Don't Mind the Rules; Mind the Mind

In our youth group Bible study in Romans we have recently covered chapters 12 and 13. Chapter 12 has one paragraph in it with 29 imperatives (verbs that tell us what to do). In chapter 13, we are told to submit to our governing authorities.

This can start to feel overwhelming - so many commands! So many rules! I thought we were set from the the law (Rom 6)!

And then throw in the mix that we should not submit to our governing authorities if doing so would cause us to violate God's will.

So we discussed with the youth how it is possible to take on all these commands and live them, plus how to know how to handle the "exceptions."

If we try to treat all of this as a list of commands like a law, we will end up in the exact same place as the Pharisees were in (and, sadly, it's a place where too many in the modern Christians find themselves today).

What Scripture really wants us to do is to understand God's mind on the matters of life, to know what He thinks about things, and to learn to think the same way. And then ... live according to God's mind on the matter. We don't obey rules - we obey a living God. If we try to accumulate rule after rule, then we'll eventually bog down and likely fall into legalism. The rules serve the purpose of revealing the mind of God. That's what we need to obey.

Learn the mind of God more than accumulating rules. Learning His mind means studying His revelation and developing a relationship with Him. But the more you learn the mind of God, the less you need to worry about rules and the more you can say, "The entire law of my life can be summed up in two commands: Love the Lord my God with all of my heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. In this, the entire law of my life is contained."

A Silent Ministry Within the Church

For those in the DBC family, I want to make sure you're aware of something that our youth and children are doing this Christmas season.

You are aware that church-wide, we are "reverse decorating" our Christmas tree to raise funds for the Friends of Christ orphanage in Kenya. This has been a successful project every year to raise much-needed support for the many needs for our Kenyan orphans.

The youth and children have a project of their own this year. They have selected a family in Dublin (a mother with four young children) to help with their financial needs. They are collecting food items and small Christmas gifts to wrap and present to this family after the youth and children's Christmas party on Dec 20.

They want to be careful to not interfere with the Angel Tree project, but I'm sure they would also appreciate any help you can provide - some canned goods, a small toy, anything that a young family might need.

Mainly, though, I want to make sure that you are aware of one of the "silent" projects that the youth and children's ministries have taken on.

I'm grateful for that entire team. I pray that their leadership will instill a habit of giving and generosity in our young people, so that they learn these habits from the start (rather than having to "unlearn" them as adults in order to be generous).

What is the Gospel?

We have just begun a series with the Youth in Romans, and as we look at chapter 1:1-17, we see that Paul is anxious to preach the Gospel to those in Rome. But wait ... he's writing to Christians. Why would he want to preach the Gospel to Christians?

That depends on what the Gospel is in the first place.

If we take the somewhat common approach that the Gospel is the message of "how to get saved," then Paul isn't making any sense. And based on all that Paul wrote, especially the book of Romans, Paul doesn't seem like the kind of guy who rambles nonsensical platitudes.

Clearly, the Gospel is more than just the message of salvation.

One way to approach the question of "what is the Gospel?" is to just read the entire book of Romans. That's the Gospel! More than just the message of guilt ("for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," 3:23) and justification (being declared righteous before God, 5:1), the Gospel includes sanctification (the lifelong process of being conformed into the image of Christ, 8:29). The Gospel includes walking by the Spirit (8:1-11). The Gospel includes exercising the giftedness God has given us for the purpose of building up His Church (12:3-8). The Gospel includes being transformed by the renewing of our minds (12:1-2).

In other words, the "Gospel" is the message of the entire Christian life. The whole package. Not just "getting in" but also the whole journey that ensues. The Gospel is the message of an entire life yielded to God for His glory.

Paul was anxious to preach the Gospel to people who were already saved because the Gospel includes so much more than just getting saved.

If you claim the Gospel, I encourage you to remember the fullness of the Gospel you are claiming.

Showing that Christianity is Authentic

I had a great time with the youth last night probing the authenticity of Christianity.

First, we made up our own religion. I asked several questions about what they wanted their religion to have - from how many gods to whether or not we'd have idols to features of our holy book and what the religion would require of its members. There were two full pages of questions, which were geared toward creating a religion that would attract as many people as possible, and to be the most palatable to us. Plus we just wanted the religion to be a humanly logical as possible.

This may sound like heresy, but first, our students are sharp enough to know what I'm getting at, and second, they were quick to note when what they said wasn't really theologically true.

Then we compared their answers to the features of Christianity, and of course, we came up with a radically different religion than Christianity. We ended up with three "gods" - but they were not complete in themselves. We rejected having any hard-to-fathom realities (like a Trinity, losing your life to save it, a leader who is fully God and fully man), and salvation was based on the whims of the gods, who had to be placated and pleased (especially the "god" who was insecure!). We allowed sin, because that would attract more members. We only had 9 authors of the holy book, and they had to collaborate together in order to get their story straight, and still they had to run their writings past the gods. We would promise potential new members an easy life, not a hard life. There were many more features especially geared toward trying to make our religion popular. (By the way, all infidels are to be burned if they don't accept this religion.)

The point of the exercise was to show that no one would ever make up Christianity. If you were to make up a religion, the chances are incredibly small that you make up something that resembles Christianity. No one would make up a Trinity (a key doctrine that we can't even fully comprehend), no one would write about the first followers of the religion as a bunch of dunderheads (like the apostles are in the Gospels), no one would say you have to die to yourself as part of membership, no one could have a completely consistent holy book written by over 40 different authors over 1500 years from different languages and cultures (and some writing without the knowledge of what the others were writing), and so on down the line. We didn't ground our religion in historical events, because they could be proven wrong. Our "gods" wanted glory because they don't already have all glory. The list goes on. (We say "no one" - theoretically someone could do one or two, but the point is that if you were going to make up a religion, you wouldn't make up all the things Christianity is.)

It was also important to note that the group couldn't agree on the features of the religion. They were all in the same room at the same time from the same culture speaking the same language, and they could not agree on the features of their religion, even when they were told to. Furthermore, not even the three "gods" could agree! Each had their own ego, and they each advocated for the features they wanted, especially those that would benefit the self most.

Christianity is not something that man would make up for himself. It demands too much of the self, it defies our ability to comprehend, it does not allow us to earn anything, it has a holy book that could never be created by a committee but simultaneously bears the marks being written both by God and by men. Christianity is not geared to become as large as possible, but as pure as possible, which automatically means that most people will reject it. It paints its first leaders not as saints but as societal nobodies who get it wrong more than they get it right. You don't make this stuff up.

I found it particularly fascinating that the main leader of this new religion had to be attractive, charismatic, and have a good voice. Scripture is clear that Jesus was plain in appearance. Scripture is also clear that the Antichrist will be particularly good looking and charismatic.

What we did end up with was a religion that resembles every other religion in the world except Christianity. That's no accident.

Opportunities Before Us

This Summer, we have many opportunities for each of us to become more missional (which is what our recent Philippians series was all about). I look at these opportunities in two ways: 1) Of course, there is the goal to accomplish some tasks, but my primary motive is: 2) As we give of ourselves to God's mission, He changes us - He develops us more into the image of Christ. I would like for you to consider the following opportunities because I know what God can do both in you and through you when you serve Him in ways like these:

1. Pray for the Youth Mission Trip: In last week's bulletin, and in this week's bulletin, there is an insert of prayer requests for each day that the youth will be on this trip. Please take this insert, stick it in your Bible or on your fridge, and pray daily for them. I believe firmly that the report we get back will be far greater if we commit to pray.
2. Give to the Youth Mission Trip: Fundraising is not yet complete - as of this writing, they still need about $1800 for the entire group. Please considering donating or "hiring" one of the youth after they return to do odd jobs to raise funds.
3. Prepare for VBS: There is a lot of work that needs to be done to get the building and the teaching materials ready for VBS (coming up in less than two weeks!). This Saturday, starting at 9am, we're coming together as a team to get everything ready, from painting to constructing to preparing simple crafts. There's something for everyone. I appreciate those who turned out last Saturday, but to be honest - it was too few people. The return on investment of the prep work we do is enormous - children will discover truths about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please consider the importance of this outreach and help us with quite simple tasks to help make it happen.
4. Volunteer for VBS: Debbi still needs helpers - if you can play games, walk from one part of the building to another, move some chairs, throw away trash, haul away trash, we need your skills. Of course, we need those who are gifted in working with children, but we also need a lot people who don't necessarily have that gift.
5. Moving ABC Women's Clinic: ABC Women's Clinic is moving locations, and they need volunteers Monday and Tuesday. They must be out of their current building by Tuesday, so they need people who can load and unload supplies, people with trucks to provide more capacity, and so on. ABC Women's Clinic is the only clinic for several counties that offers a Christ-centered approach to unwanted pregnancies. To help, just show up at ABC on Monday or Tuesday (ask me if you have any questions).
6. Make Breakfast: We're having a breakfast before church on June 21. We need men who are willing to help make a simple breakfast. We usually get enough men to help with that - but please sign up so that we know what's covered. We often, however, don't have enough help setting up and cleaning up. Please plan to arrive early to help set up and stay a few minutes later to clean up.
7. Organize a Picnic: We'd like to have a few all-church summer activities, and I'm not the world's best at putting even a simple event together. I would love for one or two people to offer to plan a few simple events, like a Sunday evening picnic and volleyball game.

A lot of Christians want to experience more of Christ in their lives, and there are many ways to do that: regular Quiet Times, spiritual retreats, gathering with other believers, and so on. But the Bible is very clear that one of the ways we experience more of Christ is to serve Him and the needs of His Church. He's created a great Win-Win situation - when we serve Him, not only do we accomplish the goals that He has, but we also get to experience more of Him. Yes, it's a sacrifice - but it's a sacrifice that has tremendous rewards.

Please take 60 seconds right now to pray about helping with one or more of these needs.

Kids, youth, Christmas, mission, skiing, ...

We have a packed next few weeks ... and almost everything involves Betty Ann! She has been working very hard for what's coming up these next few weeks, and I encourage you to show her as much support as you can (helping out, words of encouragement, notes, participating in one of the fundraisers, and so on).

The children and youth will be teaching us the Christmas story on Sunday the 21st. I've read the script, and think that they have a very interesting story to bring to us. Also, please join us Christmas Eve at 6:00 PM for our annual Christmas Eve service. This year will be time of traditional carols and celebrating the valuable gift of God sending His Son to us.

The youth have a Christmas party / progressive dinner planned for Sunday night - thanks to all the families who have opened their homes for part of the meal.

On the 31st, many of our youth are leaving on their mission trip / ski trip. They are taking one day of their trip to pack nutritious meals for the hungry around the world, and then spending some time on the slopes for a good winter break.

As you can see, Betty Ann has her plate full! Please help lighten her load with prayer, encouragement, and helping out.

One important event outside of Betty Ann's direct leadership is the Angel Tree project. We are raising money again this Christmas to provide financial support for the teachers of the Friends of Christ orphanage in Ahero, Kenya. Please take one of the envelopes, prayerfully consider an amount to give, and then put it into the brown offering box. As money is raised, we add ornaments to the Christmas tree in the sanctuary - a bit of a reversal of our normal method of taking ornaments off of the tree as we support more.

A Soggy Privilege

It was my distinct privilege to baptize Alex, Taylor, Brandon, and Trinity last Sunday night. Since we cannot see the change that happens in someone's heart when he or she becomes a new creature in Christ, Jesus has given us baptism to picture the miracle of being born from above. Plus, to see a young person publicly declare his or her faith in the Lord Jesus is an important step in and of itself - it brings me great joy to see them tell both the church and the world that they belong to Jesus.

Thanks to Betty Ann for all of the counsel, instruction, and prayer that she invested into these young people. I saw God work in these young people through her. There are many of you within the church who also had a part in the lives of one or more of their lives, too, and I thank you for it.

This Sunday, I also have the privilege of baptizing one of our godchildren in California. She is a special little girl named Chayila, daughter of our close friends Aaron and Amanda. Please remember to pray for Chayila as she grows in her new faith. (Her name comes from the Hebrew word in Proverbs 31:10 meaning "noble character.")

It took me a few years after believing in Christ to realize I should be baptized, even though I had been baptized as a youth (not because I believed, but because it was "time"). I encourage every believer in Christ that if you have not yet been baptized that you commit the matter to prayer. I take following the Lord's instruction on baptism to be a matter of gratitude and obedience, but I would never baptize someone who wasn't doing so of their own free will.

Locked In !!!

Perhaps you didn't hear the news that the Youth Group had a lock-in last Sunday night. Whenever there is a Monday holiday from school, Betty Ann likes to have some event for the youth, whether it's a lock-in or a games night or something else that can go later than the normal Sunday night youth fellowship. For Columbus Day, it was a lock-in. Many, many thanks to Betty Ann for all the hard work in planning the events, and to Debbi Bryarly for feeding the whole crew throughout the night. And thanks to Wal-Mart for not kicking us out during the scavenger hunt (they were very gracious!).

One of the events was called "Stump the Geezer" - a forum for the youth to pose to me difficult questions about the Bible or about theology. I guess I'm the geezer. The first part was like the game "Balderdash", where teams of students were trying to come up with their own answers to the tough questions. I must say that all the teams had very good answers. All the leaders were very pleased with our students' ability to ponder a question and draw upon Biblical knowledge and even logic to formulate a response.

The second part of the activity was a bit unplanned, but also very rich. The game turned into a wide open forum of questions. Our students have a healthy concern for some of the most intriguing questions about the Bible. At times, I felt like Jackie Chan with 8 ninjas coming at me from every direction!

And, yes, they did stump the geezer. Someone asked about the curse of the serpent in Genesis 3 and his "offspring." Who are these offspring? I had absolutely zero recollection of any teaching on that interesting question. Perhaps I could blame that on the late hour? (Later, I read that scholars also find the reference puzzling, but see that it most likely refers to the same concept found in John 8:44, that those who do the deeds of the devil have the devil as their "father.")

Please convey your gratitude to Betty Ann for the sacrifice she makes for our youth. Please pray for her and for all our youth. Please pray about offering your help to Betty Ann for various needs within the Youth Group.

Of course, every time I try to stay up all night with the youth, I do in fact feel more and more like a geezer. Perhaps the game is well-named after all.

Indy 500

The number "500" represents the total number of minutes I slept the whole week of the youth mission trip with World Changers to Indianapolis.

If you missed our last Sunday School class, the youth did an excellent job of telling stories and answering questions about our mission trip. God was clearly at work in and through our youth, and it was my distinct privilege to be a part of their mission. What I appreciated most was getting to know our students at a deeper level than I've known them so far. God has created some great qualities in our youth.

My job was primarily as a driver. Get the youth there and back again safely. Betty Ann is the one who did the lion's share of the work. She has been working on this trip for the entire year with all the coordinating, all the training of our youth, all the leadership of fundraising, and even being a group leader while we were in Indianapolis. I'm sure even I am underestimating how many hours, how much lost sleep, and how much effort Betty Ann put into this trip. She was an absolute champ, and the fantastic trip that our youth had is in large part a result of her work and ministry for the Lord.

I've received a number of kind comments for my part in the trip, but she deserves ten times the accolades because she did at least ten times the work. Please make a point to share with Betty Ann your appreciation for her ministry. (I happen to know she likes coffee houses and anything chocolate, just so you know...)

To the youth, thanks for sharing your week with your old pastor. More importantly, thanks for sharing your lives with me.

Supporting Our Youth

We have ten youth going on a mission trip this summer, leaving May 30, and as we do every year, we need your support. We need you to pray during their time of preparation. We need you to pray every day while they are on their trip. We need you to prayerfully consider helping with the costs. It is a genuine privilege to be able to send our youth every summer on some project to serve the needs of others.

But there's something more important than money (but less important than prayer!) that I am asking from you on their behalf.

More than just helping them get there, I want you to consider the formative value of this trip on our youth. These trips are great for getting youth out of their comfort zones and normal routines, which then makes them more open to the Spirit's work in their lives. Putting our youth on a mission trip is putting them in an environment rich in opportunities for "spiritual growth spurts." The money we give to get them there is money putting them in a place for God to be uniquely at work. Praying for them while they're there will certainly results in more of God's work in their lives.

Even more important is what we teach the youth by the level of enthusiasm and support we show to them, not just in prayer and gifts, but in the encouragement we give, the questions we ask them, the amount of personal interest we show them in their lives. By being enthusiastic and interested supporters of their trip, and of their spiritual development, we teach them invaluable lessons about life priorities, the proper role of the church, the importance of serving others, and so on.

In other words, HOW we show support of their trip, and TO WHAT EXTENT, will teach our youth foundational truths that can help them develop in the right directions. If we show lackluster support of them, we teach them that sacrificing in order to serve others isn't really important. If we show enthusiastic support of them, we teach them that this is the kind of Christian life that really matters.

Give if you can. Pray, because you can. But also - make sure the students know that you are personally and enthusiastically interested in the opportunities they have to serve and to grow. Let them know that we care deeply how they develop as believers. Let them know that we are committed to God's priorities for their lives. Find some way with the spoken word, a written note, a shared prayer, any way to show them their trip is important to us.