Relevance 4

John 8:3-11

The issue of sin and membership has come up at times in our church and in our denomination. There are those who call for people to be banned from membership because they have sinned. But since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, then everyone should be barred from membership. If we follow through on that logic we will have nothing but empty churches.

Sometimes in our zeal to be faithful we overlook what makes sense and what God wants. Today’s passage is the familiar story of a woman caught in adultery. What has the woman done? What do the religious leaders want? How does Jesus make the woman part of his “church?” What does Jesus give her?

The religious leaders in that area had found a woman who was committing a sin and they were eager to punish her. But Jesus very deftly points out that each one of us is guilty of one sin or another. Who are we to judge anyone?

And in that moment Jesus is offering that sinful woman acceptance into his fold, this flock of sinful sheep seeking shelter and a better spiritual understanding of God. And in that action Jesus is an example for us.

He doesn’t deny the sin. He doesn’t excuse the sin. He accepts the sinner and offers a chance to change. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Hard as it may be we are to do the same to those in the world around us. We need to first accept them and then help them leave the life of sin. In that way we are relevant to the world. But many of us have difficulty with this.

We expect non-Christians living in a non-Christian world to be able to behave in a Christian way and comprehend our Christian beliefs. We can’t always see that we have our own way of thinking and speaking and believing, and those people out in the world may not understand it.

We don’t need to give up our Christian ways. But we do need to realize not everyone is immediately ready for the life we live. And we do need to have some humility in our approach, realizing that we are sinners too. Perhaps that can help us be more forgiving to others.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How do your rules for membership compare to those of Jesus?

The Woman Views the Cross 5

John 13:12-17

Working with the local school at putting on a musical and helping to build the sets has emphasized to me the benefit of demonstrating what you want done. It is so much easier to act out a role or construct a wall when someone else presents an example of what it should be like. The example sets the pattern. You simply imitate what was done.

At the house of the Pharisee a sinful woman washed the feet of Jesus as an expression of devotion. At the Last Supper with his disciples Jesus washed the feet of his followers as an expression of service. These acts of humility and compassion in both cases were examples and demonstrations to all who would follow Jesus.

What does Jesus remind them of in verse 13? What does he tell them to do? What does he point out in verse 17?

In spite of the fact that the disciples were not worthy and we are not worthy Jesus went beyond washing feet. He sacrificed himself on the cross, washing not our feet but our souls. He accepted us as sinners and welcomed us in his kingdom.

Whenever we are confronted with someone we may consider sinful and unworthy we should recall what Jesus did. He lowered himself to the position of the lowest of servants, performing a task that no one wants to do. But he did it out of compassion and love, and he did it because he accepted the disciples even though they were sinful.

“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” Does this mean Jesus wants us to make certain everyone has clean feet? Of course not. What he wants – the example he set – was that we should humble ourselves and be accepting of others even when they are sinful and may be considered unworthy. We are to accept others in love and compassion and humility, and invite them in to the kingdom of God rather than shun them and keep them out.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Whose feet do you need to wash?

The Woman Views the Cross 4

2 Corinthians 5:16-18

One of my favorite stories is one I heard at a ministry convention about a ruffian who turned his heart over to God. When he first entered the church he wore leather and chains, and had obscenities tattooed on his knuckles. After turning his heart to God he was baptized, but not before having the tattoos removed. When he came up out of the water he declared, “Now the outside is as clean as the inside.”

He had become a new person. He had a new soul, a clean spirit washed by Christ. But he had to remove the external reminders of what he had been.

Unfortunately, some people don’t have tattoos that can be removed so that people can see that they have been made new. Instead, they have invisible tattoos, a reputation or past history that others will not allow them to forget.

Paul gives clear advice on how to think and act like believers in Christ. How are we not to look at people? What happens to those who believe in Jesus? What is our ministry?

Verse 18 is a wonderful verse for all of us to remember. God reconciled us to Him. He took away our sin, wiped it out, so that we might be part of who He is. And because of that we should also have this ministry of reconciliation. It is our calling and duty as Christians to work toward bringing others into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Regardless of the person’s past, regardless of the person’s current behavior, regardless of our personal opinion or our own standards, we are supposed to teach others about God and the salvation they can have through the Savior. We should not be looking at others from a human or worldly view. We should be looking at them as God does, seeing each person as a valued member of the body of Christ.

And when they receive Christ in their hearts then we need to remember that they are new creations. The past is over with and forgotten. You are accepted by Christ. Can you accept others?

DAILY CHALLENGE: Is there someone who needs to have their past forgotten by you?

The Woman Views the Cross 3

Matthew 7:3-5

I had a friend in my high school and college years who was big on giving advice to me and others. He always seemed hyper-critical of what I did and who I was friends with. Eventually, of course, I stopped associating with him and wonder to this day why I listened to him. His own life, in my opinion, was a mess. He struggled with finances, with his weight, and with alcohol. As far as I know he never married because he could never meet anyone who measured up to his expectations.

In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives a warning about criticizing others. What metaphor does he use? What must we do first before advising others?

It can be very tempting to offer advice or criticism to others. But even when our intentions are for the best we must be cautious in this. Why are we so eager to point out the problems in other people and offer solutions to them when we have a sufficient amount of troubles in our own lives to deal with?

This concept extends beyond comments about appearance, decorating, diet and lifestyle choices. We often take on the same attitude when it comes to spirituality.

There are so many who like to sit in judgment of others, pointing out the sin and failings in others. They do not seem to see their own sinful nature. They seem to overlook or dismiss their own spiritual short-comings.

Philippians 2:12 says, “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” We each should see to our own salvation first before looking in on others. This is not to say we shouldn’t share the gospel message until we are certain of our own place in heaven. But we do need to remove the plank of sin in ourselves before we can worry over the sin of others. Before we spend time deciding who is acceptable for God’s kingdom, let’s look to our own thoughts and behavior to see if we are acceptable.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Give yourself a prayerful and honest evaluation. What planks of sin are in your life?

The Woman Views the Cross 2

Luke 7:44-50

Our previous church had many outreach programs and mission projects that members could support or be involved with. But there was also a woman – a member of the church, but not well known – who had started her own ministry outside the church selling used books to raise money to help needy children. The question came up – should the church support this since it is not a program of the church?

As we continue in the encounter with the sinful woman, we have seen that Jesus has accepted her in spite of her sins. What does he point out to his host? What does he say to her? What is the response? How does Jesus clarify the matter?

Of course we were supposed to support the ministry of the woman in the church, even if her idea was not the idea of church leaders. What was important was that service was being done. Good and holy efforts were made to serve God’s kingdom.

Sometimes Christians get caught up in the organization and order of the church, failing to see what goes on outside the walls of the church. Activities conducted outside the congregation may seem foreign to us, and often suspect. But, are we as “good Christians” actually doing any good work, or just sitting in judgment of others?

Although we are sinful we are accepted by Christ, and being accepted we are called to serve the kingdom of God. If we wait until we are good enough to do the work of the Lord we will never do anything. We must act in faith, trusting that we are accepted and forgiven.

And that should be our attitude toward others. We cannot judge them and turn others away. But we should accept them as Christ does, accept them as they are, and invite them to join us in the work of God, or offer to join them in their good work.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you accept he work of others without judging them?

The Woman Views the Cross 1

Luke 7:37-43

When I taught junior high school there was a particular student who did not do well; he had poor grades and a bad attitude. He did not do well in most classes, that is, but he was fine in mine. When I suggested to another teacher that we all may want to work with this student I was told that he was a hopeless case. But at the end of the year the young man wrote me a note thanking me for my encouragement.

It was the same student in all the classes, the difference was that I would not let his reputation color my perception of him.

In Luke 7 we have the first part of Jesus encountering a sinful woman. What did the woman do for Jesus? What did the Pharisee think? What was the point of the parable?

The issue of sinfulness came up the other day in a discussion among clergy. How much sin is too much sin? The question arose from church members trying to decide if a sinful person should be allowed to take part in their worship service. I responded with this story of the sinful woman.

She knew she was sinful, but she also knew she needed to be forgiven. With this awareness and this powerful drive to find salvation she wordlessly offers praise and adoration to Jesus.

Did Jesus know who she was? Yes, of course. But her past was not important. What was important was that she was seeking forgiveness, and knew she needed a great debt forgiven.

We are all sinful, and to attempt to rank our sin with others – I’m not as sinful as you, my sin is not as bad as yours – is absolute foolishness. To reject another because we view them as sinful is to take the position of the Pharisee. We sit in judgment and reject the very people that Christ came to save and that the church should work to rescue.

We should each be willing to accept other people in spite of their sinfulness, because we have had a great debt canceled. Perhaps it would help us to accept others when we remember we have been accepted by Jesus.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can you do to remember the size of your cancelled debt?

Accept One Another 5

James 4:11-12

I have to admit I have a bit of a lead foot when it comes to driving. There are certain roads that I drive – flat and smooth and open – where it just pains me to actually go the speed limit. And so, there are times when I have thought the law to be a bit foolish, unnecessarily strict. But who am I to judge the law? Who am I to decide which law should be obeyed and which law can be ignored?

Such an approach is not new. Even in the times of Christ there were those who thought they could determine what should be obeyed and what could be ignored. In this letter from James (believed to be the brother of Jesus), what warning is given? What do we judge when we judge our brother? Who is the one Judge and Lawgiver?

Exceeding the speed limit when there is no one around to be affected is still against the law. Slipping through a stop sign when it is late at night and there is no one around is also against the law. It may seem foolish to obey such laws when we consider ourselves intelligent enough to realize they aren’t necessary in certain circumstances, but the law is the law.

The same is true of our attitudes toward one another. We are reminded not to slander one another. We are told not to judge one another. But still we do. We examine others and choose to have them part of our family of faith or to exclude them.

And when we do that we are passing our own judgment on the law of God. Jesus has taught us to accept one another, to be part of the forgiveness we all need. Jesus has taught us not to judge one another. And when we do we are deciding in our own hearts that the teachings and instructions of Christ do not apply to us.

Who are you to judge your neighbor? Jesus is the only one to offer judgment. Christ is the one who is the Lawgiver. And the law of Christ is that we accept one another.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you avoid judging others?

Accept One Another 4

Romans 16:17-19

Almost every child has had to deal with a bully at school or in the neighborhood. Or perhaps we have had to deal with others whom we find unpleasant. The simplest solution, of course, is to just avoid the people with whom you have problems.

This simple approach is also supported by Paul in his letter to Rome. What warning does he offer? How does he suggest dealing with these people? What motivates these people? What does Paul desire?

As we examine the call for each of us to accept one another, we must also look at those individuals who are part of our faith family who refuse to accept one another. It is very common in almost every church family or faith group to have a few individuals who just do not comprehend the teachings of Christ. These persons are unable for some reason or another to accept what the Bible teaches.

Instead, they are caught up in their own desires and their own motivations. Who among us has not encountered at least one member of our faith family who served their own appetites rather than the Lord?

In Romans 14:13 Paul refers to our judgmental attitudes as causing stumbling blocks and obstacles for others in the faith. Here he also uses the term “obstacles” when talking about those who cause division and unrest.

Those people who will serve themselves rather than God, who will cause division in a family of faith, who will throw out obstacles and stumbling blocks for others are the kind of people who will not be accepting of other people and other ideas.

The solution is to avoid these individuals. Do not allow yourself to be caught up in their deceits or their false and erroneous ways of thinking.

As true followers of Christ we are to be accepting of one another, welcoming other ideas and embracing people different from ourselves. We are not to be part of a group who will deceive the minds of others or cause division in the family of faith.

As Paul encourages, we should be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you be wise about what is good?

Accept One Another 3

Romans 15:5-7

Many years ago I was responsible for the church’s Christmas dinner. I knew it would take some time to set everything up – tables, silverware, napkins for about 150 people – but I had two helpers with me. To have sufficient room for everyone the settings needed to be placed a certain way and the tables needed to be angled.

I worked the length of one side, then up the middle of the room, and down the other side. When I came to the end I saw that I had missed several places and went back to fix them. Then I saw more places that were not the way they should have been. That was when I realized my helpers were undoing what I had done.

To get the job done we had to all do the same work, not work against one another. Such an attitude is needed in our faith as well. Just as it would have been impossible to make the dinner preparations right with all of us working at odds to one another, it is difficult to honor the Lord and do God’s will when we are all working against one another in our faith.

Again we look to Paul’s letter to the Romans. What does he pray for? What is the result of unity in heart and mouth? How can we achieve that unity?

If we are all Christians under one Lord, then we need to accept one another as Christians under our one Lord. God is able to give us a sense of encouragement in what we do. He is able to give us the endurance we need to work against the hardships and challenges of life and temptation.

We need to realize that God is also able to give us a spirit of unity too. But that spirit of unity can be hindered and dampened if we cannot learn to accept one another. And that acceptance begins within us.

Christ can be glorified and praised if we can all learn to work together in our journey of faith. But to achieve this unity we must refrain from judgment and adopt an attitude of humility and peace.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Where does your family of faith need unity? What can you do to help achieve that?

Accept One Another 2

Ephesians 4:1-3

Several years ago I heard a great Christian speaker, Marva Dawn, relate her response to people who complain to her about worship. She said that when someone speaks to her after a worship service and says, “I didn’t like that song,” she says, “So what? It isn’t about you.”

It isn’t just the music that some people complain about. There are those who don’t like the overall worship style, or the décor, or the decisions being made by the church in general. And there are plenty of people who would really love church if they could just get rid of all the people they don’t like.

So what? It isn’t about them.

Look at the example Paul gives for being a Christian. How does he refer to himself? What attitude does he recommend for us to have? What are we to do?

If it isn’t about us, then what is it about? While it is true that part of our life of faith is our own salvation and our own relationship with God, we must have an attitude of inclusiveness. Our faith journey is not just our own but the journey of others like us. We are all seeking that right and holy connection with our Lord.

It is also all about God. Our faith life should be about worshiping God and about working to serve His kingdom.

But how can all of us make that connection when a few members of the family of faith want everything to fit their own style? It seems that every church or religious group has a collection of those who want to dictate how things are going to be. They sit in judgment of others and their behavior. They may exclude those who are even a little different than themselves.

But this is not the attitude of a Christian. This is not modeling the life of Christ.

Instead we should see ourselves as Paul does, as prisoners for the Lord. Such an attitude will make us humble and more tolerant of others. If we can approach our faith with humility, gentleness, patience and love we can make greater strides in serving our God and helping others along the path to redemption.

We must learn to accept one another, fostering the bonds of peace. And that bond of peace that promotes unity in the body of Christ begins with us. It comes about when we can rid ourselves of judgment, arrogance, selfishness and intolerance.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Examine your faith. Is it all about you, or is it all about God and others?

Accept One Another 1

Romans 14:10-13

Each of us who believe in Jesus and work to be like him, those who call themselves Christians, must work to live in peace with one another. We must learn to interact with each other as Christian brothers and sisters under the guidance of our Lord and Father. If we are to be true Christians under Jesus then we must learn what it means to be together in the love of Christ. And so, we begin looking at how to live as a Christian family.

The Bible has much to say and much guidance in how to live and love as Christians. So we begin this series on “One Another,” looking at how to accept one another, have fellowship with one another, teach one another, forgive one another and love one another.

We begin in Romans, that letter from Paul to a struggling church confronted with adversity. Like these early Christians we may also feel that our life and faith are being challenged. In this passage Paul gives advice on how to begin to accept one another, how to start that foundation of faith.

What problem is being addressed? What does Paul remind us about our relationship with God? What should we do?

If we intend to live as Christians we must first be humble. We must learn to get along with others who are of the same faith before we can even begin to get along with others who may not be aware of God.

While our efforts and attitudes may be those that work to remove sin from our own lives and sin from the world, we cannot approach our faith with arrogance and conceit. Which one of us is worthy to stand before God? Not one. We are all sinners who have missed the mark of perfection.

So how can it be that we judge one another? How can we look at others and claim they are not good enough to be in our company? Such attitudes do not work to remove sin or improve the spirituality of ourselves or any other. Instead they become obstacles, roadblocks, things that deter rather than invite.

We are called to have an attitude of openness and love. We may hate the sin, but we must love the sinner because we are all sinners. We must develop an attitude of humility and acceptance, holding back on our judgments and working to remove our own inflated sense of self-worth.

In Matthew 20:26-27 Jesus explains, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.” If we will serve the Lord and be true Christians we will learn to accept one another and serve one another.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Is there anyone you look down on? What can you do to remove that attitude?