Sermon Video: We have "died to the law...that we might bear fruit for God." - Romans 7:1-6

Recently I was challenged by a follower of the Hebrew Roots Movement (Torah Clubs from First Fruits of Zion) that as a minister, if I wanted to speak against this theological movement, I could do so to my congregation in a sermon, but not publicly to the community.  While I categorically reject the notion that a minister of the Gospel is responsible for his/her congregation only and not the larger Christian community, the next sermon in my series on Romans was this one with its powerful phrase, "you also have died to the law through the body of Christ...in order that we might bear fruit for God."

The Law of Moses ended as the guardian of the people of God with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Fulfilled by Jesus, it offers insight but no longer blessings or curses for God himself has given us a new and a better way, the way of the Spirit.  After Pentecost, the people of God do not need a written code, for God is at work in the hearts of us all, and our calling is higher and more demanding than the Law of Moses ever was as Jesus demands that we night only do the right thing, but for the right reason, and not only refrain from sinning, but wrestle with the truth that sinful attitudes are themselves sin even without the follow-up actions associated with them.

In the end, the Church has proclaimed the New Covenant throughout its history, from the generation of the Apostles and the writers of the New Testament, to this day, and we're not about to walk away from the Kingdom of God.

"Jesus is Lord!" + "Let's Go Brandon!" = Blasphemy

To the husband and wife (I assume that was the relationship) standing on the street corner in front of the McDonald's in Perrysburg Ohio this last Saturday waving these two signs, "Jesus is Lord!" and "Let's Go Brandon!" know this: that combination is blasphemous.  What is worse, by encouraging others to honk, wave, and laugh at your sexual vulgarity combined with the name of Jesus, you were leading them into sin as well.  That's a problem.

Exodus 20:7  New International Version

“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name

Ezekiel 36:22-23  New International Version

22 “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23 I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.

Romans 2:21-24  New International Version

21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

God takes his name and reputation seriously.

Some context: The seemingly innocuous phrase, "Let's Go Brandon!" is of recent origin and may remain mysterious to many, but it is a clear and purposeful sexual vulgarity aimed at the President of the United States. {Meaning of "Let's go Brandon!"}  In other words, using the phrase is a supposedly cute way of saying F- Joe Biden without having to use those words.  Set aside for a moment how toxic to our political culture the embrace of such a euphemism is, because that ship has largely sailed in the last decade {An unhealthy overemphasis on politics or A vulgar anti-Trump sign and an attempt to kidnap the governor of Michigan - Biblical wisdom for an uncivil society: "'I have the right to do anything' you say - but not everything is beneficial." 1 Corinthians 10:23-24.  As you can see, I was against vulgarity directed at the previous President as well}.

What concerns me more poignantly than American cultural decline (and it should you as well) is the way in which significant segments of the American Church is being dragged down with it.  Instead of acting as Salt and Light in our culture, as transforming agents, too many Christians are conforming to the culture.  This is just another example of Christians behaving badly because they value politics above piety.

Romans 12:2  New International Version

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Which brigs me to the conversation I had with this man and woman.  I was driving back from Michigan (having cheered on my nephew Saturday morning at the MI cross-country state finals) and was asked by my beautiful wife to stop in Perrysburg at Hobby Lobby to get a 1 inch paper punch there for her.  I saw the couple with their signs when I went into the store, and decided to walk over and talk to them on my way out.  My words were simple, and I believe polite, "As an ordained Baptist minister, please hear me when I say that "Jesus is Lord" and "Let's Go Brandon" don't go together.  Don't put the name of Jesus alongside a sexual vulgarity."  The response was telling.  The wife yelled harshly at me, "Get a job!", which was funny given how randomly aggressive it was.  The husband tried a different approach and one that explains a lot, "We're both heading to the same place", I assume he meant heaven, "you go your way and I'll go mine."  Except the path to heaven doesn't work that way, not remotely.

Matthew 7:13  New International Version

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

I don't doubt that this gentleman thinks he is following Jesus by his actions, and had he only been holding up signs encouraging faith in Jesus, he would have been {whether or not street evangelism is an effective tool, and what kind of street evangelism, is a separate discussion}.  But that wasn't what he was doing.  Instead, he was conflating a particular political viewpoint with faith in Jesus.  Saying, in essence, "If you don't hate Joe Biden like I do, you're not with Jesus", or perhaps more damning for him, "Hating Joe Biden is the Christian thing to do."  Whether these two were aware of it or not, that's the message they were sharing, and getting good laughs out of it too. {Beware of the Political Church: John MacArthur declares, "any real true believer" can only vote one way.}

Why then is this blasphemy?  Very simple, the name of God is sacred, as is his reputation.  We may readily recognize that using "God", "Jesus", "Jesus Christ", or even "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph" if you're Irish, as substitutes for swear words is inappropriate, a form of blasphemy, but so too is claiming that God is something he is not, did something he did not, or says something he did not.  And God doesn't hate people.  Hate is not a path to Heaven.  To claim  otherwise, even by implication, is blasphemy.

Our ancestors in the faith blasphemed God when they justified slavery and later discrimination, often claiming that it was the will of God in the process {doubling down on their sin}.  In our generation, the way in which God is more likely to be blasphemed is by draping an American flag around the Cross and proclaiming that the only one way to be a good Christian is to agree with the current political viewpoint.  Not only does this hamper evangelism, turning away those who don't want Jesus + America + one particular viewpoint in American politics, it also warps the very self-proclaimed Christians who think they are doing God's work.

Hate is not the path to heaven, condemning our 'enemies' in Christ's name isn't it either.  Caesar Augustus was a horrible human being, a brutal man with the blood of tens of thousands upon his hands.  Yet Jesus never said rained down upon him insults and vulgarities.  The Sanhedrin were hopelessly corrupt, and Jesus (along with John the Baptist) did indeed denounce them forcefully, but not with mocking or joy, and certainly not with filthy language.  In short, Jesus NEVER acted toward those who opposed him {and brutally murdered him by the way} the way people claiming to follow him are acting toward fellow Americans with whom they disagree.

Matthew 7:16-18  New International Version

16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

What then is the fruit that God requires of his people?  

Galatians 5:22-23  New International Version

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

 This is the path, the only path.  Pray for those who have been led astray to believe that God would be pleased by any other.

Sermon Video: How Salty Are You? Mark 9:49-50

 Having just warned about the impending danger of Hell, Jesus turns to the quality that sets his followers apart from those the path of destruction: saltiness.  Jesus uses salt as a metaphor, primarily of preserving and transforming, to warn/encourage his disciples that they are transformative agents in this world, that like salt in the ancient world, they have numerous life-affirming roles to play for the Kingdom of God.

Salt that isn't salty?  True NaCl is always salty, it always performs its function, so to with true disciples of Jesus, who all bear witness to the Spirit's transforming power through their adoption of the Fruit of the Spirit.

Sermon Video: The Parable of the Sower - Mark 4:1-20

 In the well known parable, Jesus explains that the 'seed' of God's Word falls upon various 'soils' representing differing human beings.  How do they differ?  Some are hostile to God, some have other more pressing concerns, and some readily respond.  Those who fully respond, the 'good soil' produce 'fruit', that is they work to reproduce in other people what God has done for them.  Healthy churches need to make disciples, they need to cultivate open and dedicated hearts (good soil) that encourage service and self-sacrifice.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Grace is Greater than Law - Mark 2:23-3:6

 Having been accused by Pharisees of violating the letter of the law regarding the Sabbath, Jesus reminds them of the way in which David violated the letter of the law in order to meet an extraordinary need.  This sets up a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees about whether or not it is proper to heal on the Sabbath.  Jesus does so, elevating Grace above Law, the doing of Good above questions of how, when, or where.  As Christians, we can be in danger of becoming like the Pharisees, of elevating the form of religion over the heart, or of defending morality (God, Law, ethics, Truth) in ways that are inconsistent with the character of God (the Fruit of the Spirit).  This is not acceptable, to further the Kingdom of God, we need to act in Christ-like ways, no matter what cause we're championing.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: The problem with fake Christians

Having warned about the danger of those denying Christ and using God's grace as an excuse for sin, Jude concludes that 'these people' (false teachers, divisive troublemakers, fanatics, and other fake Christians) are harmful within the Church because not only do they fail to produce the Fruit of the Spirit (nor could they, not having the Holy Spirit), they also confuse the Gospel message. Our response, as a Church, to fake Christians? (1) Don't let those without orthodox belief AND a demonstrated commitment to righteous living have any role in church leadership. (2) When necessary, remove from fellowship those who refuse to abandon heresy or renounce gross immorality. Lastly, and crucially, STOP believing the lie that a person can be a Christian without acting like Christ.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Our warped definition of Christianity is disastrous

What, and how, we think is important; very important.  What we believe in, and what we believe about important topics and issues profoundly shapes who we are.  But there is more to it than what and how we think.  It is absolutely true that an individual cannot be a Christian if they do not believe in Jesus Christ, in other words, they believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, and that he lived, died, and was raised to new life in order to set us free from sin (enslavement to, and debt because of).  {See John 3:16 as an example of this explained in one sentence}  Belief is not the end of the road.  Belief has to be accompanied by repentance {a turning away from sinful behavior} and has to lead to righteous living {by the power of the Holy Spirit} in order for belief to be effective.  In order for it to be real.  A belief in Jesus which does not change the trajectory of a person's life, in ways both small and great, is meaningless.  Herein lies the problem.  Consider the two passages of Scripture below which together illustrate the absolute necessity of "fruit" (ethical behavior) and give nine prime examples of what it looks like:

Matthew 7:16-20 New International Version (NIV)
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Galatians 5:22-24 New International Version (NIV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

To say, "I am a Christian" is not enough.  To have a particular political viewpoint is not enough (and often misleading).  To know the key words one should say in order to "sound like a Christian" is not enough.  To attend a church at Christmas and Easter, or even more often, is not enough.  To own a Bible, or even read it, is not enough.  To give money to Christian charities, or the Church itself, is not enough.  A person could have all of those things, and outwardly look the part, but without love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; they would have nothing. {See 1 Corinthians 11}  Don't get me wrong, someone who goes to church, reads a Bible, and gives money to Christian charities is better off than someone who doesn't; but only if those factors eventually lead to the radical change of mind and heart that gives evidence to the presence of the Holy Spirit and results in the outflow from that person's life of the fruit of the Spirit.  If a person remains "associated with" Christianity, but never moves forward, they will actually be worse off on the Day of Judgment for having known better without acting.  {See Hebrews 6:7-8}

The Church in America, in particular, has a self-identification problem.  We've allowed cultural distinctions and political viewpoints to more strongly define our view of what Christianity is than righteous living.  We've minimized the immorality that doesn't bother us, pride, lust, and greed in particular, and allowed ourselves to accept the delusion that anyone who looks the part and is on "our side" in the Culture War is Christian enough.  The Word of God says otherwise.  We will be known by God by our fruit, judged as genuine believers in Jesus, or not, by it. 

Those who mimic the look of being a Christian, without the heart-motivated acts of righteousness to go with it, are either self-deluded or charlatans, either a danger to themselves or to the church as a whole.  As long as we accept those who are "like us" as being good enough because we view Christianity as cultural/political feud to be won, rather than a call to self-sacrificially serve the Kingdom of God that must be obeyed, we will continue to warp Christianity into something which is was never intended to be, with disastrous consequences.

The Church's responsibility: evangelism and transforming discipleship

One of the numerous misconceptions about the Church, coming from both those outside of it and those within, is that the Church is a place where those who are already righteous (upright morally) come together.  This is not a new issue, the Early Church struggled with the question of whether or not the Church was intended to be a place for only saints to gather, or a place where both saints and sinners (i.e. those already redeemed/saved and those who had not yet committed themselves to Christ) together sought the kingdom of God.  Following the persecution instituted by Emperor Diocletian (AD 303-305, during which 1/2 of all those martyred prior to Constantine were killed); those who had resisted and risked their lives rejected as unworthy of being a part of the Church those who had capitulated in order to save themselves.  The courageous 'confessors' chose their own bishop, Donatus Magnus (see: Donatism), believing that only a bishop could forgive such a grave sin as 'lapsing' in the face of persecution, and that only a faultless clergy could administer valid sacraments.  In the end, the North African Church was split in two, never to heal, despite the attempts of two councils, the use of Constantine's soldiers to try to force a reunion, and even the power of St. Augustine's persuasion arguing that the Church was not supposed to consist of only of those who are already pure, but of those who long to be pure.
The Church was intended, by its founder Jesus, to be a place where both evangelism and discipleship take place concurrently side by side.  As a Church it is our responsibility to both share the Gospel with those who do not yet believe, and to help those who have committed themselves to following Jesus in their transformation process from someone dominated by sin to someone overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit.  Thus a healthy church will contain both those who are, hopefully, being called by the Spirit of God to accept the Gospel, and those who are being led by the Spirit of God to more and more closely adhere to the example and teachings of Jesus.  If a local church, or a denomination, fails to attempt/accomplish either task, the results will be grim.  A church without new converts is a church whose days are numbered, it may be a great place of fellowship, and excel at making disciples of those already there, but when they grow old and die, what then?  Likewise, a church that excels in "winning souls" through evangelism, but fails/neglects to disciple these converts, will result in a people of shallow faith where immorality is tolerated and the fruit of the Spirit in short supply.
It isn't easy for a local church, especially a small church with a bi-vocational pastor, or perhaps with a jack-of-all-trades solo pastor, to hit home runs in both evangelism and discipleship.  In my experience, most of them are better at discipleship than evangelism, better working with the people they already have than the people outside their doors.  Conversely, one of the criticisms of mega-churches is that due to their size it is easier for the numerous converts (certainly a good thing) to slip through the cracks, even with a large staff and small-group programs.  All churches have strengths and weaknesses, specialties and deficiencies in their ministries, but all are equally called by God to both bring lost sinners home and work to transform those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb into practitioners of righteousness.  We must share the Gospel, we must welcome outsiders and seek them out, and we must take the moral obligations of our people seriously, striving against both sins of commission and omission.  The challenge is immense, the kind of thing that keeps pastors up at night, the obstacles are plentiful and diverse, but the task once it is being accomplished it certainly worth whatever we put into it, and more.  Imagine a local church where new people are coming to Christ on a regular basis, where both those who have recently come to Christ and those who have journeyed with him for decades are encouraged and aided toward ever increasing Christ-likeness through righteous living and acts of service to others.  Nearly every pastor wants that for his congregation, books and workshops on how to achieve it are legion, the Spirit that makes it possible is willing.  Let us pray that we may be worthy of this high calling, my church and myself included.

Sermon Video: Our Prayer - Live a Life worthy of the Lord, Colossians 1:9-11

Having already expressed his thanks to God for the good report of the faith, hope, and love evident at the church of Colossae, Paul goes on to share that because he has already heard of God's work among them, he has not stopped praying for them.  As they are people already saved from spiritual death by Christ, for what does Paul pray on their behalf?  That they might live lives worthy of the Lord.  I don't know about you, but that sounds like a monumental task.  And yet, it is within the ability of every disciple of Jesus Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and as a matter of fact, expected of us.  What characterizes a Christian who pleases the Lord?  Paul lists four things: (1) Bearing fruit through every kind of good work, (2) growing in the knowledge of God, (3) being strengthened by God's power, and (4) having an attitude of gratitude {explained in vs. 12-14}.  We, as God's people, called to repentance by the Holy Spirit, CAN accomplish this by God's power; we can, and we must.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Becoming a Christian vs. Being a Christian

Ignorance and confusion are not helpful ingredients when talking about religion.  With that in mind, there seems to be a significant amount of both regarding the differences between what it takes to become a Christian, and what it subsequently takes to be a Christian.  Hopefully, this comparison will help.

Anyone, anytime, anywhere can become a Christian if he/she takes one fateful step: "if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:9-10)  Race, nationality, age, gender, none of them make any difference.  What a person has done in the past, doesn't make him/her more or less capable of being saved if that person comes to God in faith.  The most innocent child among us (though still a sinner as are we all) can be saved, as can the most hardened and vile criminal, for all alike need to be forgiven, and the blood of Jesus Christ is capable of cleansing anyone.

Work is not necessary to become a Christian, in fact, trying to work to earn salvation is a sure-fire way to fail to find it.  Salvation is an act of God's grace, given to mankind through faith in Jesus.  No specific words must be spoken, no setting or place is necessary, genuine faith will be sufficient.  When one of the thieves being crucified alongside Jesus showed that he believed in him by saying, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."  Jesus responded to this man, a criminal hours away from death, by saying, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."  The thief had no chance to earn God's favor, he had no chance to make up for his past, he simply called out to God for mercy, through Jesus, and he found it.

To be a Christian requires several things, again, these things do not help anyone become a Christian, they merely confirm what God has already done for that person through grace.  If a person lacks these character traits/qualities, the Scriptures tell us that such a person may not have yet become a Christian, which would take us back to square one, the need for an act of faith.  There are people who believe themselves to be Christians erroneously (and thus extremely dangerously) but who are in actuality not Christians at all, having evidently never believed in Jesus Christ.

The Bible calls the character traits/qualities of a Christian his/her "fruit".  Jesus was quite clear in the Gospels that someone claiming to be a Christian without any evidence of "fruit" cannot be one.  "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." (John 15:1-2).  Jesus' brother James reiterated this point when he wrote, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such a faith save him?...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:14,17)

The "fruit" required of each and ever person who would be a Christian is explained in a variety of ways.  Paul utilized a list, calling it the "fruit of the Spirit": "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22)  Not that any Christian has each and every one of these perfectly, but this is the character that demonstrates the fruit that Jesus warned us we must have once we have become Christians.  We haven't mastered this list, but we sure better be working on it.

The Apostle John answered the question, "Who is a Christian?" in his first epistle by emphasizing three primary qualities and repeating them each over and over.  John explained that all Christians must: (1) believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, (2) obey the commandments of God found in Scripture, and (3) show love for fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  John explained that anyone who could demonstrate these three should have no fear concerning their relationship with God for they are impossible to achieve for anyone who is not empowered by the Holy Spirit as someone who has already become a Christian.  {This should be obvious, nobody can be a Christian who did not previously become a Christian.  Faith must come first}  The converse is also true: anyone who lacks one of these three should be rightly concerned that he/she must be truly be a Christian.

If you're interested in learning much more about what John has to say about the question, "Who is a Christian?"  I wrote a 155 page book on the subject which you are more than welcome to read, it is entitled Christianity's Big Tent: The Ecumenism of I John and can be found via the link.

Let me summarize the distinction between becoming and being a Christian:

Become: anyone, by grace, through faith, in Jesus.

Be: Obey the Scriptures, believe in Jesus, love fellow Christians (i.e. "bear fruit")

To be a Christian is no easy task, Jesus likened it to each of us taking up a cross of our own and following him.  In light of the difficulty of the road ahead, anyone who desires to be a Christian ought to be doing so as part of the fellowship of a local church where the Word of God is respected and followed and people build each other up through service and prayer.  It is beyond the ability of virtually all of us to be a Christian who bears much fruit on our own.  We need to be a part of a church.  We need to be corrected when we err, we need to be supported when we stumble, we need the opportunity to grow by serving others, and lastly, but very importantly, we need to worship God with the people of God.

You don't need to be perfect to become a Christian, which is a relief since nobody is anything close to perfect.  You don't need to be perfect to be a Christian either, which is a relief since none of us are perfect either, but you do need to be making progress.  A "Christian" who bears no fruit, is no Christian at all, that's not my idea, but a very serious warning from Jesus himself.