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.
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)
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 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
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.
Thanks to Cera B. for passing this on. Hysterical.
The charlatan never looked better!
Jesus vs. Joel Osteen (John 13)
Churches have been known to throw down $10,000 to $40,000 for a speaker to give one speech!
One church in Georgia brought in a motivational speaker for $15,000 because, according to one elder, the church had “the disease of the successful.” That is, a person or institution can hit the cultural mark of success and still feel empty.
It is also true that everyone needs a motivational kick every once in a while.
Yet, when Jesus is spending the last meal with his hand chosen leadership team, what does he do?
John 13:1-38
13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.
Notice, as Andy Stanley points out, that Jesus is the most powerful person in the room (in fact, largely unbeknownst to the disciples Jesus is the most powerful person in the universe), yet, what kind of example does he set in utilizing his power? He becomes a slave.
Stripping down to one’s undies and washing another’s feet was only fit for a slave in the 1st century. In fact, a rabbi took his mother to court because she insisted on washing her son’s feet and the rabbi wanted precedent set stating that this was not appropriate work for anyone but a slave.
Moreover, understand that people walked everywhere with their feet barely covered by awkward fitting leather sandals. The disciples’ feet would have been covered with sweat, sores, blisters, dust and feces. Yet, the eternal god in flesh humiliates himself by stripping down and scrubbing the crap off of his disciples feet.
Furthermore, consider this, Jesus scrubs Peter’s feet and Jesus scrubs Judas’ feet. This is despite the fact that he knows that in only a few short moments, Peter will deny even knowing Jesus and Judas will betray him. He scrubs their feet anyway. Jesus’ spirit is “troubled” by this, which means his heart is breaking but it doesn’t stop him. Jesus is not afraid to be vulnerable or to be hurt. Such is the true Christian life.
Jesus then goes on to state that this attitude evidenced by humble actions is how they are to act. The world is to know they belong to Jesus by behaving likewise.
So, how is it that we have gone from that to paying motivational speakers $15,000 to give one speech at a church?
Well, professional speakers and televangelists can push buttons but they tend to push buttons like ambition, greed, vanity and fear.
In fact, if you recast John 13 in another contest and ran it by these speakers and “ministers” they would say that Jesus’ speech and actions are those of a loser.
But you have to ask yourself what churches would look like if they were filled with “losers” like that? You have to ask what Portsmouth would look like of our churches were filled with “losers”?
There are two different ways to do church, the “successful way” and the “Jesus’ way.” You have to choose.
We continue to study the Gospel of John at Revolution. This week we will hit Chapter 13 with a talk entitled, “Jesus vs. Joel Osteen.”
After I’m done ranting, Ryan Rolfe & The World’s Most Dangerous Praise Band will lead us in worship.
Sadly, we also say goodbye to Eron Elswick, at least for the time being, as he has resigned from the Revolution Leadership Team to care for his brother Jay who is battling cancer. Prayers for the Elswick family are appreciated. We will have a little goodbye party for Eron after the service.
Revolution meets every Sunday night at 315 Chillicothe Street in Portsmouth. We have Coffee & Community at 6:30 (come hang, sip coffee & hot chocolate and listen to good music) and then we kick things off at 7:00 p.m.
Everyone is welcome. Come as you are.
Revolution: It’s Not A Church, It’s A Movement.
The film that created the modern horror movie. Everyone has been standing on its shoulders ever since.
This classic may not scare you while you watch it but wait until you are swimming…then it gets you.
