Changes are a coming!

Hey folks, I’ve decided to make some changes to the blog. Right now, all I do is copy and paste the Oil Change devotional to the blog each morning. It seems redundant. So, if you want to continue to read the Oil Change, you will have to subscribe to it. You can do so here. I hope that’s cool with everyone. It really will help me out, because I am able to keep better stats on how many people are reading the O.C. each day. Don’t worry, your email address is totally safe, and you wont start getting spam, etc. The company that manages the list (Constant Contact) is very professional. So, what’s going to happen here on the blog? My plan is to make this more personal. It will be a place where I’ll share my thoughts on a variety of subjects – not just Scripture and not even what you’d classify as “spiritual”. I’ll focus on whatever comes to mind. For the most part, it will be a daily thing, but even that wont be guaranteed.The best way to know whenever there is an update to the blog is to subscribe to the RSS feed. If you click here, you’ll be directed to the RSS feed for subscribing. Many web browsers support RSS feeds directly, so you wont need a new program to do it (many email programs also support RSS feeds).So, we’ll see how this goes. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it as much as the blog. 

The Same God

Galatians 2:6-8

Once again, we see the rough exterior of Paul. He’s telling the truth – that the reputation of the Apostles didn’t make a different to him. But don’t misunderstand him. He’s not saying they don’t matter, just their reputation. He clearly sees himself as accountable to them. It’s why he goes to great length in this chapter to point out that they supported him and his message.

I just love the statement, “The same God …” It goes with what I talked about yesterday. We can work alongside those with a different vision or calling than ours because we recognize that we are serving the same God.

It’s not a coincidence that a letter which focuses on religion would begin with an emphasis on unity. As I mentioned a few days ago, Galatians addresses the “religiosity” of the Judaizers who struggle with allowing people who are different from them to worship God alongside them.

There is no place for disunity within the body of Christ. It is a religious attitude that often causes splits. It’s an unwillingness to consider that God might work differently through other people. And one is not better than the other.

Paul understood this. As we will soon see, he and Peter have a major disagreement that must be worked out. But even that doesn’t change the idea in Paul’s mind that both he and Peter are called to unique purposes by the same God.

Paul chooses to celebrate what is common rather than what is different.

What do you naturally do when you are around other Christ followers? Do you look for those things that are different than how you worship, or do you find the common elements? Do you celebrate the idea that the same God is at work in both of you, or do you point out why your way is better than their way.

Makes you think, eh?

Until tomorrow.

Religious Spies

Galatians 2:4-5

Mohandas Gandhi once said, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” What a statement. Unfortunately, I think there is far too much truth to it. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

Religion will do that to a person. It will cause a person to justify their behaviour, even if it conflicts with their beliefs. The Judaizers claimed to believe the message of Jesus. They considered themselves Christians. They just believed that along with receiving the gift of grace, you needed to do certain things (like follow Jewish traditions such as circumcision).

In order to discredit Paul’s message – that there was nothing one had to do other than receive the gift of grace – they snuck around, trying to be veiled in their infiltration.

Personally, any time you have to do something that is either unethical or contradicts the message of Jesus in order to get your point across, you’re probably in the wrong.

And yet all through church history we find examples of religion undermining the message of Jesus in order to push their views on people. We’ve spoken in past devotionals about the crusades, witch hunts, etc.

As a result, sometimes Christians are their own worse enemies. Any research will tell you that most people like Jesus, it’s his followers they can’t stand. That should say something profound to us.

Perhaps we’ll finally learn.

Until tomorrow.

Working Together

Galatians 2:1-3

Paul really is cool. He has a rough exterior (as we will continually see in this letter), and yet internally he is so gentle. He truly wants to serve God with all his life, and he is constantly giving himself over to God’s direction.

In the first chapter, Paul goes on about receiving his message directly from Jesus. Later in this chapter, he makes the comment that he doesn’t get caught up in the “status” of the Jerusalem leaders.

And yet, here he is, going to Jerusalem to meet with the leadership. Why? To make sure that they approve of his message. He wants to be certain that they are on the same page. And he wanted to make sure there was strong unity between them, even if their focus was a little different.

You see, most of the Jerusalem leaders were focusing on winning Jews to Jesus. Paul knew his calling was to the Gentiles. They had different target groups. But neither was more – or less – valid.

I often meet people who will dismiss another person’s vision because it’s different than their own. “Oh, you feel called to Africa? That’s nice … YAWN! I think the REAL adventure is reaching bikers!”

It’s a dangerous trap and only leads to division and disunity.

We need to celebrate the diversity of calling, vision, and mission that the Church invests into. TOGETHER we reach the world.

I’ve often said to the other Biker Churches that while we should do many things the same way, we should not be mere imitations of each other. Instead, we should uniquely reach the people of our particular areas.

Paul was not a Lone Ranger. He was not so focused on his own vision that he didn’t see the validity in others. He was also not so consumed with himself that he could not submit to those in authority.

Two very important lessons we could all learn.

Until tomorrow.

Credentials

Galatians 1:11-23

Paul spends the rest of this first chapter reminding the Galatians of his credentials. He speaks about the zeal he had prior to his conversion, and then the same passion that he brought into his faith in Christ.

Why does he spend so much time talking about his own life? Because one thing the Judaizers were doing was dismissing Paul. In their attempt to force the Gentiles to add Jewish rules to their understanding of grace, the Judaizers were putting Paul down in order to elevate their own position.

Ever have that happen to you? Of course you have. Whether it’s at work or church or as part of some organization, we’ve all gone through “put-downs”. It’s the tactic of someone who isn’t able to stand on their argument alone. In order to strengthen their point, they must tear down their “opponents” credibility. We see it in politics all the time.

I think there is a time and place to respond like Paul does. You see, if all the Judaizers were doing was attacking Paul, he probably would have shrugged it off and just kept doing what God had called him to do. Paul wouldn’t have defended himself just for the sake of his own personal feelings.

But Paul knew that he had to defend himself for the sake of the Galatians. He needed to remind them of his credentials so that they would not dismiss the message of grace he had brought to them.

It’s important to make that distinction. There are times we should just “turn the other cheek.” There are times we need to speak up.

I learned a lesson about this many years ago. The youth pastor of the church I was attending had been fired. He was going around bad mouthing the Senior Pastor, telling lies about how he was treated. Since I was quite close to the Pastor, I went to him and asked him why he wasn’t defending himself. Why didn’t he speak up on a Sunday morning and defend his actions.

The Pastor gave me a great piece of advice. He said, “Rob, if you choose to get into the pigpen and fight with pigs, in the end, all that happens is you both get dirty.”

You see, he didn’t need to defend himself. His credentials did that already. The people of the church knew that he loved them. They trusted him, regardless of what the youth pastor was saying.

However, if the youth pastor had been tearing down the pastor because of doctrine, I know the response would have been different.

The point I’m trying to make is this: know when to battle and know when to remain silent.

Until tomorrow.

Approval

Galatians 1:6-10

Are you driven by a need to please people? I’ve met many who are. It’s hard to be honest and open with others if you are constantly worried about keeping them happy.

I’ve met a lot of pastor’s who are driven by this need to please everyone. Most burn out and don’t last long in ministry. It can be exhausting to try and keep everyone pleased. And, as we all know, it’s also impossible.

Paul had a message for the Galatians. It was such an important message that he could not worry about how they would respond. He loved them (and they knew that) and had earned the right to speak into their lives. So, he wasn’t going to mix words. He needed to break the hold the Judaizers had over them.

It’s funny, I’ve met people who think it’s okay to offend others. As long as they are “speaking the truth”, who cares about how others take it. Often they will quote the last paragraph of today’s passage as a way of defending their attitude.

But, as I already mentioned, Paul had earned the right to speak strongly into the lives of the Galatians. After all, he was their “spiritual father”, the one who had originally brought them the message of grace. He had risked his life for them. They knew it. They valued Paul as a major influence in their spiritual journey.

I think that’s a good model to follow. Only after you have earned the right to really challenge someone should you do so. Only after you have given sacrificially of your time, energy and love should you feel comfortable in correcting or challenging someone else.

I am very comfortable in challenging the members of Bikers’ Church. Why? Because they know I love them (Hey, I love you guys! I really do!). They know I’ve sacrificed for them. They know I would give anything for them. I’m much more cautious with other Christians I may encounter. I just don’t feel I’ve earned the right to challenge them the same way.

I think the same goes for those who don’t consider themselves Christ followers. Before I challenge their thinking in a certain area, I need to build a relationship with them. I need to give of myself to them. I need to demonstrate my love for them.

Approval. It’s a funny thing. I must live my life driven by God’s approval (which I have) rather than the approval of others. At the same time, I should strive to demonstrate my love for others in order to speak into their life.

It’s a bit of a balancing act, isn’t it?

Until tomorrow.

Freedom!

Galatians 1:1-5

Many of you know that my all-time favourite movie is Braveheart. Every time I watch it (and I”I’ve watched it too many times!), I find myself inspired by the absolute desire to be free.

Freedom is an incredible thing to experience. Some of you reading this know first hand what it is like to be free of a destructive habit or burden. You know what’s it like to finally feel free. There is truly nothing like it.

For first Century Christ followers, spiritual freedom brought that type of feeling. It was an incredible thought: to be accepted by God unconditionally. For Jews, the burden of obeying the Law was lifted. For Gentiles, the notion that they will never be good enough was erased. Both groups were free.

But old habits die hard. They sneak back into our lives and before we know it, we are once again caught up with that behaviour or burden. Suddenly our freedom is gone and we fall into the trap of doing what we did in our past.

That’s exactly what was happening at the time Paul writes this letter to the church in Galatia. Galatia (or Southern Galatia to be exact) was an area that Paul visited during his first missionary journey. Many Galatians were introduced to the message of God’s love and grace during this trip. Both Jews and Gentiles turned to God.

Shortly after Paul left, factions began to develop between these two groups. Some of the Jewish Christ followers began to fall back on their religious traditions. A group was formed, called the Judaizers. They began to teach that the Gentile Christians had to submit to Jewish laws and traditions  as well as believe in Christ in order to be accepted by God.

This letter is Paul’s response to the Judaizers. As we will see, there are times when he clearly gets frustrated at their teaching. To suggest that one must do anything other than accept God’s gift of grace infuriated Paul.

It was all about freedom. As we launch into this study, I want you to pray a prayer: Father, if there are things in my life that have made rules in order to be accepted by you, reveal them to me. Show me anything in my life that may reflect the attitude of the Judaizers.

It will be interesting to see what he reveals to you over the next few weeks.

Until tomorrow.

Galatians

Galatians 5:1

Have you ever had to welcome someone “different” into your group / organization / workplace / club / etc.? You know, someone who just doesn’t think / act / dress / look / smell like you do.

It’s hard. Sometimes it’s really hard.

What if they don’t believe the way you do? What if they come into your church, discover grace through Jesus, and suddenly want to be a part of things. They have no clue to how things have been done – and really don’t care. All they know is they have connected to God, and they want to be around others who have also connected to God.

How would you feel? Now, before you sound all spiritual and tell me that you’d be thrilled, I want you to think about it.

What if you’ve spent your entire life following a certain religious tradition and suddenly someone comes along who wants to experience God, but has no interest in your way of doing things?

It would be hard to accept.

That’s what the book of Galatians is about. And over the next few weeks or so (likely about a month), we are going to examine the letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia.

In a nutshell, he’s writing this letter to a bunch of Jewish Christ followers who are having to work through the idea that Gentiles are now a part of the scene. And not only are they a part of things, they are supposed to be treated as equals!

For the Jewish Christ followers, it means admitting that God is now opening up the door to everyone – not just the Jewish people! Talk about a huge shift in thinking!

This is a letter that speaks about grace, freedom, acceptance, community. It is a letter that challenges religious thinking and encourages a new way of doing things.

If you’ve been following along with our latest sermon series (either by attending or listening to the video or audio podcasts), you know that I’ve been challenging “religion”. I’ve been suggesting that Jesus did not come to establish a new religion called Christianity, but rather he came to end all religion and open the door to a new way of connecting to God.

Galatians is a book that speaks volumes into that idea.

I hope you enjoy the journey with me.

Until tomorrow.

Therefore …

Hebrews 12:1-4

No, we’re not going to do a study on Hebrews 12 now. We are wrapping up Hebrews 11 today.

So, why are we quoting Hebrews 12? Such a good question, I’m grateful that you asked. And since you asked, I’ll do my best to answer it for you.

Hebrews 12 begins with the word therefore. According to my dictionary, the word therefore is an adverb. It means for that reason; consequently. It is used to tie together two thoughts. You make a point, then you say therefore to tie that point to another point or conclusion.

Don’t I sound “ed-uma-cated”? I thought so.

The writer of Hebrews gives us all these examples of faith. He shares how it is all fulfilled in a promise that was to come (the death and resurrection of Jesus). And then he turns his attention to everyone who follows the promise (the death and resurrection of Jesus) … which would be us.

And he says, Therefore …

Therefore, since all of these people are cheering us on, let’s keep telling the story. Let’s stop focusing on all the things that keep us from telling the story. Let’s strip off the things that weigh us down: sin & religion. And let’s focus on what is important: Jesus, the one who perfects our faith.

The author uses the imagery of an athlete in a large amphitheater. In the stands are all those who have lived by faith. They are cheering us. We are the athlete who stands at the start of the race. Often, in those days, an athlete would run naked. They would strip off their clothes so that nothing would hinder their race.

So now, we are a naked athlete. (Are you getting nervous? I am!) And the gun fires (okay, okay, there weren’t any guns during this time period … just work with me!). The race begins. The crowd is cheering. They all want us to succeed.

But we get tired. Tough times come our way. We feel like giving up. Dropping out. The author knows that hard times will come our way. Everyone in the stands knows hard times will come.

And so we’re told: fix our eyes on the finish line – Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Focus on him, and keep running.

Keep running.

Until tomorrow.

He Is Risen!

Hebrews 11:39-40

It was the common greeting of Christ followers: “He is Risen!” To which you would reply, “He is Risen Indeed!”

The author of Hebrews makes an incredible statement to conclude his chapter of the faithful. All of those prior to Christ looked forward to the day the Messiah would come. Their hope – their faith looked forward to the day.

The message of Jesus is a message of hope. The message declares that we now have direct access to God. Religion is dead. It is no longer needed. Instead, by faith, we receive Christ’s gift of salvation, and we enter into that relationship with God directly.

All these people yearned for that day. A day that is realized in us. A promise that is fulfilled as we pick up the torch of faith and we move forward declaring the Good News: He is risen!

It is the resurrection that solidifies this promise. If the definition of faith includes confident assurance and evidence (see v. 1), then the resurrection provides that assurance and evidence. It is the foundation upon which all faith is built.

The Apostle Paul understood this. It is why he says, in 1 Corinthians 15, “If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead.” (vv. 17-20)

The resurrection of Christ puts a stamp on our faith. But not just our faith, it is the fulfillment of the promise that all those listed in Hebrews 11 clung to with anticipation. Their faith is fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus. And it continues to be realized every time someone puts their faith in Christ today.

And so, I declare to you: He is risen!