Nov 12 2023 Becoming the Gospel

Over the next 10-12 weeks, I’m going to be sharing how we, as a small church, have really become an example to the larger Church.

For today – you all are leaners – students – disciples – true disciples – students of the Bible and the Church community. We have all learned to learn something new, to let go of some things, and to relearn other things. This comes from a desire to know God more. This is the thing I boast about our church the most – I talk about you all and how you have been learners. I talk about how you have been willing to learn, unlearn, and relearn many things.

We are comfortable with what we know and have learned. And usually, something has to come into your life to cause what has worked for you to no longer work – and there becomes this desperate need – maybe I need to learn something – or relearn something. I think that happens to most people.

For the past 5-10 years – I think that has happened a lot in the Christian world in general – there is so much going on that many have been forced to reevaluate – are there things I don’t have right?

I often talk about the Biblical understanding and theology – and that plays a role in this – but the purpose in learning, unlearning, and relearning is to love God and people better. A better Biblical understanding will help that.

If you have an experience of learning anew – relearning, or unlearning – it would be nice if you could share for 5 minutes or so – it would be nice to have a person per week.

To be this kind of disciple requires us to learn from others. It is imperative that we do that. You won’t get it all from going in a closet and getting everything from the Holy Spirit. I’m not dissing the Holy Spirit – it would be a bad move – but God puts us in a body. For me, I have learned so much from friends, books, podcasts of people who have differing opinions than I do. I will talk about those people and what I have learned from them. Over 25-30 years – these things have really formed me.

7-8 years ago, I read a book by Michael Gorman. He is one of my favorite theologians to read – the book was Becoming the Gospel.

I talk about proclaiming, performing, and participating in the Gospel out of sacrificial service – and that all comes out of this book. He is known – in the Christian, scholarly world for his work on Cruciformity – I’m sure you use that word every day.

Inhabiting the Cruciform God

Jesus, on the cross, is God’s ultimate revelation of Himself. On the cross, we see God at the core of His being.

When he is talking about becoming the gospel – Cruciformity – how to live a cross-shaped life – how to embody the cross as individuals and the church.

That may be uncomfortable for those of us who are positive – it seems gloomy – we want to talk about God’s love and forgiveness.

1 John – we know love by this – that He laid down His life for us.

We cannot know God’s love and forgiveness without our lives being focused on the cross and living a cross-shaped life.

Philippians 2 is the passage I have shared more than any other

As I have said many times – laying aside our privileges and advantages for the sake of others – but before Chapter 2 comes chapter 1 – verse 27

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ,

Conduct yourselves – we get the word, Politics! How to be a citizen – and here how other translations:

Whatever happens, as citizens of heaven live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ

Only order or govern your common life together worthy of the gospel of Christ – Michael Gorman’s take on it.

This is plural – the church, as a community – order your church in such a way as it is worthy of the gospel.

Church is a political community in a real sense. Locally. But globally, the church is ‘a network of diverse local communities living out or becoming the gospel in the space they inhabit as citizens of heaven as aliens and strangers – we live as strangers in a strange land – to live worthy of the gospel of Christ.

The church is always a minority subculture living in a majority non-Christian culture.

It has always been that way.

Strangers in a strange land – we are so committed to THIS PLACE – it is no longer strange to us – THIS PLACE should always feel strange to Christians. When you go to a place as a stranger – the place feels strange. We try to make the place we live familiar. We are not here to make it familiar – we can’t.

The world to us, as Christians, will always be a strange place. Some might not agree with this – depending on your theological position – but I believe it must always be a strange place.

If, lately, you have been looking at our world saying – this is crazy – what is going on – that is you, awakening to what the reality has always been – it is like you have taken the Blue Pill and have woken up in the Matrix.

Philippians 2 – what does a gospel-worthy life look like?

Make my joy complete by being of one mind – intent on one purpose. We live in community when we are united in spirit – intent on one purpose. That needs to happen more in the church-world today. Where that is not happening – people are not living in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

Living a self-sacrificial life of Jesus – this embodying of the cross.

Here is what that looks like – Jesus is the example and here is how He did the example:

Phil. 2: 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

(something to be used to his own advantage;)

He did not use His privilege of being God to His own advantage – to get His own way, we might say – and He gives a gospel summary. We all have privileges – and have them in the church – and outside of it – but for the gospel – we cannot use those privileges for our own way.

First – the privilege of being an insider. If you have been here – for any amount of time – to others – you are an insider. There is nothing wrong with that – it is a reality – but that can be used to our own advantage. That happens everywhere – including in the Church.

Insiders use it to their own advantage by preventing change – the ‘we’ve always done it this way’ mentality. That is not evil, per se – but just wanting to hold on to how things have always been done. Some things need to be held onto – and others need to go. Occasionally – there are doctrinal changes that need to come.

Insiders can use that privilege for their own advantage by determining who is in and who is out.

Another way – supporting feelings of superiority – when we are insiders, not for selfish reasons – but just because you are -- -you have special knowledge – special understanding – the book of Colossians is all about that.

Second privilege – position.

If you have a group, you have positions – it is simple reality. Whatever that position is – it can be used for good – but it can also be used for our own advantage.

And, as someone in a position – it is easy to feel like – I’m leading this thing and God spoke to me and I sense His direction for this – and there is nothing wrong with that – but the next step of making it happen might be a challenge to keep from using position.

I was trained - you should not try to bring something to the floor without garnering the support of certain leaders or influential people. That is neither wrong, nor right – but the goal would be for the Holy Spirit to lead the community to what He wants.

What I have learned – usually – probably 110% of the time – I am not the Holy Spirit. He is much bigger than I am. I do not have a direct line – outside of what we all have – and God has chosen for us to have that direct line with one another – the line is a group line. We all need one another – can’t have the head without the arms…

3^rd – the privilege of knowledge and understanding. Those are good things, but they could be used for personal advantage to get our way. It can be used as a tool or even a weapon.

IN Romans 14, Paul addresses this thoroughly.

Romans deals with 2 crucial theological issues – the eating of meat sacrificed to idols – and how Jews and Gentiles should relate to one another.

What is a massive issue today? That is no bigger than that.

As a result of this issue – there has been a lot of division that has taken place. Each side has their verses to show that they are right – and they have the attitude that REAL Christians think the way they do.

There is so much talk about the ‘so-called’ Christians. Throughout the history of the church – the Church has gotten together to make lists about what real Christians are – they are called Creeds and Councils – and if you look at those – it is all about Jesus. And you know – if there is another Christan that you would think is a so-called Christians who believes in the Creeds? – Paul has something to say to you

4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To their own master they stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

There is nothing else to be said!

We need to have our convictions and hold to them – we can’t use them to get our own way or to force others to our understanding – to get others to believe something they don’t believe – (Dallas Willard used to say)

There is a lot of complicated theological stuff in Romans – but basically, it is about what a real Christian is – but it boils down to – if you believe in Jesus – that God raised Him from the grave – you are a real Christian – so what Paul does in these next verses – it is not worth arguing and dividing over.

17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

(The kingdom of God is not ‘when the rapture is going to happen’ ‘women leading in the church’ or other things we argue about - )

I was just reading this morning the Sermon on the Mount – In Matthew 5 – I talked about this as we went through Esther – if you insult your brother or sister – you are guilty of hellfire. And I have noticed that there is a lot of insulting going on in our world – and I have to stop myself sometimes – “Guilty of Hellfire!”

We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and we will be judged for insulting people.

YOU have heard it said… Do not commit adultery – but I say to you – anyone who looks at a woman lustfully is guilty of adultery –

17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

As I watched the debate – Where is the peace and joy? It doesn’t exist in our public world – in any form of media – it is just not that. But it needs to be that in the church.

19 So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

If it does not lead to joy and peace and does not build up one another…

Yes, there are heresies that we need to stand up against – those things that go against the creeds – those things that make us Christians –

Miroslav Volf – Exclusion and Embrace

All groups – all communities – exclude in some way. It is the very nature of a group to exclude.

If you have a fantasy football league – which we used to have in the church here – you can’t draft golfers into your fantasy football team!

Someone must believe in Jesus to be a Christian.

The problem is – what happens – Groups, including churches and communities – gain or create their identity according to those they are NOT LIKE.

It is just a natural tendency of groups! This is who we are, because we are NOT THEM! Yes, there are things they believe…

This is all what Romans 1-2 was about – the church was identifying who they were not.

Exclusion and Embrace

Our tendency is to go to Inclusion. And that is just too political. There is a difference between inclusion and embracing. We need to think and ask ourselves – who did Jesus embrace? Tax collectors, sinners, Gentiles… And He did that without compromising His own righteousness – and without ever drifting from His mission. It was His mission to go to those who are lost.

The Son of Man came to seek and save the Lost

I did not come to call the righteous to repentance – but sinners.

Who are the Others in your context? How do we embrace them without compromising our own righteousness?