A seamless transition

I never noticed before, but it says in Acts 1 that "He [Jesus] appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." His message after his resurrection was basically the same as that during his ministry. Emphasising the kingdom of God. His disciples where still thinking in terms of just Isreal, and Jesus response is basically the same thing as the end of Luke. Wait for the Holy Spirit, then you will be ready. And when that happens you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

The disciples had no idea what they were getting into, but one thing was certain. Being a witness to Jesus and the kingdom of God was going to consume the rest of their lives. There was no going back to the way life was before they met Jesus. I think this gives us a little insight into the nature of the kingdom. It consumes your whole life when you really understand it.

Resurrection -- Acts

This Gospel ends with the resurrection of Jesus. It reminds me that God is a God who brings new life where life has been put out. Nothing holds power over God, not even death.

The last words of Jesus in Luke, he says that the disciples are witnesses of Jesus death and resurrection, and that they will take the message of God to all the nations, but stay here until you recieve the Holy Spirit.

I am going to deviate from my blogging plan a little. I have been blogging through the Gospels trying to better understand the Gospel and the Kingdom of God. Rather than moving on to the last Gospel, I am going to move on to the book of Acts. Acts was also written by Luke, and the Gospel of Luke and the book of acts should really be read together, as Acts starts exactly where Luke left off, with Jesus sending out his disciples. I will return to John after I have completed acts.

As I read through Luke I will continue with my questions about the Gospel and the Kingdom of Heaven, but I am also looking for how they applied the gospel to the different cultures they encounter. Maybe it will give me some deeper inspiration with my culture.

Acts (and really the whole NT) is a missionary document. A window into how the gospel spread throughout the earth, and how the early church tried to live out the message of Jesus.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness at times has been a battle for me, it is not something I arrive at right away, it takes time and effort. I have noticed in my life, the more I love someone the quicker and easier I can find my way to forgiving.

I have words ringing in my ear this morning. It is out of Luke 23, Jesus when he is being beat, and killed speaking of his attackers says, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." In the midst of being killed he prays that they would be forgiven. What type of love is this for people that even as people are hating him, beating him, killing him, love wins in Jesus heart and he prays not for himself, he prays for them, that they might be forgiven?

Have you ever wondered if Jesus truly loves you? This story I think illustrates just how deep the love and forgiveness of Jesus goes.

Interesting side point, Jesus' killers were not asking for forgiveness, they were not seeking it, or praying for it, yet Jesus asks for it. Interesting . . .

What happened?

I was reading this morning about Judas, and how he betrayed Jesus. It got me wondering what happened in Judas' life from the time he choose to follow Jesus to a few years later when he betrayed him? What small compromises did he make along the way? In my experience people just don't wake up one morning and think I am going to do something stupid and out of character for me, it is usually a progression of small things that leads to bigger things.

Later in this chapter Jesus tells his disciples to pray that they don't fall into temptation. Jesus told his disciples to pray this ealier as well when his disciples asked Him how they should pray. I think this pray would be a good one to pray on a regular basis. I haven't prayed it a lot in the past, but I think I might start.

Want to make some extra money?

(I know this is somewhat of and ironic title, considering my last post, but oh well.) Now I have seen everything. As I was jogging this morning, I read a church sign that said something to the effect of "If you have a good quote for our sign, go to www.sherwoodfriends.com, and tell us, if we use your quote we will pay you $25."

So if anyone is interested in making a little extra money, go for it. Please at the same time only offer good suggestions as this is the community I live in and I have to read it.

Generousity

Again Jesus challenges the norm in Luke 21. Jesus saw the rich giving large amounts to the temple, then he saw a widow give only two small coins. Jesus says this poor widow has given more than all the others, as she has given all she has, and the others only gave out of their abundance.

I wonder who the truly generous people are in this world. It's not Americans. Yeah we may give more than anyone else, but we also have more. We give out of our abundance, so many around the world who have nothing give everything.

How generous have we ever really been?

Reading the Bible

For a great post on reading the Bible, check out my friend Justin's Blog. He talk about how he is reading it, and how we don't always read it the way it was intented to be read.

We so often try to disect the Bible to understand it (chapters, verses, word studies, paragraphing, etc), but we forget that in order to disect something you have to kill it first. I want to read the bible as the living words of God, and not kill it in the process.

Thanks Justin.

The Gospel Jesus preached

Luke 20 is one of many passages that talk about Jesus preaching the Gospel, "One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel . . ." This of course is before His death and resurrection. So what was the gospel Jesus was preaching.

In reading through all that is recorded that Jesus said, it makes me wonder. If Jesus were to come back to earth in person today what gospel would he preach? Would his message basically be the same one it was 2000 years ago, would it be different? Would it be anything close to the messages I preach?

I guess so often we major on minor things in the bible. We prefer Paul's words over Jesus' because Jesus said some hard things. Things that make me wonder about myself.

His Presense -- Luke 19

Luke 19 tells the story of Zacchaeus, a wealth tax collector who was marginalized by society. Tax collectors, known for cheating people to gain wealth, were seen as sinners and not really liked by anyone. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector. Jesus, of course, likes to hang out in the margines with the out cast and the sinners, as he says in this passage he says, "The son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

So Jesus asks if he can come stay at Zacchaeus' house. What an honor. Jesus honored this man who nobody liked with his presense. I think one of the best ways to honor someone is just to spend time with them.

What a gift it would be to find people that society has marginalized and just spend some time with them, and ask to hang out with them. It made all the difference in Zacchaeus' life.

24

Two words . . . Jack Bauer!

Only 3 more days!

Quote of the day

Our quote of the day comes out of Luke 18:17.

"I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." --Jesus

hmmm . . .

New Article . . . "Sent"

Do you ever wish you were like someone you aren’t? I do . . . constantly. I wish I could play guitar, sing, and write music like John Mayer, or James Taylor, or David Crowder (to name a few). I wish I could write books like Brian McLaren or C. S. Lewis. I wish I could make movies like Peter Jackson. I wish I could paint like Rembrandt. I wish I could make short videos like Rob Bell. I wish I would have founded Microsoft.

What would your list look like? I imagine it would be much different from mine. Our list revolves around people who inspire us, those who evoke us to be better than we are.

I want to be better than I am. I want to be inspired and evoked. I am sure you do to.

This last season of my life I have been so captured by Jesus. Not just that He loved me, died for me, and forgives me (which I have been captured by my whole life), but I have been inspired by His life, His teachings, the things that He did and said while He was on earth. It has really turned into passion for me. I have been reading and rereading the gospels trying to absorb Jesus, I have been doing crazy things like praying that I would be more like Jesus. I even started a blog six months ago where I can post my thoughts about Jesus online. (If you are reading this article online, congratulations you found it.)

But I am not alone. Many in our church have been praying the prayer that Pastor Steve taught us, “Lord, make me less like me, and more like You.” Prayer is good, but if we never learn more about what Jesus is like, how can we be more like Him?

I want to be more like Him in both my actions and my character, so the question follows, “What is God’s character like?”

OK . . . hold on . . . with that question I know I am in danger of turning this article into a book, or volumes of books, so let capture one idea and attempt to keet this to an article. Missio Dei. Literally translated it means the “Mission of God”, or “God’s mission.” It is our theological attempt to capture something of the character and the nature of God. God is a sending God. God sends and is sent for His purposes, His mission. The Father sends the Son, the Father and the Son sends the Spirit, the Father and the Son and the Spirit send the Church. All for one purpose, one mission, God’s mission, to reconcile the world back to God.

Remember Jesus words, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21)

Becoming more like Jesus means that I am sent, just as Jesus was sent.

Coming to Christ means we choose to join with God in His mission in the world. Missions isn’t just a department of the church, it isn’t just a line item on a budget, missionaries aren’t just people sent to foreign lands. It is something tied to the nature of God, tied to the very existence of the church. As Christians we are a sent people. We join with God in his working in Tigard, Sherwood, Beaverton, Portland, and around the world. It starts with God, we just jump on for the ride.

If you belong by Christ, you have been sent by Him to your work place, to your neighborhood, to your community to bring the kingdom of God into the hearts of all men and women.

This understanding has been profound in my life. It causes me to do things I would never dream of doing. Things I didn’t know I had in me. This coming February are church is having a “missions month.” You will be challenged to do crazy things like wash the feet or feed the homeless in Portland, have coffee with international students, take a seminar on evangelism, or make projects for the people of Honduras. I hope you will participate in some of those things as I will, but more than that, I hope you walk out of church each Sunday with the understanding that you have been sent by God to implant the kingdom of God in the hearts of all men and women as they are reconciled to God.

Seeking to become more like Jesus,



Pastor Jon

Article

I just posted the most recent article I worte, you can find it here. It is called sent. I touch on God as the missio dei, the mission of God is related to the character of God, which relates to the church.

We are a sent people.

Enjoy the read.

Nature of the Kingdom of God -- Luke 17

Jesus answers a question about when the Kingdom of God would come with these words, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is', or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."

The kingdom of God has come to earth in the hearts of men and women. People who follow the teachings of Jesus. People who care about what Jesus cares about and seek to follow Him . . . the King . . . in reedeming the world back to God.

I know a man who the kingdom of God is alive in who anytime you complement him on something he says something to the effect of "I am just doing my duty." Now I think I know where he got that from. It comes from Jesus' teaching in Luke 17:10 "So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworth servants; we have only done our duty.'" I like that attitude. I wish that spirit were more alive in Christians. People get prideful over the smallest things.

Money -- Luke 16

I love reading Jesus teachings, every time I do I am left wondering what he meant. Thinking about it, talking about it, and looking to change my life. The people of Jesus day were astounded by his teaching, and 2000 years later those who read him are also astounded by his teaching.

Anyway in Luke 16 Jesus tells a story to the religious about using wealth on earth, and he brings it down to this statement.

"'No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.' The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus."

Us American "religous" types should not rush over this verse, for in the verses to follow Jesus all tells a story about 2 guys in the afterlife, one in tourment (the rich guy), and one in paradise (the beggar), the explaination Abraham give is as follows to the one in tourment, "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony."

I don't know how far to take the stroy, but I do think this speaks of God's justice, setting wrongs right. And I believe God will do that. We need to listen to the voice of Jesus, use money to help others, and make sure that God stays our God not money.

itunes

It's the small things in life that excite me. Just one more way for you to listen to my sermons. Just search for me in the itunes podcast section, and you can subscribe and listen on your ipod. It's free. I love the information/internet/technology age.

Luke 15 and the lost cell phone

In Luke 15 the pharisees attack Jesus because "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." (a side note if you're a "sinner" you would be very comfortable hanging out and partying with Jesus, those were the people he hung with in his day. It is the religious people who were mad at "sinners" and Jesus.)

In respose Jesus tells 3 parables about how if somebody lost a sheep, a coin, or a son they would forget the others and look intently for that thing. In the same way Jesus is seeking those he has "lost", or those who do not know him.

As I was thinking about this chapter I was reminded how the senior pastor at our church lost his cell phone this week, and it is almost commical to watch how intently he is focused on finding his phone. He has had numerous conversations with me about the last time I called him on it, he has call movie theaters, and everywhere he has been in the last two weeks trying to find his phone. He has turned his house upside down, and lays awake at night thinking about where he left it. Most of us would have given up a week ago and bought a new one, but not Steve. Finding his phone is all that matters.

THAT is what Jesus is saying, that is what Jesus wants from his followers. To be that passionate; to love and find people who have drifted from God.

If you are a pharisee quit condemning and start looking.

Download my Sermons

I have 3 sermons from this last year posted now! One on worship, one on Love, and my favorite: one on the Gospel. If you want to listen to them, on the left of my blog you will notice a section that says "Blog Map" and under that are different sections of my blog (articles I have written, etc.) click on sermons, and it will take you to where my sermons are posted. Just click on the title to download the sermon.

The way of Jesus -- Luke 14

In Luke 14, Jesus is eating at a pharisee's house. I love that because Jesus eats with everyone. At the dinner he started teaching them his way. Part of the way of Jesus. Here is a couple of the things he mentioned.

When at a gathering do not take the place of honor. Take the lowest position, that way others can lift you up, rather than being asked to step down.
Also, when you host a lunch or dinner do not invite invite friends, family, and the rich, but invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.

This isn't just Jesus' teaching, it is his way . . . it is what he did. He was born into the lowest position. And he came for all humanity, but was most concerned for the poor, and the sick, those who could not take care of themselves.

Following Jesus changes things.

New Books

I just got my two new books from Amazon today. Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis, and N. T. Wright's Following Jesus.

In the first chapter of Rob's book, he talks about how following the way of Jesus is a better way to live, and then goes on to describe that. I liked it so I thought I would post it here.

"I'm convinced being generous is a better way to live.

I'm convinced forgiving people and not carrying around bitterness is a better way to live.

I'm convinced having compassion is a better way to live.

I'm convinced pursuing peace in every situation is a better way to live.

I'm convinced listening to the wisdom of others is a better way to live.

I'm convinced being honest with people is a better way to live."

Back at it

December is over. I had a great month, but it was extremely busy. I visited my brother up in Washington (encouraged him to blog--I hope he does), my Dad and Mom came up from california for Christmas, We had some friends spend the night with us New Years, and Lynsey my wife had a ton of Jewelery shows and did great.

I am looking forward to the beginning of this New Year, and looking forward to getting more consistent once again at blogging through the gospels (Exploring the Kingdom of God, and the message of the gospel).

I am at Luke 13 today. Jesus uses two metaphors for the Kingdom of God, a mustard seed which is very small but grows into a huge plant that birds can perch in. And yeast, where very little works through the whole dough.

The way I understand that, Jesus is saying that the nature of the kingdom starts small at spreads into something wonderful. It starts with one man. Jesus. spreads to the disciples, and before long it is all over the world.

It makes me think about how just one of us, who intently seeks to grow God's kingdom, how much impact that can have with consistency and time and the Holy Spirit causing the growth.

Join the kingdom through weakness rather than power.