Month: November 2012

The Meaning of Life

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—  the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—  that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (I John 1:1-3 ESV)

When you ask most folks to define eternal life, they most always say, “Eternal life means living forever.” Well, that may be an aspect of eternal life, but that is not what eternal life is. In fact, eternal life is not a what, it’s a who. In the passage above, John says that he and the Apostles actually saw, heard, and touched eternal life. Say what? Yep, John tells his readers that the eternal life (τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον) which was with the Father, was made manifest, and they had interacted with “it.” (Doesn’t this put you in mind of what John said in his gospel? “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”)  In the Greek, this seeing and hearing the life is in the “Perfect Indicative Active,” and it carries with it a certain nuance that we sometimes miss.  John is saying, “Guys, what we saw and heard in Jesus affected us at the time we experienced it, and it is still impacting us today.” Eternal life was not merely something John looked forward to. He tells his readers that eternal life was revealed to them in the person of Jesus when he walked among them, and as a result; they are enjoying intimacy with God in the “right now.” And, John wanted those to whom he had written (and us) to participate in the same fellowship.

Another cool thing we can see in this passage has to do with the word with. πρὸς τὸν πατέρα or “with the Father” is jam packed with awesomeness! πρὸς or with actually denotes a moving towards, to “interface with.” It implies interaction and reciprocity.  Do you see the implications of this? This actually shows the distinctiveness of the Son (the life), and his interaction with the Father! In this one phrase, we get a glimpse into the very nature and life of God. We see Jesus the life, the Son, and the second “person” in the Trinity, in relationship with the Father from all of eternity. And John says that the Father and the Son, who have been eternally knowing, loving, and communing together, have invited us to share in the eternal life of God! Hallelujah!! Remember, it was John’s gospel that quotes Jesus as saying, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Friends, not only has your sin been atoned for, you have been invited to share in the very life of God! As you come to Jesus, as you become more deeply in love with him; you get to know and fellowship with God. In Jesus, you experience eternal life right now.

God loved us so much that he gave us Jesus, his only begotten Son who is life himself. Knowing him now means you will never die, for in him; you already possess eternal life.

 

 

 

 

Louie Giglio: Psalms 148

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

Psalms 148 speaks of planets, stars, and creatures of the deep praising the Lord. Check out how Louie Giglio brings these words to life. (While I don’t know enough about Mr. Giglio as to endorse all of his teachings, I can say that this particular video is awesome and well worth the watch!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7zWKm-LZWm4#!

A Holy Ethnicity

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

I often have the opportunity to sit with “church leaders” of various ethnicities in the Charlotte NC area and discuss many hot button topics. As you could probably guess, as of late, the Presidential Election has been the prevalent topic. While the conversations have always remained civil and respectful, I couldn’t help but notice that there was an “elephant” in the room which we all avoided mentioning- racial tension. Sides were being taken along racial lines, and it really grieved my heart that no one (including me) addressed the issue. This got me thinking about the verse in I Peter 2, where Peter says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Hmm… race, nation… Is there anything we can learn from this other than the usual, “I’m royalty.” bit?

Peter tells his readers that they are a chosen γένος (genos) or race. That’s where we get our word gene, genetic, etc… He also calls them an ἔθνος (ethnos) ἅγιον (holy) or holy nation. Ethnos, hmm…ethnic, ethnicity- interesting.  I began to think of the diverse audience to which Peter had written. I thought of the social and cultural context in which they existed. Here were a people (Jew & Gentile alike) scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, living under the oppressive hand of the Roman Empire. If you weren’t a Roman citizen, chances are you were having a pretty bad day. In the midst of this difficulty, Peter wants the believers to understand that they are a holy “ethnic group,” intentionally chosen by God. Brothers and sisters, in Christ, we are no longer white or black Americans. We have been made into a brand new, holy ethnicity!

As children of God, we are a new creation. We are in Jesus, and there is no Jew, Gentile, Black, or White.  A new man has been created in Christ. A new, holy “ethnos” has been made out of every kindred, tribe, and tongue! There is no place for racism of any kind in the body of Christ for we are all together a chosen race and a holy nation. When we as members of the body of Christ define and/or divide ourselves along racial lines we are being carnal and have forgotten that we are literally joined together as one in Christ. When we make distinctions along racial lines according to the flesh, referring to “our people,” “our this,” or “our that”; we have forgotten who we are in Jesus. Frankly, I as a middle-aged, white, southern, male Christian should be more at home with my black sister from New York than I am with a middle-aged, white, southerner who doesn’t know the Lord. Think about it. The same Holy Spirit is conforming us to the image of Christ. Shouldn’t we have more in common with each other than with the world? Shouldn’t we resemble one another? Shouldn’t we desire  fellowship  with one another more than we do the fellowship of those who are our “kindred” after the flesh?

Brothers and sisters, a President is not the hope of our people. A transforming political ideology is not what our people need. We have a King, and his name is Jesus. We are one in his Spirit, a chosen race, a holy ethnicity. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and though we are many; we have been made partakers of the same Spirit. So, while in the world, comments like, “You can’t possibly understand because you’re not black/white.” may be the norm, in the body of Christ, we know each other after the Spirit. We always have common ground and avenues of understanding because in Him, we are one.

The political process has served to expose the earthly-mindedness of many of God’s people. Apparently, we have become so in love with this world that we are willing to be divided from our brothers and sisters in Christ for the sake of our own carnal desires. We have forgotten that together, all of us make up the body of Christ. We belong to Him and to each other. We are called out from being simply a white man, or a black woman. We are a brand new creation in Christ. We are a chosen race with a common “genetic code.” We  are a holy ethnicity, a brand new nation of people, set apart in Christ,  to show the world the glory of our King.

 

 

 

 

 

OZmosis

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

Walking down the old “Roman Road” just wont do for those who have taken the yellow-brick road to Oz, and now reside somewhere over the rainbow.

In an ever undulating culture, only the Wind of the Spirit can communicate the steadfast reality of life in the Son.

Reciting a list of God’s attributes does little for those who, having seen through the sterilized facade of our dead religion, attribute to us no relevance at all.

Is it because we do not truly know Him ourselves that we doom a generation to invent heresies which provide them with the communion and intimacy they so desperately seek?  It’s so hard to tell them about Someone we don’t really know.

Have the “Cross” and the “Blood” become mere nails we use to secure our institutions against the intruding winds of change? It’s the Cross and the Blood which are to reveal the very love and life of God, not provide a manual by which we construct impenetrable religious strongholds where we hide safe from the chaos of the world.

Aunty Em is standing on the front porch pleading for Dorothy to come back home, but Dorothy Gale has been mystified by Professor Marvel and his crystal ball.

In a world inundated with parlor tricks, only the Power of the Spirit can demonstrate the reality of an almighty God.

Repeating the sinner’s prayer does little for those who, having seen through the hypocritical veil with which we cover our own sin, pray that we simply go away.

Is it the preoccupation we have with the lust of our own flesh that will doom this generation to a hell which we ourselves will barely escape? It’s so hard to tell the world about the beauty of holiness when we’re no different than they are.

Have “Sanctification” and “Righteousness” become nothing more than pharisaical labels used to keep out those “undesirables”? It’s the Church clothed in garments of white that is to invite an on looking world to glorify God, not push them away as if we’re afraid they might get us dirty.

“Better get under cover, Sylvester. There’s a storm blowin’ up – a whopper, to speak in the vernacular of the peasantry. Poor little kid, I hope she gets home all right.”

True Ministry

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

Back in January I published a series on ministry, and it still weighs so heavy on my heart. I believe we have such a misconception as to what true ministry is and exactly who is called to do it.  I decided to condense the previous posts into this one, and I pray it speaks to your heart.

We find that in Ephesians 4 the bible tells us that Jesus gave gifts to the church: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers for the equipping of the saints (that’s you if you are in Christ) for the work of the ministry (your Bible may say work of service or something similar). So really, the job of the “vocational minister” is to equip the saints to do ministry. We need to move away from this “clergy/laity mentality” and understand that all who are in Christ are called to do the work of ministry. Ministry is something all believers are to do.

Okay, so what does it mean to be equipped?  Well if you study the word translated equip you find that the word refers to that which has been restored to its original condition, is being made fit or being made complete. The root word was used as a medical term used for setting bones! Secular Greek also used it to refer to the furnishing a house. Paul’s use in the context of the Body, the Church, pictures the complete furnishing of the believer so that he/she might be made ready to fulfill their purpose in the body of Christ where they have been placed by God’s Spirit. This equipping denotes the “net-mending” process the fishermen would utilize, equipping the net to catch the fish. The Greek word denotes not so much an adding something that is lacking, but rather a straightening out. We have handed all ministry over to the “professionals” when in reality, it is the job of the “professional” to equip the saints to do ministry themselves!

But, what is true ministry? True, ministry may be manifested in many different forms. I have to be real careful when I try defining what real ministry is or is not. (Didn’t Jesus talk about giving someone water in his name?) What is it that Jesus is calling you to do? How does authentic ministry really look? We have a lot of mistaken ideas about ministry. Can I tell you that doing good deeds in and of itself is not ministry? (I Corinthians 13:3)  We must not mistake doing good things for ministry. Does not the world have programs to feed the poor and clothe the naked? Can I tell you that prophesying, casting out demons and things like that can be accomplished and it still not be true ministry? (Matthew 7:21-23)

There’s a story in the Bible that most of us have heard about which provides wonderful insight into how true ministry works, i.e., the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Let me break it down for you like this:

I. The Lord knows what he wants to accomplish through you. John 6:6 says that Jesus knew what He was going to do that day he fed the 5,000. He had asked Phillip how they would feed the people, but, He already knew what He was going to do. Jesus may bring you into a situation where you cannot possibly meet the need in and of yourself. Like the disciples you look out and say, “Lord, we need to send these folks away so they can get something to eat…” and He replies, “No, you feed them.” You look around and it seems impossible. The need is too great, but He knows what he’s going to do.

You may say, “Lord these people knew they were gonna need food, they should have brought some. I don’t have anything to give them.” But, He knows what he’s gonna do. You see, part of equipping Phillip,and the rest of the disciples (and you and me) was to deliberately put them (us) in a situation in which they (we) are insufficient within ourselves to minister. BUT HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO!!

This feeding of the 5,000 would glorify Jesus and show the crowd who he was. That’s what you are called to do, show those he brings to you who he is. You may not be called to stand behind a pulpit, travel on a missions trip, write books, or make cds; but you most definitely are called to show others who Jesus is. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:10 that “you are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand for you to walk in.”  The first thing I want you to see about ministry is that the Lord is in control and He already knows what He wants to do through you. And oh yeah, don’t be surprised if it seems impossible.

II. The “face” of ministry. What do the ministers look like? The Body of Christ works together, no one part is greater than the other. As we have discussed, Jesus had brought them all into a situation in which He already knew what He was going to do; but, his disciples didn’t. They saw the great need and figured the best thing to do was send everybody away to fend for themselves. Keep in mind that Jesus is the ultimate shepherd/pastor, so, can’t you see that He was “equipping” (like your ministers are supposed to do)?) them?  The disciples had nothing to offer, but it was one of the disciples (Andrew) who brought the little boy whom Jesus would use to the forefront.

In ministry, Jesus may use you to be a coordinator. You may not be the one who directly meets the need, but you may be one who the Spirit of God uses to coordinate. Like the disciples, you may think you have nothing to give, but, God has a plan. How many people have not been ministered to because God’s plan didn’t look how we thought it should? Andrew (another disciple), who was a coordinator in this instance, becomes aware of the boy who had the loaves and fish, but still doubts that such a little bit could accomplish anything. How many times have you felt like sharing, giving, or saying something, but, felt like it wouldn’t amount to anything?

III. The Little boy and his lunch.  When Andrew became aware of the boy and his lunch, despite his doubts; he told the Lord. And Jesus said, “Bring it to me.” Now let me ask you, do you think that the little boy was really the only one who had sense enough to bring food or was he the only one who was willing to surrender his? We don’t know for sure, but it made me think how that sometimes we are so concerned with my growth, my relationship with the Lord (which is good), but we forget that its not all about us. In the Old Testament, when the land was being allotted, and the 2 ½ tribes opted to stay on the east side of the Jordan; they still had to send their warriors to help their brothers obtain their inheritance. Are you so focused on you and yours that you have forgotten that there are brothers and sisters in Christ who need you to minister to them, much less a world that is dying and going to hell?

Anyhow, back to the little boy; we don’t know who he was, his name, or anything. He’s the kid with the food. We see in this that true ministry is not intended to make us celebrities. We 21st century Western Christians may have said, “I can’t believe Jesus didn’t even mention my name. They should at least name a grassy slope after me. I’m keeping my stuff they should’ve known better. This little bit wouldn’t do any good.” Jesus took the boy’s lunch, gave thanks, then broke the loaves and had the food distributed among the people. We may hand the Lord something that looks good, appears to be whole and worthy of use, but, he must first break it so he can use it to feed people. So often, we are impressed with our “loaf of bread” and we don’t want Jesus to break it. “Jesus, you’ve messed up my loaf!” My gifts were so pretty. What was wrong with it the way it was? You could’ve just passed it around whole like a never ending loaf of bread.” Can I go further? It is we ourselves who must be broken. In the 1st century that word serve we talked about earlier was considered offensive and degrading by the Greeks. To the Greeks the development of ones own personality was the highest aim. To serve another was menial and common. (Sounds like us huh?) We must come to the understanding that service is not something that a lesser person does to someone greater; no, it is the lifestyle of a disciple. You are called to minister. You are called to serve. That pride and selfishness which is prevalent among us must be broken so that what God has given us may be used to bring others to Christ. Our American “I’m supposed to be a celebrity” mentality has to be broken. I once heard of a sign that hung over a kitchen sink which read “Ministry performed here three times a day.”

Conclusion:  True ministry points to and flows from Jesus. Jesus used a little boy to give the disciples something to distribute among the people. It all came from Jesus’ hand; that’s how true ministry works. Maybe you’re the little boy, nameless and faceless, or maybe you’re like the disciples, seen and used to distribute the food. It doesn’t matter; it’s all from Jesus and for His glory. Will you come and give yourself and what you have to Him. Will accept your role whether it be known or unknown? Will you come and surrender yourselves and your gifts? Will you allow Him to break you and your “loaf,” and distribute it as he sees fit? True ministry is not a result of some high-profile, superstar preacher, but rather; it is an equipped, surrendered Body of Christ that works of ministry are to be performed that the Lord will use to meet the needs of those around them. I’ll close with one final thought: Pastor, your people are not to be a burden, nor a distraction which hinders you from fulfilling the vision God has placed within you. No, they are the very ones who will accomplish the task. Equip the saints. As they work, shop, go to school, etc…; they will transform the community in which they live one heart at a time.