A Good Heresy?

1Thessalonians 4:7-8 For God has not called us for uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Who reigns in our lives? Do I reign or does God reign? Has anything changed because you have the Holy Spirit which the Lord has given you? One of the recurring heresies is Antinomianism. One of the main problems with this heresy is they did not keep from sinning. They lived wild and sinful lives thinking that all their sins were covered by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the magic ticket to heaven and all the earthly desires they could find. If the Holy Spirit does not rule and reign in our lives, if we do not give over our free will to the Holy Spirit that Jesus gave us, then this is the heresy for us. Universalism leans in this direction as well. I can let my own will battle with the Holy Spirit and God’s unbreakable rule will not allow the Holy Spirit to overcome our free will. So who rules and reigns in your life? Do you have that sin is inevitable attitude that denies the power of the Holy Spirit or even think that it doesn’t much matter because we are forgiven anyway?  Some heresies still persist.

Witness & Encouragement

1Thessalonians 3:6-8 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith; for now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.

One of our lots as priests is to leave communities of faith to which we have become attached and in the same way the many wonderful people that fill those communities. In this modern world I realize that this is not just the reality of the clergy. I quite frequently hear of troubles or difficulties in the lives of former parishioners, and I pray for them even when I may not have complete information. I can so identify with Paul when Timothy returns with news that reassures him about the community in Thessalonica. I do get more information sooner than Paul because with some of those people and communities, but we also have Facebook and other instant communication. I hate to hear about trouble in peoples lives, but I love to hear how they meet them with faith. We encourage one another so much when we live out our faith in trying times and let others walk with us in faith through the journey. I thank God for all you saints who share your lives as you follow Christ through the ups and down, the highs and lows and still display your witness to our Lord.  

Boasting About You

1Thessalonians 2:19-20 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.

Now Paul seems to switch gears and to draw the attention to himself. This at first glance seems out of line with the rest of his teaching. What could he mean? If we look at Paul’s life through the lens of his relationship with these communities what do we see? How do they measure up against the teaching of Jesus? For example, if I paraphrase, Jesus said we would recognize Him, Jesus, if we loved one another. He said those who want to be first of all must be last of all and servant of all. I think Paul does recognize that all he has suffered and all he has sacrificed so others would know the love of Christ shows him to be servant of all. At Jesus coming either at the end of my life or the end of the age, I might have a crown and joy if he sees not me but those I have served. You, meaning some of the people around me through my life, will be my testimony before my Lord. 

Did He Say That?

1Thessalonians 2: 13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

Imagine having the confidence in your faith to write what St. Paul wrote here. In essence he was saying that the word thy heard from him had been accepted as the word of God, which he says it really is. Wow!!! I mean when people compliment my sermon I often say God is good, to acknowledge that God was the source, but I would be troubled to say that my words were really the word of God. Perhaps I am meant to have such confidence and boldness as I respond to the Holy Spirit, but it feels both over the top and exaggerated. What does God desire of a spirit filled Christian? Are we doing a disservice to God with our humility? Does this false humility keep us quiet in noisy circumstance? Perhaps boldness in some circumstances is more desirable than humility. The world would hear more with boldness than humility, the revelation of the gospel would perhaps be heard far more often with boldness than humility. What do you think God most desires of us?

Encouraging Godly Lives

1Thessalonians 2:10-12  You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our behavior to you believers; for you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

I was talking a lot this past week with someone who did not know the places and communities where I both found God and served God. In order to share my history, I had to remember and in some ways relive my history. I remembered all the people who had lived in my home with Marsha and I and our family. I remembered the roles God gave me in the church and other faith communities as I hope I exhorted and encouraged people to live a Christian life worthy of God. It is amazing what a walk down memory lane can do for you in putting your life in perspective. The time with the person who heard about my life for the first time was special for them, for us and for me. God was pressing in on us as I shared my history and listened to theirs. We could see God’s hand woven onto our lives and treasure the ways God had been abundantly present to each of us. Those moments are so powerful when we see the hand of God in the midst of us. Those moments really are the best times of exhortation and encouragement. I can remember a number of times when I was asked in one setting or another to create the time line of my life with key events and activities. I was always amazed at what I saw or found out when I looked at my history. As a Christian I could never ignore the presence of God right smack dab in the middle of my life. It is impressive when I see that I indeed have exhorted others and encouraged others in their faith journey, but even more spectacular when I see that they were exhorting and encouraging me at the very same time. We all have those revelations of the risen Lord through the Godly relationships that constitute our lives as the body of Christ.

Challenges Not Just For Preachers

1Thessalonians 1:5-7 For we never used either words of flattery, as you know, or a cloak for greed, as God is witness; nor did we seek glory from men, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse taking care of her children.

I wonder how many televangelist read this verse. It often feels like they use words to impress and words to cloak their greed. As a preacher it seems funny to say that I never cared to be noticed. I did often receive affirmation of my preaching, but I knew where the wisdom came from and was almost embarrassed that people praised me. I have known others who are filled with pride over the creation of their message, and I’m not sure what God thinks of that. I had some of my papers that were placed in the seminary library as examples of how to do the assignments and I was proud. I knew I was the author and the work was from my intellect and accomplishment. However I did not see them as godly even as they dealt with biblical material. It gets very confusing when you are paid to be a priest and you preach on Sundays while seeking very hard to avoid the traps found in this passage. I definitely want to be gentle among you, not demanding or boastful or greedy. They call us father some times in our church and perhaps then I am charged with care of God’s children like a nurse or caregiver. Wow how the word can make you think and find yourself in the struggle for the right path. I pray we walk gently with God listening for His voice and following His direction as we care for those He has placed around us.

Persecuted

1Thessalonians 2:1-2 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our visit to you was not in vain; but though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the face of great opposition.

I must admit I have faced opposition. I guess in some minimal way, although some people have told me that some of it was extreme, I too have been shamefully treated. I hope I have had the courage to continue to proclaim the gospel no matter what, but I don’t think you can point to me like I point to St. Paul. Some times I just feel like such a wimp when it comes to my life in service to Jesus. My sacrifices and risks seem so big and hard to me, but in comparison to those in the bible and in the early church  they are insignificant. At times I just have to stop and give myself a reality slap. I live in my world in my time with my set of issues and problems I can’t live in St Paul’s times and circumstances. My task is to obey Christ in my life with the opportunities and possibilities in front of me, and with the gifts and talents the Holy Spirit has equipped me to use in God’s service. I have been reconciled to God by Jesus Christ and to me has been given the ministry of reconciliation, so I ask myself how am I doing in the realm in which I live? That’s all I have. The most danger I have is all those gladiators throwing golf clubs around the course, but I can still love others as Christ loves me. Am I doing it in my time and place? That’s what matters.

The E Word

1Thessalonians 1:6-8 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit; so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.

We call it evangelism and people turn us off so fast the screen is dark before we blink our eyes. I started using Alpha way back at All Saints Whitman in about 1995. Ask Jack Foster he would know for sure, I don’t keep those things in my head but Jack would for sure. In the Alpha talks, Nicky Gumbel  talks about good news traveling fast. He tells of the day his first son was born. He was given a roll of coins with the instructions to call the people on his list with the news of the birth after it had happened. He first called Pippa’s (his wife’s) mother and told her the good news. He then tried to call the rest but each other person on the list had already heard the news before he called, because apparently Pippa’s mother and the rest in the chain were faster to spread the good news than he was in completing the list. He related he did not have to place an onerous responsibility on those people to share the news, rather you could not have stopped or slowed down the pace of their communication. These early believers were similarly enthused about sharing the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Oh but that we could only be infected with such enthusiasm. Evangelism would cease to be such a disastrous word.

Communities

I waas away in a place with no wireless connection for over a week. I kept doing my blog but couldn't post them so now I am a week ahead, but I will still post them one at a time.

1Thessalonians 1:2-5 We give thanks to God always for you all, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brethren beloved by God, that he has chosen you; for our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

Paul was so sure in his writings to the Thessalonians about the nature of this community and so also of the individuals that were in it. I have been blessed to have been a leader in a number of communities about which I could write with the same kind of surety. I could write to the community at Camp Dennen that the Lord says, I have seen your great faith and the many ways you live out the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray constantly that God will continue the powerful work he has done in you until the final day of his coming. I could write to the church gathered at Park Avenue that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ commends the work of the Holy Spirit in your midst that has raised up leader upon leader to continue the work Jesus has left for those who love him. What an honor and a privilege it has been to be sent by Christ to be a leader among such men and women, because each of you taught me and showed me the path of servanthood that God had planned for me. I only hope that I would never write these things out of any sense that I had done anything to be proud of, but rather that I could in some moments revel in the knowledge that God used this frail vessel to be part of His glorious work. I could watch His Holy Spirit move as He transformed lives before my very eyes. Some see Paul as prideful or sometimes even judgmental as he wrote words like these, but I think, if he was anything like me, that he just admired what God had done and what he was sure God would do among these faithful leaders of the early church. I know I am grateful for those who have shared and those who continue to share the journey with me.