What it Means to 'Welcome One Another'

We all have our own ideas of what it means to be welcoming, and usually it centers around physical hospitality. However, Paul takes “welcoming” several feet deeper in Romans 15 and shows us it has further implications than we might expect.

The command to "welcome one another" is to the point (15:7). But understanding what it means is best seen in the six verses preceding the command where it is further and logically explained in five facts that we'll state in a backwards fashion.

a. Welcoming’s goal is to glorify God together with one voice (v 6). Remember - it's unity not uniformity! In a word, harmony (like a beautiful symphony)!

b. God is glorified when there is harmony based around Jesus. (v 5)

c. This kind of harmony takes God’s Word and our work. (v 4)

d. Being selfless is the best way to work at harmony. (vs. 2-3)

e. Selflessness is first the responsibility of the strong. (v 1)

Succinctly, welcoming one another is pursuing peace in the middle of differing preferences.

In the text then, it was cultural and ceremonial; those were the differences in view here (not moral ones that Scripture speaks plainly on).

What we learn today is this -- when it comes to secondary issues, Paul makes it clear that we should strive to be a people of harmony and peace ... a called-out group that, even with our personal differences, genuinely gets along!

As was once wisely stated, in essentials unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.

An10omy

Romans 9 and 10 are two chapters that are equally true. They belong together (with Romans 11 I might add as their capstone), and teach the twin doctrines of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. It is unwise to choose between them, or, worse yet, water down one for the other to try and maintain a little of both. Rather, embrace both fully. Stand upon each completely.

Granted – this is difficult, because Romans 10 brings to the table what appears to be truths that are not consistent with Roman 9 (or vice versa). But, as Norman Geisler says, “They are not incongruous … We apprehend each as true, but can’t comprehend how both are true.”

This is known as an antinomy, and because Romans 10 brings the counter but complementary truth to Romans 9, I have spelled it “an10omy” (notice the ‘10’ for Romans 10). Okay, enough word play. Let’s just be sure we don’t play with the doctrines taught in both chapters. We need them both and believe them both, regardless of our ability to grasp them both.

This an10omy has been debated for centuries, with leaders on  both sides unfortunately urging people to unfortunately choose one or the other, thus ridding themselves of this humanly uncomfortable an10omy. Yet, what has been most beneficial to me is not the massive amount of words of men trying to explain away this an10omy, but rather God’s clear Word declaring it. So without any more ramblings from me, here are a few verses where Romans 9 (sovereignty) and 10 (responsibility) are both proclaimed by God without any divine disclaimers.

Genesis 45:4-8

So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Acts 2:22-23

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—

this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

Acts 4:27-28

…for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

Acts 13:48

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

Acts  16:14

One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.

1 Peter 2:8

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Truly, sovereignty + responsibility = mystery! And that’s lighter fluid for genuine worship.

9 from 9

I've been teaching through Romans since the first of the summer -- what a humble delight and learning experience. In fact, every chapter I come to seems to be my favorite!

Here are 9 observations from Romans 9. (By the way, they'll make more sense if you first hear the message, so click here to listen to it or download it sometime after 10/11.)

1. God is the initiator of salvific acts; man is the recipient of, and responder to, salvific acts.

2. God is without blame for man’s rejection, yet solely responsible for man’s redemption.

3. Believing by faith in the message of Christ is our best response when we hear the Gospel.

4. This response, or lack of one, is a real choice with a real consequence.

5. These choices, or responses, do not stem from an absolute free will, but instead from influenced desires, meaning they are the result of and flow from one of two real natures – a depraved one or a regenerated one.

6. Fervent evangelism and a deep love for lost people are rooted in a biblical understanding of God’s sovereign choices and purpose. The reason we are apathetic in our disciple making is not because we have talked about them too much, but rather because we have talked about them too little!

7. Our unwillingness and fear to drown ourselves in the depths of God’s vast sovereignty has dreadfully led us to rob him of glory, see him as “small and barely lifted up,” undermine his justice, mock his grace, and embrace a man-centered view of salvation (a.k.a. Soteriology).

8. But man is not the center of all God’s efforts. He himself is! God’s own glory is the ultimate end of all history, and both ‘good and bad’ are woven together into that final objective.

9. While we wait for the day of maximum glory to God, we do not aim to “figure God out;” rather, we commit to worshipping him and proclaiming him so that all nations will hear the message of Christ and be saved.

Zambian Fare in Iowa

My Zambian friends arrived yesterday, and what a treat this will be for our family and church to host these 16 students for a few weeks. In fact, we already got Brooke and Breanna started on the basics of Zambian fare. Just watch...

Q and A from Romans 8:1-17

After teaching from Romans 8 yesterday about life according to God’s indwelling Spirit (as opposed to life according to indwelling sin in Romans 7), the following questions surfaced. Here’s a bit more insight to help, as I suspect these kinds of questions may have been in the minds of several others as well. If you’d like more background, listen to the message here as well (click on the message from 9/26).

1.    When you stated that we tolerate sin, or manage sin, do you mean from others, ourselves, or both?

I was referring to our own selves. Frankly, we too often use lines like "I'm only human" or "I was hurt really badly so I can’t help it" or "I just need some time to deal with this" or "What I did/said/thought wasn't that bad" or "I only did it once" to actually cover up what is simply disobedience. We essentially give ourselves room to let sin hang around. That's how we tolerate sin and manage it instead of killing it. When we operate that way, it ends up actually killing us, albeit slowly.

2.    You said that one of the weapons we can use against sin is running away from it. But if I keep running from sin, won’t it keep coming back as a temptation?  If I face it and deal with it, then it more than likely go away, right?

Don't think of running as a bad thing in this case. If I physically run from a woman who is tempting me sexually, or from anything that has a physical aspect to it, I actually benefit myself in the battle against sin.

You are, however, right that if I run from things that are inside, that's not good. That's when I should resist temptation, dealing with it head on. But running is very helpful and biblical when it comes to physical, outward temptations from which we can actually escape. So you're right in one sense, but not in the complete sense.

On the ‘heels’ of that comment (no pun intended to the ‘running’ thread in this answer), let me add that I would always encourage anyone to face their sin head on as you say. But sometimes facing it head on is to get away from it by running. Freedom is sometimes spelled 'fleedom!' (And Joseph, Paul and Timothy would agree!)

3.    When you said that we should stop trying so hard to be spiritual, are you saying we don’t need to pray, do devotions, and stuff like that?

First, I am fully aware that this is the hardest element of yesterday’s message to wrap your arms around; I imagine many small groups had/will have some really good discussions concerning this teaching point. One reason we grapple with it is because we are, especially in this western culture, programmed from birth to "do" as much as we can. Physically and spiritually, “earning our keep” and “paying our dues” is almost woven into the fabric of our existence. But the real truth is that we don't actually do anything to become spiritual (key word become). That's what God does in us because of Jesus and through the Holy Spirit when, by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, he saves us. That’s when, through the response of repentance, we inherit from God a new nature and a new status: we are his spiritual sons and/or daughters.

Notice the word I used – inherit. We didn’t do anything to deserve or earn this new life or position. We simply enjoy the privileges. Someone else paid the price and we reap the benefits. That’s pretty awesome, eh? And when that mindset takes hold of us, we will stop doing stuff for the wrong reasons. We will quit trying to “list” our way into God’s favor and we will, instead, enjoy living with it and by it.

Succinctly put, we do things because we are spiritual (key word because). It is precisely because we are now sons and daughters of God that we find ourselves with new desires and appetites, the kind that result in behavior that prays, studies the Word, gives, serves, worships, etc. There’s a lot that the sons and daughters of God do, but not to gain sonship. Rather, simply because we are granted it through Jesus the moment we believe.

I readily admit this is a fine line; but it is an important one. Otherwise, we start taking credit for our growth and spiritual "success." Truthfully, you would not want to spend time with your Father in praying, reading his Word, serving his body, sacrificing for his kingdom, etc. if the Spirit wasn't in you; that's who gives you the desire to do those things.

So fundamentally, it's all about source. Do we 'do' things so we can make ourselves spiritual (i.e., we are the source), or do we 'do' things in response to God’s indwelling Spirit (i.e., God is the source)? When I falsely think I am the source, spirituality becomes a list of tasks that is self-centered on me trying harder at certain times (ritual). When I realize God is truly the source, spirituality becomes a life of fruit that is centered on abiding in Jesus 24/7 (relationship).

Peter and Paul on Washingtons and Lincolns

Just because the market is slow and the budget flat doesn't mean that the work of the church has to be as well. Quite the contrary! In times when money is sparse, opportunities are endless. Sometimes, though, we think you have to have one to chase the other. Well, let's rethink that. Remember – While money may not be inconsequential, it certainly isn’t indispensible.


In doing exactly that -- rethinking how closely ministry and money are actually connected, I went to Acts, asking myself, "What is biblical about the connection between the two?" While I have not exhausted the answer to that question, here are at least two things I do believe to be biblical about ministry and money:


Ministry isn’t a commodity governed by the market; it’s an opportunity empowered by the Spirit. The early church wasn’t looking for permission from society or approval from the culture. They didn’t test the market to see if it was ripe for disciple making. Instead, the early believers took the command of Jesus seriously and “witnessed” of his resurrection the moment the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost. They didn’t check to see if “witnessing” was in the budget, or if the apostles had approved an evangelism category under “outreach.” No, they just did it.


I realize this is hard for some of us to accept because we are so engrained with the American style of ministry. But try and see it as a first-century Jew or Gentile believer. There was intense persecution, little organization, minimal resources, and many obstacles. Yet, a contagious and courageous people rose up and, led by the Spirit that Jesus left, continued his work anyway. The result? Christianity spread over the known world! Essentially, a “down” time culturally was actually an “up” time spiritually for the early church.


Ministry isn’t bought with money; it is pursued with boldness. The New Testament believers knew nothing of waiting for a line item in the budget before proceeding towards spiritual opportunities. They simply obeyed God courageously as he led them by his Holy Spirit. Check out Acts – Prayer meetings were held by rivers, churches were started in homes, and city-wide crusades took place in the streets as God’s Spirit enabled. It wasn’t like they said, “We’ll move forward when the money comes in.” Not even, “We’ll move forward and hope the money comes in.” They instead probably just said, “We’ll move forward.” Generally speaking, I personally don’t believe they even factored in money as a primary part of the opportunity equation.

In fact, on one occasion when Peter was asked by a first-century roadie to sell the Holy Spirit, he gravely rebuked Simon the magician and told him he “had no share in this ministry” (Acts 8). Apparently, money didn’t equate to ministry in Peter’s mind.

When money was requested in New Testament ministry, it was primarily given away to other churches who were struggling due to famine and persecution (Phil 4; 2 Cor. 8). The bulk of Paul’s financial appeals in his letters were not for his own ministry projects or ideas; they were on behalf of others. It seems Paul didn’t feel like is ministry hinged on money, either.

Rather, both Peter and Paul were bold in how they pursued the work of God in spite of a lack of resources. So bold they weren’t afraid to be broke if that’s what obedience meant! Personally, I suspect it didn’t matter to them that much. After all, their kingdom initiatives weren’t items to be purchased, but calls to be obeyed.


Too many church leaders have a dysfunctional attachment to the bottom line. Our enthusiasm levels are unfortunately tied to the offering levels, and often our boldness dries up when the budget looks similar. May God forgive us of this unfortunate endearment to sources of motivation that are earthly and temporal.

So what have I done with these thoughts that have been circulating in my head for months now? As I have looked specifically at what is ahead for the church I help pastor in the next several years, a lot of what I and the elders are sensing God calling us to pursue aren’t things we are going to purchase; they are opportunities we are going to chase. Explore. And we don’t need to have dollar amount in the budget in order to have a spirit of boldness in us. I am realizing, thankfully, that nothing in a streamlined budget stops true ministry from occurring. I can paint a strong vision and maintain a tight budget at the same time.


Granted – there are no doubt some costs associated with our vision; there will be some expenses in chasing the opportunities God puts before us. But none that should prevent obedience. There, I said it. None! Which means, regardless of where we landed on the budget, we could still chase the opportunities and open doors with fervency, not hesitancy. It is God going before us, not Benjamin Franklin.


I can still picture the smile on my face after that conversation with Jesus and interaction with his Word. Ah, the freedom in seeing things biblically, not just culturally. And yes, I am still processing how all of this is going to sound to our staff. Our leaders. Our church. But even as that unfolds, it will be an opportunity for God to show himself strong on our behalf and lead us all towards a more scriptural understanding of ministry and money in the body of Christ!

Hallelujah for the Life, not just the Death, of Christ!

I've Traded In My Trench Coat!

Here is an excerpt from a recent message I preached on the glorious doctrine of imputation and the grand truth of God's bigger-than-my-sin grace that it showers upon us! "Oh, for 1,000 tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise!"

[This is only audio; no video will show other than the title slide.]

New Book Released

New book, "Different, Not Just Better," was released at First Family yesterday...humbled by the great response among the body. Love the sheep in that fold! You can read it online here (sorry, it's not downloadable, just readable), or call out office to order a hard copy ($7.00).

http://firstfamilyministries.com/content.cfm?id=2239

SR Tip #7

SR Tip #6

SR Tip #5

SR Tip #4

SR Tip #3

SR Tip #2

SR Tip #1

Call it what you will – “witnessing,” “disciple making,” “soul winning,” “leading someone to Christ,” “Sharing Jesus.” Regardless of the term used, at the core of these words and phrases is a common element: spiritual reproduction (i.e., the divine addition of a believer[s] to God’s family through the testimony of another believer in God’s family). Indeed, there were times in the New Testament when God used current believers to witness and testify so that even more believers were added: Acts 2:47, Acts 6:7, Acts 8:35-40, Acts 10:44-45, Acts 11:24, Acts 16:31, 2 Cor. 5:11,20.

Acts isn’t the only book that records these encounters. Some of the best examples of spiritual reproduction are seen in the first chapter of John’s gospel, such as Andrew to Peter and Philip to Nathaniel. And there are at least seven observations about spiritual reproduction we can draw from John 1:35-51 that will help us in our own desire to be the best ambassador possible for Jesus.

Here’s the first of the observations (the remaining six will follow in the coming days), with the prayer that these tips will increase our effectiveness as his “witnesses” (Acts 1:8).  HINT: Read John 1:35-51 before watching the videos.

MIA

It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to realize I’ve been “missing in action,” at least from a blogging perspective. For those who have wondered what’s the reason behind my extended absence from the blogosphere, I offer the following pictures as evidence:

         
*New backyard landscaping to help with water flow . . .

       
*New tile floor in upstairs bathroom . . .

               
*New tile shower in downstairs bathroom . . . (with help from Tom Lamb)

*And a new roof over the patio! Whew!!

Yep, this was the summer of home projects, which brought a whole new meaning to the term “stay-cation.”

Born Again and Adopted?

No doubt does God multiple things the moment he saves us. Two of them, regeneration and adoption, have intrigued me as of late, mainly because, to the human mind, you are either born into your family or you are adopted into your family. You aren’t both, though. Yet, in God’s realm, we are both born again and adopted into the same family. How do both happen?

Being born again and being adopted are two things that do occur, but they involve a different emphasis. Regeneration (i.e., being born again) is about the spiritual life God births in us – His own! Adoption is about the spiritual family God places us in – His own! God does both fully and solely, yet with different ends in mind. We are his, inside and out.

Think about it like this – when you were conceived physically, you came into existence and, though not seen, were alive. But when you were delivered physically and then brought home, you were then visibly part of a family. I realize that, even in your mother’s womb, you were part of your family. But it wasn’t quite the same as when your parents brought you home and suddenly everything changed (and I mean everything)! Up to that point you were, practically, more part of your mother than you were the family. But after your delivery, well, everyone knew you had arrived. Your birth was now a family affair.

That analogy, though a loose one, is some idea of what is going on spiritually in regards to regeneration and adoption. And from a divine angle, these events happen in incalculable nano-seconds of time, so it is difficult to really think of them in sequential order. But most technically, theologically, and biblically, this is how it occurs. God births life within us and then, after conversion, adopts us – delivers us -- into his family with our spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ (John 1:12).

The same idea can also be seen when looking at two other aspects of God’s marvelous salvation – justification and reconciliation. Justification is about the legal standing God grants me – righteous! Reconciliation is the about relational result God secures me for me – peace! Both occur, but have a different emphasis.

Ah, the multifaceted diamond of salvation! From regeneration to adoption to sanctification, it is a gem worth viewing for a lifetime!

Accompanying and Accentuating Reconciliation

Paul’s message of reconciliation in 2 Cor. 5:18-21 contains at least three other elements that accompany reconciliation. These are elements of God's peace process with us that was started in the Gospel.

1. Adoption  [“reconciled the world to himself”] In adoption, God claims us!  He sought us for himself and brought us to himself through the death of his son, Jesus. And when he did, he made all who believe his children (John 1:12). That’s adoption! Also, keep in mind that reconciliation is a relational word, so think "family." Think "friend." The heartbeat of adoption is that we are no longer under a judge's wrath, but instead a Father's care. Check out Gal 4:4-7 for further insight about adoption.

Of course, you may be wondering how we can be "born again" while at the same time be "adopted." Good question! The answer? That’ll be in the next post!

Additionally, here are some Web sites for those who want to model spiritual adoption by physically adopting: http://www.therainingseason.org/, http://www.hopechest.org/, http://www.showhope.org/, http://www.togetherforadoption.org/, http://empoweredtoconnect.org/, and http://www.4kidsofsfl.org/.

2. Forgiveness – [“not counting their trespasses against them”] In forgiveness, God pardons us! He puts our sins behind him and, because of the cross, considers us justified. We say with the Psalmist, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” The Stiles paraphrase reads like this – it feels good to be forgiven! See Col. 2:13-15 for more forgiveness principles.

3. Ambassadorship – [“entrusting to us the message of reconciliation”] In ambassadorship, God sends us (and speaks through us)! We are his representatives in a hostile territory. So we pray, like Paul, that “words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph. 6:19-20).

Did you know these three spiritual elements that accompany reconciliation also have corresponding physical actions that accentuate reconciliation? In other words, there are some things we can extend that indicate we have experienced reconciliation. Consider this: We extend adoption by rescuing children, we extend forgiveness by resolving conflict, and we extend ambassadorship by representing Christ. Indeed, living as someone adopted, forgiven, and sent by God is enough to enable us to love loudly and live boldly as a reconciled child of the Almighty.

A Picture of Reconciliation

Reconciliation is illustrated well by the story of Ruth Youngsman, who, at a Prison Fellowship banquet in Seattle, said these words: "The man I ate dinner with tonight killed my brother."

The words, spoken by the stylish west-coast woman, were how she introduced her incredible tale of reconciliation. She told how John H. had murdered her brother during a robbery, served 18 years at Walla Walla, then settled into life on a dairy farm, where, unbelievably and ironically, she met him in 1983, 20 years after his crime. Compelled by Christ’s command to forgive, Ruth Youngsman went to her enemy and pronounced forgiveness. Then she took him to her father’s deathbed, prompting reconciliation with the dad as well.

At that PF banquet, his voice cracked as he said, "Christians are the only people I know that you can kill their son, and they’ll make you a part of their family. I don’t know the Man Upstairs yet, but He sure is hounding me."

Ah, the message of reconciliation and the ministry of reconciliation.

Source: Albert Quie, President of Prison Fellowship Ministries, as taken from the publication Jubilee (p. 5)