THE GOD WHO STOOPS

Religion, including what often passes for Christianity, is all about how we reach UP to GOD. 
Religion is predicated on the false notion that there is a GAP between us and GOD.

us                      GOD

And that doing religion right is how we bridge that GAP.

us ------------> GOD

The Gospel, by contrast, is radical, different, unique, one-of-a-kind. Only the Gospel tells of the GOD Who Stoops to unite with us - not where we ought to be, but where we are.

us <------------ GOD

THIS IS THE GREAT REVERSAL...

Both the Old and New Testaments show GOD as being keen to reverse the positions of those who are above with those who are below. Old Testament prophets often proclaimed that their GOD brings down the ruling powerful from their thrones, to lift up the poor and vulnerable. He did just this in the Exodus and numerous other places. In the New Testament, Jesus spoke of the prideful being cast down and the humble being raised up in echo of what his Father is like.

No one could have guessed or would have ever imagined how far GOD would go in his greatest reversal. Two thousand years ago, the GOD of all power stepped down from his cosmic throne. In Jesus, he humbled himself, became one of us, united himself to us in our poverty and vulnerability, in order to lift us UP.


Religion says we are to lift ourselves UP by doing more and trying harder. 

• If you are a Buddhist, you must be nice and successfully complete the Eight-Fold Path of Enlightenment. 
• If you are a Muslim, you have to pray five times a day, pilgrimage to Mecca, etc. etc.
• If you are a Jew, you must keep over 600 laws. Good luck with that. 
• If you are New Age, you have to save the whales and go green. 
• If you are a Christian, some churches say your doing more and trying harder comes in the form of giving time, energy, money, and not embarrassing the church leadership with bad behavior.

In other words, religion sees a GAP between us and the Divine and knows nothing of the GOD Who Stoops to lift us UP to where he is, free of charge or effort.


The next time you hear someone wonder if all religions are the same, say YES.

Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of GOD, Son of Man, is different.

FORGIVEN

Love keeps no record of wrong. That's what it says in I Corinthians 13:5.
On the day Jesus died, God fired all the bookkeepers in heaven and assigned them happier jobs. 


John says in I John 2:2, that Jesus died for our sins and the sins of the whole world.
And Paul says, "God made you alive with Christ. He FORGAVE ALL our sins, having canceled the written code...He took it away, nailing it to the cross." Colossians 2:13-14 

This means there is now  -

NO RECORD OF WRONG

 Eternally FORGIVEN

If there be any doubt about this, Jesus himself said, "Father FORGIVE them," as he died.
 
Now when we think about the judgment of God at the end of the age,
                                                      when God destroys all sin and evil,
                                                     He can do so without destroying us.

Should we choose to believe this Good News, we can walk through life free of guilt and shame.

And because we are fully and eternally FORGIVEN, we can now FORGIVE others.

This is also Good News.

We have all been hurt by others - sometimes grievously.

I know from personal experience that FORGIVING our enemy, especially a beloved enemy is not easily done.

To FORGIVE something serious is to experience a kind of death.

God bore in His flesh the pain and death of FORGIVING a world.

We experience our own little deaths by following him in this work.

And it is work - and may take time.

But it is work that has to be done and is well worth the doing.

If my wife and I didn't regularly FORGIVE each other, our marriage would be unbearable.

If I don't FORGIVE others, my life becomes unbearable.

When we are able to FORGIVE, we set others free and find that we too, are set free.

After all, withholding FORGIVENESS is like eating rat poison and waiting for the rat to die.

When God, in Christ, FORGAVE the world, He did it not only for us, but also for Himself.

He lives with a free and generous Spirit toward us.

Following Him empowers us to live with a free and generous spirit toward others too.

Jesus tells us to FORGIVE as we have been FORGIVEN.

Again, he's looking out for us.

TREASURE!

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells this story...

"The kingdom of heaven is like a man who found a TREASURE in a field and with joy, sold all he owned to buy that field."

Imagine walking into a field and finding something so beautiful, so valuable ...

that all you possess or could ever gain in this life pales in comparison.

So you make a sign... EVERYTHING MUST GO!!!!! ...and have a garage sale.

Everyone thinks you've lost your mind.

             "Why are you doing this?" they demand.

You point to the field and smile. 

"I'm buying that!"

"You're crazy," they protest. 

"Don't you see? You're losing everything." 

But you just keep smiling because you know that with the field comes the TREASURE. You are gaining - not losing. With joy you sell ALL, because you've seen a beauty worth losing EVERYTHING for.

I like this story. I've preached it many times as though we were the ones who find the great TREASURE - the kingdom of God - worth losing everything for.

But recently, my son, Aaron, wondered, "What if GOD is the man who sold everything and WE are the TREASURE?"

Yes. 

Yes.

Even better.

It is a little story that points to the big story.

We are the TREASURE God emptied himself to buy. 

When Jesus came from heaven to find us, he found his TREASURE.

Heaven was bankrupt as Jesus gave ALL and died for us.

"But for the JOY set before him he endured the cross..."

the pain and the loss...

Hebrews 12:2

JOY?  

Yes. The JOY of finding and gaining the TREASURE.

Think what it cost God to own you and now what JOY He has in having you.

You are the TREASURE!

GIVE THANKS

Being GRATEFUL is a fear buster. I can't be GRATEFUL and fearful at the same time. 

Try it.


So, while we are commanded over 200 times NOT to fear, we are also commanded hundreds of times to be GRATEFUL and give thanks.

• God is looking out for us. 
• He wants us to be happy. 
• He designed us to thrive.

Those who know me know that my conversation and prayers are filled with GRATITUDE. Being GRATEFUL, however, does not come naturally. I come from a long line of self-pitying, critical complainers. Ingratitude is my first nature.

For forty years, I have worked diligently to cultivate an attitude of GRATITUDE. Now it is habitual. My second nature. I have practiced gratitude, not because God commands me to, but rather, as a defense against bi-polar brain problems.

For much of my adult life, I have suffered from major clinical depression. Among all the other bad things related to serious depression, is the way it so thoroughly undermines an attitude of GRATITUDE.

I have an additional problem. I wrote the best selling Christian book on healing. I have prayed for thousands of people over the past 30 years, and many were healed. My first nature wants to rhuminate on that disconnect. 

• I know God heals. 
• I've seen it. 
• Why then, are prayers for healing ineffective for me?

No one knows.

Since prayer doesn't work and doctors haven't helped, I focus like a laser on all the good in my life: 

a good marriage, nine powerful, interesting, loving children, work I love, friends to support me, even a friend who fixes my cars. I'm on airplanes a lot and not one of them has crashed. 

I live in San Diego...

When I look closely, there is so much to be GRATEFUL for.

I'm even GRATEFUL to pay bills. When I do it, S.D. Gas and Electric bring electricity to our house and trash collectors get rid of our trash.

I'm GRATEFUL for the farmers, harvesters, and truckers who get our food to us and I thank God for the money to buy it. Because I've spent so much time in the underdeveloped world, I'm GRATEFUL we have food at all.

And how about limitless, clean, running water? 

Practicing GRATITUDE in a thoughtful way makes being mad at God for what He hasn't done more difficult. It also undermines the fear and sadness agenda.

No one's life is what it should be. We all have pain to live through.

Therefore, "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving."

Psalm 50:14

He's looking out for us.

 

IF YOU WERE BRAVE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

I sometimes ask this question during motivational talks. 

And then I get emails and calls from people who act on it. They do something big and it changes their lives.

Great stories are lived by those who act BRAVELY. 

The enemy of BRAVERY is, of course, FEAR.

FEAR wisely listened to sometimes keeps us safe and saves us from humiliation. 

• When I was 16, I drove my motorcycle 90 miles an hour on the wrong side of the freeway. I should have listened to my FEAR, rather than hope for the approval of friends.
• In high school, I should have listened to my FEAR of asking the hottest girl in school to go to a dance. Sure, I was relieved and happy when she said yes, but humiliated when she danced with every guy but me.

But more often than not, FEAR intimidates us into playing it too safe. 

God tells us NOT TO FEAR over 200 times in the Bible.

Jesus says,

"Don't fear anything. Risk all. Sell all and follow me."

Knowing Jesus as I do, I know he is simply looking out for us. He is not trying to make life difficult for us if we do radically follow him. Nor does he want us feeling guilty if we don't. He just doesn't want us to live BORING lives.

Before asking  

                              WHAT WOULD I DO IF I WERE BRAVE?

you need to ask two other questions: 

1. IS GOD THE KIND OF PERSON I CAN TRUST?
2. IS GOD REALLY SMART?

If the answer to both of these questions is yes 

  then

you can be BRAVE. 

The big FEAR is death. 
If Paul is right, that to die is gain, then all the lesser FEARS add up to chump change. 

Being BRAVE may be no more complicated than thinking things through.

• I was afraid to work as a missionary in Communist East Europe, but I wanted the adventure. I feared prison and got it, but it was a transformational experience and looks good on my resume. ALL GAIN. 
• I was afraid to get married because I thought I would lose my freedom. I lost it, but gained so much more. ALL GAIN.
• I was afraid to have children because I would be responsible to keep them from dying. We had 8 and they are nearly all adults, so, so far, so good. ALL GAIN.

I've planted several churches from scratch and started two mission organizations. 

All big risks. 

All big payoffs. 

All gain.

I know for certain that on my deathbed, I'm not going to say I wish I had taken fewer risks.

When God says DON'T BE AFRAID over 200 times, it is because he doesn't want us to miss the great, BRAVE adventure our lives can be.

Great stories are lived by those who act BRAVELY.

                     So ...

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE BRAVE? 

                                   

GOD IN ME?

God enters his creation inside every child ever conceived. 
He knows, afresh, the world through the experience of that child.  

Really?

Really. That's what the New Testament says. Repeatedly.

"Jesus created all things and is connected to all things."

John 1:3-4 

 "Jesus created everything and he holds everything together."

Colossians 1:15-17

"Jesus created all and now sustains all."

Hebrews 1:3 

• Jesus is there at your conception 
• Sustains you throughout your life 
• And into the next

We speak about inviting Jesus into our life at conversion and inviting him into particular situations. The truth is, HE has already included you inside HIS own life - inside his friendship with his Father and the Spirit.

Theologians sometimes depict God in heaven as looking 

                                                                                                     down 

                                                                                                             and 

                                                                                                                  WATCHING. 

The truth is, 

                    HE is inside us experiencing our lives with us: 

                                                                                               feeling our joy

                                                                                               feeling our pain

                                                                 working through it all to perfect us                                                                                                                                                                         

Paul says our life is hidden in God with Christ.

Jesus says,

 "I am in my Father, you are in me and I am in you."

John 14:20  

What he means is: what happens to us, happens to him. 

More importantly, because we are ONE with Christ: what happens to him, happens to us. 

• His life is in us
• His death to sin and judgment is in us 
• His resurrection is in us

All of this will be realized and experienced by us in due time. 

 

IT'S SAFE TO COME HOME

You were found in Christ - from eternity - before you were ever lost in Adam. He loved and chose you before you were born. As Paul puts it:

"God chose us before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will."

Ephesians 1:4-7

Your repentance didn't save you.

Your faith didn't save you.

God the Father, by the Spirit, through Jesus saved and adopted you 2,000 years ago.

We repent and believe the good news in order to say yes to his eternal YES.

Your decision to follow Jesus is your accepting God's previous acceptance of you. It's you saying yes to his eternal YES. 

When the prodigal returned home, he sought to work for his acceptance. He said,

"Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me one of your hired men."

Luke 15:18-19

The prodigal thought he had succeeded in un-son-ing himself and had to work for some  lesser level of acceptance. What he discovered is that he didn't have the ability to un-son himself. The father dismissed his so called repentance and threw a party in honor of the true son that he was, with all the honor & privileges of a beloved child.

The Father alone decides who are his sons and daughters and to our relief, he decided to adopt you through Christ before he even created the physical universe.

You can foolishly resist his acceptance and YES, for a time. But when you truly hear how good the good news is, how can you say no? The life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus announces to you and every person in the world,

 "It's safe to come home."