Sermon from Cancelled Gathering

Because the kids will not have the option of Treehouse and Sprouts and the nature of the sermon, combined with the desire to keep on track with our sermon schedule, I thought it would be helpful to cover the text here.


Below is an abridged version of my sermon notes from Sunday (Dec. 20). I hope that it is readable and helpful.

Intro:
God is going to reveal His rule over all things to the world. He’s going to use us to accomplish that task (all of us) – in particular, He’s revealing this through a “sexually whole us.”

Text: Eph. 5:3-14

What does the text say?
Paul turns from self-sacrifice to self-indulgence
(v. 3) Three main subjects, sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness (greedy)
o These things are not to be named among the set apart ones
• These should not characterize the life of the believer
o These things are completely alien to a god-honoring lifestyle
o Paul works from the broken outward expression (sexual immorality) to the inner working of the heart (greed)
o It's interesting to note how greediness is ultimately expressed through sexual perversion

(v. 4) No filthiness, foolish talk, or crude joking…instead thanksgiving
o Not only is the expressed act wrong, so are perverted discussions, because this is really about what's going on in the heart.
o These types of speech are “out of place” for a people who have been rescued and given new hearts
o Thanksgiving stands in contrast to sexual innuendo, because it recognizes God’s generosity rather than a selfish attitude
o SEX IS NOT AN AMUSEMENT FOR GREEDY PLEASURE
o Casual, vulgar, discourse about it cheapen it’s beauty, steal it’s pleasure and reveal a darkened heart.
• We don't behave this way toward sexuality because we are ashamed or afraid of it, but because we have a high and holy view toward sexuality.

What does the text mean?
• Participation in sexual immorality, “impurity,” and greediness demonstrate a relationship that is broken from God and each other
• We want joy and God-honoring sexuality – our experience is often perverted because our view of sexuality is too permissive or too restrictive.
• There are both proper and improper ways to express sexuality (in practice and in conversation).

How do we resist?
• We are so exposed to sexuality in promotional and negative forms that we lose the wonder of it.
• Divorce
o The number 1 reason for divorce in the US is infidelity
o 80% of those who are unfaithful are caught (the other 20% either admit or simply walk away from the marriage)
• Only 3% marry the person with whom they committed adultery and 75% of those marriages end in divorce (devastation)
o 78% of marriages that have experienced infidelity yet remain together describe the marriage as unhappy or empty (devastating)

• Our view of sexuality is usually too loose, or too restrictive
• Too loose = Sexuality (in all forms) is good and should be liberally pursued
o Anything and everything goes (“as long as you’re comfortable”)
o We should talk openly and graphically
o Exposure to sexually explicit material has no effect on how we express our own sexuality (lie)

• Too restrictive = Sexuality (in most forms) is bad and should be fervently avoided
o It’s a necessary evil
o We shouldn’t even discuss it
o The church has embraced this view OR has only highlighted what is bad about sex and doesn’t “reconstruct” with a biblical view of sex

• Some of us have had bad experience with sexuality because we’ve sinned or because we’ve been sinned against and so sex is gross for us.
o What we need is to have our minds renewed, so that we can have a fresh perspective on sex.
o When there is betrayal, then we need to go back to the foundation of the marriage, because trust has been devastated and the whole thing has exploded. We need community around us during this time

• Most of us don’t have to look at our lives for too long to realize that we have some unbelievable brokenness sexually
o We’re either trying to recover from devastation, or we’re having problems connecting sexually, or we’re struggling with feelings of guilt and shame…on and on.
• We need something with power to come and rescue us…from ourselves.

Why does this matter?
(v. 5-6) Sexual immoral, impure and covetous (greedy) has no inheritance
o Those who act that way and talk that way are excluded
o Not just in the future, but also in the present “has no inheritance”
o Don’t be deceived…exclusion is certain!
o These things invite the wrath of God
(v. 7) Therefore, don’t participate with those who do such things
o This doesn’t say to stay away from them, but not to participate with them!
• Joy/wonder/intimacy and the picture of God with His people is lost when we treat sexuality lightly

How is Jesus the hero?
• Jesus’ death on the cross breaks the back of Satan’s deception about sexuality
• We can be forgiven for past sexual sins and have the opportunity to have future security, peace, comfort etc. that godly sexuality brings
• Jesus' Kingly rule frees us to use our sexuality as joy-filled acts of worship
(v. 8) You used to do this, but now you are “children of light” so act like it.
o Main motivation is not simply punishment (or withholding of blessing), but a living out of the mighty change that occurs because of Jesus.
• We should set godly examples when participating and talking about sexuality
(v. 9) Your walk should be categorized with what is good, right and true
o SHOW THAT YOU ARE NOT GIVEN OVER TO IMMORALITY, IMPURITY, ETC
o The Bible does not forbid talking about sex or engaging in sexuality, but it does outlay the right picture of it.

What does repentance look like?
(v. 10-14) Strong encouragement to change way of life – no longer be consumed with darkness, but expose the right view of sexuality on your former dark past = Jesus offers wholeness, even among the sexually broken
• Sexuality is not to be God, nor is it to be avoided, but to be sacred, enjoyed and valued in it’s place, for what it is.
• Even the sexually broken can experience wholeness
Sex is a gift – an act of worship within marriage
• Marriage is the context of sexuality – leave mom and dad (grow up), cling to wife (get married), become one (sexuality of persons)
(v. 10) Be discerning = there isn’t an absolute standard here
• NOTE – there is not an outline of how to participate and talk about sexuality – there are prohibitions and freedom
Guidelines for sexuality
• Sexuality should promote “oneness”
o This means it is part of a lifetime commitment to one another (not a one night commitment to yourself
o This means that others are not allowed into your bedroom (Heb. 13:4).
• Lust for anybody besides your spouse is sin (Matt. 5:28)
• Unmarried = fornication
• Married = adultery
• No porn, no fantasy life, don’t encourage your spouse to look like other people. Your spouse is your standard of beauty.
• It should not be accompanied with shame for one of the partners
o We all come into the marriage relationship with some sexual “baggage,” which will relent as the relationship grows.
• One of the ways Missio exposes light on this issue is through our Hope House ministry – a recovery home for teenage girls who have been tricked/forced into prostitution

Questions for Reflection
• What are the top three things that need to change in me?
o The views I have that are greedy or dark
o The practices that do not promote “oneness” with my spouse.
o Confess those to Jesus, to your spouse (if applicable)

Theology of Spirit Gifts

While some deny Jesus as God in the flesh, others, in an attempt to protect His God-nature, end up unwittingly denying His humanity and miss the power of the Holy Spirit in His life. Jesus was full of the Spirit, led by the Spirit, and did works in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:1-14). This enabled him to live the perfect human life without sin as our substitute and as our example (Matt. 4:1-10; Heb. 4:14-16). Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise of a new spirit for His people (Ezek. 36:26-27). Not only was Jesus our substitute in life, but also being full of the Spirit (Is. 61:1-2), He laid down His life as our substitute so that we could receive the Holy Spirit (John 16:7, Acts 1:8, 2:1-4). After the resurrection and before His ascension back to the heavens, Jesus promised that the Church would continue the new Spirit-filled lifestyle (Acts 1:8). Because of Jesus, God’s Spirit brings the reality of God’s presence to God’s people (Ezek. 39:29, Joel 2:28, Acts 2:1-22).

This becomes the theme of the Scriptures at the book of Acts. The NT era is uniquely the age of the Spirit. We are called to be a people “filled” with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18). What this looks like has been the source of much dissention in the church, in particular over the last several decades. At least three camps have surfaced in explaining the relationship and the evidence of the Spirit-filled life.

The first is the “charismatic” camp. These Christians have an earnest desire to practice the supernatural gifts (predominantly speaking in tongues and healing) as proof of God’s presence among His people. Their practice stems from a movement of independent churches known as “Pentecostals,” whose history can be traced back to about 1901. The movement was a reaction to the sterility and dead orthodoxy that was plaguing many American churches at the time. They placed emphasis on an emotionally charged, personal, and mystical experience with God, evidenced by supernatural gifts. By the 1960s, the term “charismatic” was used to describe those who exercised a Pentecostal understanding of the gifts, but were among other denominations. The term comes from the Greek word “charismata,” which literally means, “Grace gift.”

Recognizing the dangers of appealing to the subjective experience of people engaged in charismatic practice, the more orthodox in the Church responded with a teaching called “cessationism.” This is the belief that the supernatural gifts mentioned in the Bible were for the apostles and prophets as they were used of God to lay the foundation of the Church. However, with the completion of the New Testament, those miraculous gifts are no longer necessary or available, in other words, the miracle gifts have ceased.

There is a third camp that recognizes the dangers and unbiblical practices prevalent in many charismatic groups, but is unwilling to make the claim that the miracle gifts have ceased. These are known as “continuationists.” This group has an earnest desire for the higher gifts (I Cor. 12:28-31), with an understanding that the gifts are not the point, but are to work toward a proclamation of the Gospel that demonstrates a people lovingly united under Jesus’ rule of all things. This is the most Scriptural of the three views since one doesn’t have to do interpretive gymnastics to make the Spirit gifts disappear, but keeps the right perspective on how they are to be exercised (I Cor. 14:33).

This view points out that a spiritual gift is a God-given ability for service (I Cor. 12-14, Eph. 4:7-16), that all believers are gifted by the spirit in some way (I Cor. 7:7; Eph. 4:7; I Peter 4:10), and that no believer has all of the gifts (I Cor. 12:12-26). The gifts are something that every believer should long and pray for (I Cor. 12:31; 14:1), not for an emotionally charged, mystical experience, but in order to build up others (I Cor. 12:7; 13:1-3; 14:26; Eph. 4:12).

The purpose of the gifts is to unite the people of God for the praise of God. The Spirit’s work in the book of Acts was often marked by miraculous gifts…but it is clear in the Bible that gifts were not the goal, spiritual transformation was and should still be. Filling with the Spirit produces fruit (Gal. 5:22-26), which is played out in the way that we live our lives.

Theology of Prayer

The Bible is flooded with stories about people who in many and various circumstances (both beautiful and tragic) pour their hearts out to God in prayer. For many of us, however, our prayers are often few and far between. When we pray we are often moved to do so out of guilt instead of joy, praying not for the connection with God, but because it’s something we’re “supposed” to do. Perhaps we pray because we believe it will manipulate him into giving us more toys to distract us from the vanity of our lives. Perhaps we don’t pray because so often it feels as though we are simply talking into the air.

If we’re honest, many of us are completely confused about why we should pray and how to do it. While explaining how we should pray, Jesus tells us, “do not heap up empty phrases,” because, “your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matt. 6:6-7). So then, why pray? Why does God, knowing what we need instruct us to ask for it?

Asking this question gives us tremendous insight into the purpose of prayer. It teaches that prayer is not a magic formula for the acquisition of health and wealth, but is something higher and deeper. It teaches that prayer is among the most tangible ways to express faith in God. It teaches that what we need, more than things is communion with God. We pray so that we don’t draw our joy primarily out of circumstances or possessions, but out of talking with a God who listens. Prideful, independent people who, in their own estimation, have no need of instruction or guidance do not pray.

But those who realize the realities of life continually pointed out in Scripture, “ought always to pray and not lose heart” because God “will give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night” (Luke 18:1-8). It’s interesting that Jesus compares prayer to crying. One author put it like this, “The cry is the force with which the stream of prayer rushes on. It is possible to have correct words, and deep thinking, and yet no real intensity of heart, no agony of soul” (Smith, James. Handfuls on Purpose, series VII, p. 86-87). Why are we not a people who cry out to God in faithful prayers day and night? Because our joy is drawn far more from our goods and situations than in God. So prayer is, as the Westminster Divines described it, “an offering up of our desires to God” (WLC Q178). It’s not so much a change of our state of affairs as it is a movement of God’s Spirit to transform our perspective.

Jesus gave his disciples a helpful pattern in Matt. 6 where he says, “Pray like this” (v. 5-13). We don’t have to abide by formulas, but they are helpful in structuring times of prayer. The pattern he offers has four basic elements, which can be remembered by the acrostic ACTS. First, prayers can be opened in a time of Adoration where God’s name and work is honored (i.e. “Father…Hallowed by your name…Your kingdom come…”). Second, we can move into Confession yielding an opportunity to be forgiven and cleansed (i.e. “Forgive us our debts”). Next, we can offer up Thanksgiving recognizing that God is the give of all things (i.e. “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever). Finally, we can close with Supplications asking God to move on our behalf (i.e. “Give us this day our daily bread…and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”).

If we do not have disciplined times of prayer, there will probably not be fullness in spontaneous times of prayer. What matters is not the amount of time we spend in prayer (15 minutes, 3 times/day), but the intensity of the focus of prayer. Our focus should be a desire for Christ. It should aim toward asking God to satisfy your heart and free you from sinful desires so that you exalt Christ and employ sacrificial love toward others.

Theology of Justification

One of the fascinating features of Christian thought is the idea that God is involved in rescuing people and creation from sin and restoring all things into a right relationship with Him. The Scriptures refer to this activity of God using the broad term “salvation,” but being “saved” has various aspects.

The theology of justification is one of those aspects. It is defined as a legal declaration from God that a sinner is not counted as guilty, but as truly righteous because he receives by faith the righteousness of Jesus (Rom. 3:21-26, 5:6-10, 18-19, Gal. 2:20-21, I Pet. 3:18). Justification is a one-time objective event, not a process. The process of being saved from sins is known in the Bible as sanctification, another aspect of salvation (Rom. 6:22, I Thess. 4:3).

The doctrine of justification is what makes the Christian faith truly unique. It is the one faith tradition granting assurance that those who have failed at perfect morality can be forgiven and restored to life. Justification declares that a sinner has right standing before God because of Jesus, the one who didn’t fail morally, but paid the ultimate price of death as if He had.

Since the basis of being declared righteous is not the ability of people to live a certain way, the apostle John assures believers that we can “know that you have eternal life” (I John 5:13), because they are counted as righteous (Rom. 4:1-8, Phil. 3:7-9) or have Jesus’ righteousness credited (the theological term is “imputed”) to them. Paul explains it this way, “For our sake he (God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (II Cor. 5:21).

This doctrine was the central issue of the Protestant Reformation. While the clarity was elaborated because the Roman Church was abusing its members with a false understanding of salvation, the implications of a correct understanding were too great to be ignored. The Reformers wanted a return to the biblical teaching that believers work from a position of justification with glad hearts, sincere joy, and bold confidence instead of for it, allowing our works to prove our faith rather than earn our justification (Heb. 10:19-24, James 1:22-25).

In many ways we need this reminder today since people profess justification by grace through faith, but do not live as if they have been justified. Churches are filled with people who think that they have to perform to earn God’s approval and are motivated by guilt and fear of condemnation. If any do not live as men and women who have “escaped the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire,” then he is “so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins” (II Pet. 1:4, 9). Jesus’ life and work were sufficient and our hearts can rest believing “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).

Theology of Depravity

As Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dialogue over the creation of the universe, God makes a remarkable comment about creating humans in Gen. 1. He says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…so God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him” (v. 26, 28). So humans have the special privilege of being created with the unique dignity of reflecting and representing God; glorious and holy, powerful and good, righteous and giving; we could go on and on.

The problem we have in believing this is that the stories of our lives seem to lack these qualities. We experience among other things, frustration, heartbreak, misunderstanding, abuse, confusion, and tragedy in a way that makes us feel powerless and insignificant. So what happened?

In Creation, God created Adam as a representative for all people. Gen. 1 describes the creation of humans generally as male and female and in Gen. 2, God describes creating Adam as the specific representative head of the human race. To Adam was given the rule of not eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and Adam was the one responsible for keeping that rule. Yet, he could not contain himself and decided to stray and blame others for his distrust of God, trampling of his image, forsaking of responsibility, etc. (Gen. 3:6,10-12). Eve had been deceived, but Adam, who was “with her,” was willfully disobeying (I Tim. 2:14).

God doesn’t weakly and powerlessly overlook Adam’s rebellion. In holy justice, He responds by cursing Adam. The curse involved losing intimate communion, right standing and becoming defiled and cursed enemies of God (Matt. 25:41, Rom. 5:12-14, 6:23, Eph. 2:3-5, II Thes. 1:9). This affliction was passed on to all humans as all now have a heart after Adam’s image and likeness to rebel spiritually (Gen. 5:3, Gen. 6:5, Rom. 5:12). While in popular thought, it is often taught that people are condemned because they commit sin, the Scriptures teach that we are condemned because we are sinners, that we commit sin because it is in our heart to do so (Eccl. 7:20, 29, Jer. 17:9, Rom. 3:9, 10, 23, Gal. 3:10, Eph. 2:3-5, I Jn 1:8).

This is what is meant by “depravity.” Humans were created for greatness, but have been corrupted. They do what they shouldn’t (what the Bible calls, “trespass”) and don’t do what they should (what the Bible calls, “sin”) (Rom. 7:15-20, Eph. 2:1). This perversion saturates people to their very depths. Though many want to celebrate a “free-will,” human will is held in captivity to this corrupting influence, evidenced by our inability to live perfectly or live forever. People need God to intervene over their wills (Psalm 51:1-12, John 6:44, 16:8-9, Rom. 7:18, 9:16).

This begs the question, how can we explain beauty and justice if we are corrupt? In other words, how do people who don’t indicate any inclination toward God do such good things? The Bible points out that although we are defiled, we still bear the image and purposes of God (Gen. 9:1-7). All people have exposure to the truth of God through creation and through the law written on their hearts (Ps. 19:1, Rom. 1:19-20, 2:14-15). This is called “Common grace,” and it explains why God allows good fortune to fall on all people (Eccl. 9:2, Matt. 5:45) sometimes causing trouble for those who lean into God (Psalm 73).

So what is our hope of escaping the curse of God? We need a representative who is not depraved and does from the heart what people were created to do. The good news is that Jesus is that representative (Rom. 5:16-19, Rom. 8:1-4). He became cursed for us and was raised in victory over God’s curse (Gal. 3:13, I Cor. 15:1-4). We now have the hope of being reborn, recreated, renewed and restored (John 3:1-21, II Cor. 5:17-21, Eph. 4:20-24). And our hope is to return to the urban garden where we have unbroken fellowship and joy in life as we reflect God (Rev. 22).

Theology of Holy Spirit

Unique to the Christian faith is the confession that God is One; united in power and substance yet distinct in the person of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This formula, One God in three persons, is known as the Trinity. As one of those persons of God, Holy Spirit is God. He is called God (Psalm 51:11; Isaiah 63:10, II Cor. 13:14) and does works as God (Gen. 1:2; Job 26:13, Titus 3:5). Lying to Spirit is lying to God (Acts 5:3-4). He is equal to Father and Son in addresses to God (II Cor. 13:4, Rev. 1:4-6, Matt. 28:19).

Holy Spirit is often the most abused or ignored person of the Holy Trinity. Generally speaking, He is nearly bypassed in circles that apply diligence to studying the Scriptures and have high views of doctrine and theology. Others who don’t know much of what the Scriptures actually say credit Holy Spirit with chaotic nonsense that doesn’t reflect the glory of Christ, but feed the selfish desires of men using God for toys. This not only causes frustration among those trying to communicate the Christian faith, but also, unhealthy division that grieves God.

Part of the confusion is from the difference between His work in the Old Testament (OT) and in the New Testament (NT). In the OT, the work of the Holy Spirit among people included the generation of life (Gen. 2:7; Psalm 33:6; Psalm 104:30) and the inspiration and qualification of people to works of service (Ex. 31:3-4; I Sam. 16:13). Jesus, during his ministry in the NT, explained that the age to come would be the age of the Spirit and that His ministry would be more dramatic and personal (John 16:7-15).

The ministry of the Spirit in the NT would include sealing, indwelling, and filling true believers of the Gospel. Sealing is God’s securing of believers, marking them as God’s purchased possession (Eph. 1:13-14). Indwelling is God’s personal dwelling among believers of all nations (not just Israel), enabling them to live in the likeness of Christ (John 7:39; Rom. 8:9, Gal. 5:22-25). Filling is yielding to the Spirit as the dominant influence of the believer’s behavior (Eph. 5:18). So in the OT, He was the power and presence of God among His people, and especially of some, while in the NT He is poured out on every class and race of people who truly believe the Gospel.

One of the most divisive teachings, which began to surface in the early 1900s, is the false idea that there are multiple stages to belief and that one does not have access to Holy Spirit upon believing in Jesus, but that subsequent prayers for Him will be met with the gift of speaking in “tongues.” One only has assurance that he belongs to God if he evidences it by spouting off random jibber-jabber and ecstatic utterances. This teaching ignores the Scriptural statements that believers are “sealed and indwelt” with the Holy Spirit upon believing in the Gospel (John 7:39, Eph. 1:13-14) and besides perverting the biblical teaching of tongues, overemphasizes a subjective experience over a more objective teaching of Scripture desiring to elevate a particular gift of God beyond its proper measure (I Cor. 12:4-11, 13:1).

As we encounter these false teachings, we should bear in mind two things. Not every claim of spiritual gifting is valid (I John 4:1-2), nor is it appropriately exercised (I Cor. 14:6-12). However, we must not overreact as some have and deny legitimate filling of the Spirit that encourages men and women to remember the Gospel of Jesus (John 16:14-15). Much of the chaos and unbiblical practice among so-called “charismatic” believers makes the worship of Jesus into a circus sideshow, but proper response isn’t the gagging out of the Holy Spirit’s power. Those who do not consider themselves “charismatic” can be guilty of ignoring the work of the Spirit. His presence is the fulfillment of the many promises of Jesus about God’s presence with His people and Ephesians points out that He is the guarantee of our future hope and our power for daily living and confession and faith. He is the most personal presence of God among us and we do well to take notice and be filled by Him.

Theology of Predestination

Predestination for a myriad of reasons is a very controversial doctrine. The abuse and misunderstanding of the doctrine has lead to fights and divisions among congregations and denominations and the fallout has been ugly. Much of the dissention occurs because of the need for someone to be right, but usually involves the promoting of an implication of the doctrine rather than the doctrine itself. It is impossible to simply ignore predestination and hope that it will go away, because its prevalence throughout Scripture proves that it’s not a secondary or imaginary doctrine. It needs to be dealt with in a way that is true to Scripture. Our presuppositions should be challenged, even changed when held up to the doctrine, rather than the other way around.

There are several words that are tied up in the doctrine of predestination (chosen, elect, predestined) and the majority of times these words are used, they refer directly to God’s action in choosing people to receive eternal life. Some examples include Deut. 7:6-9, Matt. 24:31, Rom. 8:29-30, Rom. 9:11,16-26, Eph. 1:5, 11, II Thess. 2:13-15, and I Pet. 2:9. The best way to define the doctrine is to say that predestination is God’s choosing, before the foundation of the world people to be saved, not on account of any foreknown merit in them, but because of His sovereign good pleasure.

There are at least three primary misunderstands of the doctrine of election that instigate debate. The first is to present it in a way that is fatalistic and denies mankind the ability to make choices that have real effects. According to this view, the decisions people make have no influence on their standing before God because He has already predetermined everything that will come to pass. Scripture teaches that this is not the case. We see in John 3:16-18 and Rom. 10:14 that our decisions have eternal consequences, both for ourselves and for others. In Acts 18:9-11 God uses the doctrine of predestination (not fatalism) to encourage Paul to remain in the city of Corinth so that people can respond.

The second misunderstanding is much more prevalent and fiercely defended. It teaches predestination in a way that is not predestination at all. Instead it is taught as God’s foreknowledge of events, without providentially directing those events. God is helpless to intervene in the “free will” of people, a concept which consequently is not explicitly taught anywhere in the Bible. This view misrepresents Rom. 8:29 to teach that God’s choice is based on a foreknowledge of how people will respond when they hear of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection. The passage actually teaches that God foreknows people. While it would include response, the emphasis is placed on personal knowledge of individuals. Scripture NEVER speaks of our faith as the reason God chose us. In fact, it clearly teaches the opposite. Rom. 9:16 explicitly states that election “depends not on human will or exertion, but on God.” It is more biblically honest to embrace predestination than to present God as a cosmic fortune-teller with no influence on the affairs of mankind.

The third misunderstanding, while serving as a motivation to bad views of predestination actually stems from a misunderstanding about God himself. This view is that election is unfair. After all, doesn’t God want to save everybody as in I Tim. 2:3-4 and II Pet. 3:9? The problem with that conclusion is that we know that not everyone will be saved (Matt. 13:41-42, I John 5:10-12 among many others). So we accept the truth of Deut. 29:29, that God expresses in His revealed will the command to repent and be saved, but has a secret will of who is chosen. The question of equity in this was raised in Rom. 9:20-21, where the answer is that God has the right to do as He wishes. We count on the injustice of God for salvation. Jesus had to die to earn salvation, yet He was innocent. We all believe this on a practical level. Personally, we counted on God contradicting our wills so that we could come to faith in Jesus. We also pray for God to providentially contradict the will of those who don’t know Him so that they will repent of their sin and trust Jesus. God’s unfairness actually results in our good.

Rather than keep this a distant theological topic, it is good to consider why Paul includes this in the letter to the Ephesians. Every time Scripture talks about predestination, it is used to encourage God’s people to faithfulness. It is NEVER, EVER used to challenge a person or get him question his ability to be close to God, etc. It is a promise of comfort. Your standing with God rests on the promise of God, not on your feeling of status or worth. Rather than get defensive and divisive, let us take comfort in this great doctrine.

Who Were the Recipients of the Letter to the Ephesians?

This seems like a ridiculous question considering all English versions of the Bible include the phrase “in Ephesus” in the first verse (except the RSV, which almost always favors unorthodox translations). But reading the footnote of a worthwhile translation (ESV or NASB) reveals, “Some manuscripts do not contain ‘in Ephesus.’”

As far as we know, only three manuscripts do not contain the phrase, however, they are three significant copies of the original NT writings. More doubts arise in light of the fact that some of the earliest commentators show no awareness that the letter was addressed to Ephesus; one thought it was written to Laodicea.

Given that Paul spent the majority of his known ministry in Ephesus, traveling there on multiple occasions, significantly impacting the city’s economy to the point of a riot, and bidding a sorrowful farewell to the Ephesian community (Acts 19:21-41, 20:36-38), we would expect a considerable amount of personal appeals, greetings, etc. as was his custom in other letters. However, this letter is by far Paul’s most impersonal and general, including phrases such as, “I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints” (1:16). No Ephesian individuals, groups, or issues are addressed in the entire letter.

With the considerable evidence against Ephesian reception, at least two things prevent complete dismissal. First of all, the letter had an intended recipient. Even among those copies that do not include “in Ephesus,” the text literally reads, “To the saints who are and who are faithful in Christ Jesus.” Without a designation the remaining wording is clumsy. Secondly, copies of this letter were designated to the Ephesians from early in its history. Ancient copiers would not arbitrarily add words to sacred texts. The only sufficient reason for including the phrase, “in Ephesus” is that it was copied from what was believed to be an authentic copy.

Perhaps the best way to decipher the destination comes from the similarity between this letter and Colossians. Explanations in both point out that they were delivered by Tychicus and that Paul expected them to be circulated throughout Asia Minor. Ephesus would be a reasonable starting point as it was the gateway city to the region. It had influence because of geography, population and because of the temple shrine to Diana (or Artemis), containing an image said to have fallen from heaven to earth, making it the religious center. When Jesus addresses the churches throughout Asia Minor in Rev. 2, he starts with Ephesus.

Because he spent a considerable amount of time in Ephesus, Paul wouldn’t have to address specific issues by letter and would certainly have “heard” of the faith and love of those in the region. Instead, he could write a general theological letter reminding Christians of their position before God so that they can live it out, regardless of their circumstance or situation. Whether or not we can claim with absolute certainty that this book originally included the phrase “in Ephesus,” we still have an invaluable resource for anyone to live out his or her faith in Jesus.

New Series - Death to Life: The Letter to the Ephesians

This Sunday we will begin our new series on Epheisans.

Along the way, I will be writing theological articles on topics that come up throughout the book. We will have these available on Sundays and I will publish them here.

Solo Soul Retreats

There's a little phrase that the Gospel writer, Luke, uses that has for the past several months wrecked me in terms of conviction and comfort.

The night before Jesus arrest, trials and crucifixion, spent by all that has come to pass and in the midst of all that is to come, Luke writes, "And he came out and went, as was his custom...and knelt down and prayed" (Luke 22:39-41). This was not something out of the ordinary for Jesus. Never ceasing to be "very God of very God," he had regular times of going away alone from the busyness and urgency of His ministry and this night was no exception.

That remarkable little phrase "as was his custom" challenges me to consider how much of my life is lived in dependence upon the Spirit of God to guide and direct in the midst of overcrowded life and struggle.

With this provocation came the encouragement to do something about it. Beyond regular times of reading Scripture, I have worked into the rhythm of my life quarterly prayer retreats. I get away with my Bible and a journal and nothing else. I spend some time catching up on the days I missed on my "read through the bible in a year" schedule and working through some personal evaluation questions that I found a few years back from Dr. Tim Keller. Questions include:

- In what ways do you acknowledge your own limitations as a pastor and not Messiah?
- In what ways do you work out of a flexibility that recognizes God's sovereign authority over all things?
- How do you demonstrate that you are responsible to God first and foremost?
- How are you demonstrating a disciplined lifestyle?
- In what ways are your family commitments a proper priority?
- How are you staying faithful to the commitments to which God is calling you?
- In what ways are you leading people to and in worship of Jesus?


At first, these retreats were a terror, as I am an extreme extrovert and verbal processor. However, I cannot endorse them strongly enough for times of clarity, refreshment and gaining a renewed sense of purpose and encouragement from God.

I will be taking this retreat this weekend and would appreciate the prayers.

Dealing with Forgiveness

Many people, who profess faith in Jesus, operate under a Christianity that is functionally moral, but is actually devoid of Jesus and devoid of transforming power. I recognized this, yet again, at a conference last week when a speaker, professing faith in Christ gave a great moral definition of forgiveness, but not a gospel, Jesus-centered definition. What he shared could have been said, by Oprah, or anyone whose main goal is to simply get along and be "nice." The people listening responded with obvious emotion, including tears, proving the scenario a desperate one.

The man's definition of forgiveness was this, "Forgiveness is the releasing of your right to seek revenge when wronged." Morally, this sounds good. If we're going to operate in a world broken and ravaged by sin and sinners, then we're going to encounter constant situations where we must forgive the wrong-doing of others and hope that they will extend the same grace in kind.

While me must forgive, I can think of at least three reasons why this moral definition is weak and problematic:

1. This form of moral forgiveness, while it allows you continue in a lifestyle of niceness, does not release you from being a perpetual victim. When wronged, you have nowhere to carry your grief, no one hear your case, no real sense of justice. You simply release your right to demand justice. The result is a culture of pretenders who put on plastic smiles in the midst of devastating grief, whose only hope is that enough time will pass so that the pain that can only be ignored will eventually go away and history will be re-written to have never included that episode of misery. It does not offer the true freedom that Gospel-forgiveness promises.

2. This view perverts the Biblical portrait of Justice and challenges God's holiness. If forgiveness amounts to "letting it go," then God is cruel for demanding justice and taking vengence upon evil and not a God who hears the cries of the upright in heart and moves on behalf of the oppressed. But the Scriptures teach that He is (Deut. 32:4, II Sam. 22:7, Psalm 18:4). He does not simply release the right for revenge. Over and over in the OT, we witness God making the promise to put an end to all wrong doing. In the response of God to the wickedness of the serpent and Adam and his wife Eve, we have the promise that this will be put to an end (Gen. 3:15).

We must refrain from attempting to change God so that He is a cosmic Santa Claus who strictly withholds reward from those who are "naughty." The Scriptures paint a picture of a God whose justice demands payment and who desires His people to do the same (Ex. 34:7, Lev. 16:16 & Gen. 18:19, Ex. 23:2, Deut. 16:19-20, etc.).

3. Most devastatingly, this view of forgiveness, when professed as a Christian view actually changes the very Gospel that we count on to be reconciled and see the world made right, because it removes the centrality of the cross for forgiveness.

Paul reminds the church at Corinth of the primary points of the Gospel in I Cor. 15. He points out that Christ died for sinners. That he was buried, that he raised and appeared. These things are of utmost importance to the Christian Faith and it is eternally dangerous to change that message (Gal. 1:6-9). The death of Jesus is the very act that makes forgiveness possible. The debt for wrong doing is not "let go," but paid. It is condemned in Jesus and sets the guilty free (Rom. 8:1-3). It was not a simple release, but the brutal murder of the guiltless, eternal son of God.

The Passion of the Christ 20th Century Fox and Icon Productions 2004

Gospel forgiveness would be defined as "releasing the right for personal wrath in recognition that the injustice has been dealt with." As my friend Mike pointed out, the axiom goes from "Eye for an eye" to "Jesus for an eye."

There is power in realizing that justice has been served. The condemnation that you rightly wish to execute has not simply been arbitrarily let go, it has been carried out. The Gospel changes EVERYTHING. In the resurrection, there is newness to life and the promise that the death of innocence and safety is overcome by the mercy and grace of God. Realizing this grants freedom to see the relationship renewed with a foundation other than brokenness. May we learn to apply a forgiveness in keeping with the Gospel.

New Series - Rethinking Church

Our next series is a five part topical series aiming at a working definition of the Church.

In his book, Vintage Church, Mark Driscoll rightly points out that "for much of the history of the church the definition of church has simply been assumed" (p. 35).

We will work through the following topics:
1. What is the Christian Life?
2. What is the Christian Community?
3. What is the Mission for Individuals?
4. What is the Mission for Local Culture?
5. What is the Mission for Global Culture?

We'll follow this up by having my friend David Speights from Thailand come and share what he's been doing and how we can get involved.

This series will begin on Sunday, Aug. 9 at 10:00 am at our building in downtown Asheville.

Needing Some Feedback

I have two issues that I'm batting around that I'm curious about:

1. Missio Dei on the City
Bryan and I have batted around the idea of setting up a social network for Missio Dei Church, similar to Facebook, but available only for members so that we can engage in frank "family" discussion. The website is called, "The City" and was developed at Mars Hill Church. We utilize this heavily in the Acts 29 Network and find it to be a remarkable tool.

The positives:
This would allow our members a way of continuing spiritual dialog that arises out of sermons, community groups discussions, service projects, etc.
It would offer another connection point to assist in communication.
The dialog can take place in an environment of safety as it will not be open to anyone and everyone.
The site would allow us to keep upcoming events in front of people as we can utilize it to advertise things.
The site would serve as a place to share prayer requests that come up in the middle of the week, so that we can pray as a community.
The site could facilitate planning meetings and provide a place everyone can come and continue a discussion.

The negatives:
It is one more social networking tool that isn't necessarily streamlined to other places you may already be connected (i.e. Myspace, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, blogs).
It is not free.

Would you utilize this if we offered it?

2. Fall Series on Ephesians
As I begin prepping for the fall series, I am curious if it would be helpful to put together a study guide to aid your study of the book as we work through it together. The study guide would include background information that would be helpful, but not timely for a Sunday morning setting (i.e. in depth look at authorship, setting, etc.). Would this be a helpful resource, or would we be picking them up from the floor on a weekly basis?

Feedback highly anticipated.

A Crack at Simplifying "Missional"

So the term is here to stay and everybody is laying claim on what it means to be "missional." Trying to distinguish it's meaning proves a daunting task.

Some use the term to describe a new way of doing ministry, as opposed to more traditional congregations, which would be branded as "attractional," due to the amount of effort, promotion, expectation around programs at or around church property. Often these folks tend to see building wells in Africa for clean water as good (which it is), but telling people to repent from sin as bad (which it is not). This critical over-reaction poses missional against attractional in a way that I think is weak, unbiblical, and unfaithful to the gospel.

Others use the term to describe a new way of doing church, so that whatever is traditionally done during worship gatherings is replaced with new ways of doing things. For example, if growing up you heard preaching and sat in pews, this crowd of missional now sits on couches and engages in dialogue. This approach wrongly places emphasis on methods, which are not weighty while neglecting principles that are. For example, Scripture doesn't specify what songs, in what style, with what instruments are used in the church. To be adamant that a contemporary style is more faithful is just as ridiculous as saying that guitars are Satanic.

While there may be a new word to describe what should be happening, it often only amounts to new ways of being disobedient to Scripture in an attempt to being novel and innovative.

At Missio, we're not interested in being innovative for novelty's sake. We believe that we are to strive to remain faithful to the ancient and historic faith (Jude 3). We believe that craftiness and innovation are actually signs of immaturity (Eph. 4:14) and we long for obedience to Jesus commission (Matt. 28). This means that we are not hip or cool, but are a people sent out to proclaim the ugly truth that humanity is broken, but the good news that Jesus is Savior, Redeemer, and Lord and teach them how that applies to the places they live everyday life, whether we go across the seas or across the street.

Simply put, we understand "missional" to mean that we are obedient to preaching, as clearly as possible, the gospel in whatever circumstance or context we find ourselves. The Gospel deals with our rebellion in substituting ourselves for God and in love, God's substituting Himself for us, dying for our sins, being buried, and being raised again in victory over sin, death, hell, brokenness, Satans, demons, weaknesses and failures, struggles and heartaches, on and on.

This gives the church her mission, a reason why our congregation takes on the name, Missio Dei. We are simply participating with God in what He does. "And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?" (Rom. 10:14-15).

Fight Club: Men's Conference

Fellow Acts 29 Network Pastor, Jason Martin, of the Journey Church in Atlanta is hosting a day-long men's conference on Aug. 1.

Talk One: Why the church needs fighting men (Scott Thomas - Executive Pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle and Director of Acts 29 Network)

Talk Two: Fighting for Gospel Transformation in your Family (Keith Watson - Acts 29 Member, Pastor of New City Church in Macon, GA)

Talk Three: Fighting for Gospel Transformation in your Job (Leonce Crump - Acts 29 Candidate and planting Renovation Church in Atlanta)

Talk Four: Fighting for Gospel Transformation in you Time (Matt Adair - Acts 29 Member and and Pastor of Christ Community Church in Watkinsville, GA)

Talk Five: Fighting for Gospel Transformation over your flesh (Jason Martin - Acts 29 Member, host pastor)

Talk Six: Fighting for Gospel Transformation in your Church (Scott Thomas)

The conference is from 8:30 - 5 and cost will be low. Sign up by filling out a connect card at our worship gatherings, or by emailing Pastor Kurt (kurt@mdcasheville.org).

Studio Stroll

Worth your time to check out the various studios and artists.

One you will want to check out...
Curve Studios where our own Cassie Ryalls creates.

Ministry Structure at Missio Dei Part 1

Missio Dei Church began with a general dissatisfaction with the many and varied forms by which church was being done. It seemed as though the grand story of God’s Gospel and Kingdom were at best forgotten and at worst, being ignored, minimized or changed.

While it’s very easy to deconstruct church paradigms, it takes heavy reliance on the Spirit through prayer and Scriptural study to “reconstruct” what the church should be. Many are asking good questions, but not digging into the Bible and thus are coming up with creative and new ways of being disobedient to God and the Gospel.

The dream at Missio Dei was that we would not come up with new ways of doing church. Our intention has been to always “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3), so that things such as virgin birth of Messiah, inspiration, infallibility, inerrancy, authority of Scripture, necessity of faith in Christ alone, etc. were not up for debate. Missio Dei, to be a faithful, Christ honoring church would have to remain committed to an unchanging Gospel, contextualized to a changing culture. The Gospel would be the foundation of our community.

The Gospel, as presented in Scripture is not simply a way into the Kingdom. It is the way of the Kingdom of God. The Gospel expressed in the Scriptures teaches us that human beings were created to be perfect reflections of God, husbands and wives, parents, developers of culture, etc. (Gen. 1:26-28). In essence, humans were to be a people who rule over creation by living according to God’s truth, in communion with God and one another. Adam, our first father, failed and since the fall of our father Adam, by nature and by choice, we are fallen in our capacities and abilities from being what we were created to be. And because of this, God Himself curses us (Gen. 3:17-19, Rom. 8:19-22). Albert Wolters describes it precisely saying, “Whether we look at societal structures such as the state or family, or cultural pursuits such as art or technology, or bodily functions such as sexuality or eating, or anything within the wide scope of creation, we discover that the good handiwork of God has been drawn into the sphere of human mutiny against God” (Creation Regained, p. 54).

The good news is that there is One who would perfectly rule over creation, live according to God’s truth and commune with God and man. Jesus was the perfect image of God and came to rescue (John 6:38-40). Jesus form of rescue was not simply an example of a better way to live (though it was that), but He was condemned in humanity’s place. Three days after his unjust murder on a Roman cross, He rose from the dead and ascended to the Father (Rom. 5:6-11). The aim of Jesus is to bring new life and vitality to the fallen, broken creation; to restore creation’s original purpose (Col. 1:15-20).

Jesus is working to restore creation through the church, whose call is to promote renewal in every area of creation (John 20:21, II Cor. 5:17-21). This authoritative sending activity of God is not simply propositional (Matt. 28:18-20). The goal of making disciples takes place in the context of relationships. This means that, in everything we do, we are to be engaged in building friendships and showing the beauty of the gospel (the hope of redemption) to the world around us. We attempt, though imperfectly, to spell out personal and corporate (group) beliefs and behavior patterns that show the larger society what the Kingdom of God is all about.

With this Gospel-centered vision for the church community, and a desire to organize in simple and honest ways, I began reflecting on how we would express the body of Christ (I Cor. 12:27)and mobilize the church to effectively go into the city with the Gospel. The convictions that formed our ministry design included the commitment to facilitate environments where the Gospel is preached for clarity, applied to life among fellows on the journey, and shared with our culture through service. These environments lined up neatly with the offices Christ came to fulfill and the areas in which he succeeded where Adam failed.

The offices are Prophet (declaring the truth of God), Priest (communion with God and people), and King (ruling over creation). They shape our environments of gathering for explanation/proclamation of the Gospel, community groups for exploration of the Gospel, and lifestyle service for expression of the Gospel.

In future articles, I’ll unpack how these environments are played out in the context of Asheville, a creative urban hub for the spiritually and morally disenfranchised of the Southeast.

Missio Dei Praxis: Faith Worth Sharing

Our Spring Membership class is underway and next Wednesday, May 6, we'll kick off our practical theology (Praxis) class. Theology that doesn't connect to and challenge the way we do life, so we're going to do our best to connect the mind to the heart to the hands. We hope to inform your thinking, motivate your heart, and process the tools to make sharing the gospel a reality (without being sales pitchy).

Week 1, we'll look at the tension of the absolute control of God in all things and the responsibility of people to respond to God. Week 2, we'll explore the reasons that we're not fully engaged in sharing the Gospel (lack of information, opportunity, trust, concern, relationship, etc.).
Week 3, we'll coach through some ways to develop a lifestyle that communicates trust in the Gospel.

You can sign up by filling out a connect card at Sunday's worship gathering or emailing Pastor Kurt (kurt@LivingUncommon.org).

Art Opening: Cassie Ryalls

Cassie Ryalls, a ceramics artist in our congregation is having an opening at Clingman Cafe (in the River Arts District) this Friday, May 1 from 5-7pm. If you've participated in communion at Missio Dei, then you've not only seen her work, you've utilized it. More about Cassie and her art can be found on her website, www.cassieryallsceramics.com.

Vintage Faith: Unpacking Hebrews 11

Our next preaching series is underway this Sunday, April 19. We're going to spend several weeks looking at the exemplary faith of those in the OT, who were grounded in the promise that God was working to make all things new.

This series is directed at anyone who has not experienced the Christian faith and for those who have, but have considered (or are currently considering) walking away from it.

Join us as we look at the beauty and worth and value of enduring in faith, holding on to the promise that God has worked in Jesus to make all things new and what tangible results should flow out of our lives as a result.

Holy Week at Missio Dei

This Lenten season, we have participated in ancient fasting in remembrance of the suffering of Jesus before His final and greatest work. Some of our community groups will be partaking of Passover Seders this Thursday evening and our building will be open on Good Friday for guided prayer according to the following schedule:

7am - Meditation: Incarnation of the Christ
10am - Meditation: Trials and conviction of the Christ
12pm - Meditation: Mockery, torture and crucifixion of Christ
3pm - Meditation: The death of the Christ
6pm - Meditation: Burial of the Christ

The schedule roughly follows the timeline of the cruicifixion (not trying to be precise here). Prayer times will last between 15-20 minutes and we'd love to have you participate.

On Sunday, we will consider what Jesus accomplished in death and celebrate the resurrection. Both of our bands will be combined for a fuller sound. I've relented and we are going to sing, (big gulp) "I'll fly away." Looking forward to celebrating with you all.

Why not polygamy? It's in the Bible, you know...

On Sunday, I made some bold claims that polygamy is not for God's people in light of New Testament revelation. While I stated this emphatically, and generally everyone seems agreeable, there is a mountain of evidence in Scripture and throughout history that contradicts that claim. Let me introduce this topic by offering a few examples.

Just because we understand very little of ancient Israelite culture, does not permit us to overlook and flippantly dismiss passages of Scripture that should be strikingly shocking. One such shocking passage is Deuteronomy 21:15-17:

"If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his."

Many things are occurring in this passage that are culturally unfamiliar. While Americans are not far-removed from understanding inheritance law, the first phrase, “If a man has two wives,” causes many to scratch their heads and ask, “Why would anyone want two wives and why keep a wife who is unloved?” This is not the first or last mention of polygamy in the Bible. There is another passage that gives instruction on the legal dealings with polygamy.

The text is Ex. 21:10 and the context of the passage is the dealing of a master with a female slave, which he has taken as a wife. If the wife becomes displeasing, the master has several options. The last option in the passage reads thus, “If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital (NASB reads, “conjugal”) rights." In essence, this ordinance requires that the man provide for and carry on a physical relationship with more than one wife.

Not only do these passages deal with the legal handling of polygamy, several examples where polygamy is practiced can be cited. Abraham, the man with whom God made an everlasting covenant, had more than one wife at a time. “So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife” (Genesis 16:3).

Later, in Genesis 21:12-13, we see that God blesses the results of the polygamous marriage, “And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant.” Interestingly, though, God does not refer to Hagar as Abraham’s wife. He refers to her as “the maid.”

Moses too had multiple wives. In Exodus 2:21, Moses takes the daughter of Jethro, a Midianite priest and in Numbers 12:1, Miriam and Aaron complain about Moses as a result of his marriage to a Cushite woman.

An example where God seems to bless polygamy is found in II Samuel 12:7-8 with King David, a man after God’s own heart, another man with whom God would covenant. Nathan the prophet is rebuking David, but he points out that God “gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and…if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.” God gave David more than one wife and if David had asked, He would have given him more. While there are further examples, it is primarily with these that God seems to bless the practice of polygamy.

Moving from Scripture to historical practice, the ancient historian Josephus, writing about Jewish leadership at the time of Christ stresses “it is the ancient practice among us to have many wives at the same time” (The Works of Josephus 451-52).

In a letter to Philip of Hesse, Martin Luther writes, “I confess for my part that if a man wishes to marry two or more wives, I cannot forbid him for it does not contradict the Scripture.”

So how do we get from these passages and practices to the conclusion of the Westminster Confession of Faith, which reads, “Marriage is to be between one man and one woman: neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband; at the same time,” without explanation of how this was lawful, or even allowed, in the Old Testament or subsequent historic practice? We’ll unpack this in anther post.

Exposed: The Naked Truth...

Title and graphic for our series on roles, relationships and sexuality. The series starts this Sunday, Jan. 11 at a new time 10 am.



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