Jesus, Friend of Sinners

/

I was recently invited to give a devotional at a pastor's meeting where we discussing outreach and the importance of loving our neighbors.  The general text of my talk is below:

Luke 5:27-32

27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. 

29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (ESV Bible Translation)

In this passage, we see that Jesus has rescued Levi… one of the worst kinds of men, he was a tax collector. He was most likely a Jewish man, probably from the tribe of the priests. He should have been receiving tithes to fund worship in the house of God, instead he is a traitor… taking taxes to give to the Romans.  And most tax collectors also committed extortion.

But Levi has come to follow Jesus.  And he will become one of the most of the most influential men in the history of the church. He is the apostle Matthew. We still read his gospel.  This is what Jesus Christ does, he takes the people that we look down on, people that are hopelessly corrupt and despised… and He saves them and gives them a great calling. He makes them sons and servants of God. This should give us hope. God might even use someone like you!

After Levi comes to follow Jesus, he is so overjoyed with his new relationship with Christ that he throws a party. He wants all of his friends to meet this Rabbi that is different than any other rabbi… Let me say this, the only way the people in our churches will ever do anything like this, is if they are so amazed and thrilled with Jesus Christ that he is their treasure.

So, Jesus is eating and drinking with tax collectors, and “Sinners." And the Pharisees protest, they ask the question in v. 30, “Why are you doing this?”  Jesus is so close, and so friendly, with these awful people, there can only be one reason.  He must be supporting them in their sin.

Jesus answers with his own mission statement in v. 32. He is like a doctor that came to help the sick. He didn’t come to help healthy people, but the lost and broken.

I would like to suggest that the Pharisees don’t really have a problem with WHAT Jesus is doing. The idea of telling these dirty sinners that they need to repent is probably OK with them. If he stood on the street and yelled at them, they would probably stand and cheer. No, Their problem is with HOW he is doing it.  How is Jesus calling them to repentance? By eating and drinking with them. He has become friends with them, and through friendship calling them back to fellowship with God. His actions are a living parable of the message of the gospel. God makes his enemies to become his friends.

This doesn’t fit very nicely into our box does it!  In many places in the church people live at the far ends of the spectrum.

Some embrace the lost and “sinners” by becoming friends with them. They want to love and support them, but they don’t offer them any medicine.  In fact, they think that if you suggest that people are spiritually “sick”, then you must be judgmental.

On the other end there are Christians that want to call people to repentance, but they do it from a safe distance. They want to do it the way we are fighting terrorists, with drones. They do it by tract bombing, or doing “outreach” twice a year. They want to do it from a place of moral superiority. They are concerned that getting too close to lost people might get them dirty or damage their reputation.  Though I have probably been guilty of both extremes, I think this second one is far more common among serious christians.

But Jesus does something different, he is able to receive and love people without endorsing or participating in their vices and sins. And he is able to call them to repentance, without alienating them or withdrawing from their company.

Brothers and sisters, this is our great salvation and our great example. And we will never be able to do this if we think we are the healthy and righteous ones. We will only be able to do this when we see that we are the sinners he came to call. When we see ourselves like Levi, completely beyond hope. But thrilled that we have a place at the table- that we have been loved and received by Grace.

I previously published this message at my blog at MattTroupe.net

Photo used courtesy of the University of Washington. 

Something Important About The Harvest

/

 

Everything in scripture is equally true, but everything in scripture is not equally important. That is not trying to take away anything from scripture, but trying to reflect what the Bible teaches about itself. Some issues in the law are more "weighty" (Matt 23:23) than others.  There are "greater" commandments (Matt 22:38). Paul said, "I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (I Cor. 2:2).

So how do we know if something is really important? One way, among many, is to recognize when something is repeated again and again in a variety of contexts. That is exactly what we see with Jesus' remarks about the harvest and our responsibility to carry out the mission.  He says some version of this 3 times, in 3 different situations. But with the same meaning and implications.  How important is this?

Luke 10:2  "And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

Matt 9:37 "Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” 

John 4:35- in the context of Jesus conversation with the Samaritan woman and the disciples question about why he is talking to her rather than worrying about lunch. "31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” 

 

 

Christian Community Starts with the Work of Christ

/

What are the key elements of Christian fellowship? How can we know if our Christian community is healthy? What keeps people from experiencing true fellowship? Is meeting together for fellowship really necessary? We looked at Hebrews 10 on Sunday as we relaunched our community groups.

Listen to the message here. There are some notes below.

Hebrews 10:19-39

“19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Community starts with understanding what Christ has done for us. This is true because sin has separated us from God and one another. And the most important work, the first work is to repair the breach that our sin has caused between us and our God.

Sin separates us from God, and God from us. God’s righteousness has barred us from his presence. And because our consciences are defiled, being in the presence of God is no longer pleasurable. We now run from him rather than to him. The OT temple worship was a depiction of this situation. We are separated from God’s presence, but he has made a way for us to return and be cleansed.

The work of Jesus (especially v. 19-21), as described in this passage, shows us 4 things that are the foundation of Christian community.  We cannot separate the way we relate to God from the way we relate to other people.

1.     We are welcomed. We have bold access to God’s presence because of the sacrifice of Christ. His blood has cleansed us. We are no longer banished. This is not because we have become good enough or worked hard enough. This is purely because of his work on our behalf. 

2.     We are clean. Our hearts have been sprinkled by his blood. We are washed and forgiven and our consciences can be at peace. What the Old Testament animal sacrifices could only depict, Jesus has accomplished. We no longer need to be controlled by guilt and shame.

3.     We are secure. A promise is only as good as the one who makes it, and we are safe and secure because he who promised is faithful. 

4.     We are in process. Though we are forgiven and accepted completely, there is much work to be done in us, on us, and through us.  And this work is explained (in part) in this passage.  God is at work in us through other believers. We desperately need them to help and encourage us. 

So the exhortations of this passage show us that we need the following:

1.     To stir one another up to love and good works. The term “stir up” that is used is really strong.  It means to provoke. We are to have an active and engaging relationship with our brothers and sisters that helps us to become more loving, more Christ like. How in the world do you help someone become more loving? 2 ways: 1- by loving them in practical ways. 2- By explaining and reminding them of the love of Christ. 

2.     We are to consider how to stir one another up. Doing this is not as easy as we may suppose. We are going to have to spend time thinking about our brothers and sisters. Sin ties us in such knots that it is not easy to unravel. And God uses the patient, loving, prayerful relationships of his children to do his work in one another.

3.     We are to meet together. This one is simple. We need to meet regularly, in face to face fellowship in order to do what this passage teaches. And if we were to make a graph of our fellowship,  the shape of it would go upward. We should be doing this “more and more.”  Meeting together for worship and fellowship is not an option; it is a vital part of God’s work in us. And we neglect it at our peril. There are no exceptions to this. Even if you are a soldier or a police officer and can’t attend normal worship on Sunday, you will need to discipline yourself to make other arrangements for worship and fellowship. If you neglect this, you threaten the health of your own soul and the church. Almost everyone that turns their back on Christ starts by turning their back on God’s people.

4.     We are to encourage one another. This word is like a coin with 2 sides. Encouragement includes both admonition on the one hand (challenging one another and correction) and consolation on the other. This is something that others need from you. It is something that you need from others. In order to be healthy you need to give this and receive it. And this kind of fellowship can’t happen in a 10 minute conversation after worship. It will take time together. 

And in the end, that is what the author concludes from the great work of Christ. It is all about relationship. We are to draw near to God in worship, and draw near to one another in fellowship. This is at the heart of what it means to be the church of Jesus.

Photo courtesy of the Navy Seabee Museum. Some Rights Reserved

What the Church Can Learn From A Rowing Team

/

Last week we had our second "FGC Talks" seminar. This means that after a brief worship service we had 3 brief sessions on the topic of community offered by 3 people in our church and one from outside.  It was really fantastic.

Rob Hastie showed part of this video, posted below, (He showed from 1:00- 2:20 but the whole thing is worth watching). It is a trailer for the the book "the Boys in The Boat"- a story about the American rowing team that won the gold medal in the 1936 olympics. Rob uses the analogy of teamwork and how a successful rowing team has to operate with so much coordination and unity that they are really not 9 separate individuals. They are 1 team. This is a fantastic illustration for the way the church should be functioning.

Rob's talk is 20 minutes and worth listening to. It is an inspiring talk that will challenge you. You can listen to it below. The rest of our talks from that day can be found here.


What To Do About Planned Parenthood

/

Here is an email I sent to our Church:

Church Friends and Family,

Another Planned Parenthood video was released today. It is linked right here, and embedded below. If you have been following them, you know that the revelations to our collective conscience are more and more disturbing. So the great question is, "what can I do?"  In addition to your personal prayers, acts of love for men and women affected by abortion, and donations to quality pro-life organizations like this one, I would like to let you know about several more opportunities.

Here are a few things in the near future that you can do to stand for the lives of the unborn.  Feel free to share this info with friends.

  • Join the peaceful/prayerful protest Saturday morning 8/22 at the Planned Parenthood building in Fresno. This is part of a national event where Christians and prolife advocates around the country (and world) will be gathering to stand for life.  It is taking place on 8/22/15 from 9am-11am. Our local event is organized by our friends at Right To Life.  You can get more info or RSVP at the Facebook page here.
  • Join us for a community prayer meeting on 8/30 at Free Grace Church from 7pm-8pm. You can find more info on the Facebook event page. 
  • Get Equipped on how to think and speak the truth
    • At Free Grace Church on October 4th, our own Josh Brahm will be offering a seminar on the most undervalued pro-life argument. Josh has devoted his life to helping pro-life people think clearly, and engage with prochoice people in wisdom and compassion. We will have the training following worship from 12pm-2pm and lunch will be included. RSVP by email or here on Facebook.
    • Our local Right to life is hosting a training event: "Abortion from Debate to Dialogue" with 2 different dates available. 8/27 and 8/29. for more info or to RSVP Call (559) 229-2229 or Visit www.RightToLifeCA.org/JFA This event includes class time and also time on campus doing pro-life outreach.

Laboring with and for you,
Pastor Matt

Here is the most recent video. It is disturbing, as we would expect any faithful depiction of abortion to be:
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE #PPSellsBabyParts PLANNED PARENTHOOD ABORTED BABY'S HEART STILL BEATING IN LATE-TERM ORGAN HARVESTING CASE Whistleblower Who Harvested Aborted Baby Parts Inside Planned Parenthood Clinics for StemExpress Describes "Most Difficult Experience I Had There" In Latest Documentary Episode Contact: Peter Robbio, probbio@crcpublicrelations.com, 703.683.5004 LOS ANGELES, Aug.

Baptism Deflates Self-Righteousness

/

Near Fig Garden (the shopping center in Fresno) there is a medical office with a large sign that says something like “Eating Disorder Center.” It has always struck me as odd. It is certainly commendable that professionals want to help people overcome their problems. But something bothers me about this. Every time I see it, I feel uncomfortable for the people that may have to go there.  How many people are hiding their faces beneath hats and sunglasses as they walk in the door, hoping that no one sees them enter beneath the big “eating disorders” sign?  I wonder how many people decide not to get help there because of that sign, because they are worried about the stigma and shame associated with their problem?

And as uncomfortable as that situation is, it is a close representation for what Baptism means for Christians.  The symbolism of water washing away the dirt of our sins is very powerful. But it is also shameful.   Many times in the New Testament when baptism is mentioned (Acts 2:38), it is connected to repentance and the the remission (forgiveness) of sins.  To get baptized is a very public admission of our sin and shame. It is acknowledging that we need a moral shower. It is confessing OUT LOUD, to the world and the church that we have failed. That we have not kept God’s law. In short, it is acknowledging the shame of our sins, and admitting that the filth is too bad for us to manage on our own.  

To get baptized is a very public admission of our sin and shame. It is acknowledging that we need a moral shower.

That is the difficult side of baptism. But the good news is also present. Indeed, the good news is the whole point. We are dirty and the grace of God cleans and forgives us.  Because of the sacrifice of Jesus we may be washed “whiter than snow” (Isa 1:18). Forgiveness is so real that we need the symbolic drama of baptism to appreciate it.

Only dirty people are desperate for the cleaning power of a bath

But only dirty people are desperate for the cleaning power of a bath. And so in order to come to Jesus and join the Christian community you have to acknowledge, from the beginning, your dirt and shame. 

People that unwilling to admit the seriousness of their problem are NOT ready for baptism. They are probably not even Christians.  In Luke 3:7-9, John the Baptist refused to baptize people that came for the wrong reasons.  His language is very strong. But the message is clear, unless you are willing to acknowledge and embrace that you have a BIG BIG problem (you are so sinful that you are “fleeing from the wrath to come”), grace is not for you.

I mention this because this seems to contradict the self-righteousness that is latent in many churches. I know a lot of people that see the church as a place for those who have overcome their problems and achieved a certain moral status. Or worse, that the church is the last place they would want to be honest about their dirt, their moral failures. How many feel comfortable in the church confessing that their marriage is failing, their kids are on drugs, that they are groaning under crushing financial debt, or that they struggle with an “eating disorder?” No, to be honest about such things may be to guarantee that IF the “good” people do offer to help you, it will be as they look down from their perch.  And I don’t mean to become self righteous about self-righteousness. I know there are times in my life when I thought I was occupying the high ground. 

Here is the point: When we behave this way we are forgetting the meaning of Baptism. We are forgetting that we are dirty, filthy sinners apart from His grace. We are forgetting that in order to join the church we have to publicly acknowledge that we are the moral misfits, those who miss the mark. That we have failed God, others, and even our own consciences.  

Maybe if we saw this more clearly we wouldn’t be tempted to hide our own struggles, or criticize the “dirty” people. Instead we would be both humbled and inspired. Humbled because WE are also the dirty ones, and inspired because we know the cleansing power of Christ.

I recently preached on this at FGC and you can listen to the message here

Photo courtesy of JoanneQ Escobar  Some rights reserved.