Jesus vs. The Church Part II: This Time It’s Personal! Sermon Notes

Jesus vs. The Church Part II: This Time It’s Personal
 
My own life has been a series of “If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.”

What does that have to do with Jesus and the church?
 
Let’s look at John 15:18-16:33…

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

16:1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

 There is a lot here to talk about but what I want to focus on is why Jesus expected “the world” to hate his followers?
 
The Greek term translated as “The World” means different things at different times in The Gospel of John, here it means that which makes sense from a narrow view that what we see around is all there is. 
 
So, why would it hate the transcendent message of Jesus? The church has given different answers for that. 
 
Some Christians would say it’s because we don’t engage in the “filth of the culture.”
 
Other Christians would say it’s because we vote a certain way.
 
Others would answer that it’s because we seek to bring liberation to the poor and oppressed. 
 
There may be some truth in all of these answers, but I don’t think that’s what Jesus meant. I think Jesus knew that the message that he, and no one else, is God and King and, as such deserves our undivided loyalty, is what would truly rattle everyone.
 
The Bible often refers to “idolatry” or the worship of idols. What is an idol? Tim Keller writes, “It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.”
 
We all have idols but how do we identify them? Again, Tim Keller writes, “the true god of your heart is what your thoughts effortlessly go to when there is nothing else demanding your attention.” 
 
Ask yourself, what do you daydream about? What do you spend most of your money on? What are you goals? What are you most passionate about?
 
For men, this is often sex…big shocker there! 
 
For women, it is often what Ernest Becker calls “apocalyptic romance.” The idea that a romance can save them.  You can see this in horrible movies like “Twightlight” (at least I guess it’s terrible, I’ll never see it because I’m a dude!) and that 3-hour horrible soap opera with good special effects called “Titanic.”
 
I’ve met way too many women who believe that the right man will make them happy but, to quote Becker once again, the problem with these things is that “no human relationship can bear the burden of the godhead.”
 
The idol may be money even though this is normally a surface idol or it can be success or comfort or even children. 
 
Idols are often good things that we try to make ultimate things. 
 
Please understand that idolatry is not just a failure to obey God, it is “a setting of the whole heart on something beside God.” It is important to note that idol cannot just be removed, it must be uprooted and the cross of Jesus must be planted in its stead.
 
If we truly take Jesus seriously as our Lord and God then we should not expect a peaceful life but it will be an authentic, peace-filled one. 

The problem with the church is that it doesn’t challenge these idols like Jesus and his original disciples did but, if we truly love people, then we must.  Now, only those truly broken and ready will thank us for this, others will hate it.  Yet, we are not called to be liked but to be faithful.

Let the uprooting begin.

This Sunday Night at Revolution…

Jesus continues to throw down this week with a talk entitled, “Jesus vs. The Church Part 2: This Time It’s Personal!”

After Jesus is done dropping elbows, Ryan Rolfe & The World’s Most Dangerous Praise Band will lead us in worship.

Revolution meets every Sunday night at 315 Chillicothe Street in Portsmouth, Ohio. 

Coffee & Community at 6:30 and gathering at 7:00pm.

Anyone and everyone is welcome.  Come as you are.

Revolution: It’s Not Just A Church, It’s A Movement

RIP Storm

One year ago, Storm Bratchett went to be with Jesus at the age of 17.  Today there will be a vigil in Portsmouth.  Please be there to support the Bratchett family.

RIP Storm, I’ll see ya’ when I get there, buddy.

Goodbye, Ed Hardy…I’ll miss ya’

Sometimes I prepare for a sermon or a sermon series and end up preaching to myself.  I have been doing research for Revolution’s forthcoming Christmas Conspiracy Project and it hit me that before I preached a single word, I needed to repent myself.

A few years ago, I decided to quit trying to be Mr. Christian and just be myself as long as being myself didn’t conflict with following Christ. So, I quit wearing the Evangelical Uniform, i.e., khakis, button up shirt, etc. and began wearing what I really wanted to wear, which, basically, meant dressing like a roadie for Rob Zombie. 

I really got into it.  I bought stuff by Affliction, Ed Hardy, NOFTW, etc. I bought most of it from Ebay for a good price but still everyone knows that it ain’t stuff you can pick up at Wal-Mart or Target.

Well, part of the Christmas Conspiracy Project is to encourage followers of Jesus to lay the idol of materialism on the altar as a burnt offering. 

So, I’m getting rid of my designer clothes.  Not sure how I should give them away but I’m going to and, I’ll be honest, it sucks.  I don’t want to do it but Jesus never promised that following him would be easy.

Farewell Ed Hardy…I’ll miss ya’ but…alas…thus always to idols.

Jesus vs. The Church sermon notes Part 1 (John 15:1-17)

Jesus vs. The Church sermon notes Part 1 (John 15:1-17)

Have you ever seen the South Park episode “Die! Hippy Die!”? My favorite scene is at the “Hippy Jam Festival” where Stan, Kyle and Kenny keep asking all of the “college know it all hippies” when they will get all the people together and take down the corporations. The only response they get is that hippies don’t need corporations just weed and “crunchy grooves.” 

What does this have to do with the Gospel of John?  I’ll come back to it.

Evangelism may strike you as pushy if not creepy.  Ever had someone hand you a tract that began with something like “you’re an abomination!”  Great way to start a conversation, huh?
 
Yet, Jesus gave his followers a very clear order to make “disciples” (Matt. 28:16-20).  Now, as I’ve preached before, a disciple and a convert are two different things, but I won’t beat that horse right now.  Just know that to be in a relationship with Jesus means to love him the way he asks to be loved and that means introducing people to God and helping them grow in their relationship to Jesus.
 
But how do we do it without appearing like we are recruiting for a cult?
 
Let’s look at John 15:1-17

15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Notice that Jesus stresses his love for them and that they will love him by keeping his commandments, which includes making disciples but love always comes first.   So, obeying Jesus out of love means loving others.  We get to know those outside of the faith, we love them and then, once we have established a relationship with them, we introduce them to Jesus.
 
And think about who Jesus disciples and how? Does he just hang out in Nazareth with his fellow carpenters? Nope, he recruits a zealot (the 1st century equivalent of an ultra-right wing, militia man type), a tax collector (a traitor to the state of Israel, kind of like an American fighting for Osama Ben Laden), and blue-collar laborers.  He also loved Samaritans, who were viewed as an ”inferior race”, and prostitutes, etc. He loved them, he hung out with them and he taught them by word and deed.  This is what the church is supposed to do.  This is how we are to love Jesus.
 
Sound easy? No brainer? Every church should be able to do that, right?
 
Well, Dr. Leonard Sweet reports that there are more strip clubs in America than healthy churches i.e., disciple making churches. Don’t believe me?
 
There are more than 300,000 churches in the U.S. 25% of churches are growing but nearly all at the expense of other churches.  Only 1% of churches are growing by reaching the “unchurched” or “dechurched”. There are 2700 strip clubs in the U.S. 
 
Sweet calls the people in the other 99% of the churches as “consumer junkies” or “users”. That is, they are so use to going somewhere to “get something” rather than to “give something” that they treat the church like Wal-Mart.
 
I have worked at traditional churches and become so frustrated that I wanted to scream and start tossing hymnals across the pews! I mean, how many men’s retreats and Beth Moore bible studies do we need to have before we actually put that knowledge into practice? There are 297,000 churches that appear to be in perpetual spring training.  When do they got off the sidelines and into the game?

Now, before you point fingers at other churches know that Revolution has the same problem!
 
The Leadership Team defines success at Revolution by discipleship and the process for this is: Worship (what we do here on Sunday nights) – Grow (what we do in small groups) – Serve (what we do on the streets of Portsmouth) and we are a long way from success.   We have had more than 120 people worshipping with us every Sunday night for months and it is slowly but steadily growing but the groups aren’t growing and the service projects are largely staffed by the same people.  

So, how are we any different from the hippy in the South Park episode who talks a good game about changing the world but really just wants to do nothing and listen to “crunchy grooves”?
 
Where are you at? Are you a disciple or a consumer? Are you making disciples or are you hanging out? If not, what are you all about?

I can promise you one thing: that no matter what you do with your life, the only thing that will echo through eternity is the people you love and disciple in the name of Jesus.  If you do so then you are ”abiding in him” and he is abiding in you and that is what life is all about.

This Sunday Night at Revolution…

We continue to work through the Gospel of John with a talk entitled “Jesus vs. The Church (John 15).” 

Afterwards, Ryan Rolfe & The World’s Most Dangerous Praise Band will lead us in worship.

Revolution meets every Sunday night at 315 Chillicothe Street in Portsmouth, Ohio. 

Coffee & Community at 6:30 with gathering at 7:00 pm.

Everyone is welcome.  Come as you are.

Revolution: It’s Not A Church, It’s A Movement.

Bubba Lou’s

Revolution is renovating the former Bubba Lou’s Tattoo parlor next door to use as a space for kids. Thanks to the hard work of Jon Simpson and others, it is clean and disenfected.

A group of us will be painting tonight at 6:30. Stop by if you want to help.

Peace.

Jesus vs. Oprah (John 14)

Jesus vs. Oprah (John 14)

It is always important to remember that we should never judge a philosophy by its abuses.  A lot of nasty things have been done in the name of Jesus that he would not approve of (i.e., racism, wars of conquest, televangelists, etc.) but there are also a lot things said that sound “Jesus like” i.e., warm and fuzzy that he wouldn’t approve of either.  One of those “warm and fuzzy” things that sound “Jesus like” but doesn’t square with Jesus’ own words is that there are many roads to god.

As much of an “Oprah hater” as I am, I understand where she is coming from.  I don’t understand how it is that God can be a loving god and demand that there be only “one way” to salvation.  Yet, that is exactly what Jesus seems to be saying in John 14.

Look at John 14:1-31 with me:

14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

We tend not to like exclusive claims like the one Jesus is making (v. 6) but, before we dismiss these claims out of hand, we need to keep a few things in mind:

 (1) As C.S. Lewis stated, Jesus is either “Lord, Lunatic or Liar.”  You have to choose.  One cannot say that Jesus is an “enlightened man” and/or “a great moral teacher” while not accepting his other direct claims of equality with god and his rather straightforward statement of exclusivity in regards to salvation.  Either Jesus is exactly what he claims to be or not.  You have to choose.

 (2) It is important to remember that we “see through the glass darkly.” Our perspective is skewed by sin (i.e., open rebellion against God) as well as our own finite, local situation.  God’s perspective is not, so arguing with Him can be a little silly.

 It is also important to note that it is a lie that such exclusive claims are “intolerant” and “violent.”  History has not born this out.  The most oppressive, violent regimes in history were agnostic, pagan or atheistic.  It is true that Jesus makes exclusive, “intolerant” claims but he also calls us to be agents of peace, instruments of healing and to absorb suffering rather than inflict it. 

 (3) Finally, and most importantly, God is THE creator and we need only soak in his work to appreciate His eternal wisdom before placing our complete trust in Him even when He doesn’t make sense to us.

 If you read the last 3 chapters of Job, you will see that Job is a pretty good guy who has lost nearly everything. He states that if God would just show up to hear his case that he (Job) would be vindicated.  Well, God does show up but he doesn’t answer Job’s questions about suffering, He just asks Job a few questions like, “Job, buddy, can you make an eagle? Can you throw up a mountain real quick? NO??? Oh, well now you know why I wear the Daddy Pants and you don’t.  Look around, see what I can do and trust that I know better than you.” 

Still not convinced? Still wondering how can we truly know this is right? Follow Jesus (v.7) and He promises to send the Spirit to guide us (v. 26).  Just walk with us and see.

 Jesus’ exclusive claims may trouble you but, in the end, we must trust in God and His infinite wisdom, which surrounds us in His creation.

This Sunday Night at Revolution…

This Sunday night at Revolution we will continue working through the Gospel of John with a talk entitled “Jesus vs. Oprah (John 14).”  After we are done looking at John 14, Ryan Rolfe & The World’s Most Dangerous Praise Band will lead us in worship.

Revolution meets every Sunday night at 315 Chillicothe Street in Portsmouth, OH. 

Coffee & Community at 6:30 and Justin Clark will bring things to order around 7:00 p.m.

Everyone is welcome.  Come as you are.

Revolution: It’s Not A Church, It’s Movement

Coming Soon…

1) Revolution will soon launch a children’s ministry using the space next door to us.  We have bought awesome curriculum and are in the process of renovating the space, putting on a safety door and security measures like a wireless LED readout to let parents know when they are needed and video cameras/monitors to create a “nervous mommy” corner where you can look in on your kids at anytime.

2) Redeem the Night, our outreach ministry to the homeless and drug prostitutes will be here soon.  Just be patient.  Lots of details to work out.

3) The Christmas Conspiracy project kicks off in December.  I’ll be preaching a 3-part sermon series on the birth of Jesus entitled “The Birth of a Revolution”, we will be donating every penny we collect during those three weeks to those in need and we are asking artists to give us their rendering of the Nativity Scene. 

As you can see, a lot is happening at Revolution these days, so stay tuned.