reflects a “now, but not yet reality.” The wrong addressed, but not righted yet. It’s actively being addressed, but not fully finished.

This is the language Peter uses at the tail end of 2 Peter 2:9, when it says, the Lord knows how… to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of the judgment (2 Peter 2:9). The grammar of the passage reflects God actively addressing those who – unrepentantly pursue falsehood, wrong-doing, and unrighteousness. From our limited, human perspective, it can often seem like evil-doers are eluding judgment. But Peter is reminding his audience, that God never loses track of evil. God is all knowing and all seeing, and all wise and all powerful to track down evil, and bring it to justice, even when it looks like the perpetrators are getting away with it. In a sense, God has called out the wrong-doing and is holding evil-doers in the state of judgment, until he finally rights all wrongs, when Jesus brings heaven to earth (Revelation 21).

Peter reminds his audience that when the world around them pursues falsehood, or when they, themselves, pursue falsehood – God does not let it slide, Peter reminds his audience that God is actively keeping track of what is false, wrong, and evil – right now; and God will right all wrongs in the future. Peter reminds his audience, God righted wrongs in the past, time and time again – and he continues to right wrongs today, and when it doesn’t seem like it’s being righted in the moment, Through Jesus, we will eventually see the wrong righted by God.

God has promised to right the wrongs of the world, when his kingdom fully comes on earth. We may not fully understand how, but we can be confident that he is righting wrongs, because of how God has righted wrongs in the past. God has righted, is righting, and will right all wrongs.

Just as we have confidence that water will continue to flow over Niagara Falls – so much so can our confidence be in God –  to continue righting the wrongs of the world. God has righted, is righting, and will right all wrongs.

Be an uncommon presence in the world.

Because of this perspective of life, it frees us to have an uncommon presence in our day and age. We don’t have to be confident in our own abilities, alone – to deal with falsehood and lies. We don’t have to rely on other humans (politicians, leaders, military might) to right all wrongs by human ability and ingenuity alone. We don’t have give into twisted beliefs, as if they are the only reality. We can live faithfully in the truth of God’s word, revealed in Jesus, knowing that that reality is the future – that, that reality is what eternity will be, when God rights all wrongs. We don’t have to strain and do the impossible to deal with falsehood. We can pursue simple faithfulness to Jesus, and allow God to carry and do what we can’t.

Just as we have confidence that water will continue to flow over Niagara Falls – so much so can our confidence be in God – to continue righting the wrongs of the world. God has righted, is righting, and will right all wrongs.

Be confident in Jesus.

If you’ve never surrendered your life to the God revealed in Jesus, I invite you to do so. You don’t have to be confused about truth. You don’t have to go with the wind of whatever belief dominates the culture of our day and age. You don’t have to be destroyed by a false sense of how to live. God is inviting you to find the truth of life in his Son, Jesus. God is inviting you to simply follow the way of his Son, Jesus, and be confident that he can handle the rest – that he can correct the destruction you’ve already allowed with deceptive truth; and that he can handle righting the wrongs surrounding you. I encourage you to find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you discern taking a step of faith in Jesus – and hopefully visibly embracing his life,  under the water of baptism.

In what situation are you still tempted to lack confidence in God’s ability?

If you’ve already entrusted your life to Jesus, in what situation are you still tempted to lack confidence in God’s ability to right what’s wrong or false? Take time right now, to reflect on the many ways in Scripture of how God righted wrongs – of how God did not let evil go unchecked – of how God did the heavy lifting for us to simply be faithful to his guidance.

Be an uncommon presence.

In what situation of falsehood and wrong-doing — right now – is God’s Spirit calling you to be an uncommon presence? How is God calling you to persevere in simple faithfulness to him, and being a witness to his ability to do what humans can’t do alone to right the wrongs of the world?

Have confidence that God will prove himself faithful to right what’s wrong.

God has righted, is righting, and will right all wrongs. Have confidence that God will prove himself faithful to right what’s wrong, just as he’s continually done time and time and time again.

God has righted, is righting, and will right all wrongs.

2 Peter - Preparing for What’s Next: Through Jesus you can start living a heavenly life now (2 Peter 1:5-11)

2 Peter - Preparing for What’s Next: Through Jesus you can start living a heavenly life now (2 Peter 1:5-11)

Jordan Byrd

One summer in college, a roommate of mine got married in Denver, Colorado. To get there, I had to drive from Ohio to Missouri, and then, along with a fellow college classmate, we drove from Missouri to Denver. I had flown over Colorado before, but I’d never seen the landscape from the ground. I already knew about the majesty of the Rocky Mountains, so when we crossed the border from Kansas into Colorado, I expected the mountains to suddenly appear on the horizon. Well, I was very wrong. We drove and drove for hours, passing through endless fields of golden wheat. Still, no mountains in sight. Every now and then, I thought I saw a peak in the distance, but it was always just a cloud hovering on the horizon. If I were an old-time settler on this trip, and someone had told me about the mountains in Colorado, I probably would have given up and thought the whole state was just flat, endless fields. But, thanks to modern technology—maps and GPS—I could see the bigger picture. I had the long view of the journey, and that gave me perspective. From where I stood, at the eastern border of Colorado, all I could see was a desolate expanse of wheat fields. But with the right tools, I could see that there was something much greater ahead—a majestic mountain range waiting for me to see if I would just keep moving toward it.

When we can’t see past our current situation, we’re tempted to believe that our current reality is all there is.

In everyday life, when we can’t see past our current situation, we’re tempted to believe: that our current reality is all there is – that our current options are all there is. When we only see evil. When we only encounter human knowledge. When we only encounter unrestrained indulgence and impulses. When we only encounter apathy, fear, and pessimism. When we only encounter deception and destruction. When we only encounter selfish desires. When we only encounter hatred, hostility, and exclusion – when this is the kind of life that we’re constantly surrounded by – when these are the responses that we’re constantly faced with – we’re tempted to deceptively believe that this kind of life is effective and productive – that this kind of life leads to fulfillment – that this kind of life leads to the ideal life we long for.

And it’s a distorted temptation: we know the negatives that come from personal experience of evil, limited human knowledge, deception, selfishness, and hatred. Yet, we’re still tempted to align and participate in these habits and practices to realize an ideal life for ourselves. Distorting truth to manipulate situations for personal gain, whether through exaggerating facts, misrepresenting our motives, or twisting narratives to fit our agendas – to create the illusion of having it all together. Overcoming challenges through self-reliance,  leaning on our own knowledge, power, and resources – believing we have the ability to conquer everything on our own. Tearing others down to lift ourselves up, using gossip, criticism, or even social media shaming – to feel noticed, validated, or heard. Prioritizing our own needs, desires, and ambitions – overworking, overindulging, or hoarding resources at the expense of relationship with — your friends, family, or spouse. Resorting to intimidation, anger, or violent language, whether in person, online, or in our communities – to assert dominance or get our way. These habits and practices are tempting because they promise a quick fix or the illusion of control, but in reality, they only lead us further away from the life we desire.

We’re constantly tempted to be nearsighted when it comes to living. We’re tempted to have a myopic view of life – viewing only what’s in front of us, or based on what we already know, or have experienced. In short, we’re tempted to live life with blinders – or poor eyesight – unable to see past our current situation – to a different way of living. This is the kind of life we’re left to prepare for. We’re tempted to pursue these habits and practices to prepare for and live the ideal life we long for.

The audience of 2 Peter was faced with a similar temptation. Peter, one of Jesus’ first disciples – and an eye-witness to the earthly life of Jesus – writes to remind followers of Jesus that Jesus provides a different way to view life. That Jesus provides a way to look beyond our current circumstances. That Jesus provides a different way to live. That Jesus provides the means and power to live the ideal life we long for.

We sometimes use the phrase “that person is in heaven” to describe that person being in their ideal environment or "happy place" on earth. While biblically, heaven is the realm of God, the term heavenly, even in a secular context, still conveys the idea of: perfection, bliss, happiness – an idyllic reality. In a lot of ways in a very generic sense, heavenly captures the ideal sense of life that we all long for. It captures a sense of life the way it’s supposed to be – life in its most correct or right form – life in its truest form. But who’s version of the right, good life, right?

The context of 2 Peter’s audience was filled with people – with philosophers, teachers, and leaders – advocating for a version of the good life – for a version of what a right and ideal life looks like. For the Hellenistic, or Greek culture of 2 Peter’s day, certain virtues, or morals or internal dispositions, or desires led to heroic acts. Greek heroes were most often: self-sufficient, rational, male citizens – heroes, as in our day, were to be looked up to – they embodied an ideal life. In established Greek philosophical thinking, the development of virtues, or moral habits led to this ideal life – a life oriented toward: goodness, learning (or acquiring knowledge), self-control, perseverance, respect, and a sense of duty or loyalty. Pursuing a virtuous or moral life, and avoiding vices like: malice, ignorance, self-indulgence, impulsiveness, laziness, disrespect, contempt, disloyalty, and irresponsibility is what led to a well-rounded life – is what led to a full life – is what led to the ideal, most-developed life.

In a general sense, this ideal life is what 2 Peter’s audience was aiming toward – giving every effort to avoid vices and live a virtuous, heavenly life on earth. In our day and age, we have a similar view of life that we’re tempted to aim toward: giving every effort to follow self-improvement tactics, habits, or practices, and avoiding the vices that counter these pursuits, as an autonomous self – to attain the ideal life – doing everything we can to live our version of heavenly life on earth on our own. 

But 2 Peter’s audience was also tempted toward a new, progressive worldview, compared to the virtuous lifestyle of ancient Greek Philosophy that was established as normative in their day. 2 Peter’s audience was being tempted toward a worldview that claims that the ideal, enlightened, right, and good life is not the virtuous life, but one that does whatever one wants – that a life of indulging in vices is actually what will lead to a good life and freedom – that a life of virtue was restrained and keeping a person from experiencing all of life – that seeking pleasure and whatever one desires is what leads to an ideal life – is what leads to heaven on earth. But Peter’s testimony in 2 Peter 1:5-11 points to the deception of either of these worldviews. God’s word in 2 Peter 1:5-11 is a warning that both of these paths are short-sighted – that both of these paths will lead a person short of the ideal life they long for.

In 2 Peter 1:5-11, we encounter the good news of God that Jesus is all we need to start living the heavenly life we desire. Without Jesus, we’ll pursue a virtuous, moral life – on our own, and find that we’re unable to be a good, wise, self-controlled, never-giving-up, respectful, caring, and unselfish person – on our own; and find ourselves still living a lesser life – a corrupt life. We’ll find that we need Jesus to empower and transform us to be able to be that kind of person – the kind of person who can be moral in immoral surroundings – the kind of person who can become better than we began – the kind of person who becomes more like Jesus who lived this way to the fullest. Also, without Jesus, we’ll pursue an anything-goes life of self-indulgence, leading to our own destruction – deceptively leading us away from the full life of God.

Good news of 2 Peter 1:5-11 is that through Jesus, we can escape self-destructive desires and live a virtuous, abundant life. Through Jesus, we can actively become people who are good, wise, self-controlled, persevering, humble, caring, and unselfish, because we aren’t pursuing that life on our own, but in light of the knowledge of God and example of Jesus, and the life and power of the Holy Spirit. We can most fully live a virtuous, moral, well-rounded life – through Jesus. Through Jesus, we can start living a heavenly life now.

Make every effort to live a heavenly life now.

2 Peter 1:5-11 calls us to respond to this good news by making every effort to live a heavenly life now, through Jesus. Through Jesus, you can see the long view of life – that life with Jesus is the destination, the goal, and the purpose of the life we’ve been given. Through Jesus, you can start preparing now to live the eternal, heavenly life in the present. Through Jesus, you can start living a heavenly life now.

In WNY, we’re familiar with the Buffalo Naval Park, specifically, the USS Sullivans ships and the USS Croaker submarine. A few years ago, one of the ships began to sink and had emergency repairs to get it back afloat. Now, the ships need more extensive care to be preserved. So far: Overall millions of federal and state money, as well as a couple million from the county and city, and a couple hundred thousand dollars of community donations has been allocated to this project. In a lot of ways, the heavy lifting of the project has been done in securing the funding. The current state of the project is vetting companies to perform the actual work. The preservation of these ships is not a one-organization operation. Rather, the actual work of preserving the ships will be coming alongside the funding from multiple places.

2 Peter 1:5, make every effort to add to your faith

This concept of coming alongside is what is happening In 2 Peter 1:5, with the phrase, “make every effort to add to your faith.” The language used here borrows from the world of theater and drama in the ancient world, where a wealthy patron would put up funds for a show, and the actors and production crew came alongside the funding to actually bring the play to life.

The idea here is that the entire production was a collaborative effort. In a similar way, Peter is describing how God’s transformation of our lives, through Jesus, is a collaborative effort as well.

God has entered into human life, redeemed it from death, and renewed and perfected it for an eternal existence. Through the life of Jesus, God has made a connection point for us to enter into this transformed life. But just because God made it possible for our lives to be transformed, doesn’t mean it just happens – doesn’t mean it happens without our cooperation. Correct, there is nothing we could ever do, on our own, to rescue us from sin and death. We are incapable of doing that. We are completely dependent on Jesus – to bring us through death, and into a perfect life in eternity. But what is also correct is that Jesus’ redemption and transformation of our lives is not a passive reality – it’s not an otherworldly transformation. Rather, Jesus’ transformation of our lives happens within the bodily life God has given us – within the active, embodied lives God has given us.

There is a difference between earning salvation and participating in salvation. Earning salvation is about achieving it, while participating in salvation is about receiving it and living it out. Which means, it is something we put effort toward. Anything we do in life takes effort. But effort doesn’t have to mean making something happen on our own.

Power steering is something we receive from the automobile maker. It’s not something we make happen on our own. But power steering is something that requires our effort to use. It requires our actual steering of the steering wheel. We’d think it foolish to believe that power steering just automatically steers the car. Instead, we understand that power steering makes turning the car more possible. And in a sense, that is an example of what Peter is saying in 2 Peter 1:5-11: make every effort to add to your faith in Jesus. Jesus has already done the heavy lifting of showing how to live life to the fullest and overcome the obstacles to doing so. Jesus is inviting us to come alongside his accomplished work – so he can assist us in living like he did.

Notice that Peter states to add to your faith. Peter is highlighting that any effort added will be pointless if it’s not made through Jesus. Jesus is the linchpin of everything Peter says here. The virtuous life that Peter highlights in verses 5-7 is not possible, if not lived through the lens of Jesus. Peter is highlighting here that the virtuous, moral life that he’s describing starts at a very different place than the moral philosophy of Greek culture. The moral life Peter is describing starts with Jesus. Any sense of goodness, wisdom, self-control, perseverance, humility before God, care for others, and unselfish behavior will be understood and pursued through the lens of Jesus’ life. The pursuit of a virtuous life begins with faith in Jesus.

While Peter highlights that a heavenly life starts with Jesus, he also highlights that it also ends with Jesus. Peter’s list of virtues begins with faith in Jesus and concludes with the love of Jesus. The love referenced at the conclusion of Peter’s list of virtues is agape love, which is different than the mutual affection, or brotherly love he mentions right before it. There is a difference between showing goodwill toward a family member then there is showing goodwill toward a stranger, or better yet, someone you don’t like. This habit or practice is only possible through the God who gave of himself for the world who despised him – through Jesus who gave up his life to overcome death for us who didn’t think we needed him.

The heavenly life that Peter describes is one that benefits more than the person practicing it. It’s a life that benefits beyond the person practicing it. The end result of a virtuous life in the background of 2 Peter was mostly about bettering one’s self. The end result of Peter’s vision of a virtuous life is about becoming like Jesus – about becoming selfless, like Jesus in how one lives with others. So often, our pursuit of an ideal, good life is just about us. But the pursuit of an ideal, good life through Jesus is about getting away from ourselves so that we can love others well. The pursuit of a virtuous life leads to loving like Jesus.

Between the birth of two of my children and Towns being admitted a couple of times, I’ve spent my fair share of time at Oishei Children's Hospital. Part of going to Children’s is parking in the parking garage. To get into the parking garage, you take a ticket. But to get out of the garage, you have to have already paid for parking. And, to get out of the garage, you have to scan a validated parking ticket. A validated parking ticket shows that I have already paid at the pay booth. The validation of the paid parking at the exit just demonstrates what has already been done, and that I’m prepared to leave the garage.

In a similar sense, making every effort to add the virtues that Peter lists – to your faith in Jesus – functions as a demonstration of starting to live in God’s heavenly life on earth now. When these virtues shape your life, it shows you're living God's heavenly life on earth – it demonstrates that you’re preparing to live now how you’ll live in eternity when Jesus makes things right.

But it does so much more than just show that you’re connected to Jesus, it also shows that you’ve started experiencing the life of Jesus in your own life – that you’re becoming good, wise, self-controlled, persevering, humble, caring, and selfless – that you’re living the abundant life of God – into the ideal, right, and good life of God now. It demonstrates God’s power to do what we pray in the Lord’s prayer, For our heavenly Father’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven –

God’s life lived out on earth now, as it will be for all eternity.

For God’s life to be lived out by you on earth now, as it will be for all eternity when Jesus makes all things right. Through Jesus, you can start living a heavenly life now.

The difficulty that we encounter today is that without the long view in mind pursuing goodness, wisdom, self-control, perseverance, humility, care, and selflessness can seem pointless – can seem ineffective in living the life we long for. It can be difficult to see how being patient with a difficult neighbor is living a heavenly life now. It can be difficult to see how being selfless with your spouse is living a heavenly life now. It can be difficult to see how self-control with various substances or activities is living a heavenly life now. It’s difficult to see if we’re not looking through Jesus and with the long view of living how we’ll live in eternity.

Without Jesus, we’ll strive to pursue a heavenly life on our own.

Without Jesus, we’ll strive to pursue a heavenly life on our own, or we’ll become passive, and see Jesus, but never come alongside him, to allow him to transform us into something better.

If we become passive or ignore Jesus, we'll focus on the present and be tempted toward a lesser or destructive path.

And if we allow ourselves to become passive or disregard Jesus altogether, we’ll look away from the long view and focus on what’s right around us, and be tempted toward a lesser or destructive way of life. We’ll become nearsighted, or at worst, blind.

2 Peter is inviting us to keep the long view in mind. See life through Jesus. Make every effort to become like Jesus. And anticipate becoming like Jesus, with his transforming power. The end result is that we can start living a heavenly life now. And you can look forward to Jesus bringing that life to perfection when he makes everything right. Through Jesus, you can start living a heavenly life now.

If you’re honest, are you living the life you desire? If not, God’s word invites you to taste and see, that Jesus’ life is what you’re longing for. God’s word calls you to follow Jesus and live an abundant life through Him. God’s word invites you to turn to Jesus and see life through his life, and have faith that he can transform you to live the best and most abundant life possible. Please find me or another trusted follower of Jesus, and we’d be glad to help you start having faith in Jesus, and allow him to help you start living a heavenly life now.

What virtue is God’s Spirit urging you to add to your faith in Jesus?

If you’re already trying to live life through Jesus, what quality of 2 Peter 1:5-11, is God’s Spirit calling you to make every effort to add to your faith in Jesus? How is God’s Spirit calling you to pursue goodness, wisdom, self-control, perseverance, humility, care, and selflessness through Jesus, and with Jesus’ guidance? How might you be pursuing those qualities, without Jesus? How might you be doubting one or more of these qualities as being the true, good, heavenly life that you’ve been called to? Trust that coming alongside Jesus is what will truly lead you to the life you long for. Through Jesus, you can start living a heavenly life now.

2 Peter - Preparing for What’s Next: Stick with Jesus (2 Peter 1:1-4)

2 Peter - Preparing for What’s Next: Stick with Jesus (2 Peter 1:1-4)
January 5, 2025

This is a piece of Velcro. Imagine this cross represents "God – the God revealed in Jesus." Imagine this Lego person representing your life. This map represents "material aspirations." These are desires related to tangible, physical things: pleasure, self-gratification, wealth, health, success, advancements in technology or the environment. This is where we engage in experiential knowledge: knowledge gained through direct experience and personal involvement. Seeing a sunset vs. reading about one. This book represents "immaterial aspirations." These are abstract or intangible desires: identity, race, sexual orientation, political views, personal philosophies (like individualism or the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment). This is where we engage in intellectual knowledge: knowledge gained through reasoning, analysis, and study. Thinking of a better world vs. experiencing one. In life, we're tempted to drift towards either of these directions for meaning and purpose. However, these aspirations leave us feeling unfulfilled.

I'm not originally from the WNY area, so I haven't experienced the pain of four straight Super Bowl losses for the Bills or the "No Goal" controversy with Brett Hull's skate. But after living here for ten years, it's clear that a Super Bowl or Stanley Cup victory means a lot to this community.

Not too long ago on a local sports radio show, a host wondered how the fanbase would feel if and whenever a championship win occurred for either the Bills or Sabres. Would the passion wane? He shared his experience as being Boston Red Sox fan. And how before their 2004 World Series win, they had an 86-year championship drought. The "curse" was believed to have begun with Babe Ruth's trade to the Yankees in 1920. The host explained that the longing for that championship fueled his fandom. But after they won, something shifted. The payoff was realized. The underdog status was gone. Subsequent championships (2007, 2013, 2018) didn't evoke the same feeling. He realized that the initial victory, while incredible, didn't provide lasting purpose to fuel his fandom, and he lost some interest in following the team closely.

His point? Winning the Super Bowl or Stanley Cup might not be the ultimate fulfillment we imagine. It will be amazing in the moment, but what comes next? How do fans prepare for life after that initial "savior" has fulfilled its promise, and the feeling doesn’t last?

Similarly, we constantly ask ourselves, "What 'savior' are you preparing for next?" In the U.S., we’re about to experience the transition between presidential administrations, each transition brings hope for a better future. We hope this particular president or administration will "save" the country from its problems.

We apply this same logic to all areas of life. We seek meaning and purpose by: Experimenting with experiences: "Maybe this relationship will give me meaning." "Maybe sexual gratification will fulfill me." "Maybe wealth will bring me happiness." We seek meaning and purpose by: Pursuing intellectual ideas: "Maybe this identity will give me meaning." "Maybe this political ideology will fulfill me." "Maybe this new information will bring me enlightenment." However, each new experience or idea ultimately leaves us wanting more, unfulfilled, or empty. So, we chase the next "savior" – another experience, another idea – hoping it will finally bring perfect and complete fulfillment.

Even as followers of Jesus, we face this temptation. We might wonder: "Is Jesus still the source of perfect and fulfilled meaning and purpose?" "Was Jesus relevant for people in a pre-modern era, but is there something more meaningful today?" "Is Jesus good, but do I need something else in addition? Jesus + progressivism? Jesus + conservatism? Jesus + other religions? Jesus + self-expression and individualism?" "Do I truly need to "stick with Jesus" at all?"

The recipients of the letter of 2 Peter faced a similar temptation. They encountered voices claiming that something other than Jesus led to a full life – that something more than Jesus was needed for an abundant existence.

The backdrop of 2 Peter is the rise of early Gnosticism. Gnosticism emphasized personal enlightenment as the path to salvation or a meaningful life. It also denied God's revealed morality, suggesting all people are free from moral obligation, so they can do whatever they desire. This belief,  combined with the emphasis on personal enlightenment, prioritized intellectual knowledge over earthly experiences. The material world was seen as corrupt and temporary, while the spiritual world was considered more important. This mindset is not entirely dissimilar from some dominant beliefs and worldviews today, where private beliefs and convictions can sometimes be compartmentalized from public behavior. Private stuff here. Public stuff there.

Against this backdrop, Peter, one of Jesus' first disciples, writes a farewell address. He is likely in Rome,  facing imminent death for his faith –  for his allegiance to Jesus. In 2 Peter 1:12-15, Peter alludes to his impending death. Tradition suggests that he was crucified upside down, believing himself unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus.

Peter writes this letter to encourage other followers of Jesus to remain steadfast in their faith, despite the temptation to turn to other "saviors." The good news found in 2 Peter 1:1-4 is that Jesus is all we need for an abundant, full, and perfect life.

This passage invites us to consider the radical uniqueness of Jesus and the transformation and salvation he offers. When tempted to believe that something else is better or more meaningful than Jesus, Peter urges us to: Stick with Jesus. 

Peter reminds us that Jesus has given us everything we need for a full life, a perfect life, and the undistorted, uncorrupt life that we all long for – a life that only Jesus can make possible. Peter encourages us to follow his example and remain committed to Jesus until the end of our lives. His testimony is that nothing else has satisfied his life's longings like his encounter and relationship with Jesus. Stick with Jesus.

In 2 Peter 1:1-2, we encounter Peter's own testimony – his life united to Jesus. He identifies himself as a "servant" and "apostle" of Jesus, acknowledging Jesus' supremacy and his own role as a servant and witness to Jesus' life and nature. Through the truth and wisdom of God, Jesus embodied a full, perfect, and abundant life.

Jesus is where we see truth lived out. Jesus is where we see "know-how" and "know-that" pursued in healthy, whole ways. Jesus doesn't find meaning and purpose in earthly experiences or intellectual enlightenment alone, but in the life of his heavenly Father – in God. Jesus lived a meaningful and purposeful life of morality, leading to a full, perfect, and abundant life – the kind of life we all desire. Jesus didn't achieve a full, perfect, and abundant life through self-enlightenment, but through the knowledge and guidance of the Spirit of God. When God became flesh in Jesus, the knowledge and wisdom of God were united with a physical, earthly life. Truth isn't something we experience or think our way to alone; it's something we encounter in Jesus, through Jesus, and with Jesus.

Peter testifies, "I have encountered THE truth of life in Jesus." "I have encountered redemption to the messiness of life through Jesus." "I have encountered a full and meaningful life with Jesus."

As Athanasius, a fourth-century church leader remarked, Jesus provided a new starting point for human understanding: a new starting point for understanding the created realm and a new starting point for understanding the life of the Creator, the life of God. To experience the fullness of created life is to experience it through the life of Jesus. To understand the life of God is to understand it through the life of Jesus.

Peter points to this reality in 2 Peter 1:2, where he writes, "Grace and peace be yours in abundance" – that abundant life is found "through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." (2 Peter 1:2)

The knowledge of God that we encounter in the life of Jesus is where we can encounter our fullest understanding of an abundant life.

On my own, I might pursue sex as an end in itself. But with Jesus, I’ll pursue sex as a manner of unity with my wife, for procreation, and as a model of Jesus' faithfulness to his bride, the church.

On my own, I might pursue enlightenment as an end in itself. But with Jesus, I’ll pursue knowledge as a way to become more like him, to discover the many blessings God has written into his created order, to be aware of others' needs, and to grasp more of the width, height, and depth of God's love (Ephesians 3:18).

Peter's audience was tempted to believe that Jesus wasn't as important as he claimed to be –  that Jesus wasn't as important as the Old Testament Scriptures foretold – that Jesus wasn't as important as Peter, Paul, and the other apostles claimed.

Peter encourages his audience to stick with Jesus, even when others are falling away. He encourages them not to be fooled by other "saviors" – not to be fooled into believing that earthly pursuits or self-enlightenment will bring fulfillment.

Peter encourages his audience to stick with Jesus and trust that He will overcome the corruption in the world caused by evil desires (1:4b). Peter reminds them that The emptiness of the world will not be filled by anything other than Jesus. Peter reminds them to stick with Jesus. Stick with Jesus.

(All the following on one slide)
Guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus.

• Meet Consistently

• Share Vulnerably

• Invest Sacrificially

Our strategy to help guide all people to abundant life in Jesus involves: Consistently meeting with Jesus. Sharing vulnerably from our life with Jesus and investing sacrificially for Jesus' mission. This includes: Sticking with Jesus by consistently meeting with his Word and talking and listening to Him through prayer. Viewing and living in the world through the life of Jesus. Sticking with Jesus by vulnerably sharing from our life with Jesus to others –  in our work, in our commerce, and in our recreation. Interacting with others through the life of Jesus. Sticking with Jesus by investing sacrificially our time, talent, and treasure to make Jesus known to others. Investing in the future through the life of Jesus.

We face a similar temptation as Peter's audience. We're tempted to: Meet consistently with something other than Jesus. Share vulnerably from something other than Jesus. And invest sacrificially for something other than Jesus. It's not that other pursuits are inherently bad. The problem arises when we pursue experiences or knowledge apart from Jesus. This leads to a distorted life, a life lived according to corrupt desires, a lesser life.

Peter declares that even as his life is about to be taken, he still believes that sticking with Jesus is the fullest, most perfect, and most abundant way to live. He believes this so deeply that he will give his life to stick with Jesus. Stick with Jesus.

If you've never united your life to Jesus, I invite you to take a step of faith and taste and see if what Peter claims about Jesus is true. Taste and see if sticking with Jesus provides the meaning and purpose you desire.

Stick to Jesus

Please find me or another trusted follower of Jesus, and we’d be glad to help you discern taking a step of faith towards being united to the life of Jesus.

If you've already united your life to Jesus: Stick with Jesus and renew your belief that your life united to Jesus, lived through Jesus, and under Jesus' guidance is the fullest life you can have. Stick with Jesus and believe that the life of Jesus is the future – that the life of Jesus is what we will live into eternally in a new heaven and a new earth. Stick with Jesus and trust that He will fulfill His promises to make all things right. Stick with Jesus and believe that what we are preparing for next is to live like Jesus into eternity, in a new heaven and a new earth, where we will never be disappointed by the abundant life God has for us with Jesus.

Stick with Jesus.

(Malachi 3:6-4:6) Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin.

Countdown to Christmas, Anticipating Jesus
Malachi 3:6-4:6
Jordan Byrd

Think of the world as this stool. Think of your life, and the lives of those throughout the world, as seated on this stool. Now, think of this candle as the sun, the created entity that gives light, warmth, and energy to earthly life. Think further of this candle as God. Think of how the God revealed in Jesus is the Light of the world. How Jesus described himself as: “…the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

We recently passed December 21st on the calendar. Does that day stand out to you? For our part of the world, it’s the day of the year with the least amount of sunlight. Last week this time of year stood out to me, because on my drive here, in the morning, it was noticeably still dark, even in the 8 am hour. It made me think of the reality shows that I enjoy watching, about people who live in Alaska, or above the Arctic Circle; and how those shows and the lives of the people there emphasize the impact of life with minimum sunlight during the winter months.

One such place is Alert, in Northern Canada. Alert experiences 106 days of full darkness, where the sun never reaches above the horizon. Some of the impacts of life with little to no sunlight are the following. Health impacts: depression, lethargy, reduced social interaction or loneliness and decreased motivation. Bone and immune health with lack of Vitamin D. Insomnia or poor sleep from circadian rhythm disruption. Increased opportunity for accidents in the dark and in cold, icy conditions. Ecological Impacts: slower plant growth and dormancy disrupt food supply and biodiversity. Animal migration changes. Increased energy costs to offset natural light, warmth, and energy. Lower temperatures increase the formation of ice and snow. Decomposition process slowed and carbon exchange altered in ecosystems.

In our modern context, we might be tempted to think of life in the Arctic as a challenge for how we can change the environment to be suitable for life. We live in a time on earth, where it seems possible to change any environment to meet our needs and wants: make the Arctic, desert, space, and even Mars (for Elon Musk) livable. Make the necessary changes to make it suitable to OUR needs.

While these are environmental changes, we are just as tempted to apply this mindset to relationships – wanting others to change to meet our needs or wants: family, spouse, kids, friends, employer, co-workers, teammates, teacher, classmates, leaders, or brothers and sisters in Christ. We are also just as tempted to apply this mindset to God, and his way of life – wanting God to change to meet our needs or wants: our perspective of life. Our wants. Our desires, no matter how twisted or distorted. We’re tempted to have God change to endorse our pride, envy, jealousy, selfishness, violence, unhealthy pleasure. We’re tempted to have God change to endorse our distorted attractions, or lop-sided view of gender and sexuality, or extravagant lifestyle, or slavery to possessions. We live in a context where we’re tempted toward the arrogance to have God change to be with us where we are, and with what we are doing, or want to do.

The context of Malachi’s prophecy was very similar. Malachi prophesies to a context that was arrogant – that was audacious enough to believe that God would change his character and way of life to accept a false, lesser life as the true and abundant life. Specifically among God’s people – the Jewish people – they were Trying to hold onto God’s presence, without His way of life attached to it. Another way to view this is to say they wanted theology without ethics. Or, they wanted God’s presence, without spirituality. They wanted the outer practice, without the inner transformation. They wanted God to endorse their less-than-perfect sacrifices of worship.

They wanted God to endorse their adulterous and divorced marriages (Malachi 1:7-8). They wanted God to endorse injustice (Malachi 2:10-16). They wanted God to endorse their selfishness and leftover offerings (Malachi 3:5). The people of Malchi’s day wanted God to change and adapt their way, rather than themselves changing and adopting God’s way (Malachi 3:8-10).

The warning that Malachi’s prophesy bears out to the people of Malachi’s day – and to our context as well – is a two-sided prophecy of hope and warning. Malachi declares the coming of The Day of the Lord (Malachi 3:17 and Malachi 4:1-3). This Day of the Lord will be a day of celebratory rescue from: imperfection, unfaithfulness, injustice, and selfishness – for those who turn to the Lord… and remember his faithfulness to make all things right and filled with abundant blessings. But this Day of the Lord will also be a day of curse and destruction to: imperfection, unfaithfulness, injustice, and selfishness – for those who resist the Lord and ignore his truth and way of life. 

The dreadful news of Malachi’s prophesy is that resistance to God will bring ruin. However, the good news of Malachi’s prophesy is that remembrance of God and return to God’s way of life brings rescue. Malachi's prophecy highlights the contrast between our lie and God's truth.

Our lie: We believe God needs to change to accommodate our flawed expectations. God's truth: We need to change to align with God's perfect and righteous standards.

God’s word through Malachi’s prophecy invites us to: Return to God and be rescued, or resist God and be brought to ruin. God has been unchanging in reaching out to rescue humanity from a distorted life. While it’s us who have constantly changed, and turned away from his rescue. And God’s word warns us that our choice to resist will lead us to ruin to death to an eternal absence of life itself – to a life without God.

For the unbeliever, Malachi invites us to respond to this warning of ruin by returning to God and remembering his presence and way of life. For the believer, Malachi invites us to respond to this anticipatory hope of deliverance by remembering God’s faithfulness and way of life and returning to faith and obedience to his way. Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin.

In our backyard, we have a small raised garden bed. Last year, we grew strawberries, peppers, and cucumbers – to protect our plants from rabbits and other animals, we had to install a chicken wire fence around the bed. We also needed to stake the pepper plants – to keep them upright, and we erected a trellis for the cucumbers to climb, preventing them from rotting on the ground.  

In Malachi 3:8-12, Malachi’s prophesy depicts God calling out how the Israelites have turned away from him. God calls out how the people have robbed God. The prophecy depicts the people’s reply, “How have we done so?” To which God answers, “By withholding their tithes and offerings to him in their worship. As far as I can tell, there were three tithes that God’s people were to give 10% from the annual yield of their fields. The first tithe was given to the Levitical tribe through whom the priests of the temple came, as this tribe did not receive an inherited land in the Promised Land of Israel. See: Numbers 18:21, I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting. (Numbers 18:21)

A second tithe was unique in that, it was a kind of savings plan for the Israelites to pilgrimage to worship at the temple in Jerusalem annually. See: Deuteronomy 12:17-18 and Deuteronomy 14:22-27. You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts. Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place the Lord your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns—and you are to rejoice before the Lord your God in everything you put your hand to. (Deuteronomy 12:17-18)

And the third tithe was only given every three years, for the Levitical tribe, foreign residents, the fatherless, and widows. See: Deuteronomy 14:28-29. At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. (Deuteronomy 14:28-29)

The Levitical tithe assisted the people in encountering God’s presence in worship at the temple. The pilgrimage tithe assisted the people in remembering that everything comes from the Lord, and they were to rejoice and celebrate before the Lord who blessed them to have what they have. And finally, the social tithe assisted the people in remembering that everything comes from the Lord, enough so, that they can give to others who are in less-than-ideal situations, and to remember and live in the tensions that everything they have is from the Lord blessing the work of their hands in all that they do.

But Malachi’s prophesy points out that the people are withholding some of these tithes. The people are hindering God’s presence and blessing in their life and in the lives of others. The prophecy is a warning or a projection of hope. If the people continue to resist God and his way, then the blight of their crops will happen. But, if the people return to God and his way, then the blessing of their crops will happen. Thinking back to my garden earlier. In Malachi 3 God is unchanging and faithful to bless the people, if they will turn to him, and receive his blessing. It’s the people who have changed and are unfaithful. And as they turn from God, they no longer experience the protection of God as a fence around their life. They no longer experience the support of God as a trellis to keep their life from falling into rot. God didn’t change, the people did. The people can return to God and be rescued or continue to resist God and be brought to ruin. Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin.

It’s tempting in our world, to believe that arrogant pride is a sign of success – a sign of being able to get things done. Yet, if we had the option to spend time with an arrogantly prideful person, or a humble, gracious person, we’d be prone to picking the humble, gracious person. The arrogantly prideful person acts like they don’t need anyone else. Whereas, the humbly gracious person acts like they need others. The humbly gracious person acts like they want to be with others, regardless of an agenda. They simply want to be with you and see you for you.

In Malachi 3:13-15, Malachi’s prophesy depicts God calling out another way the Israelites have turned away from him. God calls out how the people have spoken arrogantly against God. The prophecy depicts the people’s reply, “What have we said?” To which God answers, “By calling worship to me, and my way of life futile – pointless or worthless (3:14).” “And by calling the arrogant blessed (3:15).”

God's way of life isn’t just arbitrary. It’s a real way to encounter God’s presence on earth. A real way for God’s people to remember that God has been with them continues to be with them and will continue to be with them. A real way for God’s people to experience God’s faithful presence. A real way to know that the God who delivered their ancestors out of slavery in Egypt, and placed them in a land not their own (the Promised Land of Israel) is the same God who is still in a relationship with them today. The same God who is wanting to provide for them and bless them.

But Malachi’s prophesy points out that the people’s waywardness from God has led them to be arrogant – has led them to not see God’s presence; and not see the benefit of God’s presence in their life. The belief that they can do just fine on their own. Their lack of humility and attitude to God’s historic and ongoing provision is leading them further away from seeing God’s presence in their midst. The people are hindering God’s presence and blessing in their life and in the lives of others.

The prophecy is a warning or a projection of hope. If the people continue to resist God and his way, then worship of God and his way of life will seem futile. But, if the people return to God and his way, then the people will be able to see God’s faithful presence who has never left them. God didn’t change, the people did.

The people can return to God and be rescued. or continue to resist God and be brought to ruin. Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin.

The other night, I made popcorn, and my dog, Thea, really likes it too. I dropped some on the floor for her, but to my surprise, she wouldn't eat a few of the pieces. I couldn't understand why. She simply ignored them. However, she kept coming to me, pawing at the bowl, clearly wanting more. It was baffling. Thea desired popcorn, yet deliberately turned away from some readily available to her. I tried to encourage her by playfully tossing pieces towards the dropped pieces, but she still wouldn't eat them. I wasn't withholding more; I wanted her to eat what I had already given her. Her persistent pawing and begging indicated her frustration that I wasn't giving her more. But the truth was, I hadn't withheld anything. She was simply resisting what was already hers. By resisting what she already had, she was experiencing less. She could have enjoyed more popcorn by merely returning to the pieces she had initially ignored. I didn’t change. She did. I was faithful to give her some. She chose not to receive it.

In Malachi 4:1-3, Malachi’s prophesy depicts God calling out where the people’s actions will lead them. God highlights that a day is coming when their actions will be irreversible. But Malachi’s prophesy points out that the people’s waywardness from God will either lead them to ruin: to irreversible absence from God’s presence – to separation from God’s protection, provision, and blessing – to destruction and ruin, without the Lord of life; or it will lead them to rescue: to eternal presence with God – to permanent connection to God’s protection, provision, and blessing – to healing and abundant life, with the Lord of life.

The prophecy of The Great Day of the Lord is a warning or a projection of hope, based on your orientation to God. If the people continue to resist God and his way, then they will eventually experience irreversible ruin. Their sin or waywardness from God will find you out, as Numbers 32:23 describes. 

Or, the wages of their sin will lead to death as the New Testament writer, Paul, describes in Romans 6:23. Or, reaping what they sowed, as Paul also describes in Galatians 6:7-8. The people’s choice to resist God is what will lead them to ruin. But, if the people return to God and his way, then they will eventually experience eternal, transforming rescue from God. Their faithfulness to God their clinging to God will result in their world, and their lives being made healed and made right by God, as Malachi 4:2-3 describes, But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 4:2-3)

The people’s choice to return and remember God is what will lead them to rescue. Returning to God and remembering his faithful presence in worship leads to: the world made right (righteousness), healing, abundant life (happy and well-fed), and justice (walking free of wickedness). God didn’t, hasn’t, and won’t change from his covenant. God won’t stop being faithful to his people. It’s up to the people to decide if they will change – if they will stop being faithful to their covenant relationship with God. Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin. The people can return to God and be rescued. or continue to resist God and be brought to ruin. Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin.

We live in a context where we’re tempted toward the arrogance to have God change to endorse or accommodate our selfishness and distorted thinking. But God, through his word in Malachi wants to disrupt your life with his truth. Malachi brings us face-to-face with disruptive truth.

The disruptive truth that God is not going to change to endorse or accommodate our lies about an abundant life.

Malachi’s prophecy is either a warning for us to return to God; or a projection of hope for us to remember God’s faithfulness to rescue us from a world of injustice, wickedness, and lies. 

Malachi’s prophecy is a call for us to engage in the simple faithfulness of remembering God’s presence to meet consistently in God’s presence – hearing his good news (like we’re doing now), and meditating on his word each day, and to live in his presence as we share vulnerably with each other about life; and as we invest sacrificially to make God’s presence more noticeable to all people of the world – to help guide all people to an abundant life in God, as revealed in Jesus.

Do we find Malachi’s prophecy as a warning or a projection of hope? Do we find Malachi’s prophecy as a warning to our false belief in arrogance, like the people of Malachi’s day? Or do we find Malachi’s prophecy a projection of hope to address what’s wrong with the world – that we will be rescued by the Lord God, like a remnant of Malachi’s day chose to believe, as they returned to God, and chose to remember his faithfulness (Malachi 3:16-17), …those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. (Malachi 3:16a)

Are we like the Israelites of Malachi’s day? We give the appearance of worshipping God, but our attitude, our actions beyond Sunday (in private), our words, are far from God? Are in darkness,

and ruining us, or others? How are our thoughts, words, and actions in need of returning to God, the source of Life and Light? God’s word in Malachi invites us to Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin.

If you are currently living apart from the Lord God who was revealed most fully in Jesus, will you choose to heed Malachi’s warning and return to the Lord of your life? Will you return to the one who can truly rescue you, and bring you into the abundant life you desire, but can’t make happen on your own?

Please find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus and we’d be glad to help you discern taking a step of faith toward God – possibly surrendering your life through expressing faith in Jesus, in baptism, uniting and entrusting your rescue to God – entering a life of remembering God’s faithfulness to you. The invitation of Malachi’s prophecy for the unbeliever is to return to God and then remember God.

For those who’ve already encountered God through faith in Jesus, will you choose to remember Malachi’s prophecy of hope? Will you remember the unchanging, faithfulness of God? Will you remember the hope of God’s eternal rescue from the brokenness of our current context? And will you examine your life – to see where you are or are heavily tempted to turn away from God and his way of living? Will you repent and return that area of your life to be in God’s constant and faithful presence? The invitation of Malachi’s prophecy for the beleiver is to remember God’s faithfulness and return to his constant presence.

Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin.

(Malachi 1:6-2:9) What gives weight to your priorities? What gives weight to your worship?

Countdown to Christ, Anticipating Jesus (Malachi 1:6-2:9)

Jordan Byrd

What’s your vision of a perfect life? I used to struggle with perfectionism. And I’m still tempted by it. I used to believe that doing my best meant perfect grades on a quiz, test, or school paper. Doing my best meant being able to get my gymnastics skills and routine executed perfectly. Doing my best meant never failing my parents' expectations. Doing my best meant never failing other leaders and authorities in my life. Doing my best meant executing God’s expectations exactly as they were laid out in the Bible. I had many moments of second-guessing: Did I do the “right” and “full” process of making Jesus my Lord? Did I do the “right” and “full” response actions to receive forgiveness and salvation from God? But the more I followed Jesus, the more God’s Spirit revealed to me through His Word that the only perfect human is Jesus. And on my own, I am always trying to achieve perfection. And the only hope of living into perfection is to be, and continue to be united to Jesus – the only one who is perfect. This was freedom to me. It freed me from an unrealistic vision of life. It freed me from making a perfect life happen on my own. It freed me to live with the hope of a more authentic version of a perfect life – a life that is only possible being united to the life of God, through faith in Jesus. This saving freedom is one way Jesus has saved me. Chasing perfection on my own, I would be obsessed, anxious, fearful, overwhelmed, and stressed more than I already am with the rest of my life. This saving freedom draws me to prioritize the God revealed in Jesus in my thoughts, words, and actions. This saving freedom draws me to worship. This saving freedom draws me to prioritize God’s presence in my life. Prioritize God’s word and instruction. Prioritize prayer and attentiveness to God’s guidance. Prioritize community with the body of Christ. Prioritize praise for God’s faithfulness and ability to bring me into a life more perfect than I could craft on my own.

What gives weight to your worship?

What’s your vision of a perfect life? What is the world’s vision of a perfect life in our current context? And how does that vision of life determine what you do? How does that vision of life give weight to your priorities? If you could weigh the priorities of your life, what would that weight consist of? What gives weight to your priorities? In more religious language, What gives weight to your worship?

In our current context, we’re tempted to give weight to what’s immediately pleasurable (or beneficial to us). What’s easy. Or what’s comfortable. We’re tempted to give weight to these priorities. We give weight to the immediate pleasure of sleeping in over the inconvenience of getting up early to have coffee with someone going through a tough time. We give weight to the ease of turning on a TV show over the discipline meeting with God in His Word. We give weight to the comfort of tailgating at a Bills game over allowing God to stretch and transform our hearts during a Sunday morning church service.

But God’s word invites us to see reality differently. God’s word invites us to see that giving weight to these priorities will leave us wanting – will leave us restless – will leave us unable to experience the abundant life and peace that we long for – the abundant life and peace that we hope giving weight to these priorities will help satisfy or make happen.

What gives weight to your worship?

God’s word invites us to see that we will never be able to attain the perfect life of pleasure, ease, and comfort that we long for on our own. God’s word invites us to see that we need God. That we need God’s perfection. That we need God’s perfection in our life to attain the perfect life we long for. God’s word invites us to consider where we ascribe glory and worship. Do we ascribe glory to our version of a perfect life? Or our current context’s version of a perfect life? Or do we ascribe glory to God’s version of a perfect life? If we aren’t ascribing glory to God and his version of a perfect life, than God’s word invites us to confess our need for it, and confess our need for his direction and guidance for our lives.

What gives weight to your priorities? What gives weight to your worship?

In the beloved Christmas special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, when Rudolph and Hermey the elf leave Santa’s workshop as outcasts, they run into the adventuring prospector, Yukon Cornelius. The trio eventually float through open water on a piece of ice, and eventually encounter dense fog. To which Hermey the elf says, “fog thick as pea soup." And Yukon Cornelius goes even further by saying, “fog thick as peanut butter!" Their descriptions of the fog is an attempt to capture the denseness or weightiness of the fog.

In the background of Malachi 1-2 is God establishing the tribe of Levi, of the 12 tribes of Israel as the priests to mediate God’s glory and presence to the people through their sacrificial service in the Tabernacle – a portable worship space – and eventually in the more formally established temple in Jerusalem. We get a summary of the Levite’s priestly role in Leviticus 9:1-7, …Moses summoned Aaron and his sons [from the tribe of Levi] and the elders of Israel. He said to Aaron, “Take a bull calf for your sin offering and a ram for your burnt offering, both without defect, and present them before the Lord. Then say to the Israelites: ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb—both a year old and without defect—for a burnt offering, and an ox and a ram for a fellowship offering to sacrifice before the Lord, together with a grain offering mixed with olive oil. For today the Lord will appear to you.’” They took the things Moses commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the entire assembly came near and stood before the Lord. Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.” Moses said to Aaron, “Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people; sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord has commanded.” (Leviticus 9:1-7)

As we encounter in vs. 6, there is an interplay between the sacrificial worship of priests for the people of Israel and their encounter with the glory of God.

Like this weighted blanket, the Hebrew term behind our translated word, glory is the idea of weightiness or denseness or richness of God’s presence. In the context of Leviticus 9,  it’s the weightiness of God’s presence that accompanies the sacrificial worship of Israel and the priests. In Malachi 1:6 we encounter this same concept. Here, Malachi confronts the people of Israel, specifically the Levitical priests who represent the people of Israel before God with their lack of honor for God. The idea of honor here is the same concept of weightiness that accompanies the idea of glory. Here, the Israelites and Levitical priests aren’t attributing adequate weight, or attention, to God and his role in their lives. The people aren’t prioritizing God’s presence in their lives. The people aren’t worshipping God to their fullest. The people aren’t giving the fullest glory to God.

We see examples of the Israelites' lack of honor and disregard for prioritizing God’s presence through what is emphasized about the priests' sacrificial work. In Malachi 1:7-8 we encounter that the priests are allowing imperfect animals to be sacrificed in worship. If we look back to Leviticus 9, we are reminded that God instructed the priests to sacrifice animals without defects. The priests are to offer God the best – essentially, the best from the people of Israel in their worship of God. The priests are to offer the best animals to God first. And in Malachi 1:7-8 the priests are offering the people’s leftover animals to God. What is likely happening in Malachi 1 is that the priests are allowing the people to cheat God. Malachi 1:14, “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord.”

In Deuteronomy 18:1-5, we encounter that the Levitical priests received part of the animals offered in sacrifice – as their own food. The Levitical priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance. They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them. This is the share due the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulder, the internal organs and the meat from the head. You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep, 5 for the Lord your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the Lord’s name always. (Deuteronomy 18:1-5)

In Malachi 1, we have two potential situations happening. One is that the priests are accepting the perfect animals for their own food, and offering the lame animals to still perform the ritual of sacrificial worship. In this situation, the priests are making a mockery of sacrificial worship to God. Two, the priests might be taking bribes from the people of Israel to accept their lame animals for sacrifice. Again, this makes a mockery of sacrificial worship of God. The priests in either of these situations are giving weight to their immediate benefit. The priests are giving weight to their own comfort over pleasing God first. The priests are giving weight to what’s easy, rather than the disciplined sacrificial work they’ve been given to do. The priests are giving weight to priorities other than God’s priorities. The priests are giving weight to worship themselves rather than God.

Poop bags have become a common-place item for dog owners to keep dog poop out of people’s yards so people don’t step in the poop later. The bags are not for keeping the poop, but for throwing it away. Because it has no everyday value to most of us. God thinks similarly of the sacrificial system of the Israelites in Malachi’s time. Through Malachi’s prophecy, God confronts the people about their poor worship and their disregard for God’s presence in their life, by telling them to just shut the doors of the temple and stop offering sacrifices. God is saying, “What you’re offering is what YOU don’t want: you’re lame, diseased, and sub-par animals.” “If you think worshipping me is not worth much, then let’s just scrap this whole thing!”

Worship is about recognizing our need for perfection tied to God.

God ultimately points to the reality that: Worship isn't about the sacrifices, but about recognizing our need for perfection tied to God, perfection tied to the worship of God, and perfection tied to being in God’s glorious presence. God references this reality by highlighting that he has people beyond the border of Israel who are seeking him, and his perfect life. We see here a glimpse of the mission of God for all people of the world to experience God’s abundant life. And despite the Israelite’s unfaithfulness, God will remain faithful to his mission. And this plays out fully in Jesus making it possible for all people to be united to the life of God, through faith in him.

In Malachi, the people were faithful to sacrifice animals. But the people were unfaithful to the sacrifice of unblemished, perfect animals. The quality of the sacrifice mattered because of what it pointed toward. It pointed toward the unblemished, perfect life of Jesus, who ultimately was sacrificed on the cross – to unite us with the perfect life of God. To unite our imperfect lives with God’s perfect life. We see this imagery in what Peter writes his New Testament letter, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

The point of a perfect sacrifice to God was to emphasize that a perfect life is only possible with God. Being with God and being guided and instructed by God is what ultimately mattered. The perfect sacrifice was to keep this idea at the forefront of the Israelites’ vision for life; and ultimately to point to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus.

Have you ever stepped in dog poop? It’s one of the worst feelings, and the germ freak in me can’t stand knowing even a tiny bit might still be on my shoe. And we all know, the bigger the dog, the bigger the poop. Or, we could also say, the bigger the dog poop, the bigger the mess – if you step in it. While God desires all people to find a perfect life in him, he never forces it on anyone. He urges and corrects his creation to turn to him, and recognize our need for his perfection – his perfect wisdom and instruction on how to live most fully. But, if we choose otherwise, God will allow us to go that way, and experience the mess that comes with it, with the hope that we might come to our senses, and turn back to him for life and peace. We hear this tone from the heart of God in Psalm 81:11-13, “But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. “If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways….” (Psalm 81:11-13)

In Malachi 2:3, God gives the imagery of: “If you want to make a mess of my instruction to offer perfect sacrifices, then I’ll let the mess be all over you,” like dung – like poop on your face. It was considered unclean to have the intestinal parts of the animals on a person during the sacrificial process, and it was to be taken outside of the camp to be disposed of. Here, we see God contrasting that the Israelites are choosing excrement over him. The Israelites are choosing lesser priorities over God. The Israelites are giving weight to imperfect priorities over the perfect presence and instruction of God.

In Malachi 2:7, the priests are reminded of their charge to instruct the people of Israel in God’s ways. They were to be setting the example for the standard of prioritizing God – prioritizing perfect sacrifices – prioritizing worship and encountering his glorious, weighty, life-giving presence. But they weren’t living that way. And they were leading the whole nation astray in the process. They were leading the people astray from encountering the weightiest presence of God then, in the tabernacle or temple of God and soon to come in the birth of God in the flesh – in the birth of Jesus.

Malachi’s prophecy highlights that the people of Israel were giving weight to priorities other than God. The people of Israel were giving weight to a lesser version of the perfect life. The people of Israel gave into the temptation to give weight to the priorities of: self-benefit over the benefit of God’s mission, comfort over the inconvenience of God’s standard, and ease over the discipline of seeking God’s life.

This reality can play out in at least one of two ways: One, it can play out that we give weight to priorities and worship of something other than God altogether. This is the reality for many in our current context and world. Where they are totally detached from the God revealed in Jesus.

Are you giving God your leftovers?

But it can also play out in a more subtle way: Where we give weight to things other than God, but we still give some leftovers to God. For example: I’ll meet with God’s word if nothing else comes up. I’ll gather with God’s people for worship if I don’t have anything else to do. I’ll make time for a friend if it fits the margin I already have. The problem with this perspective is that it does not give priority to God. It gives God our leftovers. This path involves us giving weight to many other things, and in the end, offering God very little, worthless, and excrement-looking worship. We end up giving weight to the world’s vision of a perfect life, Rather than recognizing our need for God’s perfect life, and his instruction and guidance to live toward it.

What gives weight to your priorities?
What gives weight to your worship?

Confess your need for the perfection of God.

God’s word in Malachi 1-2 invites you to reflect on the weight of your priorities and where they are leading you. When you give your life over to these priorities, they’ll end up leaving you wanting, restless, and unable to experience the abundant life and peace you deeply long for. The reality is, you cannot attain the perfect life you long for – on your own. God’s word, in Malachi 1-2, shows you that you need something greater. You need God’s perfection. You need the life and peace that only God can provide. So I invite you to be honest: What gives weight to your current priorities? And where are those things leading you? Are they leading you to anxiety and emptiness? If so, God’s word invites you to confess your need for Him. To confess your need for the God revealed in Jesus. And to take a step of faith toward him. If you’re ready to take that step, please find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus to help you journey toward uniting your life to God through faith in Jesus in baptism.

What gives weight to your priorities?

What gives weight to your worship?

If you’ve already united your life to Jesus, God’s word in Malachi 1-2 challenges you to examine the weight of your priorities and the state of your worship. When you prioritize your version of a perfect life over God’s vision for a perfect life, you’ll find yourself restless and unfulfilled. God invites you to see that you’ll never attain the abundant life and peace you long for, apart from Him.

Confess your need to be guided by Jesus to the perfection of God.

The question is: Where are you ascribing glory and worship? Are you giving full weight to the worship of the God revealed in Jesus? Or are you giving weight to other priorities, and leaving God only the lesser, worthless, and excrement-looking glory? If you find yourself wayward, confess it. Be honest about the places where your priorities or worship have gone astray. God’s grace is abundant, and He wants to restore you. Cling to Him for the perfect life that your soul longs for – a life found only in Jesus. Let this be a moment to reorder your heart and priorities, giving weight to God’s glory and worship Him above all else. God’s word invites you to return to Him, to experience the abundant life He offers, and to find your rest in Him. Will you confess your need for God? And will you commit in faith to seek his instruction and guidance to encounter his perfect, abundant life, as revealed in the life of Jesus?

What gives weight to your priorities?

What gives weight to your worship?

(Malachi 1:1-5) When we lose track of God’s actions we lose track of who God is - Byrd

Countdown to Christmas, Anticipating Jesus (Malachi 1:1-5)
Jordan Byrd

When I was in high school, I trained for gymnastics in a town about 30 minutes away from my parent’s house. The drive home from my gym could happen by a couple of different routes. One was a two-lane highway most of the way, and a few country roads part of the way. The other was that same two-lane highway halfway, and some more country roads the other half of the way. One wintry night, I was driving home from practice during a decent snowfall. Snowy weather wasn’t new for me. And I debated on the way home, if I should stay on the highway, where it might be plowed more, and I could see where other cars had driven ahead of me to stay on the road; or if I should get off and take the country roads the rest of the way home. I decided I was capable of driving in the wintry weather on the country roads, so I got off and continued home that way. I traversed the first country road fine, made the first turn onto another road, and as I continued down this road, it was completely snow-covered. There was no sight of another vehicle having been down it since it started snowing. As I reached a few hundred feet from a stop sign at an intersection, I began to slide and fishtail, and next thing I knew, I hit black ice, under the snow; and began spinning in a circle and heading toward the ditch – where my car eventually rolled over and landed on its side, and I ended up totaling the car.

I thought I knew the best way to drive home that night. In hindsight, I made a poor choice; and should have stayed on track with the highway path. I should have stayed on track with the path… where I could see where other cars had traveled – where the ice on the road was salted and melted. But, in my arrogance, I went off track and ended up in disaster.

In the coming weeks, many of you might have a model train that you set up as a decoration for Christmas. A common issue with model trains like this is to make sure the train and the cars are on the track – to make sure they’re on track to keep moving forward. When the train or car ends up off the track, disaster ensues. One of the popular movies during this time of year is The Polar Express where a group of children takes a train to the North Pole, but brushes with disaster, when the train goes off track, during part of its journey.

So often, this imagery is a reflection of our own lives. Where we think we know best, and we try to make our own track. Where we think we know what’s best. Where we think we know what needs to happen. Where we think we know the answer to the problem. Where we think we know how to bring about justice. Where we think we know how to become important. Where we think we know what true love looks like. But, as we get off onto this track, we end-up realizing there isn’t a track at all. We end up realizing that the path is bumpy, causing destruction to whatever is in front of us, and coming to a flaming halt at some point.

The people of Israel that we encounter in Malachi 1 have experienced this reality. They were on track to experience God’s blessing and abundant life in the land promised by God to Abraham, Isaac, and the descendants of Jacob. But, along the way, they derailed and created their own track. Which resulted in compromising their ethics, weakening their culture by intermarrying with other people of ungodly nations and unjustly treating impoverished and disadvantaged people; and ultimately choosing their own wisdom to curtail invading nations at their borders, rather than turning to the Lord God for direction and protection – and they eventually ended-up taken into captivity by foreign nations, and spread across the ancient, Mediterranean world. All because they thought they knew better than God. All because they let themselves arrogantly direct God’s blessing and life onto a different track. All because they arrogantly thought they could make God’s promises happen according to their wisdom.

We’re no different in our day and age either. We are constantly tempted to lose track of God to pursue our own track – of what we think is best. And when we, like the Israelites of old, end up with derailed lives, we’re also tempted to blame God for not showing up as we needed – for not showing up as we think he should. Saying things about God like the Israelites did in Malachi 1, How have you loved me?! Where are you in this mess?! Why aren’t you doing something about this?! When will you do something?! How have you been present in my situation?!

We may reach the point of needing help to get back on a good track but we can’t see how God is present to get back on God’s track. Like ancient Israel, In our context, we’re tempted to look for God’s presence in our life, according to how we want God to act.

However, God’s word in Malachi 1 reveals a different reality. In Malachi 1:1-5, we encounter that the only way to truly see God’s presence in our life… is to see how God has already been present in history. God's message in Malachi 1:1-5 encourages us to see God for who He is based on what He’s already done and promised to do, not on how we think He should act. When we lose track of God’s actions we lose track of who God is.

God’s word reveals good news to us in Malachi 1:1-5 that we can be aware of God’s presence and action in our life, by being aware of how God has acted acted, and promises to act by how God has revealed himself to us in history, and not just in word, but also in action. It’s at the intersection of how God has acted and what he promises to do that we can start to gain a sense of how God is present and active when it’s hard to see.

God’s word in Malachi 1:1-5 invites us to keep track of God’s actions. To be aware of God’s action in the past, so we can look for similar actions in the present and future. The more we understand how God has acted in the past,  the more we'll know what to expect from Him in the present and future. The more we look for God to act as He knows best, rather than how we think He should. When we lose track of God’s actions we lose track of who God is.

Recently, many families in WNY were impacted by the burden of the message that their job at the Sumitomo Tire plant was no more, and the company plant was closing down altogether. No one wants to hear the message: “Hey, in a couple of days, you’re not going to have a job.” No one wants to be the bearer of that message either.

That is the nature of the prophetic word of Malachi. Some translations even reflect the burdensome nature of Malachi’s prophecy, by how the opening of the prophecy is translated. The opening words of Malachi very literally read, The burden of a word of Jehovah unto Israel by the hand of Malachi… (Malachi 1:1, Young’s Literal Translation)

The message of Malachi is a burdensome one because it is addressed to the people of Israel who have lost track of God and God’s law. Malachi is addressed to the people of Israel who have been overran by foreign people, scattered across the region, and given the opportunity to return to their homeland, but are still prone to heading down their own track. A broad picture of Malachi’s message is that this is one of the last times that God will speak to his people for another 400 years. This is one of the last times that God will speak to his people before God enters into their reality in flesh and blood in the birth of Jesus.

One of the overall messages of Malachi is that God’s people are warned to pay attention to what’s going on – to turn their attention to God and his law so that they can beware of God’s presence when it comes or else, the people will find themselves heading toward destruction – and missing the promised, blessings of God’s very presence with them in flesh and blood.

But, as we quickly encounter in Malachi’s message, the people of Israel are so derailed from God’s track that they struggle to see how God is acting, let alone how he’s about to act in the coming of the promised Messiah – in the coming of Jesus.

Overall, God’s message to Israel, through Malachi, is a father’s warning to not miss God and miss out on how he’s about to show up. We see God’s fatherly heart in how he warns and tries to guide Israel back to him, and back on track with his promises to them.

Caleb Williams was the first overall pick by the Chicago Bears in the most recent NFL draft. It was reported that Caleb texted the following comment to the punter the Bears drafted in the 4th round of the draft, “hey you're not going to punt too much here…” Through week 12 of the NFL this season, Caleb Williams has 2,356 passing yards on the season; and Tory Taylor has 2,528 punt yards on the season. Taylor has over 150 more punt yards than Williams has passing yards – more than halfway through the season. Words are empty without the actions to prove them. and this is what the people of Israel accuse God of.

Malachi’s message from God begins with God’s fatherly love for the people of Israel, “I have loved you,” says the Lord. (Malachi 1:2a) To which the people claim, ‘How have you loved us?’ (Malachi 1:2b) The people make an accusatory claim that God has not loved them. “You say you love us.” “You say you’re present with us.” “You say you’re acting for our best interest.” “Then show us?” The people ask in an accusatory fashion, claiming that God has no actions to back up his words. In the people’s thinking, God is not showing up as they think he should be.

But, unlike Caleb Williams’ empty claim about Tory Taylor’s need to punt this year, God’s word is always backed up with action. God never claims something he can’t back up.

God didn’t need to condescend to the people’s accusations, but he compassionately responded anyway. God directly points to his loving action toward the people of Israel throughout their history. Specifically, he harkens back to how he chose to love Jacob’s descendants, rather than Esau’s descendants. Jacob eventually took the name Israel, which is where Jacob’s descendants became the nation of Israel. But God’s choosing to bless Israel’s descendants, and not Esau’s descendants is an alteration to the conventional protocol of the ancient world, where the firstborn children are given priority in continuing the family’s legacy, where the firstborn sons were blessed above the sons that were born second. God breaks this protocol – to intentionally choose to bless Jacob, who was born after his twin brother, Esau.

In Genesis 25ff, we encounter Jacob deceivingly receiving his Father, Issac’s blessing. But in Genesis 28, God specifically promises to bless Jacbo’s descendants in the continuation of the promised blessing he made to his father, Isaac, and grandfather, Abraham. Jacob deceptively got a blessing. But God on his own initiative, chose Jacob to continue his great promise — to have all peoples of the earth to receive God’s blessing through Jacob’s family lineage.

In Malachi 1:2b-3, God reminds the people of Israel that they became a people, that they have the land they live in now, that they became a mighty nation under King David, that they were returned from Babylonian exile – to live in the Promised Land again because God chooses to bring about his blessings to the world through them.

God reminds the people of Israel that the blessings they have enjoyed are a result of God’s grace and love, and not because they deserved it, or earned it. But only because God in his wisdom knew it best to bring about his blessing for the world through Jacob and not Esau.

The USPS has regular mail and what they call Priority Mail. The USPS will send and deliver both kinds of mail. However, the Priority Mail is given priority action over the regular mail in terms of attention and urgency.

The language of God’s word in Malachi 1:3 can come across as awkward to us if we approach it thinking that it conveys God’s emotional state toward Jacob and Esau, and their descendants. But, if we realize that the “love/hate” language used can also convey “priority” it conveys a very different picture.

God’s expression of love to Jacob and hate to Esau is a way of conveying priority of specified attention to one over another. It’s not that Jacob and his descendants are inherently more special and deserving of God’s love, and Esau and his descendants aren’t. Rather, God is conveying that he’s made a specific promise to bring about a blessing to the whole world through Jacob’s descendants that he hasn’t made to Esau’s descendants.

But, it’s not that God doesn’t care or love both men and their descendants. Genesis 36 shows God's care in blessing Esau with family, possessions, and land, forming the nation of Edom. Deuteronomy 2:4-5 shows God's protection of the Edomites, forbidding Israel from taking their land, given by God to Esau as his inheritance. God's love for all nations, including Edom, is shown in Acts 17:26-27, where He creates all nations and desires them to seek Him, and in Matthew 5:45, where He makes the sun rise on the evil and the good. God loves both Jacob and Esau’s descendants. But Malachi 1:3 is specifically highlighting that God is fulfilling his promise to bless all nations through Israel – through the descendants of Jacob. Which, eventually will be the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, through the people of Israel.

In our age of social media, we’ve become deadened to filtered snapshots of life: enhanced, photoshopped, or AI-generated images – all made to give the appearance of reality, but are a skewing of reality. These images are not the full picture of reality.

God responds to Israel’s claim that he doesn’t love them by also reminding the people of Israel that: with Esau’s descendants, when they went off track of God’s way – when they were violent and unjust, God also allowed them to experience the consequences of their sin and in the day of Malchi, the Edomite’s land was still desolate. But with the people of Israel, even though they also went off track of God’s way, God still remained faithful to his promise and brought them back from captivity not because they were morally better than Edom, but to continue fulfillment of his promise to bless the world through Israel.

God’s point to the people of Israel is that they continue to experience God’s blessing and presence only because of the promise God initiated with Israel. It’s only out of God’s grace that Israel continues to experience God’s presence.

But, the people of Israel are unaware of God’s presence because they’re expecting God to act differently than he has. We see a glimpse of this in Malachi 1:4, where the people of Israel are intimidated by the Edomites. Where the people of Edom claim that they will be rebuilt as a nation, and establish their power. This perspective of the nation of Edom communicates the reality the Israelites were expecting God to make them into: to make them into the mighty nation they were under David – to be the envy of the region again.

But God exposes this skewed perspective. God demonstrates how the Edomites' claim does not even come to fruition. Their claim of rebuilding is a perception, but not actually reality. The reality is that they never become a mighty power again, and evidence of that is that God allowed their sin to run its course, and allow them to be overrun by other nations. And in Malachi’s day, Edom is still a deserted land, where jackals live. God also demonstrates that this is not the kind of future God is guiding the people of Israel to have. God is not present with them to have a mighty nation, like David’s, and he’s not present with them to be above all other nations. Rather, God is present and active among the people of Israel to make them a place where God is known beyond the borders of Israel. God’s action is to have all people of the earth encounter his presence through Israel; and ultimately through Jesus who is born in Israel.

In 1968, 3M scientist, Spencer Silver created a low-tack adhesive that didn’t seem to have an immediate use. Years later, a colleague of his, Art Fry, needed a way to keep bookmarks in place in his hymnal, during choir practice. He discovered that Silver’s adhesive was the perfect solution. This singular use led to the invention of what we know today as sticky notes. What was once thought of as an invention for one man’s purpose eventually became a globally used product.

In verse 5 of Malachi 1, God highlights the purpose of his relationship with Israel – with Jacob’s descendants – beyond the people of Israel. God highlights that he will be known as ”Great” beyond the border of Israel. Israel is reminded that God is known by his action to make himself known in Israel, and beyond. Israel is reminded that this is what God has been doing all along. God has been acting within human history to make himself known, and to reveal his character and life for all people to experience, and live into, and experience the abundance of his life.

Throughout this section of Malachi, we encounter God reminding the people of Israel to Keep track of God’s actions. When Israel lost track of God’s action to bring about his blessing to all nations Israel lost track of who God is, and who they are as his people, and the role they played. When we lose track of God’s actions we lose track of who God is.

When we pay attention and are aware of and track what God has been doing throughout history, to deliver us from our disastrous desires – so that he can pull us back on track to his wise and good way to live – we too, like Israel will see God for who he truly is, and we too will see and understand the greatness of the Lord God. The God who wisely and graciously entered into our world through the family line of Israel in the birth and life of Jesus. When we keep track of God’s actions, we keep track of who God is and what is striving to do in the world, and in our lives. When we keep track of God’s actions, we’re able to see God for what he actually is and does, rather than our skewed perception of what we want God to be.

Search the Bible to see how God has acted.

Today, if you’re unable to track God’s presence in your life, I invite you to vulnerably share that perception with God. Cry out to him. Accuse him, if that’s where you are. Ask him, “Where are you?” How are you present? What are you doing with my life? How do you love me? And vulnerably – openly – listen for God to respond. I invite you to turn to God’s word – begin reading and listening to Scripture, and see and hear how God has already acted; and allow God’s actions to reveal to you – how he is acting to bless you through Jesus just like he’s been acting to do all throughout history. I invite you to find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus to help you respond to God in faith, entrusting your life to God’s wise way of life – allowing God to put you back on track, uniting your life to his in baptism, through faith in Jesus. Please find me or another trusted follower of Jesus to help you discern taking a step of faith toward Jesus.

If you’ve already surrendered your life to Jesus, how aware are you of God’s actions? How much are you able to track God’s actions throughout history? Are you able to know what God has done so that you can anticipate what God is doing in your life now? So that you can anticipate what God is going to do in the future? How Are you consistently meeting with God’s Word? To discover – or be reminded – how God has acted to bring the world to know him? Are you vulnerably sharing with God asking him to show you clearly in his word how God has acted, so that you can anticipate him acting that way in your life today and in your life in the future? When we lose track of God’s actions we lose track of who God is.

Horizon - Marks of Success, What Marks Are You Aiming For? (John 2:13-3:21)

When I was in high school, I competed in men’s gymnastics. One of the men’s events is the high bar. As you might know from watching gymnastics during the Summer Olympics, release moves are a common part of a men’s high bar routine. I had a release move in my high bar routine, where I would swing forward around the bar, in an underhand grip, but then release the bar – on an upward swing, and then fling myself above the bar, while making a half-turn, and then catch the bar, as I fell back toward the bar. To release the bar, and catch it again, this skill required aiming, or directing my head and body upward – to stay above and near the bar – to catch it and hang on. If I aimed my head forward, I would miss the bar. No matter anything else I’d do, if I aimed my head away from the bar, I’d miss it, and fall to the mat below.

The mark of success for that skill is “catching the bar.” To hit the mark, I had to aim in the right direction. I had to aim at the target. I could easily evaluate if I was successful at the skill. I either hit the mark, or I didn’t.  Evaluation of success was clear: I either caught the bar, or I didn’t.

What marks are you aiming for? In our context, we’re tempted to aim at several marks that we’re told are indicative of success – that are indicative of entering into an abundant life. Aiming at a certain income level. Aiming at a house in the nice neighborhood. Aiming at “following your heart.” Aiming at the biggest sale. Aiming at a career achievement. Aiming at recognition. Aiming at the championship. Aiming at the most muscle. Aiming at a body type. Aiming at attention. Aiming at trending style. Aiming at the most followers of subscribers. Aiming at new or thrilling experiences. Aiming at the biggest crowd. Aiming at the most influence. Aiming at happy children or grandchildren. Aiming at the happiest and longest marriage. Aiming at the longest life.

We’re tempted to aim for these marks, believing they indicate a successful life – believing they indicate an abundant life. Yet, we feel the tension these aims create in our lives. We feel the anxiety they foster. We feel the shame they foster. We feel the insignificance they foster. But, when they’re what we’re constantly presented as the marks to aim for, we feel the vortex pulling the aim of our lives in their direction.

Even as the body of Christ, we are tempted to aim for these kinds of marks, believing that: more butts in the seats. More bucks in the bank account. And more building accouterments to offer – are indicative of a successful church – are indicative of all people being guided to abundant life in Jesus.

Personally, and as a church body, we have to ask ourselves: What marks are we aiming for? What marks are we aiming for? The reality is we’re all going to be pulled to aim at something. The other question is, What will determine what specific marks we aim for?

As we’ve been exploring the language of CCC’s refreshed vision over the past few messages, the vision revolves around Jesus: Jesus is the abundant life we’re on a mission to guide all people toward. Jesus is the heartbeat of the values we have of disruptive truth, simple faithfulness, and uncommon presence. Jesus is who is encountered when we participate in our strategy of: meeting consistently with Jesus, sharing vulnerably from a life with Jesus, and investing sacrificially for the mission of Jesus. The mission, values, and strategy of our vision revolve around Jesus.

To know if we’re living into this vision – to know how we’re doing at our mission of guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus, we have to allow Jesus to direct what we’re aiming for. Based on the life of Jesus and the early church who set the precedent for us of following Jesus we see at least three marks emerge that we believe we’re called to aim for in our current context. We believe we’re called to aim for: Consistently meeting with Jesus daily. Having the names of people whom you share vulnerably with each week. And, sacrificially investing your time, talent, and treasure to help someone enter God’s kingdom each year.

To make this easier to engage, we rephrased these marks into questions to help us use them as an evaluation tool to see if we’re aiming and hitting these marks. When did I meet with Jesus today? Who am I vulnerably sharing with this week? What am I doing to help someone enter God’s Kingdom this year? When we ask ourselves these questions (personally or as a church body), we can concretely look for evidence of where we’re aiming for these marks.

Evaluation of success toward our mission and vision is clearer when evaluated through these marks, we are consistently meeting with Jesus daily, or we’re not. We have the names of people whom we’re vulnerably sharing with, and who is vulnerably sharing with us or we don’t. We are sacrificially investing our time, talent, and treasure toward helping someone to enter God’s kingdom, or we’re not.

The benefit of these marks is that they help us evaluate success at living in God’s abundant life beyond the marks that the world calls us to aim for and they help us evaluate success in our mission of guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus beyond just the quantitative marks of more butts, bucks, and buildings that we’re tempted to aim for as a church body. The benefit of these marks is that they help us evaluate success at living into God’s abundant life personally and success at guiding all people to God’s abundant life as a church according to qualitative standards of Jesus.

We’re tempted to believe that aiming for the marks of the world, or the quantitative marks of the butts, bucks, and buildings will help us reach where we want to go and who we want to be.

But if we’re always aiming at those marks, we’re always going to miss the marks we’re not aiming for – the qualitative and more holistic marks that Jesus models and calls us toward.

As Michael Scott of The Office quotes from Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.” If we never aim for the habits of Jesus, we’ll never be able to evaluate our life by them. Or as Zig Ziglar has famously said, “If you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.”

If you never aim for the habits of Jesus, you’ll never live into them. What marks are you aiming for?

Good news that we encounter from God’s word today is that the three qualitative marks we want to aim for as a church body and personally – to live into the abundant life of God and to guide all people to abundant life in Jesus – these three marks are modeled in the life of Jesus, and copied and lived out by his followers – his disciples – those who found abundant life in Jesus. 

One specific place where we see these three marks lived out is in John 2-3. In John 2-3, we can evaluate the aim of Jesus’ life to live in God’s abundant life and his success in guiding all people to abundant life in God by how he has a method of meeting consistently with his Heavenly Father (God). By how he has the name of a specific person, Nicodemus, whom he shares vulnerably with from his life with God. And by how he sacrificially invests his time, talent, and treasure toward helping a specific person, Nicodemus, to enter God’s kingdom.

We can look at Jesus’ life, and find Jesus aiming for and hitting these marks. As Jesus aims for these marks, he is living in the abundant life of God and accomplishing the mission of guiding all people to his abundant life.

In John 2-3, and 7, We encounter that Nicodemus copies Jesus’ example, and aims for these marks as well. What marks are you aiming for? When will you meet with Jesus today, tomorrow, and the next day? Who are you vulnerably sharing with this week? What are you doing to help someone enter God’s Kingdom this year?

Our kids are homeschooled, and part of homeschooling in New York State is that we have to track what our kids learn so that we can send a report to the school district four times a year. While we have some regimented schoolwork that our kids go through, there are a number of non-book learning experiences that happen throughout the week, that have to be tracked: geographical awareness, physical education, health, fire safety, and traffic safety, just to mention some of them. To keep track of these learning experiences, I had to create an alarm on my phone to help me remember to make notes from each day, to keep track of them. I knew that if I didn’t make an alarm. If I didn’t start a daily habit. If I didn’t start the pattern or rhythm of recording the information, I never would. I would have great intention of aiming for it, but actually end up aiming for other things with my time and effort. We see a similar dynamic in the life of Jesus in John 2.

In John 2:13ff, we encounter Jesus in Jerusalem, for the annual Passover festival, and in the Jewish temple court to celebrate and worship. But as Jesus enters the temple, he encounters people selling animals and exchanging money. To this, Jesus responds by driving the animals out of the courtyard and overturning the tables.

While we’re not going to spend time going through the nuances of what all Jesus’ actions mean. I want to highlight that Jesus’ action is marking a distinction. A distinction between the temple as a place of: worship, prayer, sacrifice, and focus on God’s presence and revelation, and what the people had allowed it to become. A place of commerce. We can see the heart of this distinction by Jesus words in John 2:16: “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” Jesus recognized that the aim of his time – the aim of his consistent visit to the temple – was to be WITH his Heavenly Father (to be in the presence of God). The contrast of the situation is that the people had the intention of aiming for that, but their actual aim hit something else altogether. And what they were being successful at was not truthful worship, but deceptive worship – missing God’s presence amid the commerce.

The prophet Micah makes a similar accusation, With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly[a] with your God. (Micah 6:6-8) God’s abundant life was not in the amount of sacrifices but in the quality of their sacrifices. Sacrificing from a humble heart before the Lord. Sacrificing from an awareness of needing the presence of God in one’s life.

The gospel account of John, even captures that Jesus’ disciples recognized the importance that Jesus placed on spending undiluted time in God’s presence, “His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me” (John 2:17). Which is a reference to Jesus living out David’s cry in Psalm 69:9. Jesus was known for aiming at being in God’s undiluted presence. Jesus was known by the mark of meeting in God’s presence. We also see this in Jesus’ life by the number of times he removes himself from the hustle and bustle of life to spend time in prayer with his Heavenly Father, and dwell on his promises – to dwell on his word of abundant life. What mark are you aiming for?

Several years ago, we had an issue with our taxes, where we owed a lot of money that we didn’t have. That is not a situation anyone wants to admit to anyone. No one wants to be known as someone who can’t cover their debts. We could have tried to deal with the issue all on our own. That is the American way after all. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, and figure it out. Make it happen, figure it out, on our own; or, I could vulnerably share my need with someone so that we weren’t alone in the situation. But that had to be people I could trust. People I knew wouldn’t judge my situation. People I knew would be the voice and heart of Jesus in a crummy time. Someone who would encourage me to lean into God’s care for me, no matter how the situation unfolded or was dealt with.

In John 3, we encounter that Jesus has a similar encounter with a Jewish religious leader, named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was curious about Jesus, and who he was. Most of Nicodemus’ counterparts in the religious leader community did not believe Jesus was God. But Nicodemus couldn’t help but wonder if Jesus was from God.

What we encounter throughout John 3 is a couple of overlapping dynamics: 1) We encounter that Jesus is willing to spend time with Nicodemus, listen to his vulnerable questions, and reply vulnerably back to Nicodemus because Jesus is already rooted in the life of his heavenly Father by spending consistent time with him (like John 2). 2) We notice that Nicodemus made time at night, even though it was outside of the normal social times of meeting with someone to meet with Jesus. Nicodemus made it a priority to meet with Jesus. And we encounter that Jesus and Nicodemus vulnerably share with each other: Nicodemus vulnerably shares his questions, confusion, misunderstandings, and assumptions. And Jesus vulnerably shares answers to Nicodemus in a vulnerable and open manner. Jesus shares openly with Nicodemus in a way that he doesn’t share with all people in public. Jesus shares vulnerably from his own life with God. In this case, Jesus is God, but he’s vulnerably sharing God’s presence with Nicodemus in this moment.

In John 2-3, we encounter the presence of God that Jesus spends time with – extends out into this vulnerable conversation with Nicodemus, so that Nicodemus can encounter God’s presence and revelation in a more personal way. Jesus was known for aiming at vulnerably sharing from his life with God to someone specific. Jesus was known by the mark of vulnerably sharing his life with God. What mark are you aiming for?

Every time a Bills’ game is on in our house one of my kids will ask, “Which team are you?” “Are you the Bills?” And I’ll say, “yes.” And inevitably, it seems, one of my kids will say, “I’m for the other team.” Last week during the Kansas City game, one of my kids said they were rooting for Kansas City. Julia responded, “Then go get all your Bills gear from your room, and give it to me.”  Living in WNY, a lot of time, energy, and resources are invested in helping the next generation enter into Bills Mafia: TV time, money for tickets, money for apparel, tailgating, waiting in traffic, etc. Many of us aim to guide all WNYers to become fans of the Bills.

In John 3, we encounter taking the same approach to help Nicodemus enter God’s kingdom. Jesus sacrificially invests in Nicodemus to help him encounter God’s abundant life. And ultimately, sacrificed his life on the cross, to help Nicodemus overcome sin, and enter into God’s Kingdom.  Jesus sacrificially invests time, energy, and resources to meet with Nicodemus so that he can help him enter God’s Kingdom.

In John 2-3, we encounter the presence of God that Jesus spends time with extends out into vulnerable conversation with Nicodemus,  and extends out into sacrificial investment in Nicodemus to help him enter into God’s kingdom. Jesus was known for aiming at sacrificial investment in his heavenly Father’s mission to have all people enter into his abundant life. Specifically, Jesus aimed at sacrificial investment for God’s mission to reach Nicodemus – to have Nicodemus enter into God’s Kingdom. Jesus was known by the mark of sacrificially investing for God’s mission. What mark are you aiming for?

What marks are we aiming for? In our context, we’re tempted to aim at several marks that we’re told are indicative of success – that are indicative of entering into an abundant life.

In Nicodemus’ life, he was tempted similarly. Nicodemus had the opportunity to be tempted to be accepted by leaders of the Jewish religious community. Nicodemus was tempted to keep his authority as a Jewish religious leader. Nicodemus was tempted to connect with God in the ways he was used to – within the Jewish system.

Yet, by what we encounter in John 7:45-52, The aim of Nicodemus’ life was directed toward new marks, because of his encounter with Jesus. Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied. “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.” Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.” (John 7:45-52)

Because of Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus, we see that the aim of his life changed because he met with Jesus. We also see that the aim of his life changed in that we encounter him sharing from his encounter with Jesus – to the religious leaders, in his counter question to them – to consider if Jesus might be God, as he claims to be. And finally, we see that the aim of Nicodemu’s life changed in that, he sacrificially invests for God’s mission. Nicodemus sacrificially invests himself – puts his reputation, his credibility, his membership in the Jewish religious community – on the line, to help others possibly enter God’s Kingdom too.

We see further evidence of Jesus impacting the aim of Nicodemus’ life in that Nicodemus was one of the men who helped bury Jesus, after his death on the cross (see John 19:38-39).

When we look at the example of Jesus, and the example of Nicodemus, we see that we can evaluate their lives by the time they spent with God’s presence, by who they vulnerably shared God’s presence with, and by how they sacrificially invested themselves for others to enter into God’s Kingdom.

Jesus and Nicodemus became known for these marks. Jesus and Nicodemus became known for aiming at: spending time with God’s presence. Vulnerably sharing from their time with God’s presence. And sacrificially investing for God’s presence to be made known to others. And in turn, they lived into the abundant life of God and guided others to experience it as well.

How can we know if we’re living into God’s vision for an abundant life? How can we know if we’re being successful at our mission to guide all people to abundant life in Jesus? We need to allow Jesus to direct what we’re aiming for. We need to allow Jesus' rhythms and habits to direct what we’re aiming for. We need to allow Jesus' rhythms and habits to be the standard by how we evaluate the success of achieving the mission.

Can we see the marks of Jesus’ life in our life? We can check for these marks by asking:

1) When will I meet with Jesus today, tomorrow, and the next day, and the days following? 2) Who am I vulnerably sharing with this week? 3) And what am I doing to help someone enter God’s Kingdom this year?

If you’re worn out from aiming at the success of the world, I invite you to turn your aim toward Jesus. Meet with Jesus. Share your frustrations, longings, and needs to Jesus, and allow him to vulnerably share back to you that he cares for you, that he loves you – that he wants you to experience the most out of the life God has for you – that he wants to guide you away from death, and toward his life-giving, abundant life. I invite you to discern sacrificially investing in the life of Jesus, surrendering control of your life to him, in faith, and uniting to his life in baptism. Please reach out to me, or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you take any of those steps of faith toward Jesus.

If you’ve already entrusted your life to Jesus, I invite you to consider what your life is aiming for. What marks are you tempted to aim for? What are you tempted to aim for, that is not in pursuit of Jesus? To help you evaluate what you’re aiming for, I invite you to use the following three questions to help you evaluate today, and in the days, weeks, and months to come: When did I meet with Jesus today? Who am I vulnerably sharing with this week? What am I doing to help someone enter God’s Kingdom this year?

In the seats around you are some target stickers. I invite you to mentally label each red ring of the sticker as one of these questions. Center: When did I meet with Jesus today?

To help you aim for this mark, put a sticker on your Bible, or your phone (wherever you spend time with God’s word). Middle: Who am I vulnerably sharing with this week? Put a sticker by an actual person’s name on fridge or mirror or wherever you’ll see it of the names of people you will share vulnerably with from your life with Jesus, and they from their life with Jesus. Or, put a bullseye emoji next to the names of those people in your phone. Or, put a sticker on a coffee cup, to remind you of the rhythm you have of sharing in community with those people. Outer: What am I doing to help someone enter God’s Kingdom this year? Put a sticker by an actual person’s name on fridge or mirror or wherever you’ll see it of the names of people you’re going to intentionally invest in helping them enter God’s Kingdom this year. It’s not a commitment that you’ll make it happen on your own, but a commitment to make an investment toward them entering God’s Kingdom. Or, put a bullseye emoji next to the names of those people in your phone. Or a sticker on your wallet about where your dollars are invested for God’s mission. Or a sticker on a mission partner’s prayer card or newsletter. Or a sticker on your calendar, of how you’re going to invest your time for God’s mission (locally and globally). Or a sticker on your lunch box, or gym membership card, as a reminder of how you’re going to invest your energy toward helping people enter God’s Kingdom this year.

Imagine these circles as overlapping circles from our “strategy Venn diagram.” What marks are you aiming for? When will you meet with Jesus today, tomorrow, and the next day? Who are you vulnerably sharing with this week? What are you doing to help someone enter God’s Kingdom this year?

Horizon - Strategy, What Guide You to Abundant Life? (Acts 2:42-47; Acts 17:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 1)

Horizon: Strategy - What guides you to abundant life (Acts 2:42-47;  Acts 17:1-9; 1 Thessalonian 1)

Jordan Byrd

In the first Disney movie Cars, the main character, Lightning McQueen – a rookie sensation—must travel across the U.S. to Los Angeles for a final race that will determine the season's champion. While traveling to LA in his transport, Mack, Lightning McQueen accidentally rolls out while asleep. He wakes up to find himself facing the wrong way on the road, with oncoming traffic blinding him with their headlights and honking for him to move. Once Lightning regains his bearings and starts driving, he frantically searches ahead, trying to catch up with his transport, Mack. Lightning, being a race car,  doesn't have functional headlights—only stickers. He scans the road for Mack’s lights and spots some in the distance. Thinking it's Mack, he exits and takes turns to catch up. When Lightning catches up to the lights, he discovers they don't belong to Mack but to another truck, which wants nothing to do with him and leaves him stranded. Without headlights of his own, Lightning McQueen let himself be guided by a deceptive light, leaving him lost and uncertain about where to go or what to do when he was stranded.

The scenario from this movie is very similar to how we find life in reality. We’re tempted, pulled, and drawn toward abundant life by guides other than Jesus. We’re tempted, pulled, and drawn toward different guides – hoping they will show us where to go and what to do, when we’re stranded and searching for abundant life.

We’re tempted, pulled, and drawn toward political or thought leaders as guides to abundant life. Or, news channels or cultural commentators as guides to abundant life. Or, actors or musicians as guides to abundant life. Or social media or tv or movies as guides to abundant life. Following their light to know where to go and what to do. Following their light and guidance to shape our: thoughts, feelings, priorities, actions, rhythms, use of time, use of energy, and use of resources.

When we give ourselves to these guides, they shape: What we listen to and where we go to listen (channel, page, app, station, etc.). What we schedule and make time for (5 o'clock news, checking feed, looking at notifications, what we play, where we listen and watch (songs, shows, movies), etc.). What we talk about and where we talk about it (latest outrage, gossip, reactions and comments and reaction posts, language and references we use [song, shows, movies], etc.). What future we live into and where we live into it (divisive society (politics), dehumanized interaction (social media), technology enslaving, acceptance of crudeness and lewdness, etc.). And what we invest time, energy, and resources toward, and where we invest our time, energy, and resources (cable bill, subscription service, time on social media, time alone, money and service toward causes, money and time toward entertainment, etc.). 

What guides you to abundant life?

What guides you to God’s abundant life?

When we look at our lives, do we see who or what is guiding us toward a version of abundant life different from the abundant life of God in Jesus? Do we see what and where we’re being guided to participate in these versions of abundant life? Do we see what and where we’re being asked to invest our time, energy, and resources toward those versions of abundant life? What guides you to abundant life? What guides you to God’s abundant life?

Good news that we see in God’s word in the example of the early followers of Jesus, and specifically in the example of the Thessalonian church is that they were guided to abundant life by Jesus. We see at least these three patterns emerge. They were guided by Jesus to God’s abundant life by: Meeting with Jesus. Sharing their life in Jesus. And investing in Jesus’ mission.

How can Jesus guide us to God’s abundant life?

God’s word invites us to answer the questions: What guides us to abundant life? What guides us to God’s abundant life? And how can Jesus guide us to God’s abundant life? And God’s word invites us to respond to these questions by regularly participating in the following rhythms:

Meet consistently with Jesus.

Share vulnerably from a life with Jesus.

Invest sacrificially for Jesus.

Meet consistently with Jesus’ presence. Share vulnerably from Jesus’ presence. And invest sacrificially for Jesus’ presence to be made known in the world. Meet consistently with Jesus’ word and people. Share vulnerably from Jesus’ word to his people. And invest sacrificially for Jesus’ word to be made known to those who aren’t yet his people.

The example of the early church in Thessalonica shows us how those early followers of Jesus were guided by Jesus to God’s abundant life by: Meeting consistently, sharing vulnerably, and investing sacrificially.

Lord Jesus, Guide our thoughts and imaginations, as we reflect on the example of the Thessalonian church, and how you want us to step into these rhythms of participation to live further into your abundant life, and guide others to experience your abundant life as well.

What guides you to God’s abundant life?

And how can Jesus guide you to God’s abundant life?

What guides you to abundant life? What guides you to God’s abundant life? And how can Jesus guide you to God’s abundant life?

Each spring, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts 300,000 or more people to watch the Indianapolis 500 Indy Car race. Over 300,000 people consistently meet, year after year, to participate in this racing spectacle. The speedway venue was constructed and added onto – to have the capacity for that number of people to meet and watch the Indy 500 each year.

During the time of Jesus, the footprint of the Jewish temple was like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The temple in Jerusalem was the venue that hosted the large gatherings of Jews who came to Jerusalem for the three major, annual, Jewish festivals of: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. During these festivals, the city of Jerusalem could swell from one-two hundred thousand people to one million people.

In Acts 2, the early church, which began primarily with Jews living in Jerusalem, continued the rhythm and habit of worshipping God at the temple. The early followers of Jesus continued to gather at the temple with other followers of Jesus to worship. Earlier in Acts 2, we can see that the original core of 120 disciples of Jesus increases to over 3,000 followers of Jesus. It’s very likely, that the temple was the obvious meeting location for thousands of followers of Jesus. But, instead of meeting together at the temple for sacrifices, they would meet together to be grounded in the life of Jesus. They would meet together to hear, learn, and be formed by the teachings of the apostles who spent one-on-one time with Jesus, during his earthly life. The teaching of the apostles was the oral communication of God’s word, reveald in Jesus. As it wasn’t codified in writing, like we have in book form today. The early church met together to be with God’s word – to encounter Jesus’ presence – to meet with Jesus. Followers of Jesus would then mentally and orally carry the word of God that they encountered from the apostles, at the temple into their daily lives – into their houses – into their relationships.

Beyond the temple gathering, early, Jewish followers of Jesus would also be accustomed to meeting more locally in Synagogues. Today, the Bills will play their game at the stadium in Orchard Park. But many people around the country will be watching them play in Bills Backer Bars. These sports-bar gatherings are localized gatherings of Bills fans living throughout the country. Many people can more accessibly engage with the Bills in these localized gatherings. But, many of these people will still make the pilgrimage to Orchard Park, every so often to experience what can only be experienced at the football field in Orchard Park.

Synagogues were like the temple-backer gathering places of their day. They were the localized gathering space for Jews, who didn’t live in Jerusalem so that they could still worship and pay attention to God’s word. But they were a lesser version, than the full experience of the temple. Just like the Bills, now, need the actual football field in Orchard Park to play, so also Jews, then, needed the temple to offer sacrifices. Just like we have larger conference gatherings of thousands of Christians in our day and age, but still meet in mid-sized gatherings like we’re doing right now. So also, synagogues were mid-sized gatherings of Jews. A gathering of fewer people than the thousands that gathered in the temple, but with more people than family or close friends. Similar to how our gathering now, is bigger than just your family and closest friends.

We see followers of Jesus adapting Synagogue worship in the early church as well. In Acts 17:1-4, when Paul, an early leader of followers of Jesus, came to Thessalonica, he, as a follower of Jesus, still gathered with others at the synagogue. Paul maintained the synagogue's central focus on God’s word, but now, through the lens of the life and teachings of Jesus. Here, we see that Paul sets a precedent for the new church in Thessalonica, of consistently meeting with God’s word – to encounter Jesus’ presence – to meet with Jesus.

We also see in Acts 17,  that followers of Jesus carried this pattern into smaller, house gatherings. In Acts 17:5, we encounter Paul, and his co-worker, Silas staying and meeting in the house of Jason, a follower of Jesus. Here, we see that Paul sets a further precedent for the Thessalonian church to meet with Jesus – to meet God’s presence – to meet with God’s word within the rhythm of daily, household living. The accusations made against them in Acts 17 demonstrate that they were formed by Jesus’ presence in their everyday life, not just in their gatherings in the synagogue.

Paul also points to this in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, as he describes the life of the Thessalonian followers of Jesus. Highlighting that their work was produced by their faith in Jesus. Their labor was prompted by the love of Jesus. And, their endurance of faith was inspired by their hope in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

By Paul’s example, and the example of the Thessalonian Christians, we see that they were guided to God’s abundant life by Jesus. And we see how they were guided by Jesus to God’s abundant life by meeting consistently with Jesus: personally (daily meditation and focused on God’s word and prayer (relationship with Jesus) and consistently meeting with Jesus: corporately/publically (weekly hearing and responding to the proclamation/preaching of God’s word).

My relationship with Mitch – one of our ministers here – really developed into a relationship throughout 2019, when we would meet almost every week at a Wegmans dining area to openly and vulnerably discuss: life, faith, doctrine, ethics, personal struggles, angsts, etc. Mostly, we’d discuss life concerning following Jesus and God’s word. The development of our relationship as brothers in Christ was a result of our common surrender to Jesus, and our consistent meeting to vulnerably share from our personal life with Jesus.

In Acts 2:46, the early church was known for sharing their life with Jesus beyond the temple, specifically in people’s homes. The early followers of Jesus extended their life of worship beyond the worship gathering, and into their relational network, where they’d meet in each other’s homes, eating together, with glad and sincere hearts.

I heard this week about a dog who had an encounter with a porcupine and had quills stuck all over and inside of its mouth. A porcupine doesn’t give off the vibe of being approachable. Whereas, a soft-cuddly dog or cat does give off the vibe of being approachable. One is guarded. The other is unguarded. This is the imagery that accompanies being a sincere person of faith that is referenced in (sincere, Acts 2:46). It’s being a person whose faith is approachable. Being a person who’s willing to share one’s life with Jesus. Also, it’s being a person who’s open to encountering Jesus through the life and testimony of another following Jesus. This is a glimpse of early followers of Jesus sharing vulnerably from their life with Jesus – encouraging each other, comforting each other, helping each other hear and see and live into Jesus’ words and actions of abundant life.

We also see this pattern of participation in the precedent Paul sets in Acts 17:2-3, Where, Paul reasoned, explained, and proved the value of a life with Jesus. This required Paul to be vulnerable and share his life in Jesus with others. This required Paul to be vulnerable and open to criticism. This required Paul to be open to how Jesus was working in the lives of others. He ends up encountering this specifically by how Jason vulnerably welcomes him into his home, which likely encouraged Paul’s faith, and also challenges Paul to trust how God was working in Thessalonica, by the persecution they all experienced in Thessalonica. They, along with Silas had to cling to each other’s faith and encouragement to persevere through such opposition to their faith in Jesus.

Lastly, we see this pattern of participation in the life of the Thessalonian church in 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7. First, we see how Paul set a precedent for the Thessalonian Christians to imitate. Elsewhere in Paul’s writing to the Christians in Corinth, he encourages them to follow his example, as he follows the example of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). Paul’s relationship with Jesus forms his relationship with the people of the church. It forms where Paul meets consistently for worship. It forms who Paul shares vulnerably with. It forms what Paul invests sacrificially for.

Meet consistently.

Share vulnerably.

Invest sacrificially.

Here in 1 Corinthians 11:1 and 1 Thessalonians 1:6, we see that Paul guided all followers of Jesus to take up the patterns of his own life with Jesus: to meet consistently with Jesus. to share vulnerably from a life with Jesus. and to invest sacrificially for Jesus. And as Paul relied on Jesus to guide him to God’s abundant life, so too, Paul expects his example to be an extension of Jesus’ guidance for others to live into God’s abundant life as well. Paul even commends the Thessalonian church for taking on these patterns when he references that they became a model to others of what a life with Jesus looks like (1 Thessalonians 1:7). People were able to encounter Jesus, not just in God’s word that was proclaimed, but also in the lives of the Thessalonians who: met with Jesus, shared from Jesus, and invested for Jesus.

Paul is describing what a life with Jesus looks like, and where one participates in it – a life that is beyond a worship gathering, and broader than private devotion to Jesus. Paul is describing a life with Jesus that is vulnerably shared, where there are open spaces in one’s life for others to encounter Jesus, and for us to encounter Jesus in the lives of other believers as well.

We just came through an election campaign season. Beyond the candidates themselves investing their time, talents, and treasure into getting elected – to impact policies that impact society – many, many, many other people also invest their time, talents, and treasure into the mission of getting those candidates elected.

While the kingdom of God is not an electoral process, it still is a mission that requires investment of time, talent, and treasure to make Jesus known all around the world. And what we see at the heart of God’s mission is his sacrifice for its fulfillment – in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to make his presence unmistakably known.

We also see this sacrificial investment in Jesus' original disciples – of whom all, but John, are traditionally known to have been martyred as a result of their investment of time, talent, and treasure to make Jesus known locally, regionally, and globally. And John still sacrificed his comfort, in being exiled and isolated to an island, for living for Jesus.

We see a similar sacrificial investment in the life of Paul, and the followers of Jesus in Thessalonica. In Acts 17, we see that Paul and the Thessalonian believers are opposed, insulted, accused of causing trouble, accused of being insurrectionists – declaring Jesus as Lord and not the Roman Caesar, and arrested and forced to post a bond to be released. For Paul and the Thessalonian followers of Jesus, they not only invested their time, talent, and treasure for the mission of Jesus, but they did so sacrificially. Someone has to believe Jesus at a sacrificial level to endure persecution of all varieties. Inconvenient sacrifice rarely comes from convenient belief.

Paul also highlights the sacrificial investment of the Thessalonian believers in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, where he highlights and praises the Thessalonian’s endurance. The kind of endurance to live for Jesus, at the expense of their time, talent, and treasure – for others to encounter Jesus’ presence. Paul also notes that their sacrificial level of investment in Jesus’ mission has led people everywhere – beyond Thessalonica, beyond their region – to encounter God’s abundant life in Jesus through their sacrificial investment of: their time, consistently meeting with Jesus, their abilities, vulnerably share Jesus with others, and their treasure, investing in making Jesus known to all people. The Thessalonians are the followers of Jesus that Paul references in 2 Corinthians 8 – who gave to God’s mission – amid poverty and trial. The Thessalonians modeled personal, sacrificial investment in God’s mission.

What guides you to God’s abundant life?

The early church, Paul, and the Thessalonian followers of Jesus were guided to abundant life in Jesus. What guides you to abundant life? What guides you to God’s abundant life? The early church, Paul, and the Thessalonian followers of Jesus were guided to abundant life by:

Meet consistently.

Share vulnerably.

Invest sacrificially.

How they met consistently with Jesus’ word and people. How they shared vulnerably with each other –  to allow Jesus to speak through each other’s lives. And how they invested sacrificially for Jesus’ mission – for others to also encounter God’s abundant life. How is Jesus guiding you to God’s abundant life?

What guides you to abundant life? Who are the functional lords in your life right now? Who are you turning to – to guide you to some form of abundant life? And how is that abundant life lacking? If you find yourself here, I invite you to turn to Jesus – to allow him to guide you to God’s abundant life – the fullness of life God designed for you to live into and experience. If you’d like to take a step of faith in that direction, please find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus – whom you know, and we’d be glad to help you take that step toward Jesus becoming your Lord and your guide to abundant life (questions, prayer, baptism).

If you’ve already looked to Jesus – to be your guide to live into God’s abundant life? If you’ve already confessed Jesus as your Lord Do you recognize the temptations in your life that seek to pull you toward lesser versions of abundant life? Do you recognize the guides tempting you to participate in a lesser version of abundant life? Do you recognize these habits of Jesus these habits of the early church these habits of Paul and the Thessalonians.

Meet consistently.

Share vulnerably.

Invest sacrificially.

Of meeting consistently with Jesus' word and people? Of regularly sharing vulnerably from your life in Jesus with at least 1-2 people: with believers (allowing Jesus to speak through each other); or with unbelievers (allowing Jesus to speak through your life with him)? Of regularly investing sacrificially for Jesus to be made known around the world: Of sacrificially investing your time, talent, and resources for: service in the local body of Christ (your role in this body), and furthering God’s mission in other countries, cultures, and peoples?

Is Jesus guiding us to God’s abundant life?

And how are we allowing Jesus to guide us to God’s abundant life?

Through meeting consistently with him (privately and publicly), through sharing vulnerably from life with him, and through investing sacrificially for his mission?

Can we locate these three habits in the rhythm of our life as a church? In our personal lives? We desire for participation in these rhythms to be CCC’s strategy for living on mission to guide all people to abundant life in Jesus.

What guides you to God’s abundant life?

Meet consistently with Jesus.

Share vulnerably from Jesus.

Invest sacrificially for Jesus.

What guides you to abundant life? What guides you to God’s abundant life? And how can Jesus guide you to God’s abundant life. By meeting consistently with Jesus? By sharing vulnerably from Jesus? And by investing sacrificially for Jesus?

Horizon - Values, What Filters You to Abundant Life? (John 4:1-42)

Horizon - Values, What Filters You to Abundant Life? (John 4:1-42)
Jordan Byrd

Have you ever been so thirsty, that you would drink anything, even if it was your least favorite drink? Some of the popular reality, survival tv shows place people out in the wilderness to survive for weeks and months at a time. In some scenarios,  the survivalist gets so desperate for water, that they surrender their sensibilities to try water from stagnant bodies of water. What ensues, is that they end up severely ill. Why? Because they settled for a lesser quality of water to quench their thirst. The motivation for drinking the contaminated water was filtered through their value of survival. Their value of satiation. Their value of availability.

In our modern world, it occasionally happens, when part of our public water system breaks, and a boil alert is issued. The boil alert is issued to help people set a value that purified, filtered water is better than the potentially contaminated water. The boil alert helps people filter their thirst toward life-giving water, rather than life-robbing water. The value of clean drinking water sparks the motivation to filter unsafe water. Without that value, we’d be like, “I’ll settle for what’s easier.” “I’ll settle for what’s more convenient.” “I’ll settle for what’s available.” We’ll end up letting other values take over. And, in this example, those values lead to a lesser life. These values filter or channel us toward a lesser life.

A few of the values that we’re tempted to filter our life through, each and every day are: 1) The value that non-disruptive information is better than disruptive truth. This value that filters our motivation for information, as long as it doesn’t have to change us. As long as it doesn’t inconvenience us. More policies, more Bible, more theology, more awareness, more _____. I'm fine with more information; just don’t ask me to make any drastic changes in my life. The value that more information alone is what’s lacking for an abundant life. The value that simply adding information is all that is needed to live in the truth. Rather than a disruption and transformation of one’s life. 2) The value that impressive appearance is more important than simple substance. The value that filters our motivation for being all put together to do anything meaningful. The value that filters our motivation for coming across as impressive or articulate to do anything of substance. The belief that only impressive actions get things done. Lastly 3), The value that isolation is better than relationship. The value that filters our motivation for settling for isolation because it’s common and easier. Rather than aspiring for presence and relationship with others even though it’s uncommon and tedious. The value that filters our motivation for the common, “this is just how it is.” Rather than motivation to live for the uncommon, “this is how it could be.” 

In our current context, we’re constantly tempted to filter our lives through these three values: We’re constantly motivated to live by these three values: Pursuit of non-disruptive information. Action through impressive appearance. And resignation to isolation. In our current context, we’re constantly tempted to have these values filter our lives. We’re constantly tempted to have these values in the hope that they’re filtering or channeling us toward abundant life. And while it’s not comfortable or easy to admit, we end up being deceived. Where we thought these values were filtering us toward abundant life, they actually end up filtering us toward a lesser life.

Guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus.

In John 10:10, Jesus testifies that he has come so the world may have life, and have it to the full. Jesus has come so that we can he can guide us toward the abundant life of God. At Clarence Church of Christ, our mission is to guide all people to abundant life in Jesus. In a context that tempts us to be filtered toward abundant life through the values of: Non-disruptive information. Action through impressive appearance. And resignation to isolation.

Disruptive Truth. Simple Faithfulness. Uncommon Presence.

Jesus’ life gives an alternative to these values. Through Jesus’ interaction with the woman at the well in John 4, we encounter that Jesus is motivated by three differing values to our current context. In John 4, We encounter Jesus motivated by the values of disruptive truth. Simple action or faithfulness to God. And initiation of uncommon presence or relationship with others.

In John 4, Jesus guides the woman at the well to God’s abundant life, by having, an uncommon presence with her, through simple acts of faithfulness to God’s gracious character, because of the disruption of God’s truth amidst falsehood. In John 4, we encounter that these values filtered Jesus’ – and others – toward God’s abundant life. In John 4, we encounter the good news that we don’t have to settle for the values of our current context. We have the good news that Jesus gives us three differing values through which to filter our lives. In John 4, we encounter the good news that: Jesus’ motives filter us toward abundant life.

Disruptive truth. Simple faithfulness. Uncommon presence.

As we reflect on Jesus’ example in John, God’s word invites us to respond to Jesus’ guidance to God’s abundant life by committing ourselves – in faith – to these three values: The values of: God’s truth disrupting us toward God’s abundant life. Living into God’s abundant life through simple and faithful actions. And being uncommonly present with others, like Jesus did with the woman at the well. The values of disruptive truth. Simple faithfulness. Uncommon presence.

In John 4, God’s word invites us to respond to this question: What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Are Jesus’ motives filtering us toward abundant life? We believe God has positioned us, as a church, in our current context to live by these three values. In faith, will you allow Jesus to filter this church by these three values?

In recent days following the election, it’s been interesting to see how, and if Trump and Harris supporters can interact with each other in meaningful conversation. I’ve listened to some sources from both political sides. And it’s been rare to hear people, on either side truly being present with each other to hear and interact with the viewpoint the other has.

We live in a context where it’s normal to think it’s normal for people to live in opposition and isolation from each other. “You stay in your camp, and I’ll stay in mine.” Living near each other, but talking around each other, and not acknowledging each other’s situation.

This is very much the situation of the woman that Jesus encounters at the well in Samaria. John 4 says that Jesus “had to go through Samaria.” The text doesn’t give any other reason why Jesus had to go through Samaria, other than he was going from the southern part of Israel, in Judea, to the northern part of Israel, to Galilee. Geographically, going through Samaria was the most direct route to take. We have family that lives in Illinois, and the fastest way to drive there is to go near Chicago. It’s tempting to go another way, to avoid the hassles that come with driving in the Chicagoland traffic. This is what many Jews did with Samaria. They would go around, even though it took longer so that they didn’t have to interact with Samaritans.

Why, you might wonder? Scholar N.T. Wright points out that after Jews went into exile in Babylon, in their absence from the land of Israel – led to other people occupying it. The Samaritans were this group of people. And the Samaritans claimed to be the true descendants of Abraham. When the Jews returned to Israel from exile in Babylon, they discovered the Samaritans in their land; and this led to ongoing conflict. From the Jewish perspective, the Samaritans were illegitimate residents, taking up their land. From the Samaritan perspective, the Jews were arrogant neighbors, believing they were better and more righteous than other people groups. This led to an ongoing conflict between the two people groups. So much so, that Jewish people would be attacked along the road through through Samaria. And Jewish people avoided the Samaritans so much, that they wouldn’t even share eating or drinking vessels with them (see John 4:9 and any footnotes in your Bible). This is the area Jesus INTENTIONALLY goes through. This is the kind of woman Jesus intentionally engages with, when he stops at a well for water, along his journey.

As the text of John 4 unfolds, we also discover that the Samaritan woman is more than just a Samaritan. We also discover that she is known for an immoral life – for living a life apart from God’s standards, especially within sexuality and marriage. As Jesus converses with her, he asks about her husband, and she replies about not having a husband. In the conversation, we discover that the woman is living with a man outside of marriage, and has already had five husbands.

The character of this woman is likely known, even in the Samaritan culture, as immoral. This is highlighted by the time of day that she is at the well, getting water. In that culture, women would have come for water, at a cooler time of the day: morning or late afternoon. But here, this woman is coming for water at noon: in the middle of the day, when it was hotter. This indicates that the woman is coming for water, at a time when other women aren’t coming for water. She is avoiding other women, and isolated and opposed by them, because of her character. People don’t want to be associated with her.

Yet, Jesus intentionally stopped in Samaria at this well at noon and stayed, even when this woman – whom other people avoided – was there. And Jesus doesn’t ignore her. Jesus initiates a conversation with her.

We see here, that Jesus is an uncommon presence in this woman’s life. Jesus is motivated to guide all people to encounter God’s abundant life. Through the value of offering God’s gracious, compassionate presence. A presence that was uncommon for a Jewish man to have with a Samaritan woman. Jesus interacted according to a different value than the values of the Samaritans and Jews of his day. Jesus interacted according to the values of God’s kingdom. The value of God’s uncommon, gracious, and compassionate presence.

That is something we want to filter our lives as a church as well. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus’ uncommon presence filtering us toward abundant life?

During my final years of Bible college, I was invited to one of my professor’s houses to watch a movie. The movie was To End All Wars. It’s about a Japanese POW camp during World War II, depicting the soldiers' brutal treatment during imprisonment. It also portrays the profound forgiveness, sacrifice, and redemption lived out by one soldier for a fellow prisoner caught revolting against the guards. This soldier offers his own life to spare the rebel, motivated by his faith in Jesus. The Japanese accept his offer but mock it by putting the man to death by nailing him to a cross. The film’s overarching message highlights how Jesus’ forgiveness and sacrifice defy the violence of the world.

After the movie finished, we all had a conversation about it. I remember my professor simply and confidently saying something like, “I don’t believe a Christian should ever take the life of another person.” And he meant, even in war. That was a radical thought for me. Was it actually possible to live like that in a world prone to war?! It seemed to make sense, considering how Jesus faced violence. That simple, confident statement really got me thinking and wrestling with God about his conviction.

You may or may not be convinced by his conviction, but the point I hope you hear from this story is that it wasn’t a well-articulated presentation on nonviolence, pacifism, or just war that got me thinking. It was his simple, confident faithfulness to his conviction in God’s word that truly made me reflect, and wonder if it was worth living into. This is similar to how Jesus interacts with the woman at the well.

Jesus does not give some well-articulated presentation to the woman to point her toward God’s abundant life for her. Jesus simply starts with real life. He asks her for a drink. Jesus didn’t start with a well-thought-out “Got-ya” question. Jesus didn’t give a complex explanation of his authority as the Son of God, and how wrong the woman was for living how she was. Jesus doesn’t even do a miracle, like, “Watch me supernaturally fill my hands with water from this well.” No. Jesus asks a simple question, about a practical matter – addressing his thirst – but in a posture, and in a demeanor, that was uncommon. In a way that was gracious and compassionate. When Jesus asks the woman for a drink from her bucket, Jesus breaks the isolation. Jesus was overcoming the opposition. Jesus was overcoming the accepted norm of ignoring a person different from him.

We notice that Jesus engages in very simple, yet differently motivated ways. Jesus didn’t forsake the truth of God to do what he did. Nor, did he do something flashy to make God’s word seem attractive. Jesus used a simple, everyday action – to undo the life-robbing values of his context. Jesus engages with the woman, in a way that all of us could.

In our own day, we could break the isolation, opposition, and ignorance of people different from us. I’ve noticed this in my own neighborhood. I sarcastically said on Halloween, that it was “National Interact With Your Neighbor Day”... because most of the year, people live right next to each other and don’t interact. But on this one night, for this one reason, we do. The reality is, that it’s become normal to live in isolation, opposition, and ignorance of each other. One simple thing we could do to change this is to initiate interaction with our neighbors, even ones we don’t know yet. We don’t need a well-thought-out program to guide them toward abundant life in Jesus. We can simply and faithfully do what Jesus did. Initiate conversation about everyday life things, and listen for God to guide us from there. That one simple act of faithfulness to Jesus’ example can change the isolation, opposition, and ignorance that we have with other people around us.

Is Jesus’ simple faithfulness to God’s way filtering us toward abundant life?

The overall point is that throughout John 4, we encounter Jesus guiding the Samaritan woman to God’s abundant life, by doing the simple and basic things in the posture and character of God. That is something we want to filter our lives as a church as well. We may not be able to have Disney-like production, but we can be faithful to God’s way in simple and basic actions; and that’s all God needs from us – to still guide all people to his abundant life. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus’ simple faithfulness to God’s way filtering us toward abundant life?

We recently adopted two kittens. When the opportunity to get them came up, the biggest question was who would take care of them and how. Overall, the idea of getting cats was appealing. It came with all the warm, fuzzy feelings of fun, furry companionship. But the idea alone isn’t enough. Knowing how to feed, care for, and house cats isn’t enough either. We can gather all that information — but information alone isn’t enough. It has to be applied. And beyond being applied, it has to bring some changes to our lives. Our lives couldn’t stay the same as they were before the cats. Our habits, rhythms, and patterns had to be disrupted to fully live into the reality of having cats.

God’s abundant life is similar. It’s not just information to add to your life without change. Living in God’s abundant life requires a disruption of the current patterns to truly enter the context of God’s abundant life. Paul, an early church leader, captures this well in his letter to the church in Rome, in Romans 12:1-2 (NIV), …offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2, NIV)

Jesus exhibits this in his interaction with the Samaritan woman. Jesus didn’t just acquire information from his heavenly Father about the woman, and then still ignore her. No. Jesus used his awareness of his heavenly Father’s gracious and compassionate character, to impact and disrupt his life. As Jesus applied Godly life in human form, it messed with what was considered “normal living.” It messed with the isolation, opposition, and ignorance that people had with each other. It messed with the conflict that the Samaritans and Jews maintained against each other. It messed with the dehumanizing treatment of other people. It messed with the common, status quo so that God’s abundant life could be realized.

As Jesus allowed the truth of God’s life to disrupt his, he was able to bring the Samaritan woman into contact with God’s abundant life. A life where she was valued, heard, and noticed. In the process of guiding the Samaritan woman to God’s abundant life, Jesus is also able to step into the experience of God’s abundant life on earth as well. Jesus is able to experience a life-giving relationship, where it used to be blocked with this woman. Where it used to to blocked to the entire Samaritan population. Yet, we encounter in John 4, that through the woman’s testimony of her experience with Jesus, she ends up bringing many people from Samaria to encounter God’s abundant life.

Is Jesus’ willingness to be disrupted by the truth of God filtering you toward abundant life?

God’s abundant life is experienced because of God’s truth disrupting the life of Jesus, the woman, and the people of Samaria from the false pattern of living that was accepted as normal, But was actually life-robbing. That is something we want to filter our lives as a church as well. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus’ willingness to be disrupted by the truth of God filtering us toward abundant life?

In a context that tempts us to be filtered toward abundant life through the values of Non-disruptive information. Action through impressive appearance. And resignation to isolation. God’s word in John 4 gives us good news of an alternative. The good news that Jesus gives us life-giving values through which we can filter our lives. In John 4, we encounter the good news that: Jesus’ motives filter us toward God’s abundant life.

Disruptive Truth. Simple Faithfulness. Uncommon Presence.

In John 4, Jesus lives out the values of Being disrupted by the truth of God. Acting in simple faithfulness to God’s truth. And being with others through the uncommon presence of God.

At Clarence Church of Christ, we’re guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus. And we want you, and those you interact with outside of the church, to feel these values in pursuit of that mission: To feel disrupted by God’s truth. To feel effective for God, through simple faithfulness to him. To feel included through the uncommon presence of God.

Is Jesus filtering you toward abundant life?

We see that these values filtered Jesus and others toward God’s abundant life. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus filtering us toward abundant life? Is Jesus filtering you toward abundant life?

Allow Jesus to guide you to God’s abundant life.

Today, if you’re sick of filtering your life through the life-robbing values of our current context, and you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, I invite you to take that step of faith and allow Jesus to guide you to God’s abundant life. Please find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you take a step of faith toward uniting your life to the abundant life of Jesus, through faith, in baptism; and allowing your life to be filtered toward abundant life by Jesus’ values of: Being disrupted by the truth of God. Acting in simple faithfulness to God’s truth. And being with others through the uncommon presence of God.

Allow Jesus’ values to filter your life toward God’s abundant life. 

If you’ve already united your life to Jesus, through faith, in baptism, will you commit for the first, or maybe for the 100th time, to allow Jesus’ values to filter your life toward God’s abundant life, through being disrupted by the truth of God. Acting in simple faithfulness to God’s truth. And being with others through the uncommon presence of God?

In faith, will you allow Jesus to filter this church by these three values?

We believe God has positioned us, as a church, in our current context to live by these three values. In faith, will you allow Jesus to filter this church by these three values?

Is Jesus filtering you toward abundant life?

These values filtered Jesus and others toward God’s abundant life. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus filtering us toward abundant life? Is Jesus filtering you toward abundant life?

Horizon - Mission, Whose Voice is Guiding You to Abundant Life? (John 10:1-16)

Horizon - Mission, John 10:1-16
Jordan Byrd

Marco. Polo. Marco. Polo. Marco. Polo. This game is a classic example of being guided by listening for a voice. It’s also an example of having to make sense of direction based on many voices being spoken all at once. Using voices like a compass.

In a sense, we are always caught up in an ongoing game of Marco Polo. It’s not played in the traditional sense. But, it has some of the same dynamics. All of us are desperate for the fullest life possible. And we’re desperately searching for it. In a sense, “calling out”: “ABUNDANT LIFE!!!” And waiting for voices that say: “FIND IT HERE!!!” We encounter these voices all over the place. Most recently: from politicians, political ads, and political commentary. “We have the abundant life you’re looking for.” Or, how about medical advertisements? “We have the key to the abundant life you’re lacking.” Or, the manufacturing industry: “We have the thing missing from making your life feel full.” Or, the entertainment industry: “We have the best version of life you’ve never imagined.” Or, other voices: “You just need more money.” “You just need more luxuries.” “Your kids just need one more opportunity.” “You just need to be happy.” “You just need ______” to experience abundant life.

We hear these voices of abundant life, and we’re tempted to listen to them – to live with them – to be shaped by them. And in pursuit of these voices, we end up stressed, anxious, and tired – as our lives are pulled in many directions at once. The abundant life we believe we’re getting ends up feeling more like an illusion.

Good news that comes from God’s word in John 10 is that Jesus claims to be the one voice above all others that is the abundant life we’re longing for. Jesus says in John 10:10b, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10b). Jesus has come so that all people may have an abundant life. Jesus is the voice of abundant life. In John 10, Jesus invites us to respond to him by listening for his voice and following him for an abundant life. God’s word in John 10 invites us to consider: Whose voice is guiding you to abundant life? More specifically, John 10 invites us to consider: Is Jesus’ voice guiding us to abundant life?

Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:19-20 are understood to be the action-step instructions that followers of Jesus are to live into: …go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20)

But what does that look like right now in our day and age? What does that look like in the United States right now? What does that look like in WNY right now? What does that look like in our lives right now? How would you describe a disciple of Jesus? Your definition would likely include the elements of Matthew 28, like baptizing, teaching, and obedience. Your definition might include other descriptors like, fishers of people, or someone who listens to Jesus, does what Jesus does, and teaches others to do the same.

The reality is that we might come up with many definitions of how to be and make a disciple of Jesus. And they all could be biblically-based definitions. But they might differ in their contextualization. Contextualization is where principles take on a particular shape. Where principles are lived out in the particulars of everyday life. When Jesus called Peter and Andrew to leave their fishing nets, and fish for people – Jesus was contextualizing discipleship. Jesus illustrated what it means to be a disciple in a fishing culture. A definition of discipleship based on fishing probably seems antiquated, unrelated, or impossible to us. Because fishing isn’t our daily context. While fishing for people who aren’t in God’s net may not be our context, guiding people who aren’t in God’s abundant life is very much our context.

The leadership of CCC is refreshing the church’s vision. And part of that process is refreshing, or reframing how we speak about being a disciple in our particular context. And what the leadership team has been analyzing is what does being a disciple in our context, right now, look like?

And what’s stood out is that we live in a time, and in a local culture that is increasingly secular (meaning, that many people are disconnected from organized and formal faith practices, such as the worship found in Christian churches). but a local culture that is still very spiritually religious (meaning, that many people still seek meaning, purpose, and direction beyond themselves, often through specific habits and practices that are more privatized or set in non-traditional religious contexts, such as personal spirituality, astrology, science, or politics, rather than a church setting).

We live in a time and in a local culture that is seeking meaning and purpose in affluence, success, materialism, human progress, and earthly experiences. Collectively, it’s a desire for an abundant life apart from the God revealed in Jesus. We live in a time and in a local culture that doesn’t need people who can fish, but people who can guide people to hear the voice of Jesus, and follow him for an abundant life. We live in a time and in a local culture that has a lot of voices claiming to offer abundant life, and we need help being guided toward the ONE, true voice – Jesus – who can actually offer us abundant life. Jesus, who can offer the fuller and broader meaning and purpose that our lives long for.

Clarence Church of Christ is focused on guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus. Sometime this past year, I was at Panera Bread near Transit and Greiner, and a guy stopped me and asked if I knew how to get to the Amberleigh Retirement Community. He showed me a map on his phone and indicated that it was near where we were. I eventually figured out the place he was referencing, and I guided him there as best I knew. I knew roughly that it was a few drives past Lowes (behind Panera). I didn’t know exactly how many, but I guided him as best I knew, from the experience that I had of that area, and driving by it every day; and that was good enough to help him on his way.

CCC’s mission uses the term “guiding” intentionally. The term captures that no matter our skill, we all can play a role in helping people encounter Jesus, where they can find abundant life. For some people we may play a big role in people encountering Jesus. For others, we might play a minor role. Either way, we can evaluate our active engagement in the mission by any form of guiding people to encounter abundant life in Jesus. Guiding people to Jesus from the experience that we have, and as best we can, with the abilities that we have.

As Jesus points out in John 10, our ability to recognize abundant life in Jesus, and point others to experience the same, is dependent on our ability to recognize whose voice we’re listening to. Whose voice is guiding you to abundant life? And, is it Jesus’ voice that’s guiding you to abundant life?

In our house, mine and Julia’s bedroom is on the main floor, and our kid’s rooms are all upstairs. Many nights, before we’re in bed, and sitting in the living room, we’ll hear a sound. And the more we hear the sound, we can start to make out which kid is making noise. We know each kid’s voice because we are with our kids all of the time.

This is similar to Jesus’ illustration in John 10 about the sheep knowing the voice of their shepherd. The context of Jesus’ illustration comes from first-century, middle-eastern shepherding in a wilderness area. Shepherds of this time were very close to their sheep, and the sheep with their shepherd: shepherds spent lots of time with their sheep, as they grazed. Shepherds talked to their sheep, and the sheep were so familiar with the shepherd’s voice that the sheep could be guided by voice alone. This shaped and formed the sheep to know they were cared for by the shepherd. So much so, that they would not respond to the voice of another. They could be called by name, but if the voice isn’t the shepherd’s voice, they wouldn’t respond. Shepherds spent many nights with their sheep. Shepherds protected their sheep, fencing them in with rocks and brush at night, and placing themselves as the gate – to protect the sheep from predators. The only way to get to the sheep, was to climb over the fence – to go around the shepherd – to pull the sheep away from the shepherd and tempt them toward new voices.

Over 150 years before Jesus was born, Greek rulers infiltrated the Jewish priesthood, and instituted corrupt priests. This led to the eventual manipulation of Jewish worship to fit Grecian philosophy. To do so, the Jewish temple was defiled with pig’s blood (which is unclean in Jewish law). Jewish identity practices, like circumcision, were prohibited. Copies of Jewish scripture were destroyed. And, a pagan idol was set up in the Jewish temple. In response to this corruption of the temple leadership, a man named, Judas Maccabeus, led a rebellion to recapture the temple and rededicate it back to the customs of the scriptural law. The memory of this event became commemorated by a Jewish winter festival of dedication (known more commonly today, as Hannukkah, which means “dedication”). This festival is also a reminder of a time of failed spiritual leadership – where other voices were allowed to tempt the Jewish people away from the one voice of the Lord God. The group that led the rebellion to re-capture the Jewish worship from corruption eventually evolved into the religious leaders known as the Pharisees. The same Pharisaical group Jesus addresses in John 10:1.

In the background of John 10, the audience would already have been focused on recalling the poor temple leadership from over 150 years earlier. The words of Ezekiel 34 became a common rallying text, warning the Jewish people to stay vigilant against "false shepherds" who could lead them astray. And while the Grecian infiltration of the Jewish priesthood was a temptation away from God, the conservative reaction of the Pharisees led to a polar temptation. The temptation to be so hyper-focused on the preservation of what God had already done, that they were missing what God was doing in the present. Their human rules of preservation became the dominant voice that drowned out the actual voice of God that was now speaking to them in the life of Jesus.

Ultimately, all of these scenarios are examples of failed leadership – failed attempts at meaning and purpose – failed attempts at abundant life. The Greeks did not provide abundant life. The Pharisees did not provide abundant life. The affluence, success, and materialism of our day do not provide abundant life. All of these are voices competing against hearing the voice of Jesus – the one voice that is abundant life. Whose voice is guiding you to abundant life? Is it Jesus’ voice that’s guiding you to abundant life? 

Jesus claims to be the one voice above all others that is the abundant life we’re longing for. Jesus is the voice of abundant life. In John 10, Jesus invites us to respond to him by listening for his voice and following him for an abundant life. God’s word in John 10 invites us to consider: Who’s voice is guiding us to abundant life? More specifically, John 10 invites us to consider: Is Jesus’ voice guiding us to abundant life? Is Jesus’ voice guiding you to abundant life? 

In our smartphone age, it’s not uncommon for phones to be left on silent, or vibrate, so they aren’t loud and obnoxious in public settings. The problem comes when the phone is misplaced. With the ringer off, it’s difficult to call and hear where the phone might be. If the phone is set to vibrate, you have to tune out all of the other noises and life and just focus on hearing the vibration of the phone.

In a lot of ways, this is the picture Jesus is giving us in John 10. Jesus is saying, “I am abundant life.” “To experience my abundant life, you need to listen for my voice.” “You need to follow where I’m leading.” “You need to follow what you hear me doing.” But that doesn’t happen by accident. Listening for Jesus is an intentional, willful response. It’s only by intentionally being with Jesus that we can respond in obedience to his way. This is why our strategy for participating in our mission of guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus focuses on meeting consistently with Jesus (privately, communally, and corporately). If we don’t meet consistently with Jesus, we’ll struggle to live out His call to abundant life amid the competing voices of: affluence, success, and materialism in our day. If we don’t spend time with Jesus, we’ll get sucked into the anxiety and stress that comes with those versions of abundant life.

If the voice of Jesus is drowned out by competing voices in the world, the mission not only will be squelched in our own lives but also in the lives of those we interact with. It’s hard to guide other people to hear Jesus when you’re not listening to him yourself. But, the more time we spend with Jesus, the more we’ll be able to hear Jesus’ voice in everyday life; and the more we’ll be able to guide other people to notice Jesus’ voice in their everyday life. 

Finding abundant life in Jesus is a daily and moment-by-moment choice of belief. Abundant life is a choice that Jesus' followers have to continually make, amidst competing voices. The confidence we can have is that Jesus, himself in John 10, confidently believes that the more we hear his guidance to abundant life, the less likely we are to succumb to guidance to false abundant life. Abundant life, according to Jesus, is also for all people. In John 10:16, Jesus references sheep that are not yet under his guidance. Jesus invites us, as his disciples, to partner in guiding all people – all people, backgrounds, races, and situations within our sphere of influence and interaction – to encounter abundant life in Jesus. Whose voice is guiding you to abundant life? Is it Jesus’ voice that’s guiding you to abundant life?

How will you recognize Jesus’ voice of abundant life when he speaks? If you’ve never recognized and surrendered to Jesus as abundant life, I invite you to consider surrendering to Jesus through faith in baptism. Please find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you take that step of faith in having Jesus guide you to his abundant life.

If you’ve already surrendered your life to Jesus, I invite you to affirm once again that Jesus is abundant life. I invite you to confess to God that it’s tempting to be guided by other voices. I invite you to invest sacrificially in meeting with Jesus, so that you can know him more, and he can shape you to experience all of his abundant life; and empower you to guide others to experience his abundant life too.

At Clarence Church of Christ, we’re guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus. Whose voice is guiding you to abundant life? Is it Jesus’ voice that’s guiding you to abundant life?

God On Mission: Through Jesus' Church - Generosity arises out of the abundance of God

Jordan Byrd
God on mission through Jesus’ church
2 Corinthians 8:1-15

A few months ago, one of the local talk radio programs was discussing the number of big projects that get started in WNY; and either run into multiple snags along their completion or never get completed. Some examples include: Locally to here: the redevelopment of the Eastern Hills Mall into a mixed-use (residential and commercial) space. Near my house: the re-development of the Northtown Center into Station 12 – a brand-new, shell-ready property, with paved parking and installed landscaping; but sits tenantless and empty. I frequently walk my dog around it multiple times a week. Or, the embattled proposal to cover over the 33 near Humboldt Parkway in Buffalo. Or, the proposed extension of the metro rail from UB South to UB North. Or, the still vacant and undeveloped lot – where the Aud stood next to the Skyway in Buffalo.

What about your personal life? Do you have any projects that you wish you could do, but ran into limits? Money got tied up elsewhere. An injury derailed it. The time to do it got allocated to other needs. Whatever that thing is on your mind right now, we recognize that we run into limits: limits on time, resources, ability, etc. The project is halted not because of a lack of desire necessarily, but because of a limitation of ability or resources. 

What do we do when we bump into limitations? What do we do when we bump into scarcity? One temptation is to limit our imagination for what’s possible. We don’t even let ourselves go there, because we know it’s impossible within OUR means. Another temptation is to elevate one need over another. In more dire situations, we’re faced with: Do I pay for food? Or do I pay the electric bill? In less dire situations, we’re faced with: Do I get my morning coffee at Tim Hortons? Or, do I put that money toward a special date with one of my kids? In the dire situation, the desire to have food and electricity is there, but the means to have both are limited. In the less dire situation, the desire to enjoy a coffee and pour into the relationship with your child may be there, but the means to have both may be limited.

We may sense this same tension today as we’re reflecting on supporting our mission partners: that you have the desire to support them, but you also have the desire for many other things; and from your ability, there is only so much to go around. And you’re not sure where the resources to support our mission partners will come from. Or, where the resources to cover your car payment will come from. Or, where the resources to cover that medical bill will come from. Or, where the time will come from – to pour into your kids. Or, where the ability will come from – to make it through the next day’s challenges.

Most of us probably have the desire to be generous people – generous with our time, ability, and resources. But, we bump into the wall that desire alone isn’t enough to be generous. We bump into the reality that we need desire + ______ something else (time, ability, resources). This reality shapes and forms us to see the world through the lens of scarcity.

The good news God’s word proclaims to us today is an invitation to see the world through the lens of Jesus. And, to see the world through the eyes of Jesus is to see a world linked to God’s limitless abundance. When there’s a limit with us, there isn’t a limit with God. And when we doubt there’s a way when we doubt we can’t be as generous as we desire it’s our posture to the God revealed in Jesus that is actually what limits us. Our limitation isn’t time, resources, and ability. Our limitation is on the source of the time, resources, and ability. Our limitation is in seeking to meet needs and be generous out of our scarcity, rather than entrusting our situations to God’s limitless abundance. 

A response that God’s word, in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, calls us to make today is to have faith that the abundance we need is found in the God we encounter in Jesus. 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 calls us to respond to God’s abundance, with a continued heart toward generosity. We are limitless to be generous when we give from the abundance of God.

2 Corinthians 8:1-15 calls us to have faith that generosity arises out of the abundance of God. Generosity arises out of the abundance of God. When there’s a limit with us, there isn’t a limit with God.

A couple of months ago, we made our way through the letter of 1 Corinthians, written by Paul, an early follower of Jesus. Toward the end of that letter (1 Corinthians 16), Paul encourages the non-Jewish backgrounded, Corinthian followers of Jesus to be generous toward the needs of the Jewish-backgrounded, followers of Jesus in Jerusalem, by contributing to an offering that many of the churches (that Paul ministered to), were collecting to help the needs of the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem.

Throughout this portion of Paul’s letter, we reflected on how this offering opportunity was an opportunity to love like Jesus, until it stretches you. This opportunity for the Corinthian church to be generous would be a stretching to their faith because of several conflicts happening within the Corinthian church: the Corinthian followers of Jesus were wrestling through what it meant to follow Jesus in a religiously pluralistic culture (what it meant to follow Jesus, amidst people who worship the Roman Caesar as a God, where other people still worshiped the pantheon of Greek gods, and where scattered Jews still worshiped God [but didn’t recognize Jesus as the revelation of God]). The Corinthian followers of Jesus were wrestling through what it meant to worship Jesus beyond the distinctive Jewish framework of worship that Jesus’ original disciples adapted. The Corinthian followers of Jesus were wrestling with their own issues, and here, Paul is inviting them into the issue of the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem. Paul, we have our own issues, how are we supposed to be involved in the lives of people somewhere else?” “How are we supposed to stretch ourselves further? Paul’s letter of 1 Corinthians ends with an invite for the Corinthian followers of Jesus to set aside some of their income – beyond their current support of their own church community – to support the needs of the church somewhere else (to support the broader mission of God). It’s not until Paul’s letter of 2 Corinthians, that we are given further information about this opportunity for the Corinthian church to support the mission of God among the church in Jerusalem.

Maybe you’re like me. When thinking about a new idea or opportunity, I need examples to help me imagine what adoption of the new idea or opportunity would involve. We see this dynamic in a variety of fields. Sales: how will buying this product change my business? Politics: how will this policy impact my day-to-day life? Adoption of technology: how will this new device alter my life? Health: how will this exercise build muscle, improve my health, or improve my energy for the day? Examples give us a compare and contrast to our current reality to see how our lives would be different if we adopted the new idea or opportunity.

As Paul revisits the opportunity for the Corinthian church to contribute to the needs of the church in Jerusalem, we encounter that the Corinthian church has not yet given an offering. To broach the subject, Paul gives the Corinthians examples – to compare and contrast their current perspective about the opportunity to give, with what it would be like if they did give.

Paul describes the experience that the churches in Macedonia have had as they’ve already contributed to this offering opportunity. Gareth Reese notes in his commentary on 2 Corinthians that, “The only churches in the Roman province of Macedonia about which we have any details in the New Testament are those of Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea.” So, the churches Paul gives as examples are the ones we encounter in Paul’s letters of Philippians and Thessalonians; and what we encounter about the Berean church in Acts 17:10-12. What Paul describes is that the Macedonian churches had issues of their own that stood in their way of giving toward the offering for the Jerusalem church: Paul describes how the Macedonian followers of Jesus were in the midst of some kind of severe trial, while already being in an impoverished state (8:2).

Paul highlights that the Macedonian Christians were not unlike the Corinthian Christians. The Macedonian Christians also had their own issues to confront, and why would they stretch themselves even further – to support God’s mission in a church somewhere else?

Yet, Paul highlights a difference with the Macedonian followers of Jesus. Paul highlights that the Macedonian churches approached this opportunity, not from the perspective of their scarcity, but from the perspective of the abundance of God (8:3). And having given themselves FIRST to the Lord, and SECOND to God’s mission through his church, the Macedonian Christians have entrusted their life to the God of abundance revealed in Jesus. And having entrusted themselves to God’s abundant provision, they’re able to couple their desire to give to the church in Jerusalem, with God’s ability to abundantly provide, where they are scarcely able to provide on their own.  

Where does such an attitude and posture come from for these Macedonian followers of Jesus? Paul points to one example in 2 Corinthians 8:15 from Exodus 16, which is a reference to God’s miraculous supply of food, after leaving Egypt and wandering in the desert. In response to the Israelites' complaints, God provides food for them. In the evening, quail covers the camp, and in the morning, thin flakes of heavenly-sent bread appear on the ground. The people are instructed to gather just enough for each person, and miraculously, everyone has exactly what they need.

It’s this miraculous provision from God’s abundance, in the face of the Israelite’s scarcity in the desert, that sits in the background of Jesus’ own life as a Jewish man. Jesus being aware of God’s provision for Israel in the desert, and his own awareness of God’s character, being the Son of God, spurred his belief in God providing food for more than 5,000 people out of 5 loaves and 2 fish, given by a boy that we encounter in all four gospel accounts (Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9; John 6). Jesus couples the scarcity of his own material resources, the scarcity of his 12 disciples’ resources, and the scarcity of food offered by the boy, with God’s abundance.

In the miracle, Jesus shows his disciples – his followers, like the Macedonian Christians, like the Corinthian Christians, and like Christians like you and me today – that generosity is possible in scarcity, because of our connection to the God who provides all things. That our generosity arises out of the abundance of God. Generosity arises out of the abundance of God. When there’s a limit with us, there isn’t a limit with God.

It’s a regular occurrence in our house when our kids complain about something being unfair. She got more candy than me. He got to do that fun thing, and I didn’t. He got to stay up longer than me. This same dynamic pays out for adults too. They have more money than me. She is prettier than me. He is more successful than me. One thing I try to remind my kids, and ultimately applies to me too, is that someone else is not the ultimate standard of right/wrong. Someone else is not the ultimate standard of fairness and equality. Someone else is not the ultimate standard of what is best. God is the ultimate standard of right and wrong. God is the ultimate standard of fairness and equality. God is the ultimate standard of what is best.

Even though Paul lifts up the Macedonian churches, as an example of being generous in scarcity; and being generous beyond desire and human ability alone. In 8:1-9, Paul ultimately points to the life and example of Jesus. How Jesus reveals God’s standard. How Jesus reveals God’s perspective of reality. How Jesus lived in faith that God’s perspective of reality is what’s: right, just, and best.

Paul points to how Jesus has lived in and out of the richness of God’s life – how Jesus has lived in and out of the abundance of God’s life. Paul points to how Jesus entered the limits and poverty of human life because he knew he could rely on the abundant provision of his heavenly Father. Showing this most fully in the most profound moment of scarcity: death – that even in that scarcity, God is able to provide abundant, eternal life in resurrection. Jesus enters our poverty and calls us to rely on God, who can provide limitless abundance. What we encounter in Jesus is that his generosity toward us arises out of the abundance of God that he’s experienced from eternity past. Jesus most fully shows us that generosity arises out of the abundance of God. When there’s a limit with us, there isn’t a limit with God.

Overall, throughout 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, Paul is asking the Corinthians to consider the example of the Macedonian followers of Jesus; and most importantly, for them to consider the example of Jesus’ life… of having faith that God can supply abundance where all we have is limits, scarcity, and poverty.

What do we do when we bump into limitations? What do we do when we bump into scarcity? We can choose to operate out of our own limited and scarce imaginations and abilities; or, we can have faith that God can supply abundance out of our limits, scarcity, and poverty. 

Today, you have the opportunity to lay this perspective of life over the opportunity before us to contribute to the support of our mission partners – giving to God’s mission somewhere else entirely. The opportunity to jump on board with God’s mission for all people to receive and experience his abundant, life-giving love.

We too are like the Corinthian and Macedonian followers of Jesus. We have our own issues, our own needs, our own pressing issues. We too will find it tempting to approach this moment, with a scarcity mindset – that we have limited resources, that we have our own things to take care of, that we can’t possibly give to something else.

I repeat Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians, I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. (2 Corinthians 8:8) I am not commanding you to make a Faith Promise to support our mission partners. But, I do want to invite you to test the sincerity of your love and see if it matches the approach that the Macedonians took in their scarcity of means. Does it match the approach that Jesus took in entering our scarcity to bring to the awareness of God’s abundance? God is inviting us to have faith that his abundance can provide in place of our scarcity. God is inviting us to have faith that our desire to be part of his mission, and offering whatever means we have to contribute to his mission – is all he asks. It’s not because God needs our money, but God wants our generosity to funnel his abundance into the world.

What do we do when we bump into limitations? What do we do when we bump into scarcity? We entrust ourselves to the God revealed in Jesus. We entrust ourselves to the God of abundance. We trust that our desire to be generous, plus God’s abundance, is all that is needed to make God’s abundant and life-giving love known to those who’ve yet to receive it. When there’s a limit with us, there isn’t a limit with God. Generosity arises out of the abundance of God.

If you find yourself yearning for the possibility of life beyond human, earthly limits, and scarcity of means, I invite you to: Entrust your life to God’s abundance. This life of God is available by uniting your life to Jesus’ life through faith, being buried in baptism, and being raised in the hope of resurrected life. If you’d like to consider that step, please find me or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you take that step.

If you’ve already united your life to God’s abundance through faith in Jesus, I invite you to confess your limitations, your poverty, and your scarcity, and renew faith that the God revealed in Jesus is a God of abundance. Have faith that God doesn’t need you to be a person of means to move his mission forward. God needs you to have a desire to be part of his mission. God’s word is asking you to have faith that your desire to contribute to God’s mission, coupled with God’s abundance, is all that is needed for God’s mission to be funded. God invites you to have faith that your current means are not a barrier to being generous. Generosity arises out of the abundance of God.

Today, we’re asking you to submit a Faith Promise. A Faith Promise is based on what we encounter from the Macedonian Christians in 2 Corinthians 8. A Faith Promise, in our context, is a commitment to give a monthly amount of support to our mission partners, beyond your regular giving to CCC. A Faith Promise is expressed desire before God that you want to be generous toward his mission, but you can only offer so much, and you need God to make a little go a long way toward others coming to know the God revealed in Jesus.

You can read more about the Faith Promise process, and see the form: at the offering box in the back, or at ClarenceCC.org. You can submit a Faith Promise at either of those places, between today and November 3rd. Will you couple your desire to give with God’s abundance? When there’s a limit with us, there isn’t a limit with God. Generosity arises out of the abundance of God.

God On Mission: Through Disciples - Are you ready for people who are ready for Jesus?

Jordan Byrd

God on mission through Jesus’ disciples (Luke 10:1-24)

Last year, Julia and I tried to help our oldest child, Pace, ride a bike without training wheels. We tried a few different times, but Pace just wasn’t ready for no training wheels. The months passed, and this past spring, we tried to help him ride without training wheels. But still, he wasn’t ready. A few months ago, in August, we made a trip to visit my family in Ohio. We stayed with my brother, whose house is in an open, rural area. Julia and I were engaged in conversation with other family members following dinner, while our kids were playing with their cousins. All of a sudden, I found out that Pace was outside riding his cousin’s bike without training wheels. I came to find out that two of his cousins showed him how to ride without training wheels, and he did it. Pace wasn’t ready to ride without training wheels last year, nor this past spring, nor most of this past summer. But when we visited Ohio, and Pace was playing with his cousins, something finally clicked with him – that he was ready to ride without training wheels. While we were in Ohio, Pace’s cousins probably didn’t anticipate showing him how to ride a bike without training wheels. But they were ready for Pace, who was ready to ride without training wheels.

We’ve been making our way through the story of the Bible, tracing how missions work originates with God’s love ceaselessly spilling into creation to give us life. And how humanity has turned against the wave of God’s love. And how, even though we turned against God’s love, God never stopped pursuing us in mission to bring us back on board to ride the wave of his life-giving love.  How God, in his grace and compassion, began to tangibly reveal his life-giving love to Abraham, and eventually his family line through the people of Israel – extending his life-giving love through them to the surrounding nations. How God made his life-giving love most tangibly known through his Son, Jesus, coming to live among us. And today, we see how Jesus’ disciples have the opportunity to jump on board with God’s mission – to make his life-giving love, revealed in Jesus, known to people who have yet to recognize their need for it.

Today, God’s word in Luke 10 reminds us that responding to Jesus as one’s Lord for all of life is a process. Some have a lot of questions to wrestlewith  before entrusting their life to Jesus. Those in this category may need a lot longer to get to the point of responding to Jesus. Others may just have one hesitation to get past and are closer to responding to Jesus. Others may be ready and just need guidance to take that step. Overall, responding to Jesus isn’t a wishy-washy process that someone can be half-in and half-out of. But certain people may be closer to that decision than others.

All in all, what we’ve encountered along the trajectory of God’s mission is that God is always present and active to help every person move from unbelief to belief. For some, there is a lot of unbelief to overcome. For others, it’s just one remaining area of life. Even if you’ve responded to Jesus already, you too are on a lifelong journey to continue surrendering your life to Jesus’ way: continually moving from unbelief to belief in every area of life. And this is part of the second dynamic that God’s word in Luke 10 highlights.

God’s word in Luke 10 invites those of us who have responded to Jesus as our Lord for all of life to consider if we’ll be ready for people when they will be ready to respond to Jesus? Allowing Jesus' life to be our life in every area of life is what is needed for us to be ready to help others down that path. Are we ready for people who are ready for Jesus? Are you ready for people who are ready for Jesus?

The context of Luke’s gospel, in chapter 9 describes people who struggle to live like Jesus. In 9:51-56 – Jesus encounters a Samaritan village who doesn’t welcome him. And in response to this opposition, James and John, two of Jesus’ original 12 disciples, ask Jesus if he’d like them to call fire down from heaven to destroy the unwelcoming village. And Jesus rebukes their request. For it wasn’t in line with Jesus’ approach to people – even disagreeable people. 

Further in 9:57-62, Jesus encounters two men who express a desire to follow Jesus anywhere. However, each references an excuse related to family as to why they can’t follow Jesus just yet. This situation may hit home differently after hearing some of the stories shared by our mission partners last Sunday and how difficult it can be to not follow Jesus due to pressure from family and fear of being disowned or, at worst, violently persecuted. In these two scenarios, both James and John (disciples of Jesus) and the two men (not-yet disciples of Jesus) were not ready to fully live like Jesus.

As the gospel of Luke continues into chapter 10, we encounter Jesus sending out 72 of his followers in pairs to go ahead of him to the towns and villages that Jesus was about to go. In light of what we’ve been tracing over the past many weeks, we see here a continuation of God’s love flowing: from the Father to the Son, Jesus; and from Jesus into his disciples; and from Jesus’ disciples into the people they’ll encounter in these towns and villages. God is the one on mission, and Jesus’ disciples are invited to ride the wave of God’s mission into the shores of those who’ve yet to receive his life-giving love.

I’m the kind of person who wants to know where I’m going before heading there. Meaning, I’m the person who checks a map or directions, rather than just inputting the information into the GPS and having it take me however it tells me to go there. I want to know what I’m getting into. I want to know what to anticipate. I want to know what to be ready for.

Jesus gives specific instructions to these 72 people whom he sends out.  Jesus gives them the lay of the land: In 10:2 – Jesus describes the people of these towns and villages as a plentiful harvest field – ready to be gathered into God’s kingdom. By describing the people of these towns and villages with the metaphor of a harvest field, Jesus is also capturing the time-sensitive dynamic to this mission.

Farmers and gardeners are familiar with the window that crops have. And how the season will end, the conditions will fade, the rainy or wintry or dry weather will come, and the crops will not survive or be harvestable past a certain point.

In 10:2 – Jesus also describes that the task of harvesting people from these towns and villages into God’s kingdom will be bigger than the 72 workers he’s sending out to harvest. There is limited time to harvest, and 72 harvesters alone will not be able to gather all of the people who could respond to Jesus before the season ends. To meet this need, in 10:1, Jesus instructs the 72 to ask the Lord of the harvest – to ask God, the one over this mission – to send out more workers into his mission, into his harvest field. After giving these 72 the lay of the land, Jesus gives them specifics of how to go about harvesting in God’s field.

Recently, I had the opportunity to show someone how to plug a tire with a hole in it. While I could have just done the entire process myself, that would not help the other person to know how to do it in the future. So, I took the time to explain the process, so that he could do it on his own; and maybe he’ll show someone else how to plug a tire in the future – and then more than three people, rather than just one, will know how to repair a tire. Jesus’ instructions to the 72 are similar. Jesus tells them a step-by-step process for gathering people into God’s kingdom.

In 10:3, Jesus tells the 72 to go! (note the exclamation point in the NIV translation). Participation in this mission is not passive; it involves actively going to people, not waiting for the people to find you.

In 10:5, Jesus describes the particular kind of people the 72 are looking for in these towns and villages: “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ (Luke 10:5) They are to look for people who promote peace. The kind of peace that reflects the peace of Jesus, that these 72 have been called to imitate and live-out as they saw Jesus doing.

Farmers and gardeners are aware that crops are ready to be harvested when they show certain signs: certain fullness of the fruit, moisture levels, size, color, etc. If a crop doesn’t show signs of being harvest-ready, the farmer or gardener waits or moves on to other crops that might be ready to harvest.

Jesus is giving similar signs for the 72 to look for in this harvest of people for God’s kingdom. Look for people whom God has prepared to receive His peace. Look for people who are thirsty for God’s peace. Look for people who are trying to live into the peace of God, even if attempted in broken form. A starving person may steal food to satiate their hunger. The method of satiating hunger is broken. But the desire to meet the need is good. People of peace can appear similarly: seeking peace through broken or shallow means, but the desire for peace is still good. It’s that desire that Jesus’ disciples are instructed to spot to help eventually point them toward Jesus, who can make whole and fulfill the peace that that person of peace longs for.

Also in 10:5 – Jesus tells the 72: “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ (Luke 10:5) Jesus’ reference to entering people’s houses indicates a relationship, where living out the peace of Jesus is experienceable by people. This isn’t a forced encounter, as we see later with what else Jesus instructs. This is a willful and reciprocated encounter by the person of peace. But, notice that this isn’t a passing encounter. This is a relational encounter with someone, where the worker enters the more private part of a person’s life. Going from the road to the living room (from the public to the personal). Jesus describes this situation as one which is readily opportune. “When,” not “if.” These encounters are to be anticipated, not something that is unlikely to happen.

In 10:6-7 – Jesus instructs the 72 in discernment: If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there…. (Luke 10:6-7)

I read this past week that the time Josh Allen spent with quarterback coach Jordan Palmer led Allen to meet sports scientist Chris Hess, who helped Allen identify the flaws in his throwing mechanics that hindered his accuracy. Allen is known for having a cannon but has not always been known for accuracy. Hess pointed out a number of things for Allen to work on, and based on his initial read of Allen, thought he wouldn’t do much with the information he gave him. But two weeks later, Allen came back to Hess with a myriad of questions about implementing Hess’s fixes to his throwing mechanics. Following Allen’s time with Hess, Allen’s throwing completion percentage rose from 58.8% in 2019 to 69.2% — giving him the largest three-year increase in NFL history. Hess was looking for Josh Allen’s hunger to learn more.

Similarly, Jesus calls his disciples to look for people’s hunger for Jesus. The key marker for pursuing a discipling relationship with someone is if they have an openness and hunger for Jesus but need guidance on how to see and respond to Him.

In Luke 10:7-9, Jesus instructs the 72 to stick with people who are open and hungry for Jesus. The 72 are to live like Jesus with people of peace, and point to Jesus in their eating and dealing with sickness: pointing to God’s healing and presence through Jesus. The 72 were heralds or previews of what’s possible with Jesus in a person’s life. It wasn’t about the disciple’s life, but about whom their life pointed to.

Lastly, in 10:10-12, Jesus describes what the 72 are to do if people are not welcoming to their witness of Jesus as Lord. Jesus says to be antagonistic and hateful to those who don’t believe, right? No. Jesus says to not say anything and ignore them, right? No. In our broken perspectives, we’re tempted to prescriptively read into Jesus’ words here, to hear him saying something he doesn’t actually say. Jesus doesn’t say to ignore people who aren’t welcoming. He doesn’t say to be quiet. And he doesn’t tell them to be antagonistic. Rather, Jesus tells them to simply and confidently warn them that they are regretfully mistaken in their inhospitality and unbelief, and that whether you believe or not, Jesus is Lord. Jesus is who you need.

What we see here is that Jesus is made known as Lord either way. It’s ultimately up to each individual to respond to Jesus. It’s not our job to force them to believe. Similar to how I had to leave Pace to stick with training wheels when he wasn’t ready to take them off. I can offer and tell him how great riding a bike without training wheels would be, but I can’t force him to try it.

The encouraging reality that we encounter in this passage is seen in Luke 10:17-20, where the 72 return to Jesus after doing what he said and reporting that people did respond to Jesus. Those who respond to Jesus are the additional workers for the harvest that were needed.  There were people whom God had been making ready to respond to his son Jesus. And God had prepared these 72 disciples of Jesus to be ready for those people who were ready for Jesus. Just like my nephews were ready for Pace, who was ready for no training wheels, so also Jesus is calling us – his disciples – to be ready for people who are ready to respond to him.

Regretfully, it won’t be every person we meet. But there will be people whom God has been readying to respond to His Son, Jesus. Will we be ready to help harvest people who are ready to respond to Jesus and enter into God’s kingdom?

On one of our first Christmas Days in WNY, we didn’t plan well for our dinner and didn’t have potatoes. We had already missed the Christmas Eve deadline of stores closing and were now in search of any place that might still be open on Christmas Day (facepalm). I learned that day that the 24/7 store on Elmwood – known for never closing – IS closed on Christmas Day (LOL). We eventually found a Muslim-run store on the south side of Main St. on Bailey Ave., not too far from where we lived, that was open on Christmas Day, and we got some potatoes. We weren’t prepared for Christmas Day dinner, and it cost us.

Jesus conveys this same idea at the conclusion of this passage in Luke 10, where he warns the Jewish people from the surrounding villages of Galilee that the harvest season will come to an end. This will happen in a two-fold sense: this is a warning that destruction is coming to Jerusalem soon (A.D. 70), but also in the sense of old age and the final judgment, when God gives everyone what they desire: to be with God (eternal life) or not (eternal death). And who will the people be clinging to as their Lord when either of those happens?

Jesus warns, when the harvest season ends, will you receive God’s life-giving love, with the clear revelation you’ve been given in Jesus? Revelation of God’s life and mission that people long, long ago – longed to have as their guide to be reunited back to God’s abundant life.

Beyond the people’s individual response to Jesus, even if they do respond to Jesus, will they be ready for people who are ready for Jesus? Will they be like the 72? Or will they be like James and John in Luke 9 who were still not ready to live like Jesus; but instead were ready to bring judgment, rather than the peace of Jesus. Or will they be like the two men who gave excuses why they couldn’t fully live like Jesus yet?

Are Jesus’ disciples ready for people who are ready for Jesus?

Will the disciples of Jesus be ready for people who are ready to respond to Jesus? These disciples’ readiness will also impact how many more people are harvested into God’s kingdom before the season ends. These disciples’ readiness will impact how many more people become disciples who become more harvesters in God’s field. Are Jesus’ disciples ready for people who are ready for Jesus? Are you ready for people who are ready for Jesus?

How ready are you for people who are ready to respond to Jesus? How ready are you to look for people of peace? How ready are you to see the hunger unbelievers have for Jesus? In my own life, I’m more blinded to what unbelievers are hungering for because I’m still focused on myself and my needs, wants, desires, worries, and fears. When I'm focused on my own hunger, I struggle to notice someone else's. But if I truly believe that Jesus is Lord, then I can start surrendering my hunger—my needs, wants, desires, worries, and fears—to Jesus’ wise and good care; and that will take my focus off of me so that I can focus on others. This way, I’m mentally and emotionally unburdened to point others toward the only one who can unburden all of us and satisfy our hunger. 

When we continue to move from our own unbelief to belief in Jesus as our Lord and provider, then we are freed up to more clearly point others to Jesus. This is how we can continue to prepare ourselves to be ready for people who are ready for Jesus. Are we ready for people who are ready for Jesus? Are you ready for people who are ready for Jesus?

Today, how do you sense God's Spirit calling you to respond? If you’ve never responded to Jesus as your one and only Lord, how ready are you to respond to Jesus? I invite you to consider where you are on that journey. Are you someone with many questions, and you’re still trying to wade through those? If that is you, I invite you to ask them and wrestle through them with me or another trusted follower of Jesus.

If you’re almost to where you’re convinced Jesus is Lord, what is that last question that is holding you back from surrendering all the way to Jesus? Again, I invite you to find me or another trusted follower of Jesus and ask us to walk with you in wrestling through that final question.

If you’re convinced Jesus is Lord, but have never drawn the line in the sand to confirm so, I invite you to consider baptism and uniting yourself with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus – entrusting your life to the good and wise care of the God revealed in Jesus.

If you’re already a disciple of Jesus, how ready are you for people who are ready to respond to Jesus? Are you going to people, or waiting for them to come to you? Do you know how to spot people of peace –  people who are seeking and hungering for Jesus? Do you know how you’ll point people of peace toward Jesus?

Earlier this year, Sean Cronin led many of us through some tools (https://e3partners.org/training-resources/ [Person of Peace, 15s Testimony, 3 Circles]) to help us point others to Jesus – by sharing how Jesus has satisfied the deepest hunger in our lives. If you’d like to revisit those tools, or maybe go through them for the first time, please visit the site listed behind me. If you need further help going through them, please reach out to me, Sean, and Mitch, and we’d be glad to help you use these tools to help you be ready for people who are ready for Jesus. How is God’s Spirit prompting you to take another step to being ready for people who are ready for Jesus? Are we ready for people who are ready for Jesus? Are you ready for people who are ready for Jesus?

God On Mission: Through Jesus - Jesus helps you notice God's presence (John 5:16-30)

Jordan Byrd
God On Mission Through Jesus (John 5:16-30)

A couple of weeks ago, we were sitting on the front steps of our house, and we heard this tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap sound. We eventually realized that it was a woodpecker bird. We could hear the sound of the tapping on a tree, but we couldn’t figure out the exact location of the bird. We narrowed down that the sound was coming from our neighbor’s tree. And one of us faintly saw a bird on a dead branch of the tree. But, the color of the bird’s feathers made it very difficult to see, as it blended-in well with the color of the tree. The bird was also positioned where it was difficult to see it stand out from the tree. All that could be seen, was the bobbing up and down of the bird’s head, as it hammered a hole into the tree.

Eventually, I got my binoculars to get a better look. And while the binoculars helped to see closer, it’s zoomed-in focus made it difficult to find the bird amidst the branches and leaves of the tree. So, we’d each be directing each other: “Look up the center of the tree.” “Start from the top.” “Look down part way.” “Move back and look.” “Move to the right to get a better look.” Eventually, we’d each locate the bird through the binoculars.

We often want to hear from God, but we’re unsure how to notice God’s presence and activity in our lives. This past week, I sent out a request to see if any of you were able to help provide a vehicle for a different mission partner, who’s also visiting this week. On my end, I had been praying for this need for weeks, and the initial answers to that need, kept falling through. The need was ultimately met, thanks to the generosity of many of you! The need was ultimately met. But, If I’m honest, as much as I’ll say that I believe God was present and actively working to meet this need, it was tempting to believe God was aloof, and only popped-in, at the last minute – to meet the need. So, while I believed God would meet the need, that belief was still tainted by a worldview – that has God popping in-and-out of situations. Rather, than a worldview – that has God actively making way for the need to be met.

On my end, I was obscured from noticing how God was at work. But, the obscurity is on my end, not God’s end. God was present and active the whole time. I just couldn't see it clearly. My worldview was still clouded by other influences.

The harder it is to notice God’s presence and activity, the more we’re tempted to give our attention to: our worries, fears, anxieties, desires, and longings. Or we give our attention to other powers: politics, wealth, and positions of influence. All of which seem to be more clearly present and active and available than God in the moment.

In a world with so many vying options to replace God, we’re constantly blinded to God’s presence and activity in our lives. Wordly gods and powers and evils are constantly obscuring God’s presence and activity.

God’s word doesn’t disagree with this assessment. But instead of being content with this reality, God’s word does give testimony that There is a way to see God when God is difficult to notice. Good news that we encounter in John 5, of God’s word is that Jesus helps us notice God’s presence. Jesus helps us see God’s presence and activity, amidst the many factors that blind us from noticing God. 

God’s word in John 5, invites us to see the world through the lens of the life of Jesus. God’s word in John 5, invites us to Focus on Jesus to help you notice God’s presence.

We’ve been following the narrative of Scripture to see that missions work originates with God before creation came to be. How missions originates in God’s nature of love – that ceaselessly spills into the lives of others, wave after wave: first into his Son, Jesus, and then into all of creation to bring it into existence, including you and me, today. But, we have not always been receptive to God’s love and life. Rather, we, like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, have jumped-off board of God’s wave, and instead, try to go against it, to do our own thing, apart from God.

But, even though we’ve gone against the wave of God’s love, God has never stopped spilling his love into our lives. God has never stopped making himself known, to his creation. We’ve seen this with Abraham in Genesis 12, then through Abraham’s descendants, the people of Israel (Deuteronomy 4). And today, we see it through Jesus (John 5), God’s Son, come to earth, and born into the family line of Abraham. Through Jesus, we encounter the clearest experience of God’s presence and activity in the world, as Jesus reveals God to us in a flesh and blood life.

In John 5, we encounter that Jesus helps us notice God’s presence. Jesus helps you notice God’s presence.

When considering the challenge of recognizing God’s presence and activity, the context of John 5 shares dynamics similar to those we face today. John 5:16 introduces us to a situation, that happens in John 5:1-15, where Jesus heals a paralyzed man on the Sabbath day. The paralyzed man, along with other disabled persons, sat around a pool, that was believed to heal ailments, when it was stirred-up by spiritual forces. The paralyzed man was seeking to encounter God, and God’s healing, but was unable to encounter it. That is, until he meets Jesus. So, the background of John 5, has a paralyzed man who needs struggles to notice God’s presence in his life. He’s possibly doubting God’s presence, due to the paralysis’ impact to the flourishing of his life.

Beyond the paralyzed man, the religious leaders who confront Jesus, also struggle to notice God’s presence and activity. At this time, Israel was an occupied nation, under the rule of Rome. Rome was ultimately the authority over Israel at this time. But Rome also allowed the Jewish leaders of the day, to maintain some secondary authority, to help maintain order and stability. This arrangement, places the religious leaders of Jesus’ day in a precarious situation: If they recognize Jesus as God, as the promised Messiah. If they recognize Jesus as Lord, then they’d have to give-up loyalty to Rome’s Lord, Caesar, and jeopardize the authority they’ve been given through Rome. The religious leaders are from the line of Abraham – who’ve sought to follow God’s presence and activity on behalf of Israel. But, now that Israel is occupied, it’s more difficult to see God being present and active. For, Caesar acts like God, and is the one who’s presence and activity is readily noticeable. And the position of authority that they still have within Rome’s system, blinds them to be able to see how else God was present and active in Israel at that time. It blinds them from being able to clearly see God’s presence and activity in and through the life of Jesus.

The very clearest revelation of God was blinded to the religious leaders. It wasn’t that God wasn’t present and active. Rather, God’s presence and activity was obscured by: their worries, fears, insecurities, and desire for power and authority. It will eventually take the death of Jesus, to get the attention of religious leaders and other people within Israel to see that Jesus reveals God’s presence. To see that Jesus helps us notice God’s presence. To see that Jesus helps us notice God’s presence.

I grew up in a rural setting in north, central Ohio. My dad’s pre-cast concrete business was a half-mile down the road from my parent’s house. I constantly saw machinery being operated: farm tractors, combines, trucks with trailers, lawn mowers, skid steer loaders, forklifts, semi trucks, pickup trucks, and my parent’s own vehicles. From a young age, I was familiar with the general operation of many of these machines, just from watching them be operated by my dad or grandpa. I became even more familiar with them, when my dad let me ride along with him. I became even more familiar with them, as the the Alan Jackson country song says, “when daddy let me drive” the machines.  By the time it came to get my driver’s license, I already had quite a bit of experience driving a variety of vehicles. I learned how to drive, by doing what I saw my father doing.

Jesus says something similar in John 5:19b, Jesus explains his healing of the paralytic man on the Sabbath, by saying, “he can only do what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19b-20a)

Previous to this statement, Jesus reveals that God, his Father, “is always at his work to this very day….” (John 5:17)

Jesus reveals a worldview where God is never absent of our lives. Where God does not pop in and out of our lives. Rather, God is always working. God is always present and active. Jesus reveals that the perception that God is absent, or pops in-and-out of our human life, is not a God problem, but a human problem. We see the bridge to this, by how Jesus can notice God’s presence and activity, while in human form. Jesus is able to see God through all of the factors that we allow to get in the way of noticing God’s presence and activity in our lives.

When Jesus heals the paralytic, Jesus is doing what his heavenly Father does. Jesus is revealing how God continues to be present and active. God is not absent of the paralytic man. God has been at work – the whole time – to bring the man into contact with his very self, when he encounters Jesus. When the paralytic man encounters Jesus, he encounters God.

Back to the religious leaders, they bristle at Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath, because of the Sabbath’s connection to God’s resting on the seventh day of creation in Genesis 2:1-3 and Israel’s command to rest on the Sabbath, in Exodus 20:8-11, Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)

What do we do with this situation? Genesis 2 and Exodus 20 present God as resting, or ceasing from work. Yet, Jesus says that is always at work. How might we make sense of this?

Any farmer of gardener is aware that the work of planting seeds is a one-time task each season. Meaning, planting seeds is not an ongoing process. There is a completion moment to that work. But, farmers and gardeners are also aware that the work of keeping watch over the garden, or field, is always happening. In farming and gardening, we can see the interplay between ceasing or resting from a task, while simultaneously being actively present and at work.

In Genesis 2, we encounter God resting from the task of creating. But we don’t see him rest from being the life-giver to creation. The Sabbath was a gift of rest to humanity, not a burden to carry. Jesus shows the wisdom of God – for us to rest from an activity, so that we can be aware of God as the giver of life. Which is what Jesus displays in healing the paralyzed man on the Sabbath.

When Jesus heals the paralytic man on the Sabbath, and then goes on to claim to be the Son of God, and claiming to do only what his Heavenly Father does – Jesus reveals the nature of God. Jesus reveals the mission of God. Jesus reveals the mission of God, that has been in motion before creation came to be –  God’s mission to share his love with the life of his Son. Which, Jesus references, in John 5:20, “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.” (John 5:20) and later, in John 17:24, …you loved me before the creation of the world. (John 17:24c)

Jesus reveals the mission God has always been on – to share his love – to share his love with his Son, and to spill that love into creation. In John 5, Jesus is declaring that God is still on that mission. God is always at his work. God is always present and active. God has not ceased in being on mission, even when the world went against the wave of God’s love. Jesus reveals God’s presence in flesh and blood. Jesus helps us notice God’s presence. Jesus helps us notice God’s presence. 

The leadership of the church often encourages you to help others to encounter Jesus. I want you to know that I, and the other leaders, we all struggle, as well, in helping others to encounter Jesus. There’s a person in my famil’s life right now, that we’re trying to be intentionally invest in – to help guide them to Jesus. And I frequently find myself internally face-palming, about opportunities I missed to say something further. Part of the problem, is that I’m realizing that I’m still very temped to functionally live in a worldview, where, yes, God is active, but, only selectively. I’m constantly needing to remind myself that God isn’t just encountering this person’s life, right now. Rather, God has been present and active in spilling his love and life toward the shore of their life since they were conceived. My participation in God’s mission to bring them into his life of love is one sliver of that process – that God has been part of for years.

On one hand, I need to adjust my perception of God’s presence and activity in the world – to trust that God is always at work, even when it may be obscure to me. I also need to rest in the good news, that all people being guided into abundant life in God’s life through Jesus, is not my mission to start or finish. I do not have to take on that weight of the mission. I simply need to be more and more aware of God’s presence and activity, and how I can jump on board with what God is already doing – to bring others into his abundant life.

For me, Jesus’ words in John 5 are like when we were trying to guide each other to see a woodpecker through binoculars. We are often blinded to seeing God clearly. But, Jesus has made God known, and given us testimony to his life, through the Bible, to help us notice what God’s continual presence and activity looks like. It looks like the abundant life that comes through following Jesus by faith. Jesus affirms this in John 5:24, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)

Jesus help you to notice God’s presence, and respond to it in faith. Jesus helps you notice God’s presence.

Lastly, while God’s word, like in John 5, helps us to notice God’s ongoing presence, we, who are disciples of Jesus, have the privilege of helping others notice God’s presence too. When people are doubtful of God’s presence in their life, you have the opportunity to offer them an alternative to consider: “Do you think it’s possible that God might be at work this way?” “What if God is trying to get your attention this way?” “What might be different about this situation, if God is actually at work, and you just can’t see it on your own?” We don’t have to drive the mission, but we get to be guides, while we ride the wave of God’s mission. Jesus helps you notice God’s presence. You have the opportunity to help others notice God’s presence too.

Ask God to help you see Him more clearly through Jesus in the Bible.

Today, do you struggle to notice God’s presence? If that’s you, I invite you to ask God to help see him clearer, through the life of Jesus in the Bible. I invite you to consider following Jesus, in faith, to see the abundant life in God’s love that he has for you to experience.

Are you noticing God’s presence?

If you’re already a disciple of Jesus, are you noticing God’s presence? Is your perspective that God pops in-and-out of your life? Or is it a perspective that views that God is always at work – always present and active? I invite you to respond to God’s word, by being on the lookout for God, even when it’s hard to notice his presence and activity.

I invite you to be aware, and trust that God never has and never will stop being on mission to make himself known to you and others, through Jesus. Will you allow Jesus to help you see God more clearly? Will you allow Jesus to work in and through your relationships with others, to make himself known more clearly to them? Jesus helps us notice God’s presence. Jesus helps you notice God’s presence.

God On Mission: Through Israel - The world encounters God when it encounters Jesus in you (Deuteronomy 4:5-14)

Jordan Byrd
God On Mission - The world encounters God when it encounter Jesus in you
Deuteronomy 4:5-14

In October 2011, the Montecristo, an Italian cargo ship, was hijacked in the Indian Ocean by Somali pirates – along it’s journey from England to Vietnam. In response, the ship’s crew of 23 members locked themselves in a secure room called a "citadel" to stay safe. With the ship’s communications disabled by the pirates, the trapped crew faced a dire situation. After hours of waiting,  NATO rescuers became aware of the situation, and eventually were able to confidently board the ship. The pirates, realizing that they were outnumbered and outmatched, quickly surrendered to the NATO forces. The amazing part of this story, is that this rescue was made possible, because the crew figured out a way to toss a message in a bottle out of a port-hole. Nearby NATO forces found the bottle and retrieved it; and read the crew’s message that is was safe enough to board the ship and engage the pirates. As the band, Police sang, “I'll send an S.O.S to the world I hope that someone gets my message in a bottle.”

Bottles have been the vehicle for messages at least as far back as 310 B.C. When Theo-phrastus, one of Aristotle’s pupils, threw a bottle into the Atlantic ocean to test his hypothesis that the Atlantic Ocean flows into the Mediterranean Sea. Similar to Theo-phrastus, in 1846, the United States Coast & Geo-detic Survey, began placing messages in bottles into the ocean to help gather data on the movement of ocean currents. In 1914, during World War I, private Thomas Hughes wrote a message for his wife, as he left to fight in France. He placed the message in a bottle, and tossed it into the English Channel. Private Hughes died in battle two days after penning the message. In 1999, the bottle was discovered in the River Thames, and delivered to Hughes’ 86-year-old daughter in New Zealand.

For over 2,000 years, bottles have been a vehicle for communication. Countless bottles have rode the currents and waves of bodies of water the world over. These bottles don’t power themself – they are only carried by the currents of rivers, and waves of seas and oceans. These bottles don’t create their own message. They are simply the carrier in which the messages are sent.

Today, we encounter from God’s word that the nations encounter God because God is on mission – because God is the driver of making himself known in the world. While God is the driver of this mission, God also invites his creation into the process of making himself known to the world. Specifically today, we encounter, and are reminded how God invited the people of Israel to be the bottle – to be the vehicle – for carrying his message, his mission to make himself known to the surrounding nations to Israel. Good news that we encounter in God’s word, today, is that God invites us to make himself known in the world. That: The world encounters God when it encounters God in you.

We’re in a series of messages reflecting on how God has been on mission before the world was made: God has been on mission to infinitely extend his love into the life of his Son, Jesus – by his Holy Spirit. And out of the overflow of that love God brought all of creation – including you and me – into existence. God has been on mission for his love to be experienced by all of creation.

Unfortunately, the world has not always received God’s love. You, me, and all people – all the way back to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden – have gone against the wave of God’s mission (have gone against the wave of God’s love).

But, even though we’ve tried to go against the wave of God’s mission to love us, God has not stopped spilling his love into the shore of our life. In his grace and compassion, God began calling his creation back to him, through the life and family lineage of a man named, Abraham. Through Abraham, God committed to bless all nations through his blessing of Abraham’s life and his descendants.

The descendants of Abraham eventually become the people of Israel. Through each generation of Abraham’s family, God continuously channeled this people to awareness of his commitment to love and bless the world through them. See this continued commitment with Abraham’s son, Isaac, in Genesis 26:2-3; and Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, in Genesis 28:10-15. Jacob’s family is what develops more fully into the people and nation of Israel.

For many of us, at this stage in history, our awareness of partnering with God’s mission starts with Jesus, and the start of his church that we encounter in the New Testament Scriptures. But, God didn’t initiate his mission’s program with the church. God’s mission program has been in motion before creation – before the start of the church. God’s mission has been in motion, even with forces trying to go against it. God’s mission has been in motion since the lineage of Adam and Eve – all the way until Abraham – then, from Abraham to Isaac, to Jacob, and to his descendants – that become the nation of Israel.

God’s mission with the nation of Israel traces back to Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt: In Exodus 9:13-21 we encounter a glimpse of God’s missional heart: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. (Exodus 9:13-16)

The world encountered God when it encountered God in deliverance of Israel. The world encounters God, today, when it encounters God in you.

The underlying drive of God’s actions with Pharaoh and delivering Israel from slavery in Egypt was to make himself known to the whole earth.

When God fully delivers the nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. He makes a covenant with Israel, that we encounter in Exodus 19:4-6, ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ …” (Exodus 19:4-6a)

God invites Israel to be the primary vehicle to make himself known to the nations. God invites Israel to be a priestly nation – to be the conduit to be the bottle to hold and live-out his message: the revelation of God and his way of life – to be a witness to the nations of who God is; and what it’s like to be his people.

The world was to encounter God when it encountered God in Israel’s life, and living out the wise and just commands God revealed to them, through Moses.

Israel responded to God’s invitation to be a vehicle of making God known to the nations. But Israel did not always faithfully ride the wave of God’s mission. Quite often, they went against the wave of God’s mission: just like their ancestors, Adam and Eve, in the garden of Eden. And as a result of going against the wave of God’s mission, Israel wandered in the dessert for 40 years. Their Exodus from slavery in Egypt – to their arrival in God’s Promised Land (near where the modern-day nation of Israel is today) – should have only taken them under two weeks to make the journey. But, because of grumbling and going against God’s mission, it took them 40 years. And, it also cost an entire generation except for Joshua and Caleb to miss-out on entering and experiencing the Promised Land: they were delivered from Egypt, but missed the promised land – for going against the wave of God’s mission (see Numbers 14:26-30).

We recently just passed the September 11th date on the calendar. I’ve of the generation, where I still remember that day. I remember it being a shock, the first time I asked one of our youth group students about 9/11, and they quickly reminded me – that they’d barely been alive when that happened. They were not old enough to remember the sights and feelings of that day, because they were of a different generation. There are national, historic events like that. There are also community events like that.

Many of us, here, could think of a memory from this church — that a younger generation — knows nothing about. For some, the rock, out by the parking lot, might be this way. Some of you remember what led up to it originally being placed there. Others, were barely alive, or not alive at all when the rock was placed there. The rock is meant as a reminder of our church discerning a call to do “Whatever it takes for as long as it takes to see a disciple making movement and church planting movement unfold among the Alley people." Part of the leadership’s vision for this month and next month is to reiterate this discerned calling, and hopefully, pass on the opportunity to another generation of making Jesus known – to the lost and unreached.

The context of Deuteronomy 4 is similar to this. After 40 years of wandering the dessert, when that generation died-off, and the next generation of Israelites was about to cross the Jordan river into the Promised Land – God reiterates his covenant with the new generation. We encounter this in Deuteronomy 4:5-14.

Throughout this passage, I direct you see three dynamics: (1) God’s continuance of initiating his mission; and inviting others to be part of it, and ride the wave of his mission. (2) Israel’s response to God’s invitation to ride the wave of his mission. (3) God made known to the nations. The result that comes from Israel partnering with God’s mission and riding the wave of his love, life, and blessing into the shore of the world’s nations. 

Let’s briefly looks at these three dynamics in Deuteronomy 4: (1) We see God’s initiative on mission in Deuteronomy 4:5, 12, 13-14 – the Lord God commanded to Israel. And further in 4:12 – the Lord spoke to Israel. And lastly, in 4:13-14 – God wrote his commands on stone tablets; and, the Lord directed Moses to teach Israel the decrease and laws of God. Throughout this passage, God is the one on mission. God is the one initiating the process of making himself known. (2) We see Israel’s response to partner with God’s mission. In Deuteronomy 4:5-6, 9-11 – Israel is invited to follow and carefully observe God’s commands. In 4:9-11 – Israel is invited to pay attention to how they live – to remember and treasure what God has done for them, and who he’s called them to be as a nation. He also calls them to intentionally extend the invitation to participate in God’s mission with their children and grand-children. (3) And lastly, we see the result that comes from Israel living-out God’s commands. We see the result that comes from Israel making God known through the wise and right-way that God calls Israel to live. In Deuteronomy 4:6, 7-8 – God indicates that Israel will be a vehicle of carrying the message of God’s wisdom and understanding to the shores of the surrounding nations to Israel. In 4:7-8 – God indicates that Israel will be a vehicle of carrying the message of God’s presence to creation and humanity (God is near Israel). Israel will also be a vehicle of carrying the message of God’s constant availability through prayer (again, God is near; he is not far away). Israel will also be a vehicle of carrying the message of God’s wisdom in how to live rightly and most abundantly. 

The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel.

What we see in this passage is God’s missional heart. We see God’s invitation for Israel to be a vehicle of revealing God and God’s abundant life to Israel, and the surrounding nations. What we can gather is that the world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel.

God did not initiate his mission’s program with the church. God’s mission program has been in motion before creation. God’s mission has been in motion, even with forces trying to go against it. God’s mission has been in motion since the lineage of Adam and Eve – all the way until Abraham – then, from Abraham to Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants – the nation of Israel. But even in Israel’s history, God’s covenant renewal with Israel which is recounted, here, in Deuteronomy 4 is not the start of God’s mission through Israel. God’s mission through Israel stretches back to Jacob’s son, Joseph – being blessed to become second to Pharaoh, in Egypt. God’s mission stretches back to Israel’s deliverance from slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt: the underlying drive of God’s actions with Pharaoh and delivering Israel from slavery in Egypt was to make himself known to the whole earth – The world encountered God when it encountered God in deliverance of Israel.

God’s mission is also not stopped when Israel goes against the wave of his mission. Like our life – like the life of the world in perpetual separation from God’s life – Israel struggled to be a vehicle through which God could make himself known to the world. After many great years as a prominent nation in the Mediterranean world Israel repeatedly goes against God’s mission. And, God allows them to be overrun by other nations, and scattered from the Promised Land God had given them. Through these nations, God was able to continue making himself known in the world, but Israel missed out on part of God’s blessing. But, even in the midst of their rebellion, God did not abandon his promise to bless all nations through the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – through the people of Israel.

In Isaiah 42:1-9, we encounter, (1) “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. … (6) “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles [all non-Jewish people]…. (9) See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” (Isaiah 42:1, 6, 9)

The prophet Isaiah, here, looks forward to the coming of Jesus – the Messiah, the one to faithfully live-out the role God called Israel to be: to be a vehicle through which God makes himself known. And, what we eventually encounter with Jesus is that he is the definite vehicle through which God makes himself known – as Jesus is God come to be with us in flesh. The underlying drive of God’s actions throughout Israel’s history are to make himself known to the whole earth – 

The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encountered God when it encountered God in Jesus.

As we’ll reflect on further in coming weeks, God invites us into his mission: where Jesus invites us to follow him; and in doing so, the world encounters God when it encounters Jesus in us. The world encounters God when it encounters Jesus in us.

The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encounters God today when it encounters Jesus in you.

Do you recognize the privilege you’ve been given to be part of God’s mission to make himself known to the world? Israel is a history example for us to look back on and see how God made himself known through their life as a people. For sure, there are differences and covenantal changes between Israel and us, today.

But, the mediating role that God invited Israel to play in his mission is similarly extended to us as Jesus’ church today. We encounter this in the letter of 1 Peter 2:9, …you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

As Jesus fully lives-out Israel’s call to make God known, he also calls us to partner with him in making God known to the world — through encounter with Jesus. Jesus calls us to be his priests – his mediators, his vehicles, his message in the bottle of our life to declare his fullest revelation of God; and abundant life in him to the world.

Are you surrendered to Jesus? Are you receiving this invitation from Jesus? Are you participating in this calling from Jesus – to be a vehicle of his revelation – that rides the wave of his mission into the lives of others, so they can know God’s abundant life in it’s fullness through following Jesus?

The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encounters God, today, when it encounters Jesus in you.

How might God be calling you participate in helping the world encounter the life of Jesus? Jesus is calling us, like Israel of old to be a community that puts on display the abundant way of God’s life.

Part of our witness to that life happens when we meet Consistently, like we do each Sunday. Another part of our witness to that life happens when we share Vulnerably our life with Jesus with others: with other believers — to encourage and spur them on; and with unbelievers – to give them a real-life experience of God shaping the life of Jesus in us. Another part of our witness to that life happens when we invest sacrificially in missionaries helping lost and unreached people encounter Jesus.

On October 20th, we’re inviting you to make a faith commitment to sacrificially invest in support of CCC’s mission partners. We’re inviting you to make a faith promise offering on a monthly basis. We’ll be sharing more about that over the coming weeks.

But, I want to encourage you now to pray and discern with God how much he wants you to sacrificially invest in making Jesus known in the world. 

If you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, I invite you to taste and see that the Lord is Good (Psalm 34:8). I invite you to recognize that God’s not left you without a way to encounter him. God has directed and surrounded you with followers of Jesus whom you can encounter the abundant life of Jesus. The abundant life isn’t the life of a Jesus follower. Rather, the abundant life is in Jesus whom a true Christian strives to follow; and allow Jesus to shape our lives toward God’s abundant life.

I invite you to find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus to discern your next step of faith in seeking the abundant life of Jesus.

The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encounters God, today, when it encounters Jesus in you.