Mark Conner's Space

How will it all END (Pt.6)?

How should we then LIVE?

We should live “ready” for Christ to come at any moment (Lk.21:34-36) but “working diligently” as if he may not come back in our lifetime. We should avoid extremes (over-preoccupation with a sneaky rapture vs. trying to create heaven here on earth).

To quote Tony Campolo, “Any theology that does not live with a sense of the immediate return of Christ is a theology that takes the edge off the urgency of faith. But any theology that does not cause us to live as though the world will be here for thousands of years is a theology that leads us into social irresponsibility.”

1. Live with full devotion to the Lord. Be prayerful and watchful. Love him with all your heart and develop a close relationship with him. Many “nominal” believers will be shocked on that day (Mt.7:21-23). Don’t be caught without “oil” (Mt.25:1-13). Be spiritually awake, refusing to allow lethargy or apathy into your heart (Mk.13:32-37. Rom.13:11-12. 1 Thess.5:1-10).

2. Live your life in light of eternity. What we do in time echoes through eternity. We have only one life to life. This is not a dress rehearsal or a practice run. This is the real thing so give it all you’ve got. Run to win! Use your gifts, talents and abilities for the benefit of others (Mt.25:14-30. 2 Cor.5:10-11. 1 Cor.3:1-15). We will be rewarded for faithfulness with what we have been given, not because of the gifts we received or the positions we held. “Live and do” not “do and live”. Because in Christ “you are” loved and forgiven, do good works, but not “in order to” be loved and forgiven.

3. Live with an evangelistic edge. Make heaven’s priority yours. Be stirred to a spirit of evangelism. Build relationships, take risks, look for opportunities, share your faith and invite people to church and to Christ. Hell was not designed for people.

Life is short, live wisely! Know God’s will, seize every opportunity and invest your time in things that count for eternity (Eph.5:15-17).

How will it all END (Pt.5)?

Things to Occur AFTER the Second Coming

1. Judgement and reward for believers. There are two judgements – one for believers, the judgement seat of Christ, which is not about salvation but about reward for the “good works” we have done (2 Cor.5:10).

[One area of debate amongst end time theologians is when the ‘millennium’ spoken about in Rev.20:1-6 will be. The ‘millennium’ is a 1000 year period where believers will rule and reign with Christ on the earth as a reward for their faithfulness. Some people believe we are in the millennium now and therefore that it occurs before the second coming (post-millennialists). Some people believe that it does not refer to a literal period of time but rather is symbolic of the entire period between the first and second comings of Christ (a-millennialists). Still others believe it will occur after the second coming (pre-millennialists). The challenge for all interpreters is that Rev.20 is the only explicit reference of the millennium in the NT and there is no mention of the relation of the second coming to the millennium in the actual text (whether it is before or after). Personally, I don’t think we’re in it now (you call this rest?). I tend to think it will be after the second coming but even that view has some challenges. So, this is not a subject anyone can be dogmatic about because there are too many unknowns]

2. Judgement of the devil. The devil will be judged and cast into a lake of fire for eternity. See Rev.20:10. This judgment has been a long time coming being prophesied about in Gen.3:15 and initially enacted by the work of Jesus on the cross and his subsequent resurrection.

3. Eternity in either heaven or hell (based on our choices in life). There will be a judgment for unbelievers, the great white throne judgement where the book of life will be opened. Those who names are not in the book of life will be cast into a lake of fire (Rev.20:11-15) where the devil and his angels are. The ungodly will spend eternity in hell with the devil.

The godly, those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, will live forever in heaven with the Lord (Rev.21:27). Heaven will be a place like nothing we have ever experienced – more wonderful than we could ever think or imagine.

God’s heart is that no one ‘perish’ but that all have an opportunity to receive forgiveness and eternal life (2 Pet.3:9). Hell was made for the devil not for people. God does not wish anyone to end up in hell, that’s why he sent his Son.

4. The creation of a new heavens and a new earth. See 2 Peter 3:1-13. Rev.21.

How will it all END (Pt.4)?

Things to occur AT the second coming

1. The appearance of Jesus in glory. Jesus’ return will be with “a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God” (1 Thess.4:13-18). He will return in great glory, the glory of his Father (Mt.16:27; 19:28; 25:31). The angelic hosts will accompany him. Every eye will see him (Rev.1:7). Revelation 19:11-16 gives us a vivid picture of Jesus riding on a white horse – eyes blazing with fire, a two edged sword coming out of his mouth, his robe dipped in blood and the armies of heaven riding with him.

2. The destruction of the wicked. Those who have rejected Jesus will be shocked at his coming and will seek to run from his presence (Jude 14-15 and Rev.1:7). These are those who acknowledge God and who refuse to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. They will be destroyed with the ‘brightness of his coming’. The second coming will be one of judgement on the wicked, not of mercy anymore. Jesus will return in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and refused to obey the gospel. The ungodly will be destroyed with the brightness of his coming (2 Thess.1:7-10). They will be punished and banished from God’s presence (2 Thess.1:7-10; 2:3-12).

3. The resurrection of the righteous – all believers who have died “in faith” will have their bodies resurrected and will live forever with a glorified body (1 Thess.4:13-18. 1 Cor.15:51-57. Heb.9:28. Phil.3:20-21). In that sense Jesus is coming ‘with’ his saints. This refers to all of the righteous believers who have died in faith since time began – there spirits are in heaven right now but they are waiting in expectation for the resurrection and glorification of their bodies.

4. The ‘rapture’ of remaining believers – Jesus will return for (those who are “alive and remain” and escape death) and with his saints (those who “died in faith”). See 1 Thess.4:16-17. In this sense, Jesus is coming ‘for’ his saints – those who are alive and remain on the earth when he returns. There is a generation that will never die! Jesus will come in their generation whole they are still alive. Many have hoped to be a part of that company and we do too!

What a day that will be! It will be more dramatic, more explosive and more exciting than any movie you have ever seen! The second coming is a great source of comfort and of hope for us as believers. There is coming a time when pain, crying and suffering will be gone. We will be reunited with our loved ones who have died and gone to heaven.

How will it all END (Pt.3)?

An Order of End Time Events

Without being dogmatic in any way, here is what I see happening BEFORE the second coming of Jesus.

NEGATIVE things to occur:

1. Increasing spiritual darkness (Is.60:1-3). Jesus told us that the last days just prior to his coming will be similar to the days of Noah and the days of Lot (Lk.17:20-37). He said that there would be great deception (Mt.24. 1 Tim.4:1) with many false prophets and false “Christ’s” appearing (Mt.24:5, 11, 23-26. 2 Thess.2:1-12. Rev.13). We are told of a great “apostasy” or “falling away” of many from their faith in Jesus Christ (2 Thess.2:1-3. Mt.24:12. Heb.6:3-8).

2. Great Tribulation (times of ‘pressure’). There will be a time of great tribulation (Mt.24) and “perilous times” (2 Tim.3:1-7). Wars, diseases and earthquakes will increase (Mt.24:6-7. Rev.6:1-17). There will be times of intense persecution of believers (Mt.24:9-10, 21).

3. The revelation of the Antichrist. The title ‘antichrist’ refers to someone who is ‘against Christ’ or who sets themselves up ‘instead of’ or in competition with Christ. Jesus himself predicted the appearance of “false Christ’s” (Mt.24:5). There is a ‘spirit of antichrist’ at work in the world (1 Jn.4:3). The apostle John tells that there will be ‘many antichrists’ in the last day (1 Jn.2:18). There also seems to be strong indication that there will be one very strong individual Antichrist (‘the’ Antichrist) who will be revealed in the last days before Jesus returns (see 2 Thess.2:1-12). The Antichrist will be revealed and will set up his kingdom for a time (Dan.2, 7, 11. Rev.13; 19:11-21). Satan knows that his time is short and in the last days he will throw everything he can against God and his work on earth.

4. God’s judgements will be revealed (Rev.14:7; 16:7). There will be a “time of vengeance” (Is.61 and Lk.4). These judgements are outlined under the seven seals, the seven trumpets and the seven bowls (“vials”) of wrath to be poured out on the earth (Rev.6-16).

POSITIVE things to occur:

1. A worldwide outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all people (Joel 2:28-32. Acts 2:17-21. James 5:7-8). This began on the day of Pentecost and will be completed in the “last days”.

2. A great spiritual harvest. Many people will become followers of Jesus and there will be a great harvest of souls into the kingdom of God. The gospel will be preached to every nation and people saved out of every nation or “people group”, before the end comes (Mt.24:14). Revelation tells us about a multitude of people worship around the throne from ‘every tribe, language, people and nation’ (Rev.5:9). There’s still more work to be done on this one.

3. A glorious church. The church of Jesus Christ will be united (Jn.17), glorious (Eph.5:25-27) and victorious (Mt.16). The “last day” church will be greater than the first church (Acts 3:19-21). We are not there yet.

4. The fulfilment of all true prophetic words. All words spoken by the prophets will be fulfilled (Acts 3:19-21). Not one word spoken by God through his prophets will be left undone. All will come to pass. In fact, one reason I don’t believe Jesus will come back tonight, is because there are a number of things yet to be accomplished before he returns.

Darkness and light (Prov.4:18-19. Is.60:1-3), the mystery of lawlessness and the mystery of godliness, the weeds (tares) and the wheat are growing together as the coming of Christ draws near. The evidence of many of these “signs” is all around us today and they will increase in intensity as the return of the Lord comes closer. We live in exciting yet challenging times.

How will it all END (Pt.2)?

The Bible and the End Times

There are a number of books and passages in the Bible that deal specifically with the ‘time of the end’ and the second coming of Jesus. Obviously, the book of Revelation would be the primary source of information concerning the end times. It is a fascinating apocalyptic book with much prophetic symbolism in it that makes it somewhat difficult to interpret.

Over the years there has been a variety of approaches to interpreting the book of Revelation. There are three broad categories of how people have interpreted this book through the centuries:

1. The Preterist (‘past’) View – this view understands the events of Revelation as having been fulfilled in large parts in the first centuries of the Christian era. In effect the book was written to comfort Christians, who suffered persecution from Rome and also from Judaism. Revelation’s fulfilment is all in the past. We don’t need to be looking for anything happening today that corresponds to its prophecies.

This view has a lot of merit. The book of Revelation was written to real people and real churches in the first century and it had specific relevance to what they were going through. It meant something to them and they would have been able to gain understanding about the times they were living in and to draw comfort and hope from it. In fact, the arguments for a direct correlation between some of the prophetic pictures in revelation and to events in the first century are quite convincing. However, in addition to this, like all books of the Bible, I believe that Revelation also speaks to believers in other generations and times of history. We must not limit its meaning and application to the first century. In fact, like all prophecy, there are often layers of application to people in different times and circumstances without taking away the direct significance to the first hearers.

2. The Historicist View (‘literal’) – this view sees the events of Revelation as unfolding throughout the course of history. Another variation of this view it what is referred to as a ‘Futurist View’, which argues that the events spoken about in Revelation (particularly chapters 4-22) await the end times for their historical fulfilment.

This view also has some real merit. There is a lot of prophetic symbolism in Revelation that paints pictures of spiritual activity in the heavenlies that can’t be fully understand in human or historical terms. However, to limit the entire book to only spiritual matters without any direct correspondence to events on earth would seem an inadequate approach to me.

3. The Idealist View (‘figurative’ or ‘spiritual’) – this view is reluctant to pinpoint the symbolism of revelation historically with any specific social or political events. Rather it sees Revelation as setting forth timeless truths concerning the battle between good and evil that continues throughout the church age. The challenge is to be faithful to Christ and expectant of a victorious future not to seek any literal or chronological interpretation.

This view also has some real merit. There is a lot of prophetic symbolism in Revelation that paints pictures of spiritual activity in the heavenlies that can’t be fully understand in human or historical terms. However, to limit the entire book to only spiritual matters without any direct correspondence to events on earth would seem an inadequate approach to me.

Each one of these views has strengths and weaknesses. The best approach, from my perspective, involves a combination of these views, realising that prophetic literature often has a present, past and future dimension to it. 

How will it all END? (Pt.1)

End Time Fever

The first words that Jesus preached were, “Repent for the kingdom of God is near” (Mt.4:17). After the resurrection and at the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth, he ascended up to heaven. As he did, two angels appeared and boldly proclaimed, “Why do you stand here looking into the sky? 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 1:10-11).” The last recorded words of the ascended Jesus are in the book of Revelation. They were to the church and he said, “Yes, I am coming soon! (Rev.22:7, 12, 20)”

Ever since that time people have looked for and anticipated the second coming of Jesus and the end of the world. This began with the New Testament believers and has continued right through history up to today. The topic of the ‘end of the world’ has been one of interest to humans since time began but it has intensified in recent years. The recent release of the doomsday movie 2012, is an example of this. It is important that each one of us as Christians has a clear understanding of the end times so that we are not swayed by various trends or world events.

Observations about the Second Coming:

1. Jesus will come again.

The early church held strongly to the belief that Jesus would come again as he said he would. A common phrase among them was “Maranatha”, which means, “Come, O Lord! (1 Cor.16:22)” The second coming of Jesus Christ is mentioned 318 times in the 216 chapters of the NT. That’s 1 in every 25 verses. Some entire chapters are given to it and three New Testament writers wrote entire books about it (Mt.24. Mk.13. Lk.21. 1 Cor.15. 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Jude. Revelation). Jesus said he would come again. Paul, John, James and Jude all speak of his coming. Not one NT writer fails to mention it. Every time we take communion or the “Lord’s supper” we proclaim the Lord’s death “until he comes” (1 Cor.11:26). There are more references to this subject that any other NT teaching.

Jesus will return to the earth literally, visibly (“every eye will see him”), physically and personally just like he came. It will be the “same Jesus” not another. He will come personally to receive us to himself (Jn.14:3). Unlike his first coming, which was in great humility and lowliness, his second coming will be in great glory with his angelic hosts accompanying him (Mt.16:27; 19:28; 25:31).

2. No one knows exactly when.

Jesus will return in the Father’s appointed time. No one knows the exact day or hour (Mt.24:36. Mk.13:32. Acts 1:7. 1 Thess.5:2. 2 Pet.3:10. Acts 3:19-21). People who try to set dates or times bring discredit to the Christian faith and cause people to mock (2 Pet.3:4).

We can, however, know the “times and seasons”. If we study God’s Word and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, we can be aware and ready for his coming. We don’t have to be caught “off guard” like the religious leaders were at Christ’s coming. Dogmatism and intolerance on exact details is not wise. The Scribes and Pharisees missed the first coming of Christ because it did not happen just the way they thought it would.

For those who are unprepared, his coming will be like a “thief in the night” – suddenly (Mk.13:36) and unexpectedly (Mt.24:36-51; 25:1-3. Mk.13:32-37. Rev.3:3; 16:15. 2Pet.3:10. 1 Thess.5:1-11). Therefore, we need to be spiritual “awake” and watching, ready for his coming.

3. The second coming completes what Jesus began at his first coming.

At the cross Jesus conquered Satan, sin, sickness and death. He said, “It is finished”! However, we live in the time of the end, which involves a tension between the “now and the not yet”.

• “Already” Satan is conquered (a defeated foe), but “not yet” has his final judgment taken place. In between, he continues to try to deceive the nations and must be resisted.
• “Already” sin has been atoned for and forgiveness is freely available, but “not yet” do we see sin totally eradicated. Sin has to be fought like a deadly virus and repentance is the vaccine that releases forgiveness and freedom.
• “Already” sickness has been defeated but “not yet” do we see sickness and disease totally removed from the earth.
• “Already” death is defeated but “not yet” do we see death destroyed. Our bodies are all aging and unless Jesus returns beforehand, we will all die.

The contract has been signed and paid in full but we are living in this “in between time” before what has been legally accomplished becomes a complete reality.

• There is coming a day when Satan and his hoards of demons will be judged and cast into a lake of fire for eternity. Even now, his time is short!
• There is coming a day when sin will be cleansed from the earth and from our lives.
• There is coming a day where sickness and pain will be no more, where suffering ceases.
• There is coming a day when death, our last enemy, will finally be destroyed.

That “day” is the second coming of Jesus Christ! So the kingdom is both present (“already”) and future (“not yet”). Until then, we stand firm and we fight against all that the devil seeks to bring against us. That’s why we continue to pray, “Your kingdom come! Your will be done!” This prayer is a request for God to reign and to manifest his sovereign power by putting to flight every enemy of righteousness. Our hope is rooted in Christ’s work of redemption that began on the cross and will be completed by the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Pentecostalism (Pt.4)

A few final thoughts for my Pentecostal friends ...

I recommend that we continue to be unapologetic about our Pentecostal roots and its distinctive values, while clearly communicating the strengths and weaknesses we see in this movement and our response to them.

Referring to ourselves as “Pentecostal” can be helpful for those Christians who are seeking a tribe to identify us with. However, we should all take steps to clarify our uniqueness. In fact, why don't we all make efforts to seek to model what potentially could be a more balanced and biblical brand of Pentecostalism without some of the baggage this movement has accumulated over recent decades.

However, let's not get overly caught up with the label "Pentecostal" (it literally means "50" and I'm not that old yet!). It is interesting to note that most denominations are named after a single issue: Baptists (baptism), Presbyterians (eldership rule), Methodists (Wesley’s method), Salvation Army (evangelism), and Pentecostals (the baptism of the Holy Spirit). Maybe it's time we all modeled a broader and more balanced approach rather than be labeled by a single doctrine.

Finally, let's continue to seek to pattern our beliefs and practices after the teaching of Jesus and the apostles as recorded in the New Testament. May we all experience a fresh Pentecost as the Spirit empowers us once again for kingdom purpose!

P.S. For a copy of these posts on 'Pentecostalism' in WORD format, including references in footnotes, click here. Please feel free to pass this around as I hope it generates some good healthy dialogue and discussion.

Pentecostalism (Pt.3)

I also see a number of weaknesses in some of the Pentecostal movement. Obviously, these not all of these weaknesses are limited to Pentecostals nor do all Pentecostal churches necessarily exhibit them.

1. Extreme Prosperity Teaching. Many Pentecostal churches have embraced the prosperity gospel which promises riches for those who love and obey God. One of the main problems with this teaching is the ‘give to get’ mentality which is so opposite to the nature of God. He loves and he gives unconditionally - with no strings attached. If we choose to give to God or to the poor in order to gain our own personal prosperity, something is wrong with our motives.

I believe that we should live generous lives, giving to the work of God and to those in need - simply because we love God and we love people. We should not give in order to get back for ourselves. Yes, there is often a by-product of personal blessing that comes with generosity but that should not be our motive or our goal.

If you define ‘prosperity’ as ‘having your own needs (not ‘greeds’) met and enough extra to give away,’ then I believe that it is God's will for everyone. We should all work towards that. However, there are much more important things than money and possessions. The kingdom of God has a different value system. It is made up of love, peace, and joy ... and these things are found in the Holy Spirit, not in material possessions. In fact, Paul tells us that the love of money is at the root of all evil (not money itself, but the love of it). The issue isn't whether we have stuff but whether our stuff has a hold on us. Of course, poverty is not better or more spiritual than prosperity. There is nothing pretty or desirable about poverty. That's why so many people are working around the globe today to make poverty history.

2. Autocratic Leadership Style. Some Pentecostal pastors, due to the honor and the freedom given to them, can develop an authoritarian and hierarchical leadership style. Although it is without doubt that strong leadership ability is a key factor in the growth and effectiveness of many Pentecostal congregations, sometimes this can also lead to a lack of appropriate accountability. Governance structures tend to be more relational than formal, and boards and teams of elders are usually led by senior ministers who see the board or eldership as their team and as working for them. Some even have staff and family members as board members, potentially blurring the accountability lines and not providing adequate separation between proposal creation and proposal review. In addition, if Pentecostal pastors see themselves as above criticism and see people who question various matters as rebellious, then dysfunction usually develops and there is an eventual drift out of the church of hurt and disillusioned people. When authority is abused, much damage can be done.

I believe that it is essential to embrace a servant and empowering leadership style. Appropriate accountability at all levels of leadership is also very important and should influence the way leadership and governance policies and practices are shaped. There needs to be a culture of openness to feedback and constructive criticism in church communities. Also, team ministry should be taught and practiced.

3. Shallow Bible Teaching. In the early days of Pentecostalism, academic or theological training often was frowned upon. Seminaries were seen as “cemeteries” due to their lack of emphasis on the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Even today, many Pentecostal pastors do not have more than a basic theological training. Unfortunately, this can lead to sermons that are high on inspiration but low on biblical content. Teaching can tend to be somewhat shallow and at times allegorical. Also, 'proof texting' is a common occurrence.

I believe that there needs to be a good balance between the Spirit and the Word. We need both the passion and energy of the Spirit and the safety and security of the Scriptures. We also should be committed to ensuring that teaching team members are well-trained in interpreting the original meaning of the Scriptures and then applying them appropriately to our contemporary context.

4. Elevation of Personal Experience. Some Pentecostal churches and preachers rely heavily on personal revelation (“God told me ...”). Personally, I believe that no personal experience or revelation is to be taken as more important or authoritative than the inspired Scriptures. All of these subjective matters need to be tested by the Word of God and considered in the light of how God has moved in and among his people throughout church history.

5. Elevation of Charisma over Character. Some Pentecostal churches are overly enamoured with charismatic personalities and spectacular spiritual gifts. I believe that all gifts are given for the purpose of serving for the benefit of the wider church and that the foundation of all ministry is to be a person’s character. Jesus said that we should test ministry by the fruit of their life not by the gifts or talents they exhibit.

6. An Unhealthy Elevation of Speaking in Tongues (or spiritual language). Some Pentecostal churches elevate speaking in tongues to such a level that those who have not experienced this gift are made to feel like second-class Christians. Other groups go to an even further extreme by saying that a person is not saved unless they speak in tongues. I believe that all Christians receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at conversion. Subsequent to this, I think that we should encourage all believers to ask for the baptism or infilling of the Spirit accompanied by a spiritual language, as I see this as an important aspect of the Christian life. However, we should not seek to pressure people nor look down on those who have not had this experience. I also believe that in church gatherings where unbelievers are present, appropriate discretion needs to be used in the public exercise of speaking in tongues (see 1 Cor.14:22-25).

7. An Instantaneous ‘Zap’ Mentality. Many Pentecostal churches place a strong emphasis on church meetings and on receiving a special touch from the Holy Spirit. I too believe in the importance of church gatherings and the special things God can do when we gather together. However, I believe that God’s presence is with us all the time and that we shouldn't buy into a separation of the sacred and secular. God is interested in all of our lives. I also believe in the change that can occur when a person encounters God in a powerful way (an ‘encounter’) but I acknowledge that even this is part of a continual process of change and growth that occurs throughout all of life.

8. End Time Hysteria. Some sections of the Pentecostal church go to extremes when it comes to end time teaching, emphasising the imminent return of Christ and getting ready for the rapture. I believe that all followers of Christ should live in such a way that they are always ready for his return but also with the wisdom and foresight that Jesus may not come back in our generation. We are to occupy, or be busy, until Jesus returns. This includes being about the work of the kingdom, which includes matters such as creation care and social justice.

9. Faith Healing. Some Pentecostal churches teach that all people should be healed and when healing does not take place it is an indication of sin or lack of faith in the life of the sick person. This heretical teaching can cause great damage in people’s lives. I believe that God does heal today and we pray for people to be healed. However, we recognise that sometimes people aren’t healed. This does not mean that a person lacks faith or has sin in their life. We live in a fallen world and we are caught between the ‘now’ and the ‘not yet’ of the kingdom of God. Sin, sickness, and death were conquered by Christ but not yet do we see them eradicated from the world. We all await his return when the kingdom will come in its fullness and there will be no more crying, pain or death. Until then, we live in faith but we also recognise the reality of suffering in this present world, knowing that God’s grace and comfort are more than enough for us.

10. Extreme Focus on the Demonic. Some sectors of the Pentecostal church have a strong emphasis on the devil, demons, deliverance, and spiritual warfare. Without wanting to neglect an appropriate awareness of the spiritual battle that we are in, I think churches should seek to adopt a more balanced approach where the major focus is on glorifying God, living in the Spirit, doing good, and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.

These observations about the strengths and weakness of Pentecostalism are generalizations. However, they do have a common occurrence within the broader Pentecostal movements of churches. I think that more and more Pentecostal church should more intentionally maximizing the strengths while seeking to avoid the weaknesses of this movement. More about this tomorrow ...

Pentecostalism (Pt.2)

I see a number of strengths in the Pentecostal faith tradition. Here are a few of the main ones. Obviously, these strengths aren't limited to Pentecostals nor do all Pentecostal churches necessarily exhibit them.

1. The Holy Spirit. The Pentecostal expression of the Christian faith presents God as someone who is not only known by faith and through the Scriptures but who wants to interact with each believer on a daily basis. Pentecostals teach that God wants a personal and intimate relationship with each believer and that this occurs through prayer (including the use of spiritual language or ‘speaking in tongues’), hearing God’s voice, and ministry to and from other believers. Ministry in Pentecostal churches focuses not on just attending a church service or on hearing a sermon but on allowing the Holy Spirit to move in a person’s life to bring about change and growth.

2. Passionate Worship. Pentecostals enjoy expressing themselves at church gatherings through joyful praise and intimate worship. Voices are raised, hands are lifted up, and there is a sense of celebration and vibrancy to singing times.

3. Evangelistic Fervour. Pentecostals believe that the Spirit has filled and empowered them to be witnesses for Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8) and to fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). They are passionate about personal and corporate evangelism as well as church planting and foreign mission work. Compassion for the poor and the needy is also a growing characteristic of Pentecostal churches.

4. Prophecy. Pentecostals believe that God still speaks today – to individuals and churches. This is not at the authoritative level of Scripture but all prophecy is to be taken seriously, tested, then responded to appropriately (1 Thess.5:19-22).

5. Faith for the Miraculous. Pentecostals believe that God still does miracles today, including healing the sick and setting people free from things that hold them back from their full potential in Christ. They pray for God to intervene into human situations bringing about positive change.

6. Cultural Relevance. Most Pentecostals understand that although the message of Christianity and the gospel never changes, the methods and means of communication must change with each new generation in order to remain culturally relevant. Examples of cultural relevance include choice of musical style, focus on youth and children, a more contemporary communication style, contemporary facilities, and the use of technology.

7. Compassion for the Poor and Marginalised. Modern-day Pentecostalism began among people from the lower socio-economic strata of society, including uneducated people and marginalised races. Although, this has changed somewhat in the West, with other church movements and denominations being stronger in this area, it is encouraging to see the more recent emphasis on God’s heart for the poor and needy amongst Pentecostals.

8. Visionary Leadership. Many Pentecostal churches are led by leaders with strong sense of vision and an ability to communicate that vision to motivate people to action. They are willing to take risks to advance the cause of Christ in the world. Many Pentecostal churches are in a pioneering and expansion mode (a focus on “let’s create the future”) rather than a maintenance mode (a focus on “let’s preserve the past”). In Pentecostal churches, authority tends to be vested in specific individuals, such as the senior pastor or leadership team, rather than in formal structures or bureaucratic policies. The pastor is seen as the leader of the church rather than merely an employee. In fact, congregational trust often is placed more in the senior leader than in a specific board of directors, elders or committee.

Tomorrow ... some concerns I have about Pentecostalism.

Pentecostalism (Pt.1)

CityLife Church, formerly known as Waverley Christian Fellowship, began in 1967 under the leadership of Richard Holland. CityLife has Pentecostal roots and continues to value and practice many of the distinctive aspects of Pentecostalism.

The Pentecostals are a relatively new section of the Christian Church. For many years they have been considered to be outside mainstream Christianity; but, more recently, due to their phenomenal growth, they have begun to be noticed and heard. Here in Australia, they are the fastest growing of all the churches and their wider influence in society is increasing.

In the past century, Pentecostal Christianity evolved from a small group of believers to a worldwide movement with an estimated 588 million adherents. This incredible growth is unprecedented in the historical development of Christianity. Although the participants in this movement at the time of its inception at the turn of the twentieth century were on the margins of society, the expansion of charismatic experiences has now pervaded all parts of world Christianity. In the last 5 percent of Christian history, Pentecostals have become a major global force in Christendom, second only to the billion Roman Catholics in the world. Pentecostalism has also influenced various sectors of mainstream Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox faith and has prompted the birth of a neo-Pentecostal movement, a Charismatic Renewal movement, and a Third Wave movement, forming somewhat of a global culture and in the words of researcher, Harvey Cox, “a religion made to travel.”

Pentecostalism in Australia began in the early 1900s. Though influenced by people from overseas, it was not founded by them and has not depended on them. Over the last century, the Pentecostal churches in Australia have emerged as one of the fastest growing religious communities in Australia. In his landmark study on the Pentecostals in Australia back in 1996, Philip J. Hughes declared that nationwide the Pentecostals outnumbered almost every other religious group in actual church attendance.

There are a large number of different Pentecostal groups in Australia. The largest Pentecostal denomination is the Assemblies of God. Other significant Pentecostal denominations include the Apostolic Churches, the Christian City Churches, the Christian Outreach Centers, the Christian Revival Crusade, and a number of large independent Pentecostal “mega-churches”such as Riverview Church in Perth and CityLife in Melbourne. Numerous other smaller Pentecostal denominations and independent churches also exist.

The Pentecostal churches are very diverse and autonomous. They vary in some of their theology and philosophy of ministry. They also have no singular voice to the community. In addition, they still are not considered mainstream Christianity by some people, despite their amazing growth and size.

Tomorrow ... things I like about Pentecostalism.

Providence

Providence – I love the word and the truth that it conveys. Our lives are not subject to luck, fate or chance. We are in the hands of a sovereign loving God.

One of my favorite quotes from the Bible is Paul’s statement in Romans 8:28 where he says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.”

A few observations:

• It doesn’t say “God causes all things.” He doesn’t. We make choices, as do other people, and those choices have consequences.
• It doesn’t say, “All things are good.” They aren’t. War, rape, sickness and accidents aren’t good.
• It doesn’t say, “All things work out the way we want them to” or “All things have a happy ending.” They don’t. Not every person is healed, not every student gets an ‘A’, not every married couple lives ‘happily ever-after’, and not every business person makes a million dollars. That’s the reality of life.
• What is does say, is that “God causes all things” – the good, the bad, and the ugly – to work together for our ultimate good, because we love him and are called according to his purpose.

God is the master planner and the grand designer of everything – even using our pain, our mistakes and our failures to contribute to his ultimate purpose. As Joseph said when he was re-united with his brothers who betrayed him – “You meant it for evil (it was wrong and it hurt!) BUT God used it for good (I believe in providence!).” And this is something we know – we can be assured of if – not something we merely hope for.

This means that nothing is wasted with God – absolutely nothing. Take a moment to think back through your life – even at things that were painful and annoying at the time- and try to see God’s hand in redeeming those things for his purpose. Even the small things matter to God.

For instance, I remember taking an accounting course as part of a Diploma in Business Management that I completed many years ago. At the time, the pages and pages of detailed, lengthy hand-written double-entry accounting work I had to do was annoying and tedious (any accountant will understand). But now, because of that experience ... I am able to understand a financial statement at a ministry board meeting and I can take good care in managing our personal finances because I know what happens when I hit ‘enter’ on a transaction in my Quicken personal finance software program. Believe me ... nothing is wasted in God. Even the seemingly trivial.

Take a moment to appreciate the providence of God in your life ... and as you do, place your trust afresh in him ... whatever you may be going through.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6. NLT

Creation Care

The subject of Creation Care is becoming an important one within the Christian church. "Creation Care", rather than "environmentalism", is the term used by many evangelicals to refer to the responsibility that followers of Christ have to take care of God's earth. 

Influential Christian thinker, Francis Schaeffer once said, "... nature: it is not our own. It belongs to God, and we are to exercise our dominion over these things not as though entitled to exploit them, but as things borrowed or held in trust. We are to use them realising they are not ours intrinsically. Man's dominion is under God's dominion." [From his book Pollution and the Death of Man]

Issues such as the environment, ecology, pollution, and global warming should interest Christians, as we are called to be good stewards of God's earth. 

For a good introduction to a biblical theology of Creation Care, click here for a free PDF of a chapter by Bret Stephenson and Stephen Bouma-Prediger from their book Living the Good Life on God's Earth.

Another very good book on this topic is: For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision for Creation Care. The Evangelical Environment Network also has an informative web site. Click here to access a website on Creation Care for pastors.

The Two Lost Sons (Pt.4)

A final thought ...

This parable is the last of three parables that Jesus tells in response to the criticism of the Pharisees of him spending time with sinners.

In the first parable, a shepherd goes looking for a lost sheep and when he finds it, he calls his friends to celebrate with him. In the second parable, a woman looks for a lost coin and when she finds it, she calls her neigbours around to celebrate with her.

In the final parable, the younger son is lost but no one goes looking for him. This would have surprised the listeners as they would have been expecting someone to go. Who was supposed to go? The father? OR maybe the older brother? Cain (one of the first two brother stories in the Bible) had to learn that he was his 'brother's keeper'. This younger brother got a Pharisee for an older brother rather than a true older brother. Jesus was acting as the true older brother, spending time with younger brother types - going after them, loving and accepting them, and trying to help them to come to their senses and return to the father's house.

Will we be a true older brother, like Jesus, to the younger brothers of this world?

All three parables end with a feast - a party, a celebration. We all long to come 'home'. The gospel is 'good news' - for younger brothers and older brothers. We have a heavenly Father who loves us so much that he sent his only son to pay the price for our forgiveness and salvation. That's really good news ... and worth spreading!

The Two Lost Sons (Pt.3)

Two sons. Two ways of doing life.

Both were wrong. Both were lost. Both ways of living are dead ends.

Amazingly, both sons were loved. The father in the story went out to welcome the younger brother home AND the father went out to seek to bring the older brother in. God is not a Pharisee to the Pharisees.

Who needs to hear this good news of grace?

1. Young brothers types! They need to know the father's heart and the grace that is available to them. Christianity is not a religion. It is a relationship with a loving God.

2. Older brother types! Tim Keller notes that Jesus attracted younger brother types but seemed to repel or offend older brother types. Churches today tend to attract older brother types but young brother types tends to stay away. Why the difference? Is the church preaching the same message as Jesus? Or is the church filled with more older brothers that we'd like to admit. A challenging thought!

A few final thoughts tomorrow ...

The Two Lost Sons (Pt.2)

Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, in his excellent book, The Prodigal God, shows how the two sons in this story are symbolic or representative of two types of people. They show us two ways that people try to find happiness and fulfillment in life.

Younger brother types represent those who choose the way of 'self discovery'. They choose to do their own thing, breaking free from the rules and traditions of society. These are the people who colour outside the lines and don't like boundaries imposed upon them. They look out for number 1.

This sort of living may work for a while but eventually there are consequences and in the end it can become quite destructive. When younger brother types come to their senses and turn around (repent), the Father God is pleased and is willing to offer them his grace and forgiveness ... and a fresh start.

Older brother types represent those who choose the way of 'moral conformity'. They choose to keep the rules and traditions of society, because it is the right thing to do. They seek to be self-controlled and self-disciplined at all times. They are into ethical strictness.

What Jesus teaches, however, is that it is possible to always seek to do the right thing, to even be 'religious', and yet still be spiritually lost. Older brother types can easily tend towards being self-righteous, superior (looking down on others), and proud. When things don't go well for them, they tend to become angry, bitter, and resentful (after all, they deserve better). Towards others who are shown mercy or grace, they can be judgmental and unforgiving. Even their obedience to the rules can be out of mere duty ('I've been slaving for you all these years ...'). Theirs is a fear-based joyless compliance. The Father God appreciates their obedience but questions their motives and whether they are on a self-salvation project or really engaged with the father's heart.

Which way do you lean? Yes, these are two extremes, but we all lean one way or the other. Sometimes we lean different directions at different seasons in our lives. A younger brother who is shown God's grace can gradually drift into an older brother attitude if he or she is not careful. An older brother whose life falls a part a bit can react and become like a younger brother.

More tommorow ..

The Two Lost Sons (Pt.1)

In Luke 15:11-32, we have a record of the familiar parable that Jesus told which is often called ‘The Prodigal Son.’ A more accurate title is ‘The Parable of the Two Lost Sons’, because both were lost, or even more appropriately, ‘The Parable of the Forgiving Father’, because the father is the real hero of the story.

 

It is an amazing short story and through it Jesus teaches us about grace. In Act 1 we have the story of the lost younger brother who shames his father by asking for his inheritance right away and then goes and wastes it through wild living. Eventually, after he comes to his senses, he returns to his father who, surprisingly, runs towards him, shows great emotion and elevates him back to the full standing of a son. The father throws a huge costly celebration feast. There is music and dancing. What a story of grace – undeserved favour!

 

But the story doesn’t stop there. Act 2 is about the lost elder brother. Unaware of what has happened, he returns from a hard day’s work in the field. He hears the music and discovers that his brother has returned home. He is furious and disgraces his father by refusing to go in to the party.  His father comes outside and tenderly pleads with his son to come in. The listeners are on the edge of their seats. Will the older brother come in? Will the family be reunited? ... and then the story ends! A bit like those old crime dramas – just when you’re about to find out who done it ... it says ‘to be continued next week!’

 

To understand what Jesus is doing through this story we need to understand the historical context. In Luke 15:1-2, we learn that Jesus has tax collectors and sinners gathering around him. The Pharisees and religious people are upset about this because table fellowship implied acceptance in Middle Eastern culture. How can Jesus be hanging out with these people?

 

The startling message Jesus gives to the tax collectors and sinners (the younger brothers) is that God’s grace is amazing, along with his love and forgiveness towards those who come to their senses and return to father’s house, regardless of what they have done. This is good news!

 

The even more startling message to the Pharisees and religious people (the older brothers) is that you can live a moral life of full obedience (the older brother never once disobeyed his father) and yet still be lost and outside the father’s house. This is the great reversal of the story – the younger son who was outside the house is now inside while the older brother who was inside the house is now outside and we’re not sure whether he will come in. What a shock this must have been to the listeners who saw themselves as the ones who were IN and the sinners as the ones were OUT!

 

More tomorrow ...

Grace - It's Unfair!

Another post from Nicole ...

"In a moment of blinding fury at someone's shortcoming, my own shortcomings STARE me in the face. I am so dependent on God's grace, and find it so hard at times to show the grace I have been shown, to others. I want God to forgive me my zillion dollars of stupidity, but would prefer to extract the $1 someone owes me. Isn't human nature weird? If you're anything like me, at times you struggle with mercy. The thought that God would forgive those we don't want Him to forgive.

It is my grandmother's greatest hurdle in Christianity (and the OT genocides) - the woman who has endured so much under the Nazi regime, cannot cope with the thought that God would have potentially forgiven someone like Adolf Hitler. 'That grace of yours,' she once said to me 'is totally unfair!' And she is right. Only a God whose thoughts are above our thoughts, whose ways are above our ways, would forgive our vilest enemy.

And yet I marvel at this grace that John Newton penned as 'Amazing' - because the God who forgives my enemy, also forgives me. I am so glad His grace is so unfair."

Good News for Scallywags!

My wife, Nicole, just posted this on her Facebook page and I thought it was worth posting here too ...

I have been a Christ follower for over 25 years now. Just a few minutes of reflection and I stand in awe again in recognising what tremendous Good News the Gospel is. Today, just like when I first encountered Christ, I rely completely on His grace. I am painfully aware of my sins, my shortcomings, my severe "limp", the recognition that the life I have in God is Him living in and through me. I guess that is why the "Ragamuffin Gospel" continues to be one of my favourite books - Brendan Manning's introduction resonates in every way - although focused on his book, I also read it in context of the Gospel. The Gospel is Good news - but maybe not for some?

"Not for muscular Christians who have made John Wayne, and not Jesus their hero.
It is not for academics who would imprison Jesus in the ivory tower of exegesis.
It is not for noisy, feel-good folks who manipulate Christianity into a naked appeal to emotion.
It is not for hooded mystics who want magic in their religion.
It is not for Alleluia Christians who live only on the mountaintop and have never visited the valley of desolation.
It is not for the fearless and tearless.
It is not for red-hot zealots who boast with the rich young ruler of the Gospels, 'All these commandments I have kept from youth.'
It is not for the complacent who hoist over their shoulders a tote bag of honors, diplomas, and good works, actually believing they have it made.
It is not for legalists who would rather surrender control of their souls to rules than run the risk of living in union with Jesus.

Rather the 'gospel' is for the bedraggled, beat-up, and burnt-out.
It is for the sorely burdened who are still shifting the heavy suitcase from one hand to the other.
It is for the wobbly and weak-kneed who know they don't have it all together and are too proud to accept the handout of amazing grace.
It is for inconsistent, unsteady disciples whose cheese is falling off their cracker.
It is for poor, weak, sinful men and women with hereditary faults and limited talents.
It is for earthen vessels who shuffle along on feet of clay.
It is for the bent and the bruised who feel that their lives are a grave disappointment to God.
It is for smart people who know they are stupid and honest disciples who admit they are scalawags."

This book resonates with me - because in a hundred different ways I pray alongside the tax collector every day - "God have mercy on me a sinner.".... the Good News is He does :)

Living in Grace

Here are a few great thoughts from the apostle Paul from his letter to the Galatians, with thanks to Eugene Peterson and his The Message translation ...

"We Jews know that we have no advantage of birth over "non-Jewish sinners." We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it — and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good.

Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren't perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous. If I was "trying to be good," I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be acting as a charlatan.

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily."

[Galatians 2:15-21. Message Bible]

Amazing Grace

Our theme for April at our church is the Freedom of Grace. During the month, and especially over the Easter weekend, we will take time to reflect on the amazing grace that God has and continues to show to this world. We will also read through the letter to the Galatians written by the Apostle Paul, the apostle of grace.

Paul tells us that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our own works but once we are saved the natural overflow of God’s life in us should be good works done for the glory of God and the benefit of others (Ephesians 2:8-10). The Old Covenant was ‘DO and LIVE’ – if you can just do everything right you will know true life. The New Covenant is ‘LIVE and DO’ - because of what Christ has already done for you, do what is right, not ‘in order to’ be forgiven and accepted, but ‘because you already are’ forgiven and accepted. This truly is good news!

When we try to keep the law we soon realise that we will never earn God’s approval. It is impossible. So we need to stop trying and see our old self as dead – crucified with Christ. We should live now by trusting in the Son of God and allowing him to live his life through us. If we try to be saved by keeping the law we are treating the ‘grace of God’ as meaningless. As it stands, grace is how we are saved and accepted by God. That’s why Christ died.

We need to move out of ‘performance orientation’. We will never reach a place where we live such a perfect life that God accepts us because we’ve been totally good. We are sinners and we sin because of our old nature. God loves and accepts us as a free act of his grace. We need to place our faith in Christ and stop trying to measure up through our self-effort and good behaviour. We can receive his forgiveness and righteousness today then begin to let Christ live his life through us.

Here are some excellent books on the topic of grace:

The Grace Awakening by Charles Swindoll

What's So Amazing about Grace? by Philip Yancey

Healing Grace: Finding Freedom from the Performance Trap by David Seamands

Transforming Grace: Living Confidently in God's Unfailing Love by Gerald Bridges

"May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.” [Gal 1:3-5. NLT]

Lamentations - Where is my Happy Ending? (Pt.4)

"... Yet I still dare to hope ... The Faithful love of the Lord never ends!" [Lamentations 2:19-24. NIV]

In the face of unspeakable horror the Poet laments to God. A God who is, who hears, and whose faithfulness endures. Right in the middle of this sad poem we find hope that causes our spirits to soar. I have this passage of Scripture stuck on my desk. It carried me through some of the darkest moments of this year. The sweet fragrance of hope.

Emil Brunner, the Swiss theologian said: "What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life."

• Hope that causes us to stand in the darkest moments.
• Hope that comes quietly when so many voices of torment rage.
• Hope that seems so frail, and yet continuously presents as the strongest of all.

In our moments of sorrow we do not grieve like those without a hope. We have a hope for a different tomorrow. A thin, bloodstained thread of hope interweaves itself with our spiritual DNA. We look beyond the now.

Lamentations - Where is my Happy Ending? (Pt.3)

b. The Sorrow of Regret

"... my sins have been bound into a yoke ... the Lord has rejected all the warriors ... I rebelled against His command ..." [Lamentations 1:14-18. NIV]

If only! Regret truly is a terrible burden. You can hear it in the voice of this poet. If only the people had listened. If only they had not chosen to rebel. If only ... 

“If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.” [Mercedes Lackey]

• If only….. the children of Israel had not forsaken God.
• If only….. they had listened to the continual voices of the prophets calling them to repentance.
• If only….. they had not allowed power and wealth to corrupt them.
• If only….. they had realised that by ignoring the poor and marginalised they were offending God.

... and now the Poet is standing watching the horror and destruction of his people and nation. You can hear the heartache of regret as he watches the consequences of choice.

When you live on this planet long enough, you, like the poet in Lamentations, will at times say. "If only ..." Regret is something that plagues us because of our broken, sinful nature. People who have experienced regret can easily continue under a cloud of condemnation for a long time. It is important to process, understand, and learn from our mistakes. [Click here to read some practical thoughts on dealing with regret]

Thankfully, when you are walking through the valley of regret, there is still hope! Our journey is taken with a God whose mercies are new every morning, whose faithfulness is unwavering, and whose grace is still amazing!

Lamentations - Where is my Happy Ending? (Pt.2)

In the book of Lamentations, the Poet expresses great sorrow. Let’s examine a few of these:

1. The Sorrow of Loss

“She who was once great among the nations ..." [Lamentations 1:1. NLT]

The poet laments the loss that Israel has faced. She was once prosperous and blessed. Now she lies in ruins. She has lost everything.

Loss is something we can all identify with - the loss of a loved one, of friendship, or relationship, employment, position, culture, roots, health, or trust. Facing loss is devastating. To work through loss is a journey, not an event. There are no straight-forward answers and no time-lines. What certainly doesn’t help is people telling us to “just get over it” or “have more faith”.

There are some phases of grief that people generally walk through and that are helpful to understand:

Lamentations - Where is my Happy Ending? (Pt.1)

[Guest post by Nicole Conner]

At CityLife we are reading through the Old Testament and currently preaching through the prophets at our weekend church gatherings. I'm not sure what preaching team meeting I missed where the straws were pulled on who preaches what, but somehow Lamentations fell at my feet. After a year of mourning the death of my beautiful mother, dealing with the ordeal of all of our children and two of their friends being in a horrific car accident, dark humour kicks in – of course: Lamentations!

Background: Scholars place Lamentations somewhere around 587 BC. Some attribute the authorship to Jeremiah, but that cannot be proven, so we will simply refer to the author as the Poet. Lamentations is exactly that – a Hebraic poem of lament. The poet is watching as everything dear to him is being destroyed by the Babylonian army. He is recording horror that most of us will not see in our lifetime: cannibalism, rape, and murder. His theological reflections are subtle and he does not resort to cheap grace or easy answers (or any famous Pentecostal clichés), but faces the possibility that Yahweh may have finally rejected His people.

There is no resolution in sight. There is no Happy Ending.

Water Baptism

This afternoon, our church community held its monthly water baptism service. We were privileged to be able to baptise 49 people – young and old, men and women, and lots of different nationalities (we had baptismal prayers in English, Portugese, and Mandarin!). It was a terrific time and there was a real atmosphere of celebration and joy as hundreds of friends and family members attended to show their support to those taking this significant step in their spiritual journey.

Why be baptised in water?

Firstly, Jesus commanded it (see Mark 16:16. Matthew 28:16-20). Water baptism is an act of faith and obedience to the commands of Christ. If we love him, we will keep his commandments (John 14:15). Water baptism is not an option for the follower of Christ. Jesus himself was baptised (Matthew 3:13-17). He was not a sinner, yet he humbled himself in obedience to identify with us and to give us an example.

Secondly, the apostles, or early leaders of the church, commanded it (Acts 2:37-47; 10:44-48). It became the next step after salvation through repentance and faith for every believer and an important foundation for the normal Christian life (Hebrews 6:1-2). Repentance and faith always precede baptism, therefore Christian baptism is a “believer’s baptism.” 

What is the purpose of water baptism?

Learning to Lead Like Jesus

 

Over the last few days, we've been talking about a biblical philosophy of business. Today, let's talk about learning to lead like Jesus.

If you are a business leader, you want to learn and grow so that you can become the very best you can be. There is a plethora of business gurus (e.g. Bill Gates, Jack Welch, and Peter Drucker) and materials available to help today. Simply walk into your local bookshop and look in the business/management section. There are dozens of experts sharing their latest ideas (e.g. TQM, 360 degrees, and Balanced Scorecard) on how to see your business break through to new heights of productivity and success.

We can glean much wisdom and common sense from the corporate and business world for building organisations. We can also learn from other Christians in business, especially from those who are more experienced than ourselves. However, I believe that our ultimate business model and leadership example is Jesus Christ.

A Biblical Philosophy of Business (Pt.5)

Why does business exist?

I can hear some of you thinking, "Show me the money!" That's brings us to the fourth purpose of business ...

4. To generate wealth.

In exchange for service or a product we receive payment of some sort. This is the principle of "fair exchange". It’s okay to make a profit. Making a profit simply enables you to do business for another day.

Moses put it this way ...

"Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today." [Deuteronomy 8:18. NIV]

With the profit made, businesses can reward their staff and owners, as well as have resources to invest back into the business and to contribute towards God’s work in the earth.

For Christians in business, if you seek to (1) glorify God, (2) serve people with excellence, and (3) provide a place of meaningful contribution for others, I think you'll find that you will (4) generate wealth.

I believe that it is God's will that each person "prospers". A good biblical definition of "prosperity" is to have your needs (not greeds!) met and enough extra to give away to others.

Tomorrow ... learning to lead like Jesus.

A Biblical Philosophy of Business (Pt.4)

Let's continue our discussion as to why business exists. So far we've mentioned that business exists to glorify God and to serve people. Here is the third reason ...

3. To provide an opportunity for meaningful contribution.

God has created us with the need for meaningful work. Part of our sense of significance comes from our ability to make a contribution to our world. God is a worker and he created us to work too. It is part of his purpose for our lives. Business provides people with an opportunity to be involved in meaningful work, thus enhancing their sense of dignity and contribution.

Have a read of what the apostle Paul wrote to some followers of Jesus Christ in the first century ...

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don't follow the tradition they received. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: 'Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.' Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people's business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good."[2 Thessalonians 3:6-13. NLT]

By creating and maintaining jobs business provides work that not only supports families financially but also harnesses people’s skills and creative energies.

Tomorrow ... one more reason ...

A Biblical Philosophy of Business (Pt.3)

Why does business exist?

2. To Serve People

Every business should exist to add ‘value’ – to provide a service or a product that enhances the quality of people's life.

Jesus came to serve others rather than to be served (Matthew 20:28) and as his followers we are called to do the same - to serve other people in love (Galatians 5:13).

Business does not exist just as a way to make a living but as part of God’s plan for meeting the needs of people. Your organisation exists for its customers not just its owners or shareholders. Great service creates not just customers, but raving fans who are so excited about the way they were treated that they brag about the organisation and its service.

Jesus attracted crowds of people without all of our modern day marketing methods (advertising, flyers, etc). Why? He knew and met real needs and people kept spreading the word until he had more customers than he could handle. Talk about “customer service”!

Make a committment to give people excellent service in any way you can.

A Biblical Philosophy of Business (Pt.2)

The apostle Paul says this, "Whatever your do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17)." The "whatever" includes business and doing it in "the name of the Lord Jesus" means working in such a way as to honour and represent him well.

So what is God’s purpose for your business or work?

Let’s look at four major aspects of why your business exists as a Christian:

1. To Glorify God.

Who we are and how we do business should please God and bring glory to him. We are called to be "salt" and "light" in the world, in order to bring him glory (Matthew 5:13-16). We are his representatives in the world and we need to represent him in such as way that we bring him praise and honour.

The way we live and do business should attract people to God and give us opportunities to point people to Him. Have a read of this ...

"You must obey these laws and regulations when you arrive in the land you are about to enter and occupy. The LORD my God gave them to me and commanded me to pass them on to you. If you obey them carefully, you will display your wisdom and intelligence to the surrounding nations. When they hear about these laws, they will exclaim, 'What other nation is as wise and prudent as this!' For what great nation has a god as near to them as the LORD our God is near to us whenever we call on him? And what great nation has laws and regulations as fair as this body of laws that I am giving you today?" [Deuteronomy 4:5-8. NLT]

It’s possible to be ethical and successful (though it takes more than ethics to guarantee success).

A Biblical Philosophy of Business (Pt.1)

Today, let's talk about the business world. Most people spend the majority of their working week out in the marketplace and there are numbers of Christians who have their own businesses.

Unfortunately, many people have created a division between what is ‘sacred’ and what is ‘secular’. In fact, there has been a certain amount of tension between business and Christianity throughout the centuries. St. Jermome said, "A merchant can seldom if ever please God." St. Augustine, a fifth century bishop said, "Business is in itself evil." Not too much encouragement there!

Where does this perspective come from?  It comes primarily from Greek philosophy which sees life as a number of compartments – personal, family, work, religion (faith), recreation, etc. As long as we prioritise correctly and make appropriate contributes to each ‘box’, life will work out for us. Our faith and our relationship with God are ‘sacred’. Everything else is ‘secular’ - having no religious, sacred or spiritual aspect.every area of life. All of life is to be lived in His presence and for His pleasure.

Your business and your work is meant to be sacred. It is part of God’s purpose for your life (see Genesis 1:26-30). God’s mandate for us in creation was to take dominion over the earth and to work productively in it (Genesis 2:15). Work was God’s intention for us before sin. It was not a curse given to us because of sin. Business is simply an institutionalisation of ‘work’.

Many of the people God used in the Bible had careers and ran businesses at some stage in their life. They were not all ‘people of the cloth’ or working with the Temple or the church environment.