Slavery Today is not the Same

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These are notes that I took in D.A. Carson’s class this year:

In Philemon, these ideas are much more important to consider, so I am posting them today with some commentary.

1. Every major culture/civilization had slavery as an institution until the 18th century.
       -this is not to say it was ever “right” but that it was an economic reality

2. In Rome, it was not a racial thing
       -the classes in that day were slaves, free and nobility – in America we often think “slave” as “black” and this simply was not true in ancient days

3. In American (or New World) slavery, slaves were made slaves by either being born slaves or their ancestors were captured and shipped by a superior military force 
       -while this was occasionally true in the ancient world, bankruptcy or financial strife often caused it

4. In the ancient world, slaves could be educated or have clout
        -often could speak for their masters in situations, etc

5. In the OT, when slavery was permitted, it was not quite slavery, but indentured servanthood

6. It was not simply a North/South concept in America, but more South and less North

7. The movement of ending slavery worldwide emerged out of the evangelical movement (gospel-oriented led to freedom)

When reading Philemon, one must consider these things. Onesimus might have been educated or had lived in something close to freedom before, but deserted for whatever reason. Now Paul sees him as useful in many ways!

Fun but Difficult Times

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Recently we have made some news public and I thought I would share the details. We have accepted a position in Freeport, IL at Park Hills EFC and are extremely grateful for all the Redeemer has been for us, as well as excited for this next chapter.

Here’s the letter I sent Redeemer:

Dear Redeemer Family,

A little over five years ago, you hired me to be the Associate Pastor of Student Ministries. Over the past five years, we have seen many amazing things happen. Students have decided to follow Jesus – both with their hearts and lives. We have students that are preparing to enter full-time vocational ministry. We have students that are preparing to use their God-given gifts and abilities to honor God in many different fields. We must continue to pray for them that the Devil will not gain a foothold in their lives in an attempt to put out the bright flame they have for Christ. Serving these students has been a great honor and a challenge that has given me more gray hair over the years. I am blessed and we have been blessed to call Redeemer home.

                Two months ago, my mentor and a dear friend asked me to lunch and inquired about my interest in getting involved in a very exciting and developing ministry within the church I called home so many years ago. “I couldn’t find myself calling anyone else,” he told me, continuing, “I don’t think you will even be open to coming, but the Lord keeps pressing me to at least ask you. He keeps saying, ‘Why aren’t you at least asking him?’” We talked about possibilities and discussed some of the challenges. I told him, “no,” but ended the conversation with a promise to pray about it. Heidi also felt a strong, “no,” but we set out to seek God’s face and ask Him what His desire was. In a very short time, it became clear as we prayed that we were supposed to return to the city we first called “home” and to do the Lord’s work there. This has been hard for various reasons and I do not write this letter with a light heart. There is much to do here, still, but when the Lord presses, you do well to obey. We have been officially called by Park Hills Evangelical Free Church in Freeport, Illinois and have accepted the call.

                With all of these circumstances in mind, I will resign from my position at Redeemer effective August 5th. You are a tremendous church, one that can help to heal the broken and passionately committed to the youth of this church. I am eager to see what the Lord will do going forward. There is much work to be done to continue reaching the next generation and our students, your children have a strong understanding of the mission God called them towards. Please continue to assist them. Sacrificially give of your time, energy and financial means to allow them an environment that will help them to grow. Only God can do the work that needs to be done. We work where He calls and trust Him to carry out His will to the end. Thank you for believing this and blessing us with your lives. We love you and will continue to pray for you as this new chapter begins in our lives. We covet your prayers and are excited to see what the Lord will do, both in Freeport and in Milwaukee in the days to come!

Be praying for us in this time and we are eager to finish well here at Redeemer.

The Bible

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I finally had a chance to watch my DVR’d “The Bible” show last night and I have a few thoughts if you will read me out.

1) Watch it. Seriously, it is worth a watch. It is not as cheesy as some other older Christian movies, while it still does have some elements that might embarrass. It is clear that the series is telling the narrative to get us involved with the text and is diving into the likely relational aspects that would have happened (such as Sarah having to decide to follow her husband “who hears God”). Nearly all of their assumptions are certainly plausible, even if not even implied in the text.

However, tread carefully. No series this short can fit it all, so they had to trim and cut and make it all fit. My recommendation is to watch it, with your Bible open and see what is there and what is not there. If you don’t want to do this, at least watch it with someone who knows the text very well and can discuss it with you. I believe at a minimum the series will get you wanting to read the Word for yourself.

2) I am loving the allusions to Christ being made throughout. This is the Christian view of the text so far, and that is a good thing in a world where we are less and less understood. Christ was foretold throughout the Hebrew Scriptures (we call a collection of these books the Old Testament), and this series is doing much to show those instances.

3) I wish I had seen an advance view of Sunday’s episode. I preached on the Exodus on Sunday morning, and the TV series did a great job of giving a visual of what I was talking about. At a minimum, in our ADD ADHD culture, you will want to sit and check this out.

4) My hope is that you will then go to the text and really learn it yourself. Take the images painted by this TV show, and construct in your imagination what you are reading so that the Bible a) comes alive for you in a new way and b) gets you excited to read it again.

This book is not really overwhelming, we just so often neglect the fact that we have to work a little to be good at it. Dig in, watch the show and fall in love with the text again!

Dating Revisited

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As I promised, I would like to recap some of my points and give some reflection on some aspects of dating as it pertains to Sr. Highers.

First off, there are a number of myths that we choose to believe in this realm: )we won’t get connected at all )he/she really loves me in high school (even high school sweethearts would laugh at their own understanding of love as they reflect on the beginning of their relationship) )pornography, etc doesn’t hurt anyone, so it is okay or )my thought life is my business and it doesn’t hurt anyone either. The truth is, Jesus died and rose from the grave, creating a new reality, a new kingdom, a new way for those that put their trust in Him. We are free, and have the choice now to live like it. We are not free by our choices, but by Him and Him alone – we can now live in that freedom, however, and choose to serve the new king. Sure, we will be seen as weird and likely made fun of for our sacrifices. I promise you, though, you will never regret these sacrifices as you follow Him in freedom!

Consequently, if Jesus paid it all, we must deal with some dating issues.

Should we date in high school/junior high? I vote no for a myriad of reasons. I think you all could do a lot to grow more mature in life and in faith in these formative years. You don’t understand sacrificial love and potentially will make mistakes that you will live to regret. You also will not regret spending these years dedicating them to the Lord and learning how you fit into His plan (man, mission, marriage). This will save you a ton of strife as you enter into a relationship and will clear up some issues for you as to who to date, etc.

How then should we act with the opposite sex? You should have friendships with members of the opposite sex! Check your heart as you do so, ask questions and study the Bible – in groups. These group outings will keep you all accountable, help avoid blurring iffy lines and will serve to help you make a list of “qualities” you will want in a spouse. These groups may also show you how shallow many of your unsaved friends are in their “lists.” I recall hearing Kim K’s list once upon a time and felt pity for what she upheld in a future husband. I would want a partner who loves Jesus and is willing to live according to His will for our lives together, not a six-pack or tiny nose (can’t make this stuff up, folks).

How do I take steps to overcome porn/romance novels, etc? Freedom here begins with repentance. Be willing to let God assume control of your mind and start allowing Him to help you think differently (repent means “change thinking”). Memorize Scripture that speaks to where your flesh is tempted and begin meeting with a trusted disciple-maker that will help you sort out your triggers and where God could work most in you. Get an accountability partner or five (not legalist meanie-heads – that is a technical term) and start living for Jesus together, helping each other learn repentance. Avoid the things that are no good (computer after 1am, walking to that part of the library/bookstore, your parent’s “stash” if they have one — we can deal with this issue later, come talk to me or another pastor). Learn to pray when tempted (pray for the lost – thanks Greg Speck for that idea!) and flee if you have to (like Joseph!). Download covenant eyes or xxxchurch has a ton of resources — use them!

What do I do if I screw up? Confess your sin to God (this is more for your benefit than His) and let your accountability partners know. Start reworking your day and see where it all unraveled – avoid these triggers in the future and find creative ways to avoid this evil. Let your accountability brothers and sisters know if they can help and how.

I’m too far from God now because of my sin, what do I do? Um, memorize Romans 5:8 and realize that you were never close enough for Him – He did it all. We were/are bad, always. Jesus is the only thing that can make us right. You can never do something that will be too much for Him and you can never do enough to be accepted by Him. Trust Him, He is working in you, come and join the journey!

We messed up, now what? I know the pain you are feeling and the way it feels like everything is unraveling. Come talk to one of the pastors and we will help. I can’t guarantee that your relationship will survive. However, I can guarantee that you will. Let God do the work that is necessary. At a minimum, put Him back in the rightful spot – first- and surrender to His will for you and your partner.

I think this concludes some of my thoughts for the night. Hopefully it helps a little. Ask questions below and I will answer them when I can!

What has to change…

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Welcome to Church Street, just one option for life growth for you! Here, the trees are supposed to grow fruit without being watered and the grass is intended to be freshly cut each morning without the tedious chore of pushing a mower. If you look all around, you see private residences that sit side-by-side without the residents ever interacting. No one inquires about the hurt occurring behind the walls when no one is looking. These houses look beautiful from the outside, but are often empty shells, shielded by fancy drapes, a bright disposition and a Bible verse doormat that causes each visitor to assume all is well. Others, upon entering the doorway, contain furniture so bright they must be protected by a lack of use – or are so fake it is painful to see! However, if this isn’t the street for you, there are others – Career Circle, Popularity Parkway, Education Avenue or Pipe Dream Drive. Many believe that you can actually drive down them each for a bit and everything will be great! The problem is, Church Street only exists because the real church (those that trust Christ with their lives and eternal salvation) chooses to make its mission a location: not a group of people united around one purpose – going and telling the world about the Son of God. Instead of being the church, we bring people “to church.” I’m tired of living on that street – aren’t you?
This is one of the reasons we are changing the way we do student ministry here at Redeemer. Fuse can’t stay the same. I have an amazing volunteer staff at Fuse Student Ministries, who give hours and hours a month to help students move toward growth. They sacrifice time, money and use their gifts to try to make an impact on the students they are called to serve. They are committed and continuing to learn what commitment really looks like. I love listening to them think out loud concerning student growth and leadership, and I am inspired hearing them talk about the students we oversee. They truly care and want to see students unlock all the potential God has for them. We each believe that God is leading us on a journey to show students what God really made them for – not just a street they have to choose. This is more like the town square, from which each avenue and alley of life proceed and have fullest meaning. We believe Jesus gave us His plan – make disciples who make disciples. It is our job, no commission, to train students in the ways of “being the church” and making disciples.
Unfortunately, for too long, church has been the place we go when we feel it will meet our needs. I’ve been a consumer for too long and need an attitude check. I often treat it as a job and not my life’s calling. I do not let others in from time to time. I forget that church gatherings are for the glory of God and not my own. I forget that my commission is to make disciples and not worship plans. I hide behind a happy veneer and Bible knowledge often. What parts of that analogy do you see in you? What can you do as we transition into a true disciple-making ministry and not just a program with Jesus attached?

Genesis 50

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Joseph mourns his father’s loss of life here and forgives his brothers for what they have done. I find it amazing that the Egyptian leaders let him leave to bury his dad in the first place. Pay attention to that going into exodus and the change of tone towards the nation of Israel. How does your response look when faced with trouble like Joseph? We’re praying for you! Keep reading!

Great Insights from Class

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Last night, we began our study in Colossians for Greek Exegesis I and some very neat things come out of the text. Please allow me to share two with you.

First, when we started studying Colossians 1:1-8, we focused on verses 4 and 5 to start. They say, “because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— (the faith and love) that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel.” (parentheses added) We looked at the fact that faith, hope and love are used a lot of times by Paul, but never in this way. He points out that faith and love go together, but that they are a derivative to the hope “stored up in heaven.” It is because Jesus has already won and is now our hope that we then live differently. Real hope in someone that can really deliver and already has (Eph 1:3) gives us reason to love one another. It is this hope that validates our faith. I thought this was really cool.

Second, we looked at an idea that doesn’t mean much unless you understand a little Greek. In verse 6, it says, “In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.” Paul goes on to describe that Epaphras, a minister of the good news, shared the good news with them as a church and they expected it. What I love is the phrase “bearing fruit and growing” or “bearing fruit and multiplying.” The Greek for “bearing fruit” is a verb that is in the “middle voice” which means it is an action one does to themselves. So, I can “eat,” which is active, or I can “feed myself,” which would be middle. This is no small thing – the good news of Jesus, the gospel, is bearing fruit and multiplying on its own accord. Where in Genesis, God tells the people to “be fruitful and multiply” or “bear fruit and multiply,” the gospel needs no command – it bears its own fruit, it multiplies without our knowledge.

Here is where we need to be careful to go too far. Look at who is writing this. Paul was the missionary of missionaries – the first prolific church planter! He is the one that is seeing this, and this church was planted without him! The gospel was spreading and popping up on its own – through everyone else, anyone else! God was using people like Epaphras to do the work that Paul was originally commissioned. This is every disciple-makers dream. We make disciples so that others will hear the message that we can’t share with everyone. I have people within my sphere of influence that I am praying to reach (neighbors, people at the gas station, family members, etc), but you can reach people I can’t. Let the gospel bear fruit in you – let the hope of what is to come provide you faith (to trust Him no matter what, to believe He can do anything) and love (for each other). Bear this fruit! Then find ways to let it multiply from you!

Thoughts from Sunday Night

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I know, it was a long lesson, so how could he have more thoughts?

Take a look if you will at the rest of Matthew 25. Interesting thoughts, no? Jesus spends a lot of time telling interesting stories. What do you make of the first one? Ten virgins, five wise and five unwise – those who are prepared and those who are not. Which one do you feel you are? Which one do you feel the church is?

The next story deals with servants left with talents of gold and they are impressed enough by their master to invest and try to double the investment. The servant with five bags doubles it to ten, the servant with 2 bags makes his into four and the lazy servant doesn’t do anything with his talent. Each are given the honor of being given responsibility due to their track record. The one that does not increase his gold is banished… leading one to wonder which talent bearer he/she/I/you is/are. So what is it? Are you allowing God to see your talents be used for Him? 

This leads us to the parable of the sheep and goats. Which ones are banished and why? This makes me wonder what my life is meant to be. This leads me to wonder what our lives could be and what our full potential would look like. What if we had a group, a church that lived out these promises? What if? What would that look like? What would that do to our city?

Thoughts on Sandusky? I suppose…

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Personally, I find child sexual abuse to be worse than nearly anything. I suppose this is not surprising in the least to many of you. It takes advantage of the weak and trusting, destroys lives and families, as often the offender knows the victim. It is despicable and needs to be brought to justice. In this sense, I am somewhat satisfied in what has happened. I am not sure what other word to use there – satisfied. Paul stated that sexual sin was different from other sin because it occurred inside your body – the temple of the Holy Spirit (1Co 6:18). Sexual sin is deep, dark and shameful. If you have a chance to repent of it and be free, often we are left to our own power and a fear of what we will lose if we are open about it. Admitting an addiction to pornography is terrifying, as others will look down on you and strip you of your dignity (why do you deserve dignity anyway?). How much darker are the beginning thoughts of desiring children?

This is why I think my next statement will be so unpopular: sin is sin before God… no matter how great or how little. Jerry Sandusky needs Jesus (as do I, as do you) and needs prayer at this time that he might experience this salvation. I am not speaking of the Catholic faith he so publicly proclaims, but Jesus – simply and completely. The Gospel demands a death to self. There is no substitute and no one is immune. This is what bothers me about people dancing on the future grave of Mr. Sandusky. I find it despicable as well, but I must hope for redemption. Is anyone with me on this?

However, this redemption does not stop here. My intention is to also pray for the victims of these crimes and the countless others that are happening as you read this. I am heart-broken to live in this world and dare to believe there is more to come. One day we will be free of this place – one day children will be free of their oppressors. I believe that we will experience God fully one day and hope others can see Him now, as through a dim mirror (1Co 13:12). We hope in Jesus as the salvation from ourselves and the peace and salvation we need from those who trespass against us. We need Him – do you trust Him? Can a man like Jerry Sandusky be saved from himself?

Mondays are for Movement

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Let’s take a few minutes to review: The staff here at Fuse Student Ministries have been hard at work for what our discipleship path will look like. Since Mondays are for movement, let’s spend some time looking at the result of the first part of this pathway. Our desire is to engage our culture and to find ways to help non-Christians see Christ clearly through us. Some are left wondering how to do this or are worried that they cannot “properly” share the good news of Jesus (evangelize). So we are trying to help you.

An earlier post dealt with the first part. Here is the result: finding Jesus. I remember the day I found Jesus. Do you? What was it like? What happened? What happened afterward? For me, this just began a journey that I did not expect. I thought it would be all done, but lo and behold, I have a ton of work to do still (and this is 22 years later!). So, when you help someone “Engage” Jesus and they are ready to receive the Gospel, what do you do? So many miss this part of the disciplemaking process. They never ask for a response from the other person. It is like talking about not drowning while all the while you are holding the life jacket and you never offer it to them. You must ask for a response for a response to be given. So, let’s engage our culture and our friends, call for a response and help them to find Christ so that their journey can begin! This week’s lesson is going to deal with some of this concept – so be there!