A Faith with Teeth

John 8:23-24, 31-32 - But [Jesus] continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. [24] I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.”

 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. [32] Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

 Jesus rarely, if ever, beat around the bush. Time was precious to him, so he usually cut straight to the chase. He knew how to get the attention of his hearers. In our Scripture, Jesus shares with those to whom he is speaking (including us) several important facts about them and the world in which they live.

1.  They are worldlings (i.e., they operate under the dominion of Satan and the patterns of this sinful, fallen, enslaving world.
2.  Jesus lived in the world but was not under its influence as they were. (in vs. of)
3. As such, they were going to die in their sins.
4. They must believe Jesus’ claims about himself if they were going to be set free from dying in their sins.
5.  To “believe” must mean more than (though not less) simple intellectual recognition, or even, acceptance of data. To those who had professed to believe in him (verse 31), Jesus said that they must also “hold to his teaching.”
6.  Therefore, only by genuine faith in Christ – which “holds to” (i.e., obeys) his teaching – can a person know the truth (Jesus is the truth – John 14:6 – and so is God’s Word – John 17:17). It is also by this means of believing or faith that a person will therefore, be set free (freed from sin, liberated from the fate of worldlings, etc.).

True biblical, God-glorifying faith in Christ has teeth to it. It’s got a practicality to it that demands to be noticed. It’s very unlikely that the early church was so heavily persecuted and martyred simply because they “intellectually believed” or accepted as true the claims of Jesus…and then told others they needed to do the same to go to heaven.

Instead, because they believed Jesus was who he claimed to be, (that he was the Way to be freed from sin, the Lord of Life, the Savior of the World, etc.), and that they loved him for first loving them… they followed him… they obeyed him. Put another way: They put their faith into practice.

It was as their faith in Christ permeated every sphere of their lives that they began to be noticed by the worldlings around them. It was this authentic non-conformity to the world around them that led to their persecution. They refused to be “squeezed into the mold” of this world.

If we would be people of the truth, we must first be Christ’s disciples. If we would be his disciples, we must believe in him, believe (i.e., trust) him, and obey him. Nothing less is worthy of the One who is the true Lord and King of the universe – which includes this world. The “Pretenders to the Throne” notwithstanding, (their reign, after all, is temporary), our allegiance must be to Christ alone. And that allegiance has a shape to it. It is not mere intellectual ascent of a few doctrinal propositions (though it absolutely contains an element of that). It is not simply a warm-fuzzy feeling in the pit of your stomach. It is far more. Allegiance to Christ is incarnational. It has skin on it. If we would be his, we must submit to his Lordship – his absolute authority – by obeying him in every sphere of our lives. Only then can we claim to be his disciples.

Stand Firm,
Dale

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Freedom FOR Obedience, Part 2

Click here to read Part 1

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:1 that Christ set us free… to be free! That doesn’t sound so difficult to understand, does it? Perhaps not… but it’s a lot harder to put into practice. You see the Galatians had been saved by the work of Christ… but were falling back into some bad patterns of trying to earn God’s favor… instead of trusting in his grace.

They were giving in to the influence and false teaching of the Judaizers who were teaching the Gentile Christians that they could have a relationship with God only by basically becoming Jewish first. They had to be circumcised, obey the Law of Moses, etc. Only then could they properly be ready to come to Jesus.

So in response to these Judaizers, Paul says to the Galatians… and to us… you’re free! It’s Jesus plus nothing! You don’t have to earn God’s favor… he’s already poured it upon you by sending Christ. Christ has already done the work that you can’t do yourself. He’s already won the victory on the Cross. All you have to do is trust that work… depend on Christ alone for what he’s done for you.

That’s what we’re celebrating today when we participate in Holy Communion. We celebrate God’s grace… Christ’s work… in and through the provision and power of God’s Spirit. We don’t have to hop back on the treadmill of performance-based living.

Just imagine if God did grade us by our performance. Would there be any rest or peace in that? You would always be worried about how well you were doing… each and every second of each and every day of each and every week, month, year, and so on.

You see… that’s slavery. That’s oppression. That’s bondage. There’s no freedom in that. And so, part of the freedom that we have in Christ is freedom from the bondage of sin. We’re no longer under the curse of the Law. We no longer have to worry each and every day if we performed “well enough” and met all the demands of the Law. Isn’t that good news!?!

But we’re not just free FROM the bondage of sin and the curse of the Law. And please hear this… because this is important…

We are free TO…

This is key because when some folks talk about freedom in Christ, you almost get the impression that what they’re really saying is this…

“I can do anything I want to do now because of God’s grace. Because of what Christ did on the Cross, it doesn’t matter how I live. We no longer have to think in terms of obedience.”

But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Please hear this…

In Christ, we are now free to become all that God created and redeemed us to be.

Before that… we could never pursue or achieve this because we were enslaved to sin. Now we’re slaves to Christ and he’s a good Master. He knows and wants what’s best for us… and through life in his Spirit, we’re able to pursue and achieve it.

Now… what I’m about to say may sound like I’m contradicting myself, so stay with me so I can make my case. There’s a line that I absolutely love from our Communion Liturgy… which we’ll say together in just a few minutes. It goes like this…

“Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

One of my favorite books on Ethics takes its title from this idea. It’s called, “Freedom for Obedience.” (not freedom FROM obedience) Here’s the idea…

Because I’m free in Christ. Because God’s Spirit lives in me. Because I’m no longer in bondage and enslaved to sin and the curse of the Law. I’m now able to express my love to Christ and for Christ by obeying him. And I don’t obey him out of drudgery… because I’m afraid I’ll go to hell if I don’t. No!

As our liturgy says… I can now obey Christ JOYFULLY… with a heart full of LOVE and GRATITUDE!

Can you imagine any better existence than that? Beloved…that’s what I want you to focus on this morning as you come to the Lord’s Table. Yes, Christ has died for you. Yes, your sins are wretched in the sight of God. Yes, God is a holy God who hates our sin. All of that is true.

But in spite of all that, (and because of all that) to paraphrase the Apostle Paul and the theologian Karl Barth… God has still said YES to us in Christ. He has lavished grace upon us.

To be sure, we must respond in trusting dependence to what God has done in Christ. He will not force us to accept the freedom that he offers us. But when we do, he declares that we’re no longer slaves to sin and death. We’re now free in Christ. And that’s worth spending some time in prayer thanking God for this morning.

Grace and Truth,
Dale

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Freedom FOR Obedience, Part 1

The following was preached on Sunday, July 1, 2012 at Southside UMC.

Well, this Wednesday is July 4^th – or what we know as Independence Day. It’s the day that we remember the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It’s that time of year when we make more of an effort to remember our country asserting’s its freedom from the kingdom of Great Britain.

Suzanne and I used to have four small prints by Norman Rockwell that captured the very essence of what our founders had in mind by such a Declaration of Independence. They’re perhaps Rockwell’s most famous paintings and are called The Four Freedoms.

1.)    The First is called Freedom of Speech. It’s a scene of one ordinary man standing up in a great assembly hall with all sorts of folks present. The idea is that in our country, that man has just as much a right to be heard – to speak his mind – as anyone else in the room.

2.)    The Second is called, Freedom of Worship. This is a painting of folks praying reverently and freely before God… without fearing for their safety. In much the same way that we have no worries or fears that at any moment, the secret police are going to break into our worship service and cart us off to prison for assembling together.

3.)    The Third is called, Freedom from Want. This scene shows what looks like a beautifully prepared Thanksgiving Dinner Table… with all the family present. Ideally, in our country, you can pursue your dreams and calling and sufficiently provide for your family without the fear of having it taken from you unjustly.

4.)    The Fourth and Last painting is called, Freedom from Fear. This is a touching picture of a mother and father tucking their children into bed. It brings to mind that the children are being put to bed in the security and love of their home without either the children or the parents riddled with fear.

These four paintings by Rockwell made such an impact that President Roosevelt spoke of them in his State of the Union Address in 1941. In that speech he referred to them as four essential human rights that should be universally protected. He said they should also serve as a reminder of the American motivation of fighting in World War 2. Roosevelt later said, “In the future days which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.” (from Wikipedia)

And so, let this be a reminder to us that July 4^th is more than a day of hotdogs and pool parties and fireworks. (Don’t get me wrong… I love each of these parts of our celebration!) Instead, as we gather for these things, let us do so in remembrance of what our precious American freedoms really mean… and let’s express gratitude to God for them. Because they are really are gifts… and not everyone around the world has them.

I think the desire for human freedom is deep within every person. No one wants to be enslaved and in bondage to other people, governments, ideologies, personal problems, or anything else for that matter. I think that’s one of the reasons a movie like Braveheart spoke to so many people. It was a story primarily about a desire… and consequently a fight… for freedom.

I think one of the reasons we want freedom is because very few folks feel like they really have it. And the Bible confirms that feeling by reminding us that we’re all born into slavery. We’re born into the bondage of a cruel taskmaster called SIN.

And it was in response to that taskmaster… that human condition, that God sent our Lord Jesus Christ… to deliver us from this slavery… just as he delivered Israel from her Egyptian oppressors. This is one of the primary reasons why the Apostle Paul wrote his Letter to the Galatians. It’s often been called the Charter of Christian Freedom. It’s called this because in the pages of this letter, the Apostle reminds us of the freedom that was won for us by Christ.

The Apostle reminds us of the freedom that is ours as children of God. And you could say that our Scripture this morning is the theme not only for the whole book of Galatians, but for the whole of the Christian life…

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

Paul packs an extraordinary amount into this one verse. He shares with us a statement of freedom as well as the implications of that freedom.

We’ll take at what Paul understood that freedom to mean… and what it did not mean… next time.

Grace and Truth,
Dale

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What is a Faithful Disciple of Jesus Christ? Part 3

So, what’s the foundation that Jesus is alluding to and that I’ve been hinting at in the last two posts (Part 1 and Part 2)? It’s his words. And what makes a person wise or foolish is what he or she does with those words…and therefore, what he or she does with Christ himself. Both builders heard the words of Jesus. They looked just alike in that respect. But only one of them put those words into practice. Jesus called that person wise. The other builder also heard the words of Jesus. But for whatever reason, he ignored them. Jesus called him a fool.

James, the brother of our Lord, must have been paying attention to what Jesus was saying here because he wrote these words in James 1:22-25…

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. [23] Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror [24] and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. [25] But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–he will be blessed in what he does.

If I could use one word to describe what Jesus is talking about here it would be “obedience.” Jesus wants more than people who “talk the talk” of faith. He wants people who will “walk the walk” of faith. That’s faithful discipleship.

And this isn’t just a New Testament thing. God said the same thing through his prophet, Ezekiel, in Ezekiel 33:31-32…

My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. [32] Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.

You see, the Sermon on the Mount (as well as the rest of God’s Word) isn’t just to be admired, but obeyed. Our men’s ministry, the Baxter Boys, studied a book a few years ago entitled, “Point Man.” It was about how Christian men can be godly husbands, fathers, workers, churchmen, and so on. One of the chapters spoke to our need to study and obey Scripture. Steve Farrar, the author wrote…

“The Enemy does not mind if you revere the Bible, just as long as you don’t feed from it.”

He continued…

“The danger in the Christian life comes when I listen to a sermon or go to a Christian seminar or listen to a series of teaching tapes without applying the truth I hear to my life.”

He concluded this thought with these words…

“In the Christian life the opposite of ignorance is not knowledge, but obedience. God does not want to take a new Christian and move him from ignorance to knowledge. He wants to move him from ignorance to knowledge to obedience.”

I love that! From ignorance to knowledge to obedience! You see, we don’t read or study the Bible purely for information but for transformation. Now…to be sure…we have to know and understand what the Bible says before we can put it into practice. But faithful disciples of Jesus Christ aren’t simply collecting Bible-information so they can win Bible-Jeopardy one day. We have to obey God’s Word if we would be transformed.

Well…finally…let me ask you this: Have you ever read (I mean really studied) the Sermon on the Mount? I remember what happened to me when I finally started getting what Jesus was talking about. I felt despair. And I think that’s the whole point. But maybe you’re asking why I felt that way. Well, because in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said things like…

“Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.” (5:19)

“Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (5:20)

“I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” (5:22)

“Anyone who looks at a woman (or man) lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart.” (5:28)

“If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away…If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.” (5:29-30)

Beloved, that’s just from the first half of chapter 5. There’s still the second half of chapter 5…and all of chapters 6 and 7. So much for “Gentleman Jesus, meek and mild.”

My point is that it’s those words…and the many, many other words like those that Jesus is declaring that we are to read, study, and put into practice. That’s why I felt despair and guilt the first time I really started understanding what Jesus was talking about.

But as I said…I think that’s the point. Those feelings of despair, guilt, and hopelessness are there to drive us to the Cross of Christ. They are to drive us to God’s gracious provision in the person and work of his Son, Jesus Christ. Only Jesus put those words into practice and perfectly practiced them. And that’s why he was and is the only acceptable sacrifice to the Father on our behalf.

That’s why we are saved only when we place our trust in him and him alone… and love him as our Savior, Lord, and all-sufficient Treasure. He is the pearl of great price.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not contradicting everything I just said. We are indeed to strive to be more and more obedient to God’s Word with each and every passing day, week, month, and year. It’s how we glorify God and become more like Christ. We must put his words into practice. That’s a non-negotiable.

But the difference is that at the end of the day, you aren’t trying to obey Jesus in order to save yourself with your own good works. You can’t do that anyway. Instead, you’re seeking to obey Jesus by putting his words into practice because he has already saved you by his grace. Your obedience, while required in a very qualified sense, is evidence of a grateful and loving heart. And it will be his Spirit working in and through you that will give you a desire to obey him and will enable you to do so.

And that’s how you show Jesus and the world that you love him…by obeying him… by bearing much good and lasting fruit. Jesus said in John 14:15…

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.

And in John 14:21…

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

That’s what it means to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. What could be better than that?

Grace and Truth,
Dale

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Transforming the World: Reclaiming Our Methodist Legacy, Part 3

by Dale Tedder
click here to read Part 1
click here to read Part 2

Story #2

To begin our next story, we need to fast-forward about 1,700 years. John Wesley was born on June 17, 1703, in the small town of Epworth in northeastern England. Here are just a few descriptive phrases about this England into which John Wesley was born.

England had just come out of a bloody civil war. Political tensions were high. There was extreme poverty.

 Regular employment was uncertain. Housing was often inadequate and unaffordable.

 Pure drinking water was scarce. Food was in short supply. Disease was rampant.

 Alcohol, violence, prostitution, and gambling were popular means to escape feelings of desperation and hopelessness.

 Children as young as four or five were employed as chimney sweeps or in mines and factories. Life was insecure. (I got these excerpts from a biography of Wesley’s life by Charles Yrigoyen. Its title is, John Wesley: Holiness of Heart & Life. It’s a great biography and could be used very profitably in a small group.)

 That was the condition of England that still existed as John Wesley began his ministry. It has some pretty remarkable similarities to our own day, doesn’t it?

I wish I could spend a few hours with you telling you all that Wesley preached and did. But here’s the short version of his ministry (and this is key): He preached the whole Gospel for the whole person.

He didn’t preach merely a Gospel message that promised heaven once you died. It, of course, included that… but it was much bigger than that. He preached a Gospel – the biblical Gospel – that changed lives in the here and now.

And as people were won for Christ, Wesley made sure that they were discipled. That means that he encouraged them to get involved in what we would call Bible studies, small groups, accountability groups. It would be in those settings that they would worship God, study his Word, take communion, pray for each other, hold each other accountable for growing in holiness.

As the Apostle Peter would put it, they were seeking to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Wesley gave these early Methodists “General Rules” that served to keep them moving in the right direction. Our church family here at Southside studied a basic summary and explanation of those rules a few years ago when we all read the book, Three Simple Rules, by Rueben Job. I want to share just a few of these rules so that you can get a sense of what was being emphasized…

“It is therefore expected of all who continue therein that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation,

 First: By doing no harm, by avoiding evil of every kind, especially that which is most generally practiced, such as:

• The taking of the name of God in vain.
• Drunkenness:
• Slaveholding; buying or selling slaves.
• Fighting, quarreling, brawling, brother going to law with brother; returning evil for evil,
• The giving or taking things on usury—i.e., unlawful interest.
• Uncharitable or unprofitable conversation;
• Doing to others as we would not they should do unto us.
• Doing what we know is not for the glory of God, as:

 It is expected of all who continue in these societies that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation,

 Secondly: By doing good; by being in every kind merciful after their power; as they have opportunity, doing good of every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to all men:

• To their bodies, of the ability which God giveth, by giving food to the hungry, by clothing the naked, by visiting or helping them that are sick or in prison.
• To their souls, by instructing, reproving, or exhorting all we have any intercourse with;
• By doing good, especially to them that are of the household of faith; helping each other in business,.
• By running with patience the race which is set before them, denying themselves, and taking up their cross daily;

 It is expected of all who desire to continue in these societies that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation,

 Thirdly: By attending upon all the ordinances of God; such are:

• The public worship of God.
• The ministry of the Word, either read or expounded.
• The Supper of the Lord.
• Family and private prayer.
• Searching the Scriptures.
• Fasting

 Now let me ask you something: What might happen to a city where genuinely Spirit-empowered, Spirit-guided people were faithfully and regularly practicing these things? Well, I’ll tell you what happened in England. It turned England upside down, just like it began to do in Rome 1,700 years earlier.

The Methodist movement, according to secular historians with no special fondness for the church, saved England from the same bloody revolution that happened in France.

But there was a cost. There’s always a cost of discipleship… which is why Jesus wants us to count the cost before we commit our lives to him.

These disciples of Jesus Christ, called Methodists, were insulted, slandered, attacked in newspapers. And just like what happened in Thessalonica 1,700 years before… mobs physically attacks them. They were beaten, their houses were burned down, their property was stolen: Simply because they were Methodists!

And so, what happened? Did they give up and return to their old ways of living? Far from it! Methodists grew in faith and numbers. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was declared in more places with greater impact. Lives were changed. That little corner of the world called England was transformed. What a great witness for Christ!

As I draw to a close, let me leave you with two big ideas.

Scripture says that the early disciples turned their world upside down with the message of the Gospel and that lives were changed by it. History shows us that John Wesley and the early Methodists turned their world upside down with the message of the Gospel and that lives were changed by it.

And so here’s my first big idea: The Gospel of the Kingdom doesn’t actually turn the world upside down. It turns it right-side up!

You see, our fallen, sinful, broken world is already upside down. It’s values, beliefs, attitudes, desires, actions –and all the rest – are contrary to those of God’s Kingdom. Jesus came to set things right – in every sphere of life.

But that far-reaching, socially impacting, worldwide transformation that we all want has to first begin in the hearts of individuals. Each of us must become new creatures in Christ who will faithfully follow him as his disciples. Only then, as we take our new life – our new values, beliefs, attitudes, desires, and actions – with us, wherever we go, can we transform the world… or at least our little corner of it.

It starts with us. It moves to our families. It affects our church, our workplaces, our friendships, our community, our city, our state, our country, and eventually our world. But we have to first start where we are. We have to first be faithful where we are.

That’s my first big idea.

Here’s my second big idea: As followers of Jesus Christ, and spiritual descendents of the Apostle Paul and John Wesley, this is YOUR spiritual legacy as United Methodists. You see, their stories belong to you. In fact, this is YOUR story. You are a part of it.

And so, let me ask you this: What legacy will you leave to those who follow you? How will you keep the story going?

Grace and Truth,
Dale

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God Will Provide

by Dale Tedder
Selected verses from Genesis 22

Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his son – the son of promise – the dear child that Abraham and Sarah had waited a century to have. It was this very son, Isaac, whom Abraham was to take to the mountaintop and sacrifice – to kill.

Abraham obeyed.

As Abraham and Isaac approached the fateful place, Isaac looked around, saw the fire and wood, but no animal for the offering. “…Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Isaac asked his father.

“Abraham answered, ‘God himself will provide…’” And he did. We know this story well. As Abraham prepared to offer his son, the Lord stopped him, and provided a ram to take Isaac’s spot. God provided.

The Lord tested Abraham (verse 1). A test from God is designed to move you forward in faith. The purpose of Satan’s temptations is to trip you up so that you might fall backwards. This was a test. And Abraham passed. He was blessed accordingly (verses 15-18). Why the blessing? Because Abraham obeyed God (verse 18).

This is the nature of covenantal living. If you obey God and the conditions of his covenant, God promises blessings (because he graciously sets the terms of the covenant… not because he has to). If you disobey, he promises curses. What either of those  may look like is not so clear. That God promises to work this way is very clear.

I wonder what blessings God desires to pour out upon us for our obedience today…and for tomorrow. Deeper faith maybe? More influence for the Kingdom perhaps? Greater responsibility? God specifically said that Abraham’s descendents would be blessed through his faithfulness. Might our obedience now impact our children and our children’s children after them (for a thousand generations)? I believe the answer is yes to all of those questions.

If God chooses to bless us in material ways, that’s fine. (And we really ought to point out that he already has and then some.) But shouldn’t the blessings we desire be things like, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is heaven”? And shouldn’t the provisions that we hope God will bestow upon us be along the lines of an ever-increasing knowledge of him (John 17:3), a growing conformity to him, an ever-expanding influence for his Kingdom, a radical extension of his Kingdom into every sphere of life – that everyone in our “territory” would bow before our King in willing and joyful submission?

Abraham was obedient and God blessed him. Will you be obedient too? How? How is God calling you to faithfully follow him today? Abraham was asked to sacrifice the whole world to him – his beloved son. What form of sacrificial living is God calling you to? Will you obey?

Grace and Truth,
Dale

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Christ’s Call

Powerful!!! Sobering!!! Convicting!!!

from Gospel for Asia

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