Jesus - the Great "Underdog"?

            One of the great stories coming out of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament (“March Madness”) is the Florida Gulf Coast University Team. There are four regions, each with 16 teams, playing off for an opportunity to go to the Final Four, when a national champion will be determined. Each region seeds their teams between 1 and 16. FGCU started as a number 15 seed. This means they had to begin the tournament by playing the number 2 seed (Georgetown). The higher seeded teams are generally expected to win, but upsets can happen. And FGCU did upset Georgetown, playing with an enthusiasm that makes them fun to watch and even to root for. While upsets do happen in this tournament, putting two together is extremely rare. But in fact, FGCU won their next game against 7^th-seeded San Diego State University. A 15^th-seed making to the “sweet 16” has never happened before. FGCU is the first. Today there are four teams from each region left. They play this coming weekend to narrow it to eight and then four – one winner from each region. Will FGCU - a team that lost to the University of Maine team before Christmas - continue its unlikely run at the championship…? Even now very few people expect them to go all the way. Every game they play, they are the underdog. Every game they play they have to prove they deserve to be in the tournament. We will have to wait until this weekend to see.

            2000 years ago Jesus was the ultimate underdog – at least from a human perspective. When the Jewish leaders made up their minds that He had to go, and began plotting against Him, the “odds” were definitely not in His favor. When the people were turned by the leaders, His “chances” sank even lower. Then the Roman government got involved, and determined Jesus’ “end”. When Pilate gave in to calls of “Crucify Him!”, Jesus really had no chance at all. When He was crucified, He was alone. Even His “friends” had abandoned Him. One of His closest disciples – Peter – had denied Him. The world could look at Jesus and easily give up on Him. In fact, it did. Everyone “counted Him out”. As far as they were concerned, His death on the cross was final, and irreversible. After all, why should Jesus be any different than every other human being who ever lived? In the end, the grave is seeded #1. It always wins, right? But Jesus was no common “underdog”. He won a victory that no one expected… one that no one else has ever won: He was raised from the dead by God the Father. And this is the foundation of our faith. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians that if Christ was not raised, then our faith is futile and we are still in our sins.

            I do not gamble, nor do I advocate it. But you could say I’ve “bet my life” on Jesus’ resurrection. I have totally trusted in His victory on the cross and over death when He rose again on the third day. And nothing more in the universe could be closer to a “sure thing” than these facts. My hope for eternity rests in Him. Paul writes that “if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (1 Corinthians 15:19). A Christian is one who has given up trusting in anything and everything else and has come to trust in Christ alone for hope in this life and in eternity. While the world sees Him as the underdog – ultimately defeated by death like the rest of us – we see Him as the greatest victor in the universe. I pray that you have this hope in you, because our victory comes through His. His victory is the power that gives us new life. Thanks be to God for what He has done for us!

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 – ⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – ¹⁷ “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

Romans 10:8-11 – ⁸ “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,’ that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: ⁹ That, if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ¹¹ As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’”

 PRAYER: “I praise You, Father, for raising Jesus Your Son from the dead, and for the victory won there over death. Thank You for giving me faith to believe, and for the foundation in reality for that belief. Thank You that the tomb of Jesus is empty, and the new life that is mine because I am in Christ. May this Easter season remind me of all the joys of Your victory.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!

Scott

Slow Down

          Recently I paid a visit to my dentist in order to have the first step in having a crown done. Part of the procedure involves taking an impression. To do this the dentist injects some kind of soft polymer into the area to make a mold from which a “replacement” tooth can be made. The mold takes 5 minutes to set up. That doesn’t sound like all that long, does it? I was told not to open my mouth during this time. As the minutes passed I began to realize that this simple thing was not as easy as I thought it would be. Staying still and keeping my mouth closed is not something I’m used to doing. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to move and open my mouth, but I knew I couldn’t. If I did I would mess it all up and the impression would have to be done again. It did not become unbearable, but it was definitely noticeable. Keeping my mouth closed was different than keeping quiet. Not making noise and being still are not the same thing.

            At times in the Scriptures we are commanded to be still. Important things happen when we are still. We are more apt to hear from and recognize God’s presence. Noise and busyness in life keeps us from noticing Him. But slowing down allows us to listen. Chuck Girard, an early contemporary Christian music artist performed a song called “Slow Down”. The neat thing about the song was that it didn’t just talk about slowing down. The performance of it involved places where Girard intentionally slowed the song. And whenever I tried to sing along I kept “jumping the gun” and finishing phrases too quickly. It was almost annoying, but very clever on Girard’s part. The song forced you to slow down, not just hear about it.

            How well do you respond when the Lord says “Be still” or “Slow down”? He only does it because we are bypassing Him in some way and not giving Him what He is due. May this simple reminder cause us to open our ears and hearts to His voice and to stop and enjoy Him. I don’t think He is particularly interested in us hurrying into and out of His presence. He always acts in His own time. So let us make time and take time for the Lord and obey His Word to be still and acknowledge who He is.

Psalm 37:7 – ⁷ “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

Psalm 46:10 – ¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

PRAYER: “Father, slow us down and still our spirits, so that we might be with You and listen to Your voice. Instruct us in the way we should go, and teach us not to be in a hurry whenever we are in Your presence. Thanks.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Areopagus

            You probably have heard about Daryl Witmer’s visit to our church (coming up Sunday). I have announced that he represents a ministry called Areopagus II America. Not everyone may understand the name “Areopagus”, so I thought I’d give you a little background. I was greatly blessed (back in 1995 was it?) by our church you when you gave me a trip to the Holy Land. It was a wonderful experience which included two days in Greece. While there we had the opportunity to tour the Acropolis. While on our way up to the Acropolis we stopped at Mars Hill, which is in its shadow. So many people have walked on it over the centuries that the stone is all smooth (treacherous when wet). There is a beautiful view of Athens there, but it is lower than the Acropolis.

 

            The name “Mars Hill” is a Roman term for (the Greek) Areopagus. It is 377 feet high and stands northwest of the Acropolis. In ancient times the Areopagus court assembled here. This court consisted of city fathers and in early times exercised complete authority over all political and religious matters. In the Apostle Paul’s time (Roman Empire) it was primarily educational and religious. In Acts 17 Paul delivered a famous speech there. I can imagine he would have been impressed by certain aspects of Athens. I know I was, and it was 2000 years later. In Paul’s time the buildings must have been magnificent. You can read about all of Paul’s experience in verses 16-33. Mainly what happens is that Paul meets a group of philosophers and preaches to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the resurrection. They bring him to the city fathers at the Areopagus and he speaks in a much more detailed way, giving them an “answer” for the faith he had in Christ. At the mention of the resurrection (at the end of his remarks) these men responded in three different ways: some sneered, some wanted to hear more, and some believed.

 

            This model has been a foundation of apologetics (the branch of theology concerned with the defense, proof, and rational justification of Christianity) ever since. The goal of apologetics is similar to Paul’s: to gain a hearing for the Gospel wherever and whenever possible, especially in the marketplace and in the marketplace of ideas. It is hoped that gaining a hearing for the Gospel will result in belief, though it is recognized that skepticism and uncertainty are two likely responses as well. Areopagus II America Institute is a contemporary, adapted construct of the original Areopagus, offering information and perspective on various worldviews and thought forms from a distinctly Christian perspective. I am very excited for Daryl’s visit and hope you will be too. Please keep Sunday in prayer, do your best to attend, and consider inviting a guest.

 

            Each one of us lives or works on or near an Areopagus of sorts. We interact with people in the realm of ideas. Like Paul, we have a Gospel to share. When we do, some may sneer. Others may want to know more. And some may trust Christ. One thing is sure. None of those responses will take place if we do not share Christ. God has given us something to talk about. Let us prepare ourselves to speak knowledgeably, boldly, and respectfully when we speak about Christ. But let’s talk about Christ.

 

Acts 17:22 (NIV) ²² Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious…

 

1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV) ¹⁵ But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

 

PRAYER: “Father, thank You for those who are gifted and knowledgeable and can help us know better how to have an answer for the faith we have. Teach us to hunger for more. Thanks.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

 

Jesus Christ is Lord!

Scott

Jesus Has the Fix

            Our house has two bathrooms. The other day, while in one of them, I noticed a bunch of things that I normally don’t notice: marks here and there, dirt, cracks, spots, cobwebs, dust, rust… all kinds of imperfections. Joanne and I (mostly Joanne) keep a pretty neat house, so it’s not like the place is falling apart or dirt is piling up. This is just stuff that happens in every house over time and sooner or later I know we’ll get to it. But we’re not obsessive compulsive about such things and we are not perfectionists. In fact, I usually don’t pay much attention to all the marks and spots and various imperfections. Unlike Joanne, I tend to be oblivious to them and they just don’t seem that important to me.

            So why did I start to notice so much detail on this day? The reason is that I was thinking about company that we may have sometime in the near future. When I thought of a special guest coming I began to see the bathroom in a new light. What will he think when he sees the spots and marks and imperfections? What kind of impression will it make on him? What opinion will he form of us? How will we look to him? All of a sudden everything that I normally take for granted and think almost nothing about took on a different significance. Everything stood out. All the flaws were noticeable and I cared about them in a new light.

            This all struck me as a spiritual lesson hit home. How often do I get “comfortable” with the imperfections of my heart and life: the “small” sins and spiritual inconsistencies that become unnoticed or that I too easily overlook? We are often more aware of our sins of commission than we are of our sins of omission – the things we leave out, forget to do, or overlook. We also forget that THE most special guest possible – the Lord Jesus Christ – is a resident of our hearts by the Holy Spirit. And the more we forget that, the easier it is to overlook all the sins that accumulate there – even the ones we think are small and inconsequential. But He doesn’t overlook such things. He sees and knows everything that is there. Nothing misses His eye. But He doesn’t condemn us. He doesn’t think poorly of us. In love He offers a way to “clean up the place”. Instead of criticizing He invites us to confess our sins to Him and experience the cleansing power of His blood. For my part, I realize that ignoring my sin never produces spiritual health. Ignoring my sin is like pretending my bathroom is spotless when it isn’t. It won’t fix the problem. But the Bible teaches me that Jesus has the fix. It is the power of His blood that He shed for us. Rather than pretending or trying cover up or hide my sins, it is so much wiser and productive to let Him forgive them and take away their power and unsightliness. And this He does willingly and freely. He is gracious and happy to do it – and all at His own expense. What a great Savior Jesus is! How awesome is His grace and mercy!

1 John 1:5-10 - ⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. ⁸ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Matthew 7:1-5 – ¹ “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

PRAYER: “Father, rather than getting discouraged when I become more aware of my sins, lead me to the cross where Jesus’ blood was shed. There I find cleansing. And it is free. Thank You.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!

Scott