In Philippians 4:11, Paul makes a simple, yet very profound statement. He says, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”
Like, I said, it’s very simple. But it is also incredible. Content? In any situation? Can Paul really be serious? Is such a thing possible, especially in a society in which we are hardly content with anything? We have roofs over our heads, warm beds to sleep in, and food on our tables. Despite the economy, most of us are still employed. We are surrounded by friends and family. We all have iPods, iPhones, and laptop computers. We have televisions, hi-fi stereos, and game consoles.
But we’re not content. Why? Could it be that we’re expecting all our toys and gadgets to provide satisfaction that they were never intended to provide? Certainly, we have come to realize that the newest and best thing you buy today will be obsolete tomorrow.
To be fair, not everyone is looking to find satisfaction in these things. I know people who do not own iPods, Kindles, the latest and greatest gaming systems, or even fancy cell phones. And these people are perfectly content with not owning them. It isn’t that they can’t afford to buy them; they just don’t have any need or desire for those things.
These people would probably say, “I don’t need all those fancy gadgets to be happy, just so long as I have a steady job, a roof over my head, and food on my table. As long as I’ve got my friends and family around me, a little money in the bank, and an occasional day off, then I can be content.”
But Paul talked about being content in any situation. This includes the worst of situations. And when it comes to facing even the worst of circumstances, I think Paul knew what he was talking about. Throughout his Christian life, he faced a great deal of hardship. He was always on the go. He could never settle down. His enemies were constantly driving him out of town. People who didn’t like his teaching were always arguing with him and making false accusations against him. On several occasions, he was arrested and thrown in jail. He was beaten. He had been flogged. At least once, he was stoned and left for dead.
In Philippians 4:11, Paul said that he could be content “in whatever situation I am.” This is a far cry from the conditions we place on our contentment in America in 2011. So what was Paul’s secret? In light of the fact that we find it hard to be content, even with all the amenities and comforts of life, how is it that Paul could be content in the midst of all the hardships he had to face? Was Paul just naturally content within himself? Had he simply resigned himself to the fact that he couldn’t change his circumstances and decided to make the best of it; a case of mind over matter?
No. Paul says, “I have learned…to be content.” Paul had not always been content. In Romans 7, he confesses to struggling with the sin of coveting. And when you are coveting—wanting what someone else has—you are not content.
So what had Paul learned that led to his contentment? On Sunday, Pastor Wil gave us a brief summary of what it takes to be content. First, he said that it is indeed a learned behavior. One cannot simply say, “I am deciding to be content. From now on, I am going to be content, no matter what happens.” It just doesn’t work that way. It’s not that easy. We have to learn to be content.
Then Wil told us that contentment can only be achieved when our expectations are in Christ. Finally, in conjunction with that, contentment is only achieved when we give up seeking pleasure for ourselves. These are the things we need to learn. These are the things Paul learned.
But how did Paul learn these things? What is it going to take for us to learn them? Unfortunately, such lessons are not easily learned. It is not while we are surrounded by all the comforts and amenities of life that we learn the meaning of contentment.
Paul learned to be content in whatever situation he was in by facing all the hardships he faced in life. While he sitting in a jail cell, as he was being harassed by his enemies, when he was beaten and left for dead, he discovered that God was there with him, protecting him, guiding him, comforting him, loving him, strengthening him. And through it all, Paul found that God’s presence was enough for him.
Will we have to experience all the same things Paul did in order to learn contentment? Perhaps not, and even probably not. Some of us may have to face the “hardship” of the unpleasant realization that all the “pleasures of life” won’t bring us the satisfaction we expected out of them. Of course, this realization may be hard to come by. For as long as we expect these things to satisfy us, we will continue to pursue them. We will pursue alcohol, drugs, relationships, financial security, new homes, new cars, new toys—whatever we expect to satisfy us—until we finally learn that they do not, will not, and cannot bring us contentment. Then we will hopefully learn to find our satisfaction only in Jesus Christ.
How long will it take us to learn our lesson?
Some Questions to Consider:
1. Am I content in my present circumstances? If not, why not?
2. If I am content right now, what is the source of my contentment? Who or what am I counting on to satisfy me? How would I respond if those people or things were removed from my life?
3. Are there some things I need to deliberately give up in order to pursue satisfaction with God? What do I recognize as a detriment to my relationship with Him?
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Vision Sunday
Would you like a short synopsis of Pastor John’s message this week? Here it is: Everyone matters, because we’re committed to reaching people who aren’t here yet. Environment matters, because we want ekklesia to be a place where incarnational orthopraxy happens. Every detail matters, because we strive to incite a spirit of justice and advocacy for everyone. Relationship matters, because the people you know are the people you can impact. Growing up matters, because the journey for everyone is transformation in Jesus. And, last but not least, the message matters, because the message is Jesus Christ.
That’s it. That’s what John preached about this week. And the previous paragraph actually contains the vision statement of Imago Dei. This is what we’re all about. And it all falls under the broader heading, which PJ calls “L3.” Love God. Love others. Love justice. Recently, PJ has been talking a lot about loving God and loving others. He has even challenged us to rethink how we love ourselves. Now, by reminding us of the vision of the church, he has added some flesh and muscle to this skeleton.
One might now say, “This is all well and good, but even those statements are rather vague. And I have no idea what some of those words even mean. For example, what the heck is ekklesia?”
That’s a good question. Fortunately, the answer is simple. As you read through the New Testament, wherever you see the word, “church,” the Greek word that was used is “ekklesia.”
Ah, but what about incarnational orthopraxy? That’s a mighty big term. But as John said, it simply means doing life together. The root of incarnational is, of course, incarnation. If you’ve been involved in church for any length of time, or if you’ve ever studied theology, you may remember that when we speak of the Incarnation, we are talking about the humanity of Jesus Christ. When God came down to earth and became a man, the Incarnation took place. John’s gospel put it this way: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1), and then, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (v. 14).
So the Incarnation is, if you will, the in-flesh-ment of God. So when we speak of incarnational orthopraxy, we’re saying that we want to “flesh out” the principles of Christianity. We want our faith and our values to actually influence our daily lives. We want to live it out, especially in relation to other people. For example, it is not enough for us to talk about such intangible concepts as the grace of God. We need to show people the grace of God by being gracious toward them.
Of all the values that PJ talked about and are listed above, the one I appreciate most is the last. “The message matters, because the message is Jesus Christ.” As someone who grew up in church and has had the opportunity to receive some extensive Biblical and theological training, I can say that without Jesus Christ, there would be no church. Jesus instituted the Church. Jesus is the head of the Church, which is said to be His body. Jesus loves the Church. Jesus died for everyone who would eventually be part of the Church. A church that does not focus on Jesus Christ is not a church at all.
Could you imagine what Imago Dei would be like if we did not focus on Jesus? Yes, we would still all be good friends. We’d still have lunch after the worship service. Pastor John could easily get up and talk about how we can live a better life and focus on loving other people. We’d still volunteer at the Union Gospel Mission and help the Vision House.
But what kind of songs would we sing? Who would we worship? Where would we find the power and ability to live the life we’re supposed to live? On what basis would we call ourselves Christian? Without Jesus, Imago Dei would be just a social club.
Jesus Christ is essential to the church. Jesus Christ is the reason we have church. So I am glad that at Imago Dei, the message matters, because the message is Jesus Christ.
Questions For Study & Application
1. Do I agree with the values listed in the Vision Statement of Imago Dei?
2. Am I allowing my faith to influence my daily life?
3. Who am I impacting every day? Am I having a positive or a negative impact on these people?
4. Do I know what the message of Jesus Christ is? Could I explain it to someone in just a couple of minutes?
That’s it. That’s what John preached about this week. And the previous paragraph actually contains the vision statement of Imago Dei. This is what we’re all about. And it all falls under the broader heading, which PJ calls “L3.” Love God. Love others. Love justice. Recently, PJ has been talking a lot about loving God and loving others. He has even challenged us to rethink how we love ourselves. Now, by reminding us of the vision of the church, he has added some flesh and muscle to this skeleton.
One might now say, “This is all well and good, but even those statements are rather vague. And I have no idea what some of those words even mean. For example, what the heck is ekklesia?”
That’s a good question. Fortunately, the answer is simple. As you read through the New Testament, wherever you see the word, “church,” the Greek word that was used is “ekklesia.”
Ah, but what about incarnational orthopraxy? That’s a mighty big term. But as John said, it simply means doing life together. The root of incarnational is, of course, incarnation. If you’ve been involved in church for any length of time, or if you’ve ever studied theology, you may remember that when we speak of the Incarnation, we are talking about the humanity of Jesus Christ. When God came down to earth and became a man, the Incarnation took place. John’s gospel put it this way: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1), and then, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (v. 14).
So the Incarnation is, if you will, the in-flesh-ment of God. So when we speak of incarnational orthopraxy, we’re saying that we want to “flesh out” the principles of Christianity. We want our faith and our values to actually influence our daily lives. We want to live it out, especially in relation to other people. For example, it is not enough for us to talk about such intangible concepts as the grace of God. We need to show people the grace of God by being gracious toward them.
Of all the values that PJ talked about and are listed above, the one I appreciate most is the last. “The message matters, because the message is Jesus Christ.” As someone who grew up in church and has had the opportunity to receive some extensive Biblical and theological training, I can say that without Jesus Christ, there would be no church. Jesus instituted the Church. Jesus is the head of the Church, which is said to be His body. Jesus loves the Church. Jesus died for everyone who would eventually be part of the Church. A church that does not focus on Jesus Christ is not a church at all.
Could you imagine what Imago Dei would be like if we did not focus on Jesus? Yes, we would still all be good friends. We’d still have lunch after the worship service. Pastor John could easily get up and talk about how we can live a better life and focus on loving other people. We’d still volunteer at the Union Gospel Mission and help the Vision House.
But what kind of songs would we sing? Who would we worship? Where would we find the power and ability to live the life we’re supposed to live? On what basis would we call ourselves Christian? Without Jesus, Imago Dei would be just a social club.
Jesus Christ is essential to the church. Jesus Christ is the reason we have church. So I am glad that at Imago Dei, the message matters, because the message is Jesus Christ.
Questions For Study & Application
1. Do I agree with the values listed in the Vision Statement of Imago Dei?
2. Am I allowing my faith to influence my daily life?
3. Who am I impacting every day? Am I having a positive or a negative impact on these people?
4. Do I know what the message of Jesus Christ is? Could I explain it to someone in just a couple of minutes?
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Carpe Diem
Did it seem strange to hear Pastor John preach a message entitled, “Carpe Diem”? It sounds like the rallying cry of the humanists who say that there is no heaven and there is no hell. “This life is all we have to live,” they say. “Therefore, do whatever feels good. Do whatever makes you happy. Carpe Diem! Seize the day!”
As Christians, it is easy to say, “No, that’s not right. This isn’t all there is. There is a heaven, and there is a hell. And for those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus, there is the hope of eternal life in heaven, where there will be no more pain, suffering, sickness, death, or sin.” Many like to say that this life on earth is merely the dress rehearsal for the real thing. Therefore, we may be quick to reject the phrase, “Carpe Diem.” Do not seize the day. Do not live for today. Live each day with eternity in view. Deny yourself now, so that you may be rewarded in heaven.
But is this what Jesus taught? Was His message of self-denial antithetical to Carpe Diem? I don’t believe so, and Pastor John did a great job of pointing that out.
In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” He says to each of us, “I came that you may have life and have it abundantly.”
One of the major themes of the Bible is that of eternal life. As John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Now, the problem for many of us is that, when we think of eternal life, we think of heaven. We restrict our definition of eternal life to that which exists out past the great beyond. It is out there somewhere for us to enjoy someday in the great by and by.
But when does Jesus give us eternal life? When does He give us the abundant life He spoke of in John 10:10? He gives it to us now. We receive it when we receive Him as our Savior and Lord. I John 5:12 says, “Whoever has the Son has life.” John doesn’t say that we will have life. He doesn’t say we have the hope or the promise of life at some point later on. He says that we already have life; right here, right now.
Therefore, while we do affirm our belief in the hereafter; while we do believe that eternal life is indeed eternal, and that we will spend eternity in heaven, we also recognize that this eternal life, for us, has already begun.
So what does this all mean? Carpe Diem! Seize the day! Jesus came to give us life. It lies with us now to live that life to the fullest. Take advantage of it. Lay hold of it. Enjoy it. Make it count for something.
At this point, someone may balk and say, “Now wait a minute. Jesus doesn’t want us to just live for today. He doesn’t want us to live for ourselves. He certainly doesn’t want us to live a life of sin and pleasure-seeking.”
No, He doesn’t want us to live that way. But any notion that this is what it means to seize the day is missing the point. It reflects a lack of understanding regarding the essence of the life Jesus came to give us. Many people think this abundant life equates to health, wealth, prosperity, and happiness. Televangelists use this promise to get people to donate to their ministries. But this is not what Jesus meant when He spoke of abundant life.
So what is the essence of this life He came to give us. Jesus actually defines it for us during His high priestly prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, as recorded in John 17. In verse 3, as He is praying to the Father, He says, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
What is the life Jesus came to give us? Life is knowing God. Life is knowing Jesus. And abundant life is knowing Him intimately. It is having a personal, dynamic, growing, thriving relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Therefore, when the Christian says, “Seize the day,” it means we are to lay hold of God. We must do anything and everything, everyday, that will foster this kind of relationship with God. And this is where what Jesus taught about self-denial factors into the picture. We must deny our selfish desires, so that we may know God and love Him more deeply. Herein, as we follow Him and are blessed by Him, we will find the true joy and pleasure in life that only He can provide.
Study Questions:
1. What does “Carpe Diem” mean to you? What do you think of when you hear, “Seize the Day”?
2. How do you define life? How have you thought of the “abundant life” in the past? How do you need to change your thinking about abundant life?
3. Are you experiencing the abundant life Jesus spoke of? That is, how well do you know God? Are you in intimate fellowship with Him, or does He seem distant from you? What do you need to do in order to experience greater fellowship with Him?
As Christians, it is easy to say, “No, that’s not right. This isn’t all there is. There is a heaven, and there is a hell. And for those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus, there is the hope of eternal life in heaven, where there will be no more pain, suffering, sickness, death, or sin.” Many like to say that this life on earth is merely the dress rehearsal for the real thing. Therefore, we may be quick to reject the phrase, “Carpe Diem.” Do not seize the day. Do not live for today. Live each day with eternity in view. Deny yourself now, so that you may be rewarded in heaven.
But is this what Jesus taught? Was His message of self-denial antithetical to Carpe Diem? I don’t believe so, and Pastor John did a great job of pointing that out.
In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” He says to each of us, “I came that you may have life and have it abundantly.”
One of the major themes of the Bible is that of eternal life. As John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Now, the problem for many of us is that, when we think of eternal life, we think of heaven. We restrict our definition of eternal life to that which exists out past the great beyond. It is out there somewhere for us to enjoy someday in the great by and by.
But when does Jesus give us eternal life? When does He give us the abundant life He spoke of in John 10:10? He gives it to us now. We receive it when we receive Him as our Savior and Lord. I John 5:12 says, “Whoever has the Son has life.” John doesn’t say that we will have life. He doesn’t say we have the hope or the promise of life at some point later on. He says that we already have life; right here, right now.
Therefore, while we do affirm our belief in the hereafter; while we do believe that eternal life is indeed eternal, and that we will spend eternity in heaven, we also recognize that this eternal life, for us, has already begun.
So what does this all mean? Carpe Diem! Seize the day! Jesus came to give us life. It lies with us now to live that life to the fullest. Take advantage of it. Lay hold of it. Enjoy it. Make it count for something.
At this point, someone may balk and say, “Now wait a minute. Jesus doesn’t want us to just live for today. He doesn’t want us to live for ourselves. He certainly doesn’t want us to live a life of sin and pleasure-seeking.”
No, He doesn’t want us to live that way. But any notion that this is what it means to seize the day is missing the point. It reflects a lack of understanding regarding the essence of the life Jesus came to give us. Many people think this abundant life equates to health, wealth, prosperity, and happiness. Televangelists use this promise to get people to donate to their ministries. But this is not what Jesus meant when He spoke of abundant life.
So what is the essence of this life He came to give us. Jesus actually defines it for us during His high priestly prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, as recorded in John 17. In verse 3, as He is praying to the Father, He says, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
What is the life Jesus came to give us? Life is knowing God. Life is knowing Jesus. And abundant life is knowing Him intimately. It is having a personal, dynamic, growing, thriving relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Therefore, when the Christian says, “Seize the day,” it means we are to lay hold of God. We must do anything and everything, everyday, that will foster this kind of relationship with God. And this is where what Jesus taught about self-denial factors into the picture. We must deny our selfish desires, so that we may know God and love Him more deeply. Herein, as we follow Him and are blessed by Him, we will find the true joy and pleasure in life that only He can provide.
Study Questions:
1. What does “Carpe Diem” mean to you? What do you think of when you hear, “Seize the Day”?
2. How do you define life? How have you thought of the “abundant life” in the past? How do you need to change your thinking about abundant life?
3. Are you experiencing the abundant life Jesus spoke of? That is, how well do you know God? Are you in intimate fellowship with Him, or does He seem distant from you? What do you need to do in order to experience greater fellowship with Him?
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