I hope you take the time to watch the video above. This comes from our Presiding Bishop of the ELCA; Elizabeth Eaton. This video will be shown at the synod assemblies across the United States, however I believe this is too good not to share with you! Bishop Eaton is reflecting on the future of the ELCA and these are good words for us to ponder. It seems like it is a time to “take stock” of where we are and where God wants us to be in the future.
Starting in June, I will be preaching on the Core Values of Bethel so that we may begin to think about how do we live into the things we value in order that we may make a larger impact in our community for Jesus.
Maybe this video will spark some thoughts and ideas of how we live into our journey together.
Having only a limited amount of time on Sunday morning, I can only go so far before someone in the sound booth turns off my microphone. I know you are thankful that there are “checks and balances” at Bethel to prevent me from droning on indefinitely. However, this is the perfect place to go a little deeper!
Jesus said to his critics, “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12). Jesus tells everyone that He will be our fixed point of light in this dark world. If we don’t know where to go or what to do, He promises to guide us. It is also a promise that we will never be alone. All good news, right?!
But how does that work? We all know that Jesus was not talking about a literal light shining in the darkness the way a lighthouse that warns ships to be careful. We need to dig a little deeper to understand what Jesus meant by that. In Psalm 119:105 we read, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” The Psalmist (the person who wrote this) is referring to God’s word and more specifically the wisdom contained within the Bible.
We see that God’s guiding light through Jesus is contained within the scriptures to give us just enough light help us take our next step of life in faith. Yes, we would all love to have our journey lit up like a Christmas tree so that we know what is coming up next until we take our last breathe. But we all know that life (and faith) is not like that. We are given just enough light to take the next step. This is consistent with the prayer we pray every Sunday, “Give us this day our daily bread.” We ask for just enough bread to get through today. The allotment of bread and light seem to be the same. Remember that Jesus also said, “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35) There is a pattern and consistency in scripture! (This always gets my heart pumping when I see things like this!!!)
The question remains: how do we use God’s Word like a lamp for our path? What is it that makes this possible? The Holy Spirit. No, this isn’t some easy “pastor answer” so I can stop writing. Remember I have no word or time limit here. (However, there are some who have already stopped reading, I bet!) Listen to what Paul says about using God word (The Bible) as a lamp and how the Holy Spirit makes that possible.
“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to them, and they cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14
The lamp only works if there is fuel! The flashlight only operates with a battery! The Holy Spirit is the power behind using God’s word as lamp to discern our next steps.
We can’t just give someone a Bible and say, “this will guide you all the days of your life.” It is “foolishness to them, and they cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Anything from God is foolishness to those who do not believe in Christ. That is not a condemnation or judgment; it is true. God tells us to love those people too- not judge them.
It all begins with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Freely given, freely received. The Holy Spirit allows us to see things that others cannot or refuse to see in this dark world. It would be like receiving night vision goggles at midnight on a cloudy evening. Suddenly you can see! That is what the Holy Spirit allows us to do with God’s word. We cannot only see God’s word but we can make sense of it so that we can take an informed step.
We need what God provides! We need more of the Holy Spirit and we need the discernment to take our next steps in faith.
Understanding gives us the strength to be fearless like a llama… a Jesus loving llama. It is the Holy Spirit that also allows to be like a “spiritual moon” and reflect the Son.
Let us all pray for a greater measure of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Thank you note!Pr. Ben taped to the wall by Bethel Students.
A Day in the Life of Your Pastor…
Today was the day. Bethel Lutheran School students and staff duct taped me to the “ball wall” on the playground. No, I wasn’t ambushed or held hostage. (However some students asked if I was going to be there all night.) I actually agreed to this. This was a “challenge” to raise $1000 buy books for children who normally would not be able to buy books. In other words, I agreed to do this for a good cause. We raised $1400!
For the past two weeks every time a student saw me they would say, “You are getting taped to a wall!”
I would smile and say, “Only if we raise the money to buy those books.”
Well, you know the rest of the story.
Oh wait… I also was sprayed with Silly String once I was incapacitated.
I am not sure what was more important to the kids—the books or me stuck to a wall.
Honestly it doesn’t matter to me.
Two very important things happened:
People pitched in to do something nice for other people (buying books).
The students had fun and enjoyed interacting with me, even if it involved duct tape and silly string.
This event reminds me that I am a pastor to everyone. We have a diverse student body and not every student is a Christian (gasp!). I am their pastor too. I have the privilege to be an example of Jesus’ love and hospitality to a wide range of people. I am humbled that I am one of the many faces of Jesus on our campus.
It is not just our school. The same applies to our church. I am not only the pastor of the adults, but of all God’s children: young or old. I enjoy the children’s time on Sunday morning, but I also love spending time at Kid Connection (Sunday School) or with the Confirmation kids—and yes even the “high schoolers” when Tom lets me.
Scholars and those who study such things know that children are more receptive to hear about Jesus and believe than any other age group. I take that to heart. If I can be a person of influence in even one our Bethel students lives, I will be satisfied.
If you attend Bethel, you know that periodically I talk about the importance of and the strengthening of both youth and children’s ministry. We have the ability and opportunity to introduce them to the most important person who ever walked the earth: Jesus.
There is no better job on the planet than telling kids about the love of Jesus. Even more so when you receive a thank you note from a child…
According to Luke who wrote both The Gospel According to Luke and Acts of the Apostles researched the life of Jesus in order “to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:3-4) Luke investigated the life of Jesus and the ministry of the disciples so that the person Theophilus could confirm the things he already believed.
Luke was also a doctor and a friend of Paul the great theologian and missionary. There are many churches around the world named after both Saint Luke and Saint Paul.
Luke was not an eyewitness to most of the events he records, but talked to those who were present. After the resurrection of Jesus and just moments before His ascension, Luke records that Jesus said this to those present:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Jesus’ final words are words of action. “You will be my witnesses.” Not a lot of choice given the disciples in that moment. Jesus tells them exactly what is next for them. Jesus could have told them lots of things before his return to heaven.
I created a list of things Jesus could have said before his ascension:
Be theologically correct.
Take care of yourselves.
Build lots of buildings.
Judge people who don’t share the same beliefs and/or moral compass.
Turn the relationship we have into a set of rules to follow.
I could go on. Jesus doesn’t say any of these things anywhere in the gospel stories about him let alone his final words. Yet it remains he said, “You will be my witnesses…” Hmmmm.
Am I forgetting anything? Oh yeah, Jesus promises something before the whole “be my witness” thing. The Holy Spirit. Jesus promises them the Holy Spirit so that they will have the power to be witnesses. Jesus not only tells them what to do, but then gives them the power to do it.
OK I get it, we are Lutherans and we don’t talk about the Holy Spirit except on Pentecost and maybe Reformation Sunday. Maybe that is the issue! We need more of the Holy Spirit in our lives to accomplish the tasks that Jesus has set before us!
All of us have a measure of the Holy Spirit. We would not be able to believe without it. Let me go out on a limb here and say that it would be permissible to ask our Father in Heaven to give us a larger portion of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name.
If we are struggling with being witnesses for Jesus and would rather be in the witness relocation program than say the name of Jesus to a friend—then we need more of the Holy Spirit.
When Paul (Luke’s friend) wrote Timothy a letter, Paul wrote this, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”(1 Timothy 1:6-7)
Paul was talking about the Holy Spirit. God is so good that not only does He give us direction but also gives us the power to accomplish the task.
Pray for a greater portion of the Spirit in your life.
It is Maundy (Commandment) Thursday (as I write this). Later today we will remember the covenant God made with us through His son Jesus. The bread and wine of Holy Communion are the means by which that covenant is experienced. The Lord’s Supper is such a wonderful gift! Every time we gather at the Lord’s Table we are reminded of the radical love of God through simple things like wine and bread.
Tomorrow, we will gather to remember the sacrifice of Jesus that gives power to Holy Communion. We spiritually walk from the upper room where Holy Communion was first served to the disciples to Golgotha where Jesus died on cross for us.
Then we wait…
We wait for Easter morning. A day that brings joy beyond measure! We will gather to be told once again that death is not the end but only the beginning.
Whether you attend Bethel Lutheran Church or you attend church somewhere else, I encourage you to engage your hearts and minds and think about these things.
Also, if you are planning to attend worship this weekend, please read the article below. This is for us regular church “attenders.” I try to do all of this every Sunday…maybe we all should consider doing these things.
Nine Considerations for Church Members This Easter By Thom S. Rainer
It will be one of the highest attended days of the year for your church. It may be the highest.
There will be some people you don’t know. Some of them are guests. Others are members who attend infrequently.
You have an opportunity to make a gospel impression on these people with a few simple acts. Indeed, you have an opportunity to make an eternal difference. Here are nine servant actions for you to consider.
Pray as you enter the property. Pray for the guests. Pray for the services. Pray for the pastor and the sermon.
Park at the most distant spot available. Save the closer parking places for guests.
Greet people. They may be guests. They may be members. It’s okay to introduce yourself to either.
Look for people to help. You know the place well. Many others will not. Be a guide. Help someone who looks like he or she needs help.
Sit as close as possible to the front of the worship center. Save the back rows for guests and late entrants, so they don’t have to walk past so many people.
Sit in the middle. Don’t claim that aisle seat where people have to walk over you or past you.
Sit closely. Your worship center may be packed. If so, be willing to sit cheek to cheek.
Volunteer to serve. As the number of attendees increase, so does the need for volunteers. The parking team, kids ministry, and church greeter ministry are a few of the areas that will need more volunteers to help serve and minister to members and guests.
Pray as you leave. The Holy Spirit is likely working in many persons who attended. Pray for His continual work of conviction and comfort.
These are simple acts. They are acts of service. And if you survive doing these acts of kindness and service on Easter, you just might be able to do them on other days of worship as well.
We are almost to Jerusalem…
As “mainline protestants” we are a week away from the season of Lent ending and entering into something called Holy Week. For those who are not a part of a historic liturgical church—church seasons seem odd and out of place because they are not found in the Bible. That point is true. However the reasoning behind church seasons is very Biblical.
Lent is the 40 day season (excluding Sundays) that prepares us for Easter if we choose to engage in the season. Lent is a time to fast, reflect and pray over our need for God in our lives. Dependence on God is very Biblical.
Why 40 days? 40 is the expanse of years the people of Israel wandered in the desert before settling in Canaan (soon to become Israel). 40 is the number of days Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and praying before he began his ministry with the disciples. At the end of those 40 days, Satan tempted Jesus when he was at his weakest.
We too, can use what is left of these 40 days to prepare for the greatest event in human history: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection wasn’t for himself or to seek attention; He did those things for us. God’s unbelievable love for humanity is the source of his sacrifice.
But like I said, we are almost to Jerusalem. A week from Sunday we will be celebrating and remembering Jesus arrival for the Passover in the capital city of Israel where the temple of God was located. Many pilgrims made there way to Jerusalem for the Passover meal and to celebrate within the walls of this city as a way of remembering their freedom from Pharaoh in Egypt from so many years ago. (Think Moses, the plagues and the Red Sea crossing from the book of Exodus).
It is in this setting that Jesus arrives on what we call Palm Sunday. But it also the day that they are instructed by the Jewish Law to select a lamb for the sacrifice and the meal. “Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.” Exodus 12:3
The pilgrims and the residents of Jerusalem would leave the city and go out to purchase a yearling lamb on the day Jesus arrives. It is a day of celebration and joy. There would be thousands of people outside of Jerusalem securing their lamb for Passover from shepherds in the surrounding hills. It was also customary to recite the Hallel during this week. The Hallel is a prayer/song of praise. Specifically, the Hallel is Psalm 113-118.
Why is this important? Because these words are found within the Hallel: “O Lord, save us (Hosanna); O Lord, grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.” Psalm 118:25-27
Some of the very words the gospels quote as Jesus enters the city. Notice that the psalm mentions having “boughs in hand” and a parade up to the altar at the temple. The people had palm branches as their “boughs.” As people purchased their lambs, they would then proceed to the temple to symbolically present them to the priest only to return in 4 days to have the lamb sacrificed for the Passover meal.
Jesus does the same thing. He arrives and presents himself at the temple only he tips over the tables of the moneychangers and those selling doves as a sign of God’s displeasure knowing that in a few short days, he too would sacrifice his life for humanity.
Remember the words of John the Baptist, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29b
Palm Sunday is the beginning to a very Holy Week, yet Palm Sunday itself is full of symbolism and meaning.
As we come to the end of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week, let us not forget about the Lamb of God who is blameless and pure who offers himself as a sacrifice for our very souls.
As Passover is a celebration of freedom from captivity, Jesus’ death and resurrection is freedom from sin and estrangement from God.
Indeed, the greatest need of all is to pray for our civil authorities and the government, for chiefly through them does God provide us our daily bread and all the comforts of this life. Although we have received from God all good things in abundance, we cannot retain any of them or enjoy them in security or happiness unless he gives us a stable, peaceful government. For where dissension, strife, and war prevail, there our daily bread is taken away, or at least reduced.
It would therefore be fitting if the coat-of-arms of every upright prince were emblazoned with a loaf of bread instead of a lion or a wreath of rue, or if a loaf of bread were stamped on coins, to remind both princes and subjects that through the office of the princes we enjoy protection and peace and that without them we could not have the steady blessing of daily bread. -Martin Luther, from the Large Catechism
Is it me or is this year’s primary season full of weird sound-bites and angry talk aimed at other candidates and groups of people? If it’s just me—then stop reading now. Maybe I am turning into a “cranky old man.” My wife’s been warning me that it is going happen. Maybe it happened one night in my sleep.
If you are still reading then maybe you are feeling the same way. This isn’t about the issues. This is about the incivility of presidential politics. I am not inclined to vote for a person who is the loudest, angriest, meanest and most divisive. I would not want to have someone like that in my own house let alone leading our country. Even more disturbing is that all but one candidate identifies as Christian. That’s a lot of angry and mean talk among Christians.
As Christians, do we give exclusions for conduct if you run for higher office? Not the last time I checked. Would you want your children, spouse or even your pastor to act like that? (Please don’t say yes.) It seems to me we give a “pass” to all who run for elected office when it comes to campaign season. We take on this Darwinian mindset of only the strongest survive and we are ok with that.
Once again this is not about the issues. This is about how we treat one another. If we condone this type of behavior for those running for governor, senator and President, then, we too, are condoning it for ourselves. Don’t get me wrong, nobody is perfect and I don’t expect that in myself or anyone else. For me, how we treat each other is important. If our candidates are not respectful of each other how we can we even expect them to be a leader that truly represents all people within their constituency?
Martin Luther reminds us in the quote above that we should pray for our leaders and our government. Without a stable government- abundance, security and happiness are diminished if not completely “taken away.” I guess I agree with Pastor Luther on this. I need to pray more for our possible presidents and our current government.
Jesus says, “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:16-21
I recently read an article that made me shake my head in agreement from a periodical named the Christian Century. The Christian Century is a well-respected Christian journal. No fly-by-night operation here. They do good work. This article is by William Willimon. William Willimon is an American theologian and bishop in the United Methodist Church, who served the North Alabama Conference. He is currently Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at Duke Divinity School. He is former Dean of the Chapel at Duke University and is considered by many as one of America’s best-known and most influential preachers. In other words, he is no slouch and he knows his stuff.
When I am challenged to think, act and lead differently I am reminded of the words from James 3:1, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers (or master, or leader), my brothers and sisters, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”
I understand that I am not only responsible for myself but also for the people of Bethel Lutheran Church. The Bible tells me that I will be judged more strictly when it comes to the position I hold. I am absolutely saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ—but I also know that I am accountable because of my position. That is why articles like this get my attention.
This article is entitled “Why Leaders are a Pain.” Willimon describes the challenge of churches in the 21st century as it relates to the pastor. I am going to quote some of the article because I think it is important to ponder these things no matter where you attend church.
“This may be the first generation of pastors in centuries to whom God has given the intimidating assignment of not only loving but changing the church. When the San Damiano crucifix spoke to Francis of Assisi, it didn’t say, ‘Love everybody, particularly the birds.’ Christ told Francis, ‘Rebuild my church.’”
The story goes that St. Francis was praying in an old church when he heard the voice of God telling him to “rebuild my church.” Francis at first thought God meant for him to fix up the church in which he was praying. No. God had bigger plans for him. Francis came to the realization that the Church body needed more than just a face-lift.
There is a big difference between loving and caring for people and engaging people for ministry in the 21st century. We need both. We need God’s love of course but we also should love others while taking seriously the mission to make Christ’s name known in our community. Without love we have nothing. Without mission we will eventually have nothing.
“In a class on clergy leadership, one of my colleagues asked the students, ‘What is the most important thing pastors offer congregations?’
A seminarian replied, ‘Just to be present with people—listen, love, and stand with them.’
‘That’s not good enough,’ snapped back this professor of pastoral care. ‘You must have the courage to be a Christian caregiver. You can’t do that without being a truth teller. Individuals and congregations can’t get better unless somebody cares enough to help them hear and respond to the facts.’”
As a pastor, it would be much easier just to love people. Who doesn’t like to be liked? I know it sounds a tad co-dependent but that is the path of least resistance. Let’s just all get along and I will be there for you when you need it. But you and I both know that is not the sole calling of a Christian. I can hear Jesus calling from the recesses of mind saying, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” How we do that has changed over the past 2000 years, but the call to do that has never been rescinded or amended. We absolutely have to love, but there is more to being the church than just that.
“A church told Willimon about the time they met with their bishop, Janice Huie, to discuss the profile of their next pastor. They reported how much they appreciated their current pastor. ‘We love him and he loves us,’ one member said. ‘We hope that our next pastor will be as good.’
The bishop asked, ‘If he is so beloved, why has your attendance slipped by 20 percent in the last two years?’
They replied, ‘We didn’t know that.’
She said, ‘And you are the church’s leaders? You must have worked hard not to notice.’ Then the bishop whipped out charts that showed the congregation’s rising age, declining giving, and lack of diversity.
‘When she got through rubbing our noses in those stats,’ said one member, ‘we were on our knees begging her to send us a pastor who knew not only how to love us but also how to help us.’
I admire Bishop Huie, who has taken on the difficult task of episcopal truth telling.”
Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to stir the pot or cause alarm or predict that the sky is falling. At the same time, business as usual has led the American church to where it is at now.
Life for me would be so much easier if I were a universalist. A universalist is someone who believes that Christ saves everyone regardless of belief, action or attitude. If I believed that my job would be so much easier. As Lutherans we do not believe in universalism because it is not to be found in the Scriptures. I am left with the words of Peter when facing the very men who convicted Jesus and handed down the death penalty. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” That name is Jesus.
I won’t conclude with answers. I will end with a question. How will the church reach children and youth with the message of God’s love so that they can get to know the One who has loved them since before their birth?
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:14-15
Faith is such a personal thing we don’t like to talk about it to just anybody. Anymore, conversations regarding faith are limited to the closest of friends and family. Discussions of theology are much safer in a crowd. Faith, not so much.
I get it—I often use the false statement of “my faith.” The trust I have in God is so a part of the fabric of my life that I falsely believe it is “my faith.” I know what you are thinking…if it is not my faith then whose is it?
The ability to trust in God comes from God. Dr. Luther rightly says this in the Small Catechism, “I believe that by my own reason or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in true faith.”
Faith in God is a gift from God. We certainly do have the strength to reject that gift but the gift of faith is still a present from God through Jesus Christ. There is no such thing as “my faith” unless there is an acknowledgment that it was given to you.
Yet the fact remains that some in this world have this gift and some do not. I can only rely on the words of Jesus in John 3:8 when he says, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” For us, it is a mystery why some accept this gift and some do not. I know that is not satisfying to hear, but that is what we are told. Yes- pride, control and power do affect our ability to receive the gift of faith but there are others to whom this does not apply.
The truth remains that faith is a gift to be received and not taken or re-created from within. St. Paul says as much in Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
St. Paul knows better than anyone that faith in Christ is a gift and not something you find on your own. God literally brought St. Paul to faith in Jesus on the road to Damascus by blinding him and knocking him off his horse. (See Acts 9.) St. Paul was an enemy of Christ and His Church. On his own, St. Paul would never, ever believe in Jesus. Not only did God give St. Paul the gift of faith, God had to force it down his proverbial throat.
St. Paul understood that faith only comes from God. I would imagine most of us did not need to be force-fed belief in Jesus. Even so, it is still a gift.
Once it is given, it must be nourished and strengthened not unlike a houseplant. If you don’t water, fertilize and give a houseplant sunlight—it will eventually die. Faith too must be nurtured or it will lie dormant like a seed in the ground- full of unrealized potential.
Worship, pray, connect with others, study and serve are things necessary to grow the gift God has given you. Yes, you are free to do whatever you want, but if you wish to grow, it will require effort. Devoting yourself to growing closer to God is a worthy endeavor.
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15
I am intrigued by these verses by Paul. He wrote to a church he planted in Corinth. After he left Corinth to plant another church in another city, Paul would write letters to all the churches he started across Asia Minor (mostly in modern day Turkey). The church in Corinth was troubled. If you read 1st and 2nd Corinthians you can tell that people are contentious, even with their founding pastor.
We do not have the letters that the church in Corinth wrote to Paul but we do have his responses in 1st and 2nd Corinthians. You can sense the trouble and tension between Paul and the church in his reply.
In chapter 3 Paul is clarifying that there are no factions in the Church of God. We all follow God through the person of Jesus Christ. Back then some of church folks were saying things like, “I follow Paul” and others saying, “I follow Apollos.” Paul and Apollos were friends and not competitors. Neither of them tried to attract disciples. They both pointed to Jesus. It is a little odd that people within the church of Corinth were picking “non-existent” sides within Christianity.
Paul writes to correct this by saying we are all in this together and everyone has his or her assigned task, but we are all on the same team. It is just like building a house. It always begins with the one foundation. As Christians our foundation is Jesus Christ.
The question becomes—what do we build upon the foundation (faith and trust in Jesus Christ)? Clearly there are lots of choices. We see the gamut of choices just through the variety of Christian denominations in the world today. All of them build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Yet, it is more than that.
As individuals, we too build upon the foundation of faith God has given us. Some of it is strong and other parts wouldn’t pass a building inspection. Paul gives a list of things that we should build upon this foundation in Galatians 5:22-23: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Yet in the world we have brothers and sisters in Christ who try to justify hate, selfish ambition, idolatry (of all kinds), rage, exclusion and racism. Some Christians even claim that is the Christian thing to do. Some people in the media spotlight who claim to be Christians and Christian leaders have said some very outlandish things over the years.
Paul’s response to that is this: God will test whatever you build on the foundation of Christ. If it is worthy of the foundation it is built on it will stand. If it is not, it will burn to the ground like dry firewood.
Imagine that for a moment. At the end of your life and you get to see a building of faith that you built with your actions and beliefs. A building made of everything you did that you gave God credit for. This building is also built with every stance on every issue that you took for God. This same building is constructed with how you treated everyone, including the least of these. It is quite a building!
Then the ultimate building inspector comes to see how worthy the structure is and this is what happens: It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
Does your life’s work as a Christian stand or fall? I am not talking about sin. Our sins are forgiven. I am talking about all things we attribute to God or we believe are from God, including our mindsets and attitude towards others. Do those things survive the “refiners fire”? We can fireproof our life’s work as Christians when we seek forgiveness and live by the “Fruit of the Spirit” that I mentioned earlier.
I am also not talking about salvation here. Because of the foundation in Jesus Christ, salvation is assured to both the person whose life’s work (spiritual house) stands up to the “refiner’s fire” and to the person who life’s work (spiritual house) goes up in flames. The grace of God abounds to the person who rightly follows God and the grace of God abounds to the person who wrongly follows God.
Yet, I don’t want to get to the end of my life to discover that my life’s work was not worthy of the foundation it was built upon. I don’t want to enter the Kingdom of God by the “skin of my teeth” as if I was jumping from a burning building. I want my actions, attitudes, and service to be tested and found worthy of the foundation that it was built on. What about you?
Lord, help me to be the person you want me to be. Help me to build upon the gift of faith that you have placed in my heart. Help me to love others as you have loved me. Help me to reflect your gentle kindness to this hard-hearted world. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
