Travis Connick

Of all the major claims that Christianity makes, one claim is it’s most foundational—it’s capstone claim. That claim is that Jesus Christ of Nazareth died and for three days was buried, but on the third day, He physically rose from the dead and is alive today! If Jesus did rise from the dead, we can be sure He was who He claimed to be—the Son of God, the Messiah. If Jesus really did rise from the dead, we can be sure that there is such a thing as life after death and that He alone is empowered to lead us there. We have no need to speculate about whether or not we live on after we die, because Jesus has defeated death and promises that a new life awaits His followers.

But did He rise from the dead? According to Newsweek, the number of Americans who believe in the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ has dropped 10 points in the last decade.[1] This is alarming news. How can this be? There are numerous books that give proofs to the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection and countless sermons proclaiming from the Biblical text that Christ rose from the dead.  

What is becoming clear is that many people have dismissed the proofs and the Biblical texts and therefore we need a different approach to help people reengage with Christianity’s capstone claim.  Of course, we want the ultimate response to be, like Thomas’ when he encountered the Risen Christ and exclaimed, “My Lord and My God!” But the approach of presenting factors aims for an initial response of, “That’s really interesting. I’ve never considered that. I need to reconsider Jesus’s resurrection.”

What are the factors that when taken together might cause a skeptic to reconsider Christianity’s capstone claim? I believe there are four factors to consider.

Factor 1: The Disciples Died For Their Belief

When Jesus died, all of His followers, in despair and fear, went into hiding even though they knew that the Scriptures predicted that the Messiah’s body would not see corruption[2] and that Jesus himself had predicted His own resurrection on three separate occasions.[3] Yet, when Jesus died, their hopes that Jesus was the promised Messiah died with Him. Why then, just a short time later were these same men boldly proclaiming that this Jesus, who had been publicly crucified, declared dead and was buried was now alive from the dead, exalted to the right hand of God and is now the Lord of life? And what did they receive for such an open and bold proclamation? They were tortured and even martyred for their belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. J.P. Moreland states, “The disciples had nothing to gain by lying and starting a new religion.  They faced hardship, ridicule, hostility and martyr’s death…each one dying a terrible death rather than recanting their story of the resurrection.  In light of this, they could have never sustained such unwavering motivation if they knew what they were preaching was a lie.”

The question that must be asked and answered is the question Michael Green asked: ‘How have these early followers turned, almost overnight, into the indomitable band of enthusiasts who braved opposition, cynicism, ridicule, hardship, prison, and death in three continents, as they preached everywhere Jesus and the resurrection?”[4]

Factor 2: Shattered Worldviews

            Many modern day skeptics believe that those living in Jesus’ day were quite simple and would readily accept claims about Jesus’ resurrection, because they believed resurrections of the dead were possible. That assumption, however, is simply not the case.  To all the dominant worldviews of that time, an individual bodily resurrection was inconceivable. 

N.T. Wright, in his tome, The Resurrection of the Son of God, reveals that an individual bodily resurrection in the middle of the age was impossible in the Jewish worldview and completely undesirable in the Greco-Roman worldview. Why would this be? In the Greco-Roman worldview the soul or spirit or the immaterial was good and the physical or material was evil, or weak.  To them salvation was seen as liberation from the body! In this worldview resurrection wasn’t just impossible, but it was totally undesirable! “No soul, having gotten free from its body, would ever want it back. Even those who believed in reincarnation understood that the return to embodied life meant that the soul was not yet out of its prison. The goal was to get free of the body forever. Once your soul is free of its body, a return to re-embodied life was outlandish, unthinkable, and impossible.”[5]

            Jesus’ resurrection would have been impossible in the Jewish worldview as well. Tim Keller states,

            Unlike the Greeks, the Jews saw the material and physical world as good. Death was not seen as liberation from the material world but as a tragedy. By Jesus’s day many Jews            had come to hope that some day in the future there would be a bodily resurrection of all        the righteous, when God renewed the entire world and removed all suffering and       death…The idea of an individual being resurrected, in the middle of history, while the          rest of the world continued on burdened by sickness, decay and death, was           inconceivable.[6]

            Simply put, the Jewish followers of Jesus weren’t predisposed to the idea of an individual bodily resurrection in the middle of the age. In fact, it wasn’t an option in their worldview. They couldn’t have imagined it!  Why, then, would these Jewish followers of Jesus, come to the conclusion and begin to proclaim that Jesus rose from the dead? Because He had.

Factor 3: Conversion of Skeptics

            It is clear from the Gospel accounts that there were hardened skeptics who did not believe in Jesus before His crucifixion, as well as others who willfully and violently opposed those who believed and proclaimed Jesus’ resurrection. Yet, for some reason, many of those who were skeptical of Jesus and His resurrection became some of the most able and ardent defenders of Jesus and His resurrection, even willingly going to their deaths for their believe in Christ’s resurrection. One example was the early church leader James, the half brother of Jesus. James had great doubts and skepticism about Jesus’ Messiahship until the risen Jesus personally appeared to him.[7] “James not only became the recognized leader of the Jerusalem church, but according to both early Jewish as well as Christian traditions, he was martyred for the faith. What did it take to bring this kind of a skeptic to saving faith and then to such a prominent position of leadership as well as to martyrdom for their faith?[8] The only plausible explanation is that he had seen the resurrected Jesus and that changed everything for James.

            A second example is the unique experience of Saul of Tarsus, who would later become the Apostle Paul. Paul, when speaking about his opposition to this upstart Jesus movement said, “Formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor and insolent opponent.”[9] No one hated Jesus and His rag-tag bunch of followers more than Saul of Tarsus; he did everything within his power to stamp out Jesus’s early followers. What would cause Christianity’s greatest antagonist to transform into its greatest protagonist? His own words tell us: “The risen Christ appeared to me.”[10]

Factor 4: Christ’s New Community

            Another powerful factor that gives credence to Christianity’s capstone claim is the birth and radical emergence of the Christian church. It did not exist until about A.D. 30, and then just as its Founder was executed and His movement appeared extinguished, it all of a sudden came to life and spread like wildfire! How else does one explain the emergence of the Christian church? Within twenty years the Christian church, with no finances behind it, with no proven leadership, with no experience or education, moved out from the city of Jerusalem into the city of Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire and turned that society upside down. Historian Philip Schaff sees the connection between the resurrection of Jesus and the birth and emergence of the Christian church. He states, “The Christian church rests on the resurrection of its Founder. Without this fact the church could never have been born, or if born, it would soon have died a natural death. The miracle of the resurrection and the existence of Christianity are so closely connected that they must stand or fall together.”[11]

Embracing the Resurrection

            The reality is there’s no single apologetic that can prove without a doubt the resurrection of Jesus, however these four factors (and there’s plenty more) make a compelling case! If someone, after examining these four factors came to the conclusion that Jesus did not rise from the dead—fair enough. But they, then, have to provide an alternative explanation that is plausible for all four of these facts! As J.P. Moreland states, “Remember, there’s no doubt these facts are true; what’s in question is how to explain them. And I’ve never seen a better explanation than the Resurrection.”[12]

            The only way to embrace the Resurrection, is to let the strands of evidence challenge and change your worldview. Don’t short circuit the process by objecting to the possibility of the resurrection based upon a philosophical bias. Let the death of Jesus’s disciples, the shattering of 1^st century worldviews, the conversion of skeptics and the emergence of Christ’s new community challenge and change your assumptions. If you do, I think you’ll agree with Jesus’s followers who joyfully proclaimed, “It is true! The Lord has risen…”[13]

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[1] http://www.newsweek.com/christian-mystery-physical-resurrection-69435?GT1=43002

[2] Psalm 16:10

[3] Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:33-34

[4] Green, Michael. Man Alive! Downers Grove, IL. InterVarsity Press, 1968

[5] Keller, Timothy. The Reason for God. New York, NY.  Dutton. 2008

[6] Ibid.

[7] Jn. 7:5, 1 Cor. 15:7, Acts 1:14

[8] Leventhan, Barry, R. Why I Am A Christian. Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Books. 2003

[9] 1 Timothy 1:13

[10] 1 Cor. 15:8

[11] Schaff, Philip & Schaff, David. History of the Christian Church, 8 Vols., Grand Rapids, MI. Eerdmans, 1950.

[12] Quoted in Strobel, Case for Christ.

[13] Luke 24:34

One of the pastoral axioms that has resonated with me over the years is, ‘Whatever your Elders are, your church will become.’ For good or for ill, the Elders will shape the corporate life of the church. They will either help or hinder the mission of God for your particular church. Therefore, it’s imperative that we heed the Apostle Paul’s instruction[1] and carefully consider whom we appoint to shepherd the church as Elders. So, what should we look for when assessing a potential Elder? I find it helpful to gather with the existing Elders to pray and think through a mental grid with the headings of character, competency, culture, compatibility and calling. Let’s examine each one.

Character

The first grid to consider when assessing a potential Elder is the character grid. Because the role of an Elder is such an enormous responsibility[2], the Lord gives the Church qualifications that must be met over a long period of time before a man can be considered for the office.  In John 21, Jesus appears to Peter after his denials, and Jesus asks him three times, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  Peter responds, “Yes” and Jesus says, “Feed my sheep.”  Jesus is telling Peter to shepherd His people but notice that Jesus reaffirms Peter’s role in the ministry after Peter reaffirms his love and loyalty to Jesus.  Therefore, the most important ingredient, the most obvious character trait needed for an Elder is a deep love and loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ.  To many this seems so obvious it goes without saying, however, it needs to be said and stressed because the Church isn’t simply a nonprofit business, nor is it simply a civic club and an Elder is not simply a successful businessman[3], nor simply an involved community member, nor is he simply to be a “good ol’ boy.” Leadership in the Church is fundamentally different than leadership in the world (Mk. 10:35-45; Jn. 13:1-7), therefore Elders need to be men whose love and loyalty to the Lord shape their character into Christ-likeness.

In addition to love and loyalty to Jesus, the Bible lays out the qualifications for Elders in two key places (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9), and since the lists are penned by the same author, and almost identical, let’s consider 1 Timothy 3:1-7.  

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

In these seven verses the Apostle Paul details 17 qualifications of an Elder, which breaks down into 4 categories. 1) Relation to God. 2) Relation to family. 3) Relation to self and 4) Relation to others.

Relation to God

1. A man: a masculine leader
2. Above reproach: untarnished reputation
3. Able to teach: can effectively communicate the Gospel
4. Not a recent convert: mature, established believer

Relation to Self

• Sober-minded: mentally & emotionally stable individual
• Self-controlled: temperate, able to master one’s own feelings
• Not given to drunkenness: free from addictions
• Not a lover of money: free from the bondage of money

Relation to Family

• Husband of one-wife:  One-woman man. Honor’s his marriage covenant
• Respect from children: successful father, has his kids respect
• Manages own family well: provides for, loves on, and leads

Relation to Others

1. Respectable: honorable, well-lived
2. Hospitable: lover of strangers, engages non-Christians
3. Not violent: even-tempered. A peaceable man
4. Gentle: loving, gracious, patient
5. Not quarrelsome: peaceful attitude, non-contentious
6. Good reputation with outsiders: well thought of by non-Christians[4]

When men of Christ-like character are shepherding the church, they promote unity, maturity, and spiritual growth. Therefore as an Elder Board is seeking the Lord’s guidance through prayer, it’s of utmost importance to really consider a potential Elder’s character. Once you’ve established there is a long-term lifestyle of Christian maturity, then you’re ready to move to the second portion of the grid.

Competency

            The next portion of the grid is in the area of competency. Does the potential Elder have the requisite skills needed to effectively shepherd others? Paul tells us that an Elder must be “able to teach.” Does this mean a potential Elder must have the gift of teaching? Not necessarily, but it does seem to indicate he must be capable to explain the Scriptures accurately and in such a way that it benefits others spiritually. He should be known in the congregation as a man whom others can go to have the Scriptures explained clearly and winsomely to them.

            Another skill that is needed is an ability to disciple others. Does the potential Elder’s life demonstrate an ability to disciple others in their walk with Christ? Is he able to help others grow in faithfulness, love and knowledge? Remember, an Elder Board isn’t primarily a decision-making board, but a board made up of men who shepherd others in discipleship after Christ and make decisions on behalf of the church.

            While an Elder Board isn’t primarily a decision-making board, decisions do need to be made, so another requisite skill is an ability to process information and interpersonal dynamics and think biblically and clearly on given matters. In addition, are they able to strategize and execute a plan to help move the church forward in its mission? Is there evidence of this type of competency, blended with the character component in this man’s life? If so, you have the making of a potential Elder.

Culture

            The next part of the grid has to do with the potential Elder’s embracing of your particular church’s culture. Each church has its own culture, its own shared ethos. Wise leaders want to make sure a potential Elder embraces the culture of the community. It would be incredibly foolish to appoint an Elder who doesn’t share your particular doctrinal distinctives and who doesn’t embrace your mission and philosophy of ministry. At Trail Fellowship, we want to make sure that a potential Elder embraces our foundational principals (What We Believe, God’s Plan of Redemption, What Is The Gospel, and Our Mission). We want to make sure that he is committed to our theological vision, our mission, our people and our culture. This takes time to assess and again its why Paul’s admonition, “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands” is so valuable. Be slow and be sure that a potential Elder embraces the culture of your church, or you’ll regret it. If he checks out in the character, competency and culture grid, you’re ready to move to the fourth portion of the grid—the compatibility portion.

Compatibility

            On the night before the crucifixion, Jesus prayed[5] that his people would be unified “so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” While Jesus’ prayer is for the Church at large, it certainly extends to the leadership of each church—the Lord would have his under-shepherds to be united, working as one for his purposes. Therefore, another ingredient that needs to be considered when assessing a potential Elder is their compatibility with the existing Elders.

            Something to consider is, ‘does this potential Elder bring something to the team that would complement the existing team?’ Usually amongst Elder Boards, one is gifted for missions work, another has pronounced administrative talents, while another is a big-picture, visionary guy, others are gifted in processes and details, while still others are geared theologically. You want on your Elder Board people of different giftings, who complement each other, so that ministry areas are represented well, and when making decisions an area of ministry isn’t neglected.

            Another important consideration is does the potential Elder get along with the existing Elders? Questions such as, ‘Is there friction between this potential Elder and any acting Elder? When communicating with others is there a pattern of humility and graciousness, which leads to edification, or is there a pattern of insistence and forcefulness, which leads to frustration? Does he listen to the experience and opinion of others or is he so head-strong others feel put off by him?’

 When assessing a potential Elder, you need to carefully assess the compatibility component because you don’t want unnecessary friction, which can lead to the fracturing of the unity amongst the Elders, which almost always spills over into the life of the congregation.

Calling

            If a man has checked the boxes of Godly character, he has requisite competence, he embraces the church’s culture and is compatible with the existing Elders, the final portion of the grid to consider is the area of calling. Paul in 1 Timothy 3:1 states, “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer[6], he desires a noble task.” Paul is not condoning selfish ambition or a carnal desire for a prominent position within the Body of Christ, but rather he is recognizing the office of Elder, the shepherding of God’s people is a noble task. Is the office of Elder something that God really calls us into? In Acts 20:28 Paul affirms it is. When speaking to the Ephesian Elders Paul states, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers” (Emphasis added). As John Stott so rightly states, “So what we call the ‘selection’ of candidates for the pastorate/eldership entails according to Paul three essentials: the call of God, the inner aspiration and conviction of the individuals concerned, and their conscientious screening by the church as to whether they meet the requirements which the apostle now goes on to list.”[7]

            A potential Elder needs to sense the Lord is calling him into the office of an Elder, which will bolster him to follow the Apostle Peter’s exhortation, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherd’s of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” Again, a potential Elder must sense he is being called into the office of Elder, because the role of an Elder is not to be served, but to willingly serve others, even when it’s incredibly painful and taxing.

            What do you do if a potential Elder meets the character, competency, culture and compatibility components, but when you approach him about becoming an Elder, after praying about it, doesn’t sense the Lord is calling him into the role in this season of his life? You trust the Holy Spirit is speaking clearly to him! The temptation at that point is to apply pressure, to twist his arm into service, but it’s better for all involved if you let him turn down the offer, and then continue to pray that the Lord through the Spirit will place a desire within him to serve as an Elder in the future. And trust the Lord to do it.

            Some of the most pivotal decisions that are made in the life of a church is the selection of Elders. As was said in the opening, ‘whatever your Elders are, your church becomes.’ Hopefully this grid will help us identify mature, able leaders, who model Christ-like character and promote within the life of our churches health, maturity and fruitfulness.

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[1] 1 Timothy 5:22

[2] Hebrews 13:17

[3] That’s not to say an Elder can’t be a successful businessman, but that a successful businessman may not have the character needed to be an Elder.

[4] Probably plagarized by Mark Driscoll. On Church Leadership. Pg. 15-16, Crossway, 2008

[5] John 17:21-23

[6] Elder, pastors, bishops, and overseers are synonymous words in the New Testament, Eph. 4:11, 1 Pet. 5:2

[7] Stott, John R.W. The Message of 1 Timothy and Titus, The Bible Speaks Today. Pg. 92. Inter-varsity Press. England.

Yesterday, after a wonderful Sunday morning, I received an email from a young mother with a handful of children.  Her health is greatly compromised, which puts her in the high-risk category for the Coronavirus and therefore her doctors have advised her to avoid large gatherings. This obviously affects not just her but her entire family. However, one of her children is at a critical age and needs Christian fellowship and to be under God’s Word. What is a young mother to do? Before you answer, consider what she encounters as she scans Facebook. Many folks fearing their liberties are being taken away, lash out in anger declaring they’ll never wear a mask. Others ridicule people who wear masks, telling them “they’re living in fear and lacking faith.” Or worse yet, that “they’ve gone liberal.” How did wearing a mask get politized?

As I read her email, I was grieved to hear of her compromised health and I was disheartened to hear that a sister-in-Christ has felt marginalized and the sense of unity she has always felt with the Body, has been jeopardized due to the venom that gets so easily spewed through social media, including by some Christians.

What can this young mother do? She’s concerned for her child’s spiritual health and her physical health. I will tell you what she does: She puts her child’s needs above her own, even though it puts her at greater risk. She or her husband drop their child off at church, where this young person, washes their hands, puts a mask on and does their best to fellowship with God’s people while practicing social distancing to protect the health of their mom.

What can you do? Let me offer three practical suggestions.

• Consider Limiting Your Use of Social Media: One of the questions I often ask myself regarding Facebook is this: ‘Am I using Facebook or is Facebook using me?’ Am I using Facebook to maintain relationships over distance, and for the good of the Gospel, or is all the angst, anger and gossip of our culture that is presented on Facebook using me to marginalize a brother or sister in the Lord, demean others created in God’s Image and unwittingly causing division within the Body of Christ? Oftentimes all the slander, anger, and misinformation that people spit out are worse viruses than COVID itself. If you are particularly upset about wearing a mask indoors or find yourself constantly agitated and angered through your use of social media, it might be time to put a muzzle on your keyboard (Prov. 10:19).

 

• Consider Increasing Your Time of Prayer: Did you know that in United States, the average adult spends over 2 hours per day on different social media platforms? This is why John Piper (over a decade ago) famously (and ironically) tweeted, “One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.” If you just cut in half the amount of time that the average person spends on social media per day, that would enable you to increase your time of prayer by over an hour per day. Would that be a good use of your time? YES! What could you pray for? Unity in the Body of Christ! This is the very thing Jesus prayed for the night before He was crucified (John 17).  Unity in the Body of Christ here at TCF is far more important than the political undercurrents of the COVID crisis and unity and spiritual health is essential for the ongoing work of the Gospel in our region. So, by limiting use of social media, you can increase your time of prayer for the unity, health and the ongoing work of the Gospel. That’s a win-win.

 

• Consider Following Your Lord’s Example: Paul in Romans 15:1-7 exhorts the Christians in Rome to accept one another, to bear with one-another rather than to live selfishly, seeking only their own good. And where does he find the grounds for his exhortation? In the example of Christ. Paul writes, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

As we follow in Christ’s example and seek not please ourselves, but to bear the burdens of others, we will be able to live in genuine harmony with one another and with one mind and one voice glorify the Lord!

 

Travis

The Presidential election season is ramping up and in an ever-increasing manner for the next 6 months we will be bombarded with advertisements, both television and print, touting the accomplishments of one candidate, while bemoaning the opposing candidates record and/or character. Now might be a good time to make a commitment that for every five minutes of watching cable news, you’ll spend 10 minutes reading your Bible!

One of the interesting developments to come out of the last Presidential election is our culture’s disdain for the term, ‘evangelical.’ The term was bandied about by most major news outlets without defining it or seeking to understand it, which caused it to become a term of derision in our culture. Some Christian’s and respected Christian organizations (such as the Gospel Coalition) suggested the term ought to be jettisoned by Christ-followers. Alan Noble, editor of Christ and Pop Culture states, “For much of society, ‘evangelical’ describes a specific voting bloc.” Noble’s statement reveals that for many in the United States, the term ‘evangelical’ has been co-opted or better yet, hijacked by the Republican Party. The term in our society has shifted from a theological category to a political category. The term ‘evangelical’ has nothing to do with politics (Thank God) and everything to do with what Gospel-centered Christ-followers believe.

British Historian David Bebbington helpfully suggests there are four primary convictions of an evangelical.[1] What are they?

• Conversionism: The belief that lives need to be transformed through a “born-again” experience and a life-long process of following Jesus. Nicodemus, a member of Israel’s religious leadership was told by our Lord Jesus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3). So an evangelical is one who, along with Peter would exclaim, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (1 Pet. 1:3).

• Evangelism: The conviction that God commands His disciples to engage the mission of God through communicating the Gospel both at home and abroad. After His resurrection Jesus tells His disciples, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-20).

• Biblicism: A firm belief that God has spoken in His Word, the Bible and we are to live in obedience to God’s Word. The Apostle Paul tells us, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17, emphasis added). An evangelical is one who has a high regard for and obedience to the Bible, as God’s revealed Word.
• Christocentrism: The conviction that Jesus’ life and sacrificial death are the only possible means of redemption. The Apostle’s, referring to Jesus, boldly proclaim, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). An evangelical makes it their aim to live their life in honor of Christ.

So what should we do with the term ‘evangelical?’ Should we jettison it as has been suggested? I don’t think so. If we’re asked in the upcoming election cycle, are you one of those evangelicals? I think we should (gently) take that as an opportunity to share what we believe and the hope we have, not in politics, but in Christ and His grace to us.

 

Pastor Travis

[1] I’ve changed some of Bebbington’s language to make it more helpful. His four are Conversionism, Activism, Biblicism, Crucicentrism.

Well, here we are. The State of Oregon is in its seventh week of Governor Brown’s Stay Safe, Stay Home orders in an effort to slow the spread of the Coronavirus. It has been a disorienting experience as we try to stay informed with the latest developments, learn to navigate a changing landscape, and incorporate new technologies that enable us to stay somewhat connected during a time of practiced distance. What weird times we are living in. Not unprecedented, of course, but weird, nonetheless. How does one live and make the best use of time during this season?

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus he instructed them, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16). “Making the best use of time” is, more literally, “redeeming the time.” Paul sees time as a precious gift given to us from the Lord and we must seize it, rather than squander it. We ‘redeem time’ by freeing it from useless pursuits and instead dedicate it for purposeful endeavors. If we don’t listen to Paul’s instruction; if we don’t relate to time wisely, we will unwittingly, waste it.

But what does redeeming the time look like in a worldwide pandemic? How can we, under the Lord’s leading, use our time wisely, making the best use of it? Let me offer three suggestions.

By recalibrating your spiritual priorities: This season we’re living in has afforded us the opportunity to recalibrate our spiritual practices. If you find yourself with more time on your hands than before, see it as an invitation from the Lord to spend more time in prayer, reading God’s Word, and engaged in His mission. You fail to redeem your time if you fail to prioritize your spiritual growth. This season is a great opportunity to recalibrate your spiritual priorities, but you’ll need to be diligent in it as we’re prone to get distracted. As John Piper famously (and ironically) tweeted, “One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.”

On the other hand, if you’re one of many who have less time on their hands than before, as you’re now homeschooling and working, then remember it was Martin Luther who said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” The busier we are, the more necessary prayer becomes.

By renewing relationships: One of the interesting developments that has come out of this pandemic is that our normal routines have been forced to change. I was speaking with an older friend the other day and he mentioned that because his health club is closed, he has been walking a loop of about 3 miles and he has connected with several other neighbors out doing the same. Trea and I have had a similar experience. While we were out for a walk, we reconnected with one of our neighbors who we have not seen or spoken with in a very long time. Could this season be an opportunity to renew relationships with neighbors and in time, enable us to share the reason for the hope we have within us amid uncertainty (1 Pet. 3:15)? Could the Lord be using these renewed relationships to draw others within our communities into the Kingdom? Yes! The Lord uses people to draw other people into His redemptive work, and this unique season is providing us a new avenue to connect with those we otherwise would not have. So, redeem this time by looking to renew relationship with neighbors and community members.

By resolving not to return to ‘normal:’ For many of us, these last 7 weeks have forced us into a different way of life. We have had to reconsider the Psalmist’s words, “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away…Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:10; 12). This counting of our days, in light of eternity, is crucial. It causes us to reevaluate practically everything. It forces us to ask questions such as, ‘Have I been seeking and building my kingdom or His?’ ‘Have I been so busy making a name and an image that I’ve failed to rest in the knowledge of being created in God’s image?’—the very thing that happened at the Tower of Babel (Gen. 1:26; Gen. 11:4). ‘Have I been so preoccupied with building a life, that I’ve neglected my family life?’ ‘Have I been seeking my identity in my children, rather than finding my identity in being God’s beloved child?’

This season of our lives—living in a worldwide pandemic—will not be wasted if it causes us to reevaluate our lives, our relationship with the Lord and resolve to not return to ‘normal.’

My hope is that when the COVID19 crisis passes, we will have used the time wisely.  Maybe even by adopting a pandemic pace of life, where we purposefully carve out enough margin in our days to hear the Lord’s voice through His Word, seek His face in prayer, and in His name love well those within our family and community.

 

Pastor Travis

Tucked away in Acts chapter 11, is a fascinating account that at first glance doesn’t seem that impressive; Luke uses only three sentences to convey the scene. He writes, “Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus Christ. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:19-21). This is amazing! These Christ-followers, who were scattered over the persecution of Stephen decided they would take a chance and tell the message of Christ to fellow Jews, but also, they would cross a cultural barrier and share the message of Christ with non-Jews. The Lord blessed their witness and a great number of Greeks responded to the Gospel and put their faith in Christ! What caused these anonymous men (Luke doesn’t even tell us their names) to share the message of Christ with both Jews and Greeks?

First and foremost, they have a deep love for the Lord and a concern for His glory. These men, no doubt, have a deep love for the Lord, having tasted and seen that the Lord is good. They have served Him in Jerusalem, and now having arrived in Antioch due to persecution they, out of love for Him and concern for His glory, continue to tell as many people as possible of His great mercy and love. The fact is God is glorified when His mighty works of mercy and grace are made known, which is why the psalmist encourages us to “tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples” (Psalm 96:2-3)! When you or I tell an unconverted person about the Lord Jesus Christ and His saving power, that in itself is honoring and glorifying to God.

The second thing that prompted these men of Cyprus and Cyrene to tell Jews and Greeks about the Lord Jesus is a love for their fellow man and concern for their welfare. The desire to win our fellow man to Christ is the normal and natural outflow of a heart that’s been rescued by Christ! It’s the heart behind Paul’s words when he said, “I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers…” (Rom. 9:3). If we have personally experienced and known the love of Christ and if we are filled with gratitude for His grace, which has rescued us from death and hell, than our normal and natural desire will be to tell others of the salvation that Christ offers them, as there is no greater good that we can offer another than to tell them of Christ and His grace. If, as J.I. Packer says, “we find ourselves shrinking from this responsibility and trying to evade it, we need to face ourselves with the fact that in this we are yielding to sin and Satan. If (as is usual) it is the fear of being thought odd and ridiculous, or of losing popularity in certain circles, that holds us back, we need to ask ourselves in the presence of God: Ought these things to stop us loving our neighbor? If it is false shame, which is not shame at all but pride in disguise, that keeps our tongue from Christian witness when we are with other people. We need to press on our conscience this question: Which matters more—our reputation or their salvation?”

May our lives overflow in love for the Lord, which will produce overflow in love for our fellow man and enable us to find it normal and natural to share with others the message of Christ, and that we too, like the men from Cyprus and Cyrene, would be used of the Lord to bring others into a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus, our Lord.

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”  In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.  For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.”

1 Corinthians 11:23-29

 

When the Apostle Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth, he described the significance of communion with past, present and future language, and every time that we come to the Lord’s Table, we proclaim its three-fold significance.

We see the past significance of the Lord’s Supper clearly by the Lord’s double usage of the phrase, “Do this in remembrance of me.” As we take the bread and the cup we remember His substitutionary death on our behalf. The broken bread symbolizing the Lord’s broken body and the juice representing His blood. As we hold these material elements we remember that God became a man, willingly went to the Cross in our place, for our sin, where His body was broken and His blood was spilt so that our sins can be forgiven and we can be reconciled to God.

Communion also has a present significance. Paul writes, “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.  For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves” (1 Cor. 11:28-29). Therefore, communion is an occasion for examining our lives and hearts before God in light of our profession of His death and resurrection. This examination is crucial, because it would be sheer hypocrisy to pretend we are in communion with God while actually harboring and cherishing known sin in our hearts and lives.

Lastly, communion has a future significance. The Apostle Paul said, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Cor. 11:26; emphasis added). During the last meal Jesus shared with His disciples He said to them, “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God” (Mark 14:25). So every time we take communion we are proclaiming our belief in Christ’s resurrection, and at the same time proclaiming our belief in our future physical resurrection, and still yet, proclaiming our belief in the resurrection of the entire material universe at which time we will see Jesus face to face and partake in God’s great banquet (Is. 25:6-9; Rev. 21:1-7). This future significance of communion should cause us to live our lives in light of this future reality and to long for the day when we will be in God’s presence!

So communion anchors us in the past work of God, stabilizes us in the present love of God, and focuses us on the future glory of God. What an honor to share this table!

After His resurrection, Jesus and the Eleven were in Galilee when Jesus commanded baptism in His commission of the disciples:  “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20).  Therefore, all evangelical churches that take Jesus’ words seriously baptize their people, but how it gets done is where the differences are.  Some (especially Lutheran, Episcopalian, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches) believe that all infants of believing parents ought to be baptized as they are part of the “covenant community” of God’s people.  Some baptize by immersion, others by the sprinkling of water; one group (the Greek Orthodox Church) baptizes their folks three times forward while naked!  Don’t worry; we’re not ever going to switch to that practice!

At Trail Fellowship, we immerse people in water after they have made a conscious decision to repent of their sin, trust in the finished work of Christ (His death and resurrection) and pledge love and loyalty to Jesus Christ as the risen Lord, their Savior (Rom. 10:9-10)!

We practice this mode of baptism for several reasons:

First, the Greek word βαπτίζω (baptizo) literally means to plunge, submerge or immerse.  This is the commonly recognized meaning of the term in ancient Greek literature, both inside and outside of the Bible.[1]

Second, the representation of our union in Christ’s death and resurrection is best expressed through immersion.  The Apostle Paul writes, “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?   We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Rom. 6:3-4).   As one theologian wrote, “One can hardly deny that baptism carried out as immersion—as it was in the West until well into the Middle Ages—showed what was represented in far more expressive fashion than did the affusion (pouring water on those getting baptized) which later became customary, especially when this affusion was reduced from a real wetting to a sprinkling and eventually in practice to a mere moistening with as little water as possible.”[2]

Lastly, we immerse people in water because the Scriptures suggest that baptism by immersion was the practice of the early church.  John the Baptizer baptized people at Aenon “because there was plenty of water (Jn. 3:23).  When Jesus was baptized by John he “came up out of the water” (Mark 1:10, emphasis added). In Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch they went down into the water and came up out of the water (Acts 8:36-39).  In light of these considerations, immersion seems to be the most adequate and faithful mode of baptism.  While it’s not the only valid form of baptism, it is the mode which reflects the meaning of baptism the fullest, and therefore at Trail Christian Fellowship it’s the model we practice.

We must remember that baptism is more than a simple rite that believers undergo.  As a sacrament it is a symbol of something far bigger.  Baptism is a declaration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit expresses our death to sin, burial of the old life, and resurrection to a new life in Christ Jesus!

Within the pages of the New Testament a young man appears, who quickly grows into a mature Believer, a valued co-laborer alongside the Apostle Paul, and a respected pastor.  His name is Timothy.  As we read through the book that bears his name, and we read brief accounts of Timothy’s life from the book of Acts, we see a picture of a young man who loves the Lord, and is growing in Christ-likeness.

How did Timothy grow into this type of a man?  Let me bring out a couple of things about Timothy’s life that are good for us to think about.  Timothy’s life is a challenge and an encouragement for every generation of Believers.

His grandmother, Lois imparted the knowledge of Scripture to Timothy from a young age (2 Timothy 1:5).  This reminds us of the power and influence believing grandparents can have on their grandkids. I have seen this firsthand with Trea’s grandparents, Jay and Pat and Leo and Polly and now I witness it on an almost daily basis with Mike and Cyndi as they impart Godly wisdom as the grandparents of my two young daughters.  If you have grandkids, take the time to teach your grandkids the Scriptures, spend time with them modeling Christ-like behavior, teaching them to pray and to worship and to trust Christ through difficult seasons as well as good seasons.

Timothy’s mother, Eunice, was a Jewess married to a non–believing husband, but Paul writes in 2 Timothy that she has passed the faith onto Timothy.  It’s a good reminder for women who are married to unbelieving husbands that by your faith, by your constant prayer for your kiddos, and by your modeling of Christ-likeness to your kids, you will have a huge impact on their souls for eternity.  Continue to trust the Lord with your kids.

For young women the encouragement is that there are young men likeTimothy in the world.  Young guys who love the Lord and want to serve Him with their life.  Maybe not in pastoral ministry, but with their business, with their hands, and with their life they want to bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus.  There are young guys like this, I know them! Look for this type of a guy.

For older men the challenge and the encouragement is this…Timothy was mentored and shaped by an older man, the Apostle Paul.  And his impact on Timothy was profound, and shaped his life.  This is the call to older men to invest some of your time into the lives of young men, who have all sorts of questions about faith, life, love, and about marriage.  If you’re an older guy with some time on your hands, pray about mentoring a young guy. Your impact will be felt for generations to come.

Lastly, for young guys the challenge is to imitate Timothy’s devotion and faithfulness to the Lord Jesus, and to continue to grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord. Notice, Timothy’s growth was the by-product of spending time with older, wiser Believers, who had experienced tremendous hardship and trusted the Lord through it!  If you’re a young guy who want so grow in your knowledge of the Lord and the grace of the Lord, it’s essential that you invest in relationships with older, wiser brothers and sisters in the Lord!

 

This afternoon, I was working on a study for the Essential Jesus class I’ve been teaching on Sunday mornings and in this particular lesson I wanted to highlight one of the major themes that Jesus taught was that God is a loving Father. Jesus often spoke of God as, Abba, which was an intimate, family word that a Hebrew child used of his or her dad and nowhere in the history of Israel had it been used by anyone of God.

Jesus said His relationship with God was like a son’s to a Father—and that we can approach God as a young child approaches a good daddy, with a full measure of trust, confidence, dependence, and love, which also means we can approach Him without pretense, worry, fear, shame, or having your act together.  Jesus said God’s not a impersonal force that must be feared and appeased, but rather, a personal, loving Father that  wants to love, protect, guide and share life with you. What an amazing difference and it dynamically changes out we relate, live with and pray to our Father. 

However, as I was thinking thinking through those implications, I also knew when I mention that God is a Father, to some that would hit them like a ton of bricks and not bring them joy but consternation. I found a short article by Michael Reeves in his fantastic book, Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith and I wanted to share it with those of you who may have grown up in a home with a difficult father or know someone who struggles with the concept of God as a Father based upon their childhood experiences.

 

When “Father” Is A Bad Thing

 

Not everyone instinctively warms to the idea that God is Father. There are many for whom their own experiences of overbearing, indifferent or abusive fathers make their very guts squirm when they hear God spoken of as a Father. The twentieth-century French philosopher Michel Foucault had very much that sort of issue. The bulk of his life’s work was about the evils of authority, and it seems to have all started with the first figure of authority in his life: his father. Fearful of having some namby-pamby for a son, Foucault Senior—who was a surgeon—did what he could to “toughen up” the little mite. That meant, for example, ghoulishly forcing him to witness an amputation. “The image, certainly, has all the ingredients of a recurrent nightmare: the sadistic father, the impotent child, the knife slicing into flesh, the body cut to the bone, the demand to acknowledge the sovereign power of the patriarch, and the inexpressible humiliation of the son, having his manliness put to the test.”[i]

For Foucault, paternal power had not been used to care, to nurture and to bless, and so for him the word father came to be associated with a host of dark images.

One’s heart goes out to children of such fathers, and those of us who are fathers ourselves know that we too are far from perfect. But God the Father is not called Father because he copies earthly fathers. He is not some pumped-up version of your dad. To transfer the failings of earthly fathers to him is, quite simply, a misstep.  Instead, things are the other way around: it is that all human fathers are supposed to reflect him—only where some do that well, others do a better job of reflecting the devil.