Kingdom Steps

For nearly two thousand years the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew has captivated the hearts, minds, and imaginations of Christ followers everywhere. It has been affectionately referred to as “Jesus’ Manifesto” and “The Constitution of the Kingdom.” The sermon is the first extended teaching we hear from Jesus when reading the New Testament. The content of his preaching is so simple and yet profound that it has been nearly universally admired.

The power of the sermon strikes the reader from the very beginning as Jesus introduces His teaching with the distinctive rhythm of the Beatitudes, eight short declarations that introduce the Sermon, give the Sermon its structure, and turn our spiritual presuppositions upside down. It has been often noted that the Beatitudes form a series of steps. Each step is a logical result of the step that is before it.

The first beatitude is spiritual poverty. This is the starting point. Entering into the Kingdom begins with one’s realization that s/he is completely dependent upon God. The realization of one’s poverty results in a deep grief, which is the second step. This mourning brings about a natural meekness, which is the third step. Once we have realized our pitiful position, grieved over it, and been brought to meekness we begin to hunger and thirst for true righteousness. This is the fourth step. But true righteousness does not just simply seek punishment, it seeks mercy, which is the fifth step. When we desire mercy for people our motives are pure, and we find ourselves on the sixth step of the pure in heart. Once we have been purified from misplaced motives we are able to be peacemakers who restore relationships, which is the seventh step. If we are walking in these kingdom principles we can be confident that we will be persecuted for our actions. This brings us to the eighth and final step. Undoubtedly, our persecution will only heighten the first realization again. That is, that we are in fact helplessly dependent upon God. Thus, the steps begin again in what is an unending process in the life of the believer.

Given this constant, cyclical nature of walking with God the first step is absolutely critical in establishing the starting point for the spiritual seeker. In the first Beatitude Jesus declares, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). In Jesus’ day this should not have been a shocking statement. After all, God had declared that He dwells with the lowly throughout the Old Testament (e.g. Psalms 51:17; Isaiah 66:1-2). Yet, this concept would prove to be a stumbling block to many of the Jews in Jesus’ day. Evidently some had come to rely on their knowledge and study of the Hebrew Bible. Spiritual poverty was seen as a sign of spiritual weakness, not a spiritual attribute. Yet, here is Jesus declaring that this is not only not a bad position, but a blessed position.

The great 19th century preacher, Charles Spurgeon, noted the appropriateness of this beginning point. He remarked, “A ladder, if it is to be of any use, must have its first step near the ground, or feeble climbers will never be able to mount it.” Is there any lower position for the human soul than the overwhelming realization that s/he is absolutely spiritually bankrupt? The answer, of course, is no. And there is also no position more greatly blessed.

A giant step at the bottom of the ladder would have been understandable, but it would have prevented many from even attempting the ascent. Instead, the stumbling block here is not a lack of human ability, but a lack of humility. Only the soul who has recognized that s/he is helplessly dependent on God can set foot on the first step of this ladder. The realization of one’s need for God will bring about profound mourning, and bring him/her to the second step. The proud soul can only scoff in disbelief.

Salt & Light

Imagine what it might have been like to be on the side of the mountain that day, listening to Jesus as he declared the truth about the nature of the Kingdom of God. Perhaps you traveled far to be there and hear from the teacher who was suddenly generating excitement in villages throughout the region. Perhaps you were wearied from your journey, not just the journey to that mountain, but the path that life had taken you on. Perhaps you wondered who he might be referring to as he opened his sermon.

As he begins to talk about “the poor in spirit” your interest is immediately piqued. While you think that you can relate to spiritual poverty you simultaneously assume that he must be talking about spiritual giants, not flawed, average people like yourself. He moves on to talk about “those who mourn.” You want to relate, but once again you are overwhelmed by the feeling that he must be referring to people more spiritual than yourself. Back and forth your thinking goes as he delivers the Beatitudes. When he reaches the final point you have given up on being one of those people to whom he is referring. As he speaks about “those who are persecuted” you are left to wonder, “Who are these spiritual superheroes?”

Suddenly, as if he had heard your thoughts, he turns and looks you in the eyes. He repeats his point about the persecuted, but this time he says, “Blessed are YOU when people insult YOU, persecute YOU and falsely say all kinds of evil against YOU because of me.” Could it be true? Could He be telling you how meaningful your life is, how valued you are in the sight of God? Your heart begins to race and he seems to flash a proud grin at you as he speaks of your reward in Heaven. You are overwhelmed by the sudden feeling of God’s unconditional love for you. As you are wondering if he could possibly speak anything more loving and affirming to  you he declares that, “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.”

How can this be? How can your life move so quickly from seemingly being so worthless to being so esteemed by God? He goes on to question whether or not salt would just be left to sit around and lose its saltiness. He wonders out loud at whether light would be created and then never used, only hidden under a bowl where it is of no use to anyone. Of course not! Salt is made to make things salty. Light is made to give light to all who can see it.

Your life is not something that has lost its value. Your circumstances are not something to which you have to be ashamed. The things that the world would condemn you for are the very things that you can display for all to see. You really are the salt of the earth! You really are the light of the world! YOU! Now you know that you can shine your life before others and glorify your Father in Heaven.

God is Chatty

For most of my life I envisioned God as being secretive, especially God the Father. I pictured him like a kind of distant dad who sits on his throne and watches everything, but never really says much. I also suspected that every now and then he snaps and rants and prepares to destroy every single one of us. Luckily Jesus steps in and talks him out of it every time.

Anyway, I don’t know where this image in my mind came from, my earthly father is not that way. But for whatever reason I have had this image of God. A few years ago that whole image got severely disrupted by a simple revelation: God is chatty!

If you do not believe me just take a look at the bible. It turns out that there is always lots of stuff going on in heaven, including a ton of conversations. He has some cosmic divine council that he is always consulting.

For example, in the creation account God suddenly says, “Lets make man in our image” (Gen. 1:26). Who is he talking to? And when God comes down to judge Sodom and Gomorrah he decides to stop for a snack at Abraham’s place. You know, just to talk a bit. And when he is about to leave he says to those that are with him, “Can I really walk out of here and not tell Abraham what we’re up to?” (see Gen 18:17). Isaiah ends up in heaven and God is talking (of course), and he says, “So, who should we send to do this thing?” (see Isa. 6:8). Similarly, the prophet Michaiah witnessed God consulting with his council in heaven on who they might get to trick Ahab into engaging in a battle that would take his life (1 Kings 22:1-28). Amos says that God will not do anything (that’s right, not one thing) without revealing it to his prophets (Amos 3:7).

Once I looked at the evidence I finally realized that God loves to chat. He loves to tell people what he is up to. God loves to reveal himself to his creation and in his creation. He loves to relate to us, and let us in on everything. He never revealed himself any more clearly, any more beautifully, he never spoke more loudly than he did in the supreme and ultimate statement: Jesus Christ.

Yes, there are seasons when God seems silent. There is a purpose for those seasons, even though we may not understand it. However, we often think that God is silent when he is actually talking nonstop. Perhaps our ears are not tuned in to the right frequency. Perhaps the clamoring noise of earthly worries have kept us from hearing his sometimes still, small voice. Or perhaps you are like me, and haven’t learned to listen because you assume God simply doesn’t like to talk that much. The truth is that God loves to talk with you. Take the time to see if he is up for a chat right now, you might be surprised at what you hear.

Place

In Scripture, particularly the Old Testament, the theme of land is prominent. This might be surprising at first glance, especially in a day where booming urban centers remind us that we can fit a lot of people into a relatively small piece of land.  God chose Abraham and promised to turn his descendants into a great nation. He then promised Abraham land that would be given to that nation. In all of these promises God was not merely promising Israel physical space. He was promising them a place in this world. It is one thing to know that there is a space for you; it is another thing to know that there is a place for you.

When we gather as the body of Christ we are not merely congregating on a piece of land, or in a certain space. We are coming together in a way that offers place to each and every individual member of the body. If the point were simply to gather in a space then each of us would be able to measure our discipleship by tracking our attendance. But again, when we assemble we are not just gathering together, we are being put together.

We are instructed to make sure that we do not forsake this practice of assembling ourselves in the book of Hebrews (see 10:25). When we read the instruction to not forsake assembling ourselves together we immediately hear a sort of parenthetical statement, “as is the manner of some” (v. 25). Evidently even in first century Christianity some believers were known to not take corporate gathering very seriously. When we neglect this biblical instruction to gather together we are not just being disobedient, we are hurting ourselves and others.

In our individualistic and relativistic culture it might sound harsh to take the commandment to gather together so seriously. But we do not gather to satisfy a rule. We gather in order to “stir up love and good works” (v. 24). If I do not gather together with the rest of the body of Christ I will soon find a deficit of both love and good works in my life. That is a loss for me personally. But it is also a loss for the rest of the body, because they will have never been able to experience the love and good works that God would have developed in me if I had been assembled into the body of Christ.

This applies not only to Sunday morning, but also to the smaller, more personal gatherings that happen throughout the week. Some groups gather for prayer, some for bible study, some for learning about specific topics, some for fellowship and some to pursue interests and hobbies together. Whether or not the gathering appears to be overtly spiritual all of our gatherings are part of the process by which God fits us into the body of Christ. It is as important today to be assembled with the rest of the body as it has ever been. Do not forsake it. And encourage others to do the same.

I know that I have been talking about going to church a lot lately. Just last week I hinted at it here, and directly stated it here. I know that my exhortation on this subject might be met with a good bit of suspicion. After all, I am a pastor on staff at a church, and some people feel that pastors at churches are always hounding people about attending church (and not always with pure motives). However, I cannot let this subject go.

Most Christians believe that it is good to go to church and bad to not go to church, at least as a general rule. Yet many have quit going to church for various reasons. At the risk of sounding cryptic or apocalyptic or hyper-spiritual or just plain weird, let me say this. I believe that we are entering into a time when everyone will need to have a vital connection to the body of Christ in order to sustain themselves. And at the risk of sounding preachy or old-school or legalistic or just plain weird, let me say this. S.M.O. (Sunday morning only) Christianity will not be enough. If you struggle to even attend that one larger, weekly gathering you still have a long way to go in finding the type of vital relationship to the body that you need.

I have said it before and I will say it again. You need the body and the body needs you. There are no vestigial organs in the Body of Christ. You have a place, and the body cannot fully function without you. Do whatever you have to do to find your place. Drive however far you need to drive to be in the church to which you are called. Move if necessary. I’m not kidding. It is time. If you are misplaced consider these two aspects of your position: (1) you are not where you are suppose to be, and (2) you are occupying a place that is intended for someone else. If you refuse to be placed by God then you will eventually get replaced in the place where you are suppose to be, and displaced from the place that you occupy. Today is the day of placement. But the days of displacement and replacement will soon be upon us. So do whatever you need to do to become a vital member of the Body of Christ. And do that today.

Eulogy for My Friend

I met Mike Dyer eleven months ago, which begs the question, Why am I preaching his funeral? That is a question that I intend to answer. And in so doing I hope you will see and hear the message that God is speaking, because our relationship was ordained with a purpose. And I hope you’ll learn a few things about Mike along the way, too.

I first met Mike in this sanctuary. We were attempting to put all of these chairs back in place after our annual missions banquet and he volunteered to help. It was a few hours of pretty hard work, and I had no idea how difficult it was for him to do that work. After a while I began to notice that the effort was taking a bit of a toll on him. So, I let him know that he had done more than enough, and that he should probably call it quits. Of course, he refused to stop. And that’s when I learned the first thing about him. Mike is a stubborn man.

We finished up the work and Mike asked if it would be possible for us to meet soon. He said he had a few things he wanted to talk about. He promised me he would take no more than twenty minutes of my time. Since it was a going to be a quick meeting I told him I could do it that afternoon. So, he came back that afternoon for our twenty-minute meeting. He left my office two hours later. And that’s when I learned the second thing about him. Mike likes to talk.

I cannot remember everything that we talked about that day. I know that we talked about my job at the church. Once he understood my responsibilities he had some ideas about how I might do my job better. We talked about some of the type of people that don’t come to church. So, Mike had some ideas about how the church might do its job better. We talked about his six children, and at that he beamed. He informed me that his kids were really nice looking, and at that I looked at him with suspicion. We both got a good laugh, and then he had some ideas about how he could do his job better. And that’s when I learned the third and fourth thing about him. Mike has a lot of ideas and Mike likes to do things better.

When Mike left my office that day he asked if we could do it again some time soon. I said yes. He said he would contact me. I did not think too much about it, people say things like “Hey, lets do this again some time” and “I’ll give you a call” all the time. Often you never hear from them again. But the following week I got a text from Mike. “Hey can we meet again? I’ll only take twenty minutes of your time.” And that’s when I learned the fifth thing about him. Mike actually puts his ideas into practice.

There were many things I learned about Mike in those first several weeks. Time does not allow for me to share all of them. But I will quickly say that Mike was one of the more intentional people I have ever known. Although he had lots of ideas he did not throw around ideas carelessly. He intended to follow through with his ideas. He was also a very practical man. Someone with his intelligence often obsesses over impractical ideas, but Mike despised empty words. Mike loved simplicity, and understood the gospel to be a simple message from God. One of his biggest concerns was that the church had moved away from the simplicity that is in Christ, and he was determined to develop a simple message that communicated the gospel in simple terms that could be easily shared and understood by everyone. Finally, Mike was a man of his word. He did everything he ever told me he was going to do accept for one thing, keep our meetings to twenty minutes. It was the one promise he never kept.

We were only a few weeks into our journey when Mike leveled with me. He came in and sat down, and after a few words he dropped his bomb on me: “Look, here’s the deal,” he said. “I’m dying of cancer. I don’t know if we’re talking months or years, but it looks inevitable. And I want to ask you if you will preach my funeral.”

I was stunned. I could tell that he was ill, and possibly terminally ill, but I couldn’t tell for sure. But more than anything I was having trouble understanding why, after only a few meetings, he was asking me to preach his funeral. That question would linger with me during our eleven-month friendship, and it wasn’t until his final few days that I finally understood.

Along the way I speculated about why he asked me to preach his funeral. I wondered if he was a somewhat isolated man with very little family support. By the end I knew that was not the case, and if you look around you also know that is not the case. Mike is blessed with a large and loving family, both his immediate and extended family. I also wondered if he had a lack of spiritual relationships. However, that turned out to be the false as well. Mike has been very involved in various small groups, Sunday school classes, ministries and churches around town. He has poured into others and allowed many to pour into him. Mike has had plenty of spiritual relationships. So, I thought that perhaps he lacked some basic friendships. But once again, by the end of our journey I saw this was not true either. Mike has many friends. He has come to know a wide variety of people through work, through small groups, through spiritual retreats, and various church functions through the years.

Mike has friends. Mike has spiritual companions. Mike has both spiritual fathers and spiritual children. And Mike has a loving family that is so dear to him that I cannot imagine how he could have had any more family support. So, the question remained. Why did Mike want ME to preach his funeral?

One day a few months ago Mike contacted me. He was very excited. He had finally boiled all of his theological studies down into a simple message of God’s love and our response. You can find the simplest version of it in the program. It might be tempting to look at that message, in all of its simplicity, and pass over it as the most basic form of the gospel…stuff that you already know. But that would be a gross misunderstanding of what this is and how Mike got to it. He spent years of study trying to figure out for himself what was essential and what was secondary. He passionately wanted to discover the gospel in its purest form. He did not pursue that for personal benefit. He pursued that because all around him he saw angry orphans, children of God who had left the church disillusioned and confused about the message that they were being taught. He wanted to see lost pilgrims and prodigals, loners and misfits, wayward sons and wandering daughters returning home.

This is a message that Mike believed was essential for returning the church to its purpose in the world. It is the missiones ecclesia, the mission of the church. It is not merely a convenient form of communicating the gospel, it is the very foundation of the gospel. And any time we move past it without coming right back to it we begin the process of eventually missing the whole point. So, I want us to read this together. And I want us to get the point.

God’s Simple Answer

By Mike Dyer

 

1.)   God loves us.

2.)   God takes the first step and reaches out to us.

3.)   God wants us to be happy and wants us to love Jesus.

4.)   I choose to be in a loving, healthy relationship with Jesus.

5.)   I choose to obey Jesus and form loving relationships with others.

6.)   I choose to remain in Jesus, accept his help and produce love.

My mission: Loving Jesus, Loving others.

Singularity of all truth is found in the Bible, the life of Jesus and the moment Jesus died on the cross.

In all of my chapels and convocations and church services during my five years at Lee University I only remember one sermon title. It was a message from Dr. Conn, and the title was It’s the Relationship Stupid. If I had to put into one short phrase the message of God that Mike Dyer so desperately tried to share with us that would be it. I can almost hear him saying it: It’s the relationship stupid!

But we still have this question before us. Why did Mike choose me to preach his funeral? I eliminated all of my initial ideas. Mike didn’t need me. He was not bankrupt on spiritual companionship. He was not a lonely man. He was not short on family. But in the final days of Mike’s life it finally hit me that I was missing the point by asking the wrong question. The point was not WHY Mike chose me. The point was that HE DID choose me. And as soon as I had that revelation the Lord gave me these verses:

12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

John 15:12-17

Mike chose me, just like God chose me. I no more understand why Mike chose me than I understand why God chose me. The point is that he did. And just like God has called me his friend so has Mike. I am Mike’s friend and he is my friend. And I pray that you don’t count me rude, but I need to say a few final words to my friend:

Mike,

This is it. You have fought the good fight, not only of faith, but in life. You have heard the words that all of us long to hear, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into your rest.” Down here we are all still fighting. It’s pretty tough, but you left us with some mighty fine weapons. I have done all of the things you asked me to do. I don’t know how well I did them, only that I was faithful in what you asked me to do. May God bless the work of our hands.

I miss you, Mike. I wanted to talk with you one more time. I understand our relationship now, and it’s kind of ironic. Michael means, “Who is like God?” I know that you didn’t claim to be a whole lot like God, only close to him, like a child and his father. But that is exactly how I understand our relationship now. It is a lot like God. You chose me, and now I see that God chose me as well. God chose all of us, and he calls us his friends. All he wants from me is to call him my friend. That is all he wants from all of us. You taught us that. Love God and love others. That is our mission. Thank you, Mike. I know this is not goodbye, but see you soon. I pray it comes quickly. Goodnight, my friend. Enter into your rest. We will continue the fight here.

Now, I leave us with only these words: God calls you his friend; so be one. 

Keep up the Good Work

There is something mysterious and awesome about the account of creation found in Genesis. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1-2). There are not a lot of details in the creation story. Rather, we are given a broad, sweeping image. Yet, it seems that the total meaning of life is included in the story nonetheless.

Through this brief description we come to see some important aspects of the nature of God. For example, He is creative, loving and powerful all at the same time. God loves to work and He loves to rest. He is fully engaged with His creation, and He also gives His creation room to make their own choices. Many of the “big” themes in Scripture such as life, love, relationship, covenant, sin, salvation, death, restoration and victory are introduced to us in the first three chapters of Genesis. Indeed, the creation story sets the stage for everything that is revealed about God and humanity through the holy Scripture.

One of those insights is the way that God goes about creating. We see a pattern set up in verse two when it says, “the earth was without form, and void.” When God began his handiwork there was nothing, things were formless and empty. He proceeded to first form the expanse, the water and the land. Then He filled the newly formed areas with stars, planets, fish, plants, animals, and humanity. So, He forms then fills.

That is not just the pattern for the creation story, that is the pattern of our Creator. He broods over the waters of our lives, over the empty places, and forms them for His purposes and then fills them with His goodness. That is what He did then, and that is what He does now.

It is not only what God does, it is also what He calls us to do, what He empowers us to do. Your calling is much greater than your vocation. He wants you to allow the Holy Spirit to work through you in the lives of those around you. He is calling you to join Him in brooding over the waters of their lives, over the empty places, in order to fill them with the goodness of God. God created all of this and said it was good. Now He wants us to keep up the good work.

Rejected

We don’t know a whole lot about Leah. We know that Jacob was tricked into marrying her. Evidently he fulfilled his responsibilities as her husband in the context of the patriarchal culture of the Ancient Near East. That is, he provided for her. He protected her. She was taken in as part of the family and Jacob satisfied his basic conjugal duties toward her. Certainly Leah’s situation could have been worse. Nonetheless, Leah carried a profoundly deep pain. She carried the burden of being rejected.

Apparently Leah was considered the ugly sister. The first two things we learn about Leah is that she is the older one and the one with tender eyes, which most scholars interpret to mean weak eyes (Gen 29:16-17). She is then immediately compared to her younger sister, “…but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful” (v. 17). Leah knew that she was not as appealing as her younger sister, and may have wondered if she would ever find a husband that would love her.

Evidently Laban also had his doubts about Leah marrying. And in the Ancient Near East a woman with no husband was considered almost dead. So, Laban devised a scheme to force Jacob to marry both of his daughters, and it worked. We hope for Leah at the beginning of the story. Perhaps Jacob will learn to love her. But sadly there is no evidence that he ever did. Ironically, God proclaims hundreds of years later, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Malachi 1:2). God rejected Esau, the older brother. Jacob rejected Leah, the older sister.

However, the marriage arrangement still gave Leah a fighting chance, for in that culture the number of sons a woman could produce often measured her worth.  And, as it turned out Leah produced a lot of sons, six altogether, and a daughter to boot. She hoped it would be enough to win the love of her husband, and it is there that we find the crux of Leah’s story.

When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.” Genesis 29:31-32

It is one of those passages where it is hard not to ache with pity. This woman, unsightly and handicapped, simply wants to be loved by her husband. Evidently her hopes were unmet after the birth of the first son, Reuben, for we immediately hear of a second son. She names him Simeon and thinks, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too” (v. 33). Yet, it still did not do the trick. For we move on to hear of the third son named Levi, and accompanying him renewed hope. She said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons” (v. 34).

Three times Leah conceived. Three times she was convinced that this would finally be the time that she would experience genuine love and desire from a man. Then comes the fourth son. She names him Judah, and we expect the same refrain. But this time something changes. She does not turn to see if Jacob finally loves her. She turns her attention in a different direction. And she says, “This time I will praise the Lord” (v. 35).

Leah finally surrenders, but it is not the giving up of failure. It is the peace that comes from relinquishing oneself to God. Here we have the rejected one, an outcast. She was unloved and undesired. Yet, she found her peace with God. But the story is not over there. She not only turned her tender eyes to God, but God turned his loving eyes to her. He chose Leah, the rejected one, to birth Judah, whose line would one day produce Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God.

There is only one thing that heals rejection. It is turning to God. Next time you feel yourself sinking back into the same old cycle of pity that has haunted you for years, perhaps a lifetime, consider Leah and make a decision: This time I will praise the Lord. Who knows what he might produce?