Public Bible Reading

Why do we take time to read scripture during our Sunday Worship Service? This is an important question because we don't want to do anything by accident in our worship. And at Free Grace we have attempted to root the things we do in scripture. Also, we want all of you to know why this is a biblical practice and not a quirk of our little congregation.

If we are honest, taking time to read longer passages of scripture stretches us. Many of us have a pretty short attention span due to our television and social media habits. We are far more used to sound bites than sustained concentration. For what it is worth, at this point in our services we don't actually read longer passages, but more medium and short-sized ones. For instance, our reading of 3 passages this last Sunday (10/31) was a little less than 6 minutes in length. So if you find yourself struggling to follow along, that is OK. Our attention span for scripture reading is similar to endurance when a person starts a program of exercise. When we first start doing it, we may feel out of shape, but over time we will grow. 

Our practice of reading scripture may seem a little odd compared to what is done in many American churches. In the early years of planting the church we had numerous visitors that were "church shopping" explain that they had been visiting various churches for months and that we were the only church that opened the Bible and read from it more than a verse or two. That is not a flattering observation for us as Americans. Of course this is not enough to justify scripture reading. We don't do it just to be different. but we do it to be faithful to the teaching of God's word. We do it as an act of obedience.

Colossians 4:16 "And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea." (All scriptures from the ESV translation)

I Thess. 5:27 "I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers."

I Tim 4:13 "...devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching."

Revelation 1:3 "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it."

• The New Testament Churches, like the Old Testament believers in the synagogue, read the scriptures together out loud. They would often read entire letters in one sitting. This was all the more important because the average person did not have their own copy of the scriptures. This has been the pattern throughout church history. Most traditions (including the more liturgical traditions today) read from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and one of the gospels every Sunday. 

• The reading of scripture was one of the ways that the church was "devoted to the teaching of the apostles" (Acts 2:42ff). It was serious business, note that Paul puts the Thessalonians under oath! 

• In I Tim 4:13 Paul instructs Timothy in his pastoral duties not just to read the scriptures, or encourage others to read them but to read them PUBLICLY.

• We see that the reading of scripture is connected to the teaching and exhortation (preaching) of the scriptures. 

• God pronounces a particular blessing on the reading of scripture. This is because, "when we open scripture we are opening the mouth of God." When scripture speaks, God speaks.

Our pattern in the New Testament continues the pattern of reading that was commanded in the Old Testament and continued into the early church. This was even Jesus' pattern during his life. It was also a common practice in Paul's missionary work to go to the Synagogues and preach that Jesus was the Christ after the reading of the scriptures (Acts 13:15, Acts 15:21)

"This was the practice of the early church, as Justin Martyr notes in his famous description of worship in the second century. “And on the day called Sunday, all who live in the cities or in the country gather together in one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray” (1 Apology 1.67; ANF 1:186)." Quoted by Justin Borger 

Luke 4:16-17 "16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him."

Throughout the Old Testament the public reading of the law (aka the scriptures) was associated with times of revival and reformation, while the neglect of the reading of scripture was a portent for wandering and idolatry. 

Consider Joshua 8:34-35 "34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them." (See also Deut. 31:11, Nehemiah 8:2-3, and 13:1)

So, we urge you to see the public reading as an act of worship! to be done with attention, heart, and joyful faith!

What Should the Church Say About Abortion? Some Thoughts and Free Resources

It is not an understatement to say that abortion may be the most divisive issue of our generation. The deep emotion that clouds this issue tempts us to lose reason and truth in a forest of political ideology. Further, the church cannot avoid the question about its own role on this issue because of the politics, emotion, or past abuses. Even when churches and pastors decide not to engage, they have taken a side, often the side of cowards.  And while most political support for the prolife cause comes from Catholics and Evangelicals, it is sadly true that most churches do very little to engage on the abortion issue, especially at a spiritual level.

For some Christians, cultural issues like abortion are THE mission of the church. In my opinion, this is a mistake as well. The church has a mission to testify to the truth of Christ and through this, to make disciples. And while our good works also play an essential role, we cannot escape the New Testament emphasis on speaking the word of God to every creature. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth (I Tim 3:15). We are to make and teach disciples (Matt 28:18-20). We are to witness to the risen Christ (Acts 1:8)

But we have to see that the gospel is only good news if there is a problem to be remedied. Mercifully, the gospel always comes with a call to repentance. It is a call to trust in Christ, and to stop trusting and serving our idols (I Thess. 1:9-10).  If we are to be like the apostles, we must call all people to “repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:32). Because of this, any church that perpetually neglects the abortion issue is failing to call the culture (and the church) to repent. And it is failing to offer the healing medicine of the gospel to areas of guilt and shame that need it most. Men and women who are suffering from abortion as part of their past are betrayed when the church is silent.

At Free Grace Church we have been committed from the very beginning to engage on the abortion issue in ways that are wise, compassionate, prayerful, materially-supportive, bold, and grace-filled. In addition to supporting and partnering with prolife organizations, each year on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday we take time to address the abortion issue directly. We address it at other times, but we feel it is important to come back to speak truth against one of the darkest sins of our generation.

We welcome you to join us this Sunday as we address the issue again. We will be looking at why abortion is wrong, and why you don’t even need a Bible to see this. Our services start at 10am on Sunday morning, and we meet at 3385 E. Shields Ave near First St. (next to Target). You can find more info here.

We would also like to offer these free messages from previous years to help you think through the issue.

Is Abortion Selfish? This is a controversial question and even asking it is offensive to our generation. But what if we take seriously what prochoice authors themselves say about their motivations for abortion? Listen to the message here. http://bit.ly/1OqpMTt

Abortion and Lies? Our society is awash with misinformation and falsehoods when it comes to the abortion issue. What are the foundational lies that abortion culture is built on? Listen here. http://bit.ly/2jNubcG

Also, several years ago we preached on "Abortion and the Charge of Hypocrisy" and that resulted in a discussion on Life Report with Josh Bram. You can listen below.

Fear and Faith

This morning I read the story of Jesus calming a storm in Mark 4:35-41. It struck me that Jesus contrasts fear and faith very clearly. 

He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”  And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (v. 40-41)

It is worth noting that in the grip of the storm the disciples went to Jesus without faith. “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” In their distress they wrongly concluded that they were all dying and Jesus was indifferent.  Based on the way they respond, I don’t think they were expecting a miracle.  It seems more likely they were upset that he wasn’t bailing water or rowing with them. The wind and spray had not only blinded their eyes, it had blinded their hearts. They didn’t understand Jesus’ true power.

They did the right thing (going to Jesus for help) in the wrong way (with an accusation instead of an appeal). Thankfully Jesus is always gracious. He responds by calming the storm and offering a gentle rebuke. He corrects their unbelief and fear. The implication is that if they really knew the power of Jesus, they wouldn’t be panicking. Yes, they would come to Jesus. But they would have come differently.  In this moment his words are gentle yet surreal.  It seems pretty obvious why they were afraid!  Yet his correction comes with the mercy of a miracle, a hand stretched out to save them. And that is almost always how he corrects his weak children. 

Finally, and perhaps this is the most wonderful thing about the story, Jesus reveals the great mystery of who he is. In calming the storm he breaks all their categories. When we are faced with something shocking, the words that we speak as a matter of impulse are revealing. We haven’t had time to soften or shape them to win respect. They are the response of pure instinct.  The disciples, safe and sound, yet still dripping from the waves say, “who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Jesus reveals two things. He not only has the power to calm storms, he has the compassionate heart to do it.  He is both able and willing. 

The response of the disciples is the common experience of people that have seen God’s powerful hand engaged by his gracious heart. “They were filled with great fear.” (V. 40) This is a different kind of fear than gripped them just moments ago when they were convinced that they were dying in the presence of an uncaring master. This is the fear that comes when you have been rescued from trouble by the omnipotence of an omnigracious savior. When you see his power is greater than anything you have ever experienced.  It is beyond comprehension. It is unsettling. This sweet fear is the response of the soul that understands why faith and carnal fear cannot be friends. This is the fear that has shifted its sense of awe from the power of unruly waves to the power of the one that rules heaven and earth.

Truth or Grace?

When my wife and I were first thinking through what it would be like to plant a new church, we talked a lot about priorities. What was important? What would the new church look like? That was years ago, but we have revisited those conversations many times.  It was clear to me that many churches tended to talk about one thing. And I don’t mean this in the good sense. This wasn’t a result of discipline and clarity.  Too often they focused on one thing at the expense of other really important things, not just because of their gift set.

I saw many churches that were doctrinally astute. They were committed to faithful preaching and teaching. Unfortunately they didn’t do much for the people around them.  Their corporate lives were not characterized by the good works of love and mercy that were central in Jesus’ ministry. Ironically, they celebrated and funded the ministries of sister churches in 3rd world countries, but did little to imitate them. These churches talked a lot about being “Biblical” but often ignored huge parts of the Bible (the stuff about orphans and widows). And they often did this while talking about the danger of the Social Gospel.

Other churches (often liberal or leaning that way) were really engaged in community service, but they downplayed the importance of the moral and doctrinal teachings of Jesus.  Bible preaching and exposition was often marginalized or missing altogether.  After all, doctrine just causes arguments, right? And we can’t be sure about anything but the importance of love, right?  Wrong. You would never get that idea from Jesus. It is dishonest to pick and choose the parts of the Bible we like. And the activist churches did it just as much as the doctrinal churches.

But neither of these options were very appealing to us. What if God wants us to tirelessly to serve those around us BECAUSE of our devotion to the truth? What if the only reliable test of doctrinal orthodoxy is a life of love, mercy, and servanthood? Is it possible that the best theology could actually fuel and guide the way we serve our community?  Is it possible that GOD DOESN'T WANT US TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TRUTH AND GRACE?

This is what we want our church to be. A place where we courageously confess the truth, and then sacrificially obey that truth in the way we serve those around us.  We have a long way to go, but we are excited for the journey.  If you are new to the area or don’t have a church we invite you join us.

Altered photo courtesy of Rae Allen . Used by permission, some rights reserved. CC 2.0 

Peace or No Peace? Which Is It?

At the end of Luke 12:51 Jesus makes a shocking statement, “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

He didn’t come to bring peace? Huh? This is shocking to me because it seems to go against many of the things we believe about Jesus. It seems at odds with what he taught elsewhere. And it is nothing like the pop culture Jesus enlisted by talk show hosts and politicians.

Elsewhere Jesus is called the prince of peace (Isa 9:6). He gave a special blessing on the peacemakers, that they shall be called “sons of God” (Matt 5:9).  Further the apostles taught that peace is an essential part of the Christian life: “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14).  Paul wrote, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:18).  What does Jesus mean? Is this some kind of contradiction?

To make this problem worse, passages like this are sometimes used to justify the bad behavior of Christians.  They are an easy and deceptive refuge for behavior that is rude, unloving, or eager to fight.  

I think the answer to this dilemma is seen in the context. Jesus mentions that he came to divide even the closest of relationships. To divide families, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters (v. 52-53). In first century Palestine, as in many eastern cultures today, the family was everything. In collective cultures people find their value and identity in group conformity.  What is the ultimate taboo? Step out of line and dishonor the family in some way.

In almost every generation social pressure is used to force conformity via the carrot and the stick. If we conform to the values of the group we are rewarded. If we break rank we may be reprimanded, excommunicated, or executed.  For many of us, this level of family devotion seems extreme, rising to ridiculous.  It is definitely NOT scandalous for us as Americans to see a child marry someone without (or even against) the approval of their parents.   In some cases it is celebrated. Not so in Jesus’ day.  The good of the family came before your own comfort.

This kind of social pressure has been used to reinforce evil.  We have all heard of family members coerced into silence about the shameful and secret things that happen within the walls of the home.  The average person or family can become small time terrorists, holding others hostage with the threat of conflict in order to get their way. We are master manipulators.  This kind of pressure was used in Jesus day to protect the religious allegiances that had corrupted the culture. We read in John 12:42 “…many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue.” There was a fear and loyalty that held the power to keep people from following Jesus.  In human history when evil and injustice get the upper hand it is always supported and protected by forces like this. Call it peer pressure, groupthink, mob mentality, or the world. It has many names, and its power is almost unrivaled.

Further we know that excommunication from the synagogue would only be the beginning for anyone that dared break ranks to follow Jesus. “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.” (Mark 13:9)

So in this context, Jesus’ statement makes sense. He didn’t come to negotiate with terrorists making their social demands. He didn’t come to bring peace at all costs. He came to free us from slavery to every other master or would be dictator.  In the first century most people needed to be rescued from the absolute loyalty to their family or group. But things are different in America. Our chief value is not conformity but freedom and individual rights.  And yet, this radical view of the self can be just as destructive as social pressure. It can lead us to abandon spouses and children, to destroy our careers, and to become enslaved to a dozen chemical masters.  There are many kinds of bondage. Slavery to self is one of the worst. 

Jesus came to remove the cancer of sin that is growing in our hearts.  Getting treatment from Jesus is less like a visit to the massage therapist and more like a root canal. There are parts of our lives and cultures that require radical treatment for our own good. I think this is what Jesus is talking about in Luke 12. He did not come to make his followers into a group of passive conformists. Neither does he shape us into war hawks. But Jesus always leads us to take a stand against the world. And the world doesn’t like that. They want you to snap your heels and salute. They demand you fall in line and worship their golden statues. And sadly if you refuse, even if you are very polite (like Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego) you may end up in the furnace (Daniel 3:1-23).  

Here is the good news. Every other group that demands your allegiance will take advantage of you. They will use you for their own ends. They will expect you to sacrifice yourself for the good of the group. But Jesus is different. Just before he says that he did not come to bring peace, he says this, “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished?” (Luke 12:50). What is this baptism? It is referring to his death on the cross (Mark 10:38).  Every other group is a kind of vampire. They will use you for their own ends.  And if you fail them, they will disown you. But Jesus, the only one worthy of your complete devotion, laid down his life for yours.  And he had to do that because of your misplaced loyalties.   And it is this love and sacrifice that is the power that moves us. It allows us to suffer the loss of relationships, respect, and approval that comes from standing with Christ against the world.