But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."- Acts 4:19-20
Has the Gospel stopped being about what we have seen and heard? Is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the whole Gospel? Certainly it is the most important part, you won't hear any argument against that from me, but what about the things we have seen? What about the transformation that I, and you have personally experienced here in the 21st century?
I will be honest, there are times when I feel that the Gospel (at least the one I've been told to preach since I was a kid) fails to connect to people two thousand years later. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think I spend enough time thinking about how the Gospel has altered my life, and perhaps this is the part of the Gospel I need to start with.
Don't get me wrong, the crux of the Gospel is Christ's work a couple millennia ago, but it is not as if his work stopped there. The cross made all future transformation, reconciliation, redemption, and propitiation possible, that's the important part, but I don't think it's the only part. So I think I'm going to go share what I've actually seen for myself, and what I've actually heard for myself.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Exodus 28, Ephesians 6, and the Priesthood of All Believers
So I was listening to Exodus today (curtesy of the ESV chronological podcast) and I was struck by Aaron's clothes. The whole of chapter 28 is devoted to what Aaron and his sons are wearing when they go in to serve the Lord. As I was listening the reader read the line about how the breastplate was there for decision making. I thought to myself, "Huh, Paul talks about a breastplate in Ephesians." Then he read the part about how Aaron's turbin has a gold plate hanging from it that reads "Holy to the Lord" and that it bears the guilt of Israel so that their gifts can be acceptable to the Lord. At this point I thought, "Huh, Paul talks about a thing you wear on your head too." So I thought about it some more and here's what I came to.
In the Old Testament the priest goes in to meet with God wearing the the ephod from which the breastplate hangs. On this breastplate are twelve stones with the names of the twelve sons of Israel. Also on the breastplate are the Hebrew words Urim and Thummim. No one is quite sure how to translate these words, which is why the ESV leaves them in Hebrew I think. However, of the possibilities the one that seems the most likely to me is "innocent" and "guilty". Verse 29 says, "...(Aaron) will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the LORD." To me this is both a memorial to God's faithfulness and mercy toward Israel (the man) and a reminder to God of his promises to Israel (the man and nation). This way when Aaron walks in with the question "innocent or guilty?" hanging on his chest, God is inclined to count him and the nation of Israel innocent because he is reminded of his promises.
Now in Ephesians we are told to put on a breastplate. A breastplate of what? Righteousness. Whose righteousness? Jesus' eternal righteousness. HOW SWEET IS THAT! We come before God wearing a breastplate of righteousness bearing Jesus' name that declares us innocent for all of eternity! Sweet. That's what that is.
Next Exodus talks about Aaron's hat. God tells Moses to make the "Holy to the Lord" plate and hang it from Aaron's turbin so that it rests on his forehead. God then says that as long as Aaron wears this plate on his forehead he can bear the guilt of Israel when they bring gifts to God that their gifts might be acceptable, but that he has to wear it continually.
Well guess what Paul tells his readers to put on their head? The helmet of salvation. We wear the perfect salvation through Christ's blood on our foreheads and this makes the things we do for God acceptable, for good. We are told to wear the righteousness and salvation that come through Christ and by doing this we can give God more than the dirty rags that our good deeds once were.
The last thought I had was this: in the Old Covenant Aaron and his descendents were the only ones who could wear these clothes and approach God, but Paul tells his readers, all of them, to put the new clothes on. There is one mediator, Jesus Christ, and he brings everyone direct access to the Most Holy place. Awesome. That's what that is.
In the Old Testament the priest goes in to meet with God wearing the the ephod from which the breastplate hangs. On this breastplate are twelve stones with the names of the twelve sons of Israel. Also on the breastplate are the Hebrew words Urim and Thummim. No one is quite sure how to translate these words, which is why the ESV leaves them in Hebrew I think. However, of the possibilities the one that seems the most likely to me is "innocent" and "guilty". Verse 29 says, "...(Aaron) will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the LORD." To me this is both a memorial to God's faithfulness and mercy toward Israel (the man) and a reminder to God of his promises to Israel (the man and nation). This way when Aaron walks in with the question "innocent or guilty?" hanging on his chest, God is inclined to count him and the nation of Israel innocent because he is reminded of his promises.
Now in Ephesians we are told to put on a breastplate. A breastplate of what? Righteousness. Whose righteousness? Jesus' eternal righteousness. HOW SWEET IS THAT! We come before God wearing a breastplate of righteousness bearing Jesus' name that declares us innocent for all of eternity! Sweet. That's what that is.
Next Exodus talks about Aaron's hat. God tells Moses to make the "Holy to the Lord" plate and hang it from Aaron's turbin so that it rests on his forehead. God then says that as long as Aaron wears this plate on his forehead he can bear the guilt of Israel when they bring gifts to God that their gifts might be acceptable, but that he has to wear it continually.
Well guess what Paul tells his readers to put on their head? The helmet of salvation. We wear the perfect salvation through Christ's blood on our foreheads and this makes the things we do for God acceptable, for good. We are told to wear the righteousness and salvation that come through Christ and by doing this we can give God more than the dirty rags that our good deeds once were.
The last thought I had was this: in the Old Covenant Aaron and his descendents were the only ones who could wear these clothes and approach God, but Paul tells his readers, all of them, to put the new clothes on. There is one mediator, Jesus Christ, and he brings everyone direct access to the Most Holy place. Awesome. That's what that is.
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Feeding of the Five Thousand
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. (ESV)
So we have all heard the story, right? Jesus takes some kid's lunch, prays for it, and SHAZAM! it becomes enough food to feed five thousand people. This is amazing I agree, but as I was thinking about this story the other day I was left with some questions. The first is one I have had before: why can't I multiply food with my prayers? The second question was new and even more fascinating: why in the world would the boy give up his food?
I mean, this kid is surrounded by five thousand hungry people, he has got to know that normally under these circumstances he is not getting his lunch back. When there are five thousand people following one guy and there is not enough food, the guy that is popular enough to attract the crowd is going to get first dibs, and his best friends are going to get what is left over. This kid is, for all intents and purposes, giving up his food at the price of going hungry.
All of a sudden this story hits uncomfortably close to home. I do not have much (by American standards), and how often do I withhold giving to God because I think there will not be enough left over for me? Answer: too often. The irony is that this is to my detriment, but we will discuss that in a second. This withholding of what I ought to give to God reveals my continuing need for a regenerated heart. Perhaps I simply need to be like the boy and say, "Yeah, this probably means I am going to go without." I think it is when you reach this point that God reveals his ace in the hole; which brings me back to my first question.
Why can't I make more food by prayer? Or more money? Answer: I am not Jesus. It seems to be an ever-present corrective for me to remember that it is in Jesus that power is found; not prayer, not the Bible, not worship songs, not a particular community, nothing but Jesus, his Spirit, God. So what would happen if I were to adopt this faithful child's mentality? We must not ever forget that the boy left with more than he came with, he ate his meal and was full and took home leftovers. Not only that, but every person there was satiated through Jesus' provision. Therefore, if I, or any other disciple of Christ, trusts his or her Lord to the point of giving their last sustenance, we will find that bread can be multiplied, that our meager sum can feed not only ourselves, but the multitude.
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. (ESV)
So we have all heard the story, right? Jesus takes some kid's lunch, prays for it, and SHAZAM! it becomes enough food to feed five thousand people. This is amazing I agree, but as I was thinking about this story the other day I was left with some questions. The first is one I have had before: why can't I multiply food with my prayers? The second question was new and even more fascinating: why in the world would the boy give up his food?
I mean, this kid is surrounded by five thousand hungry people, he has got to know that normally under these circumstances he is not getting his lunch back. When there are five thousand people following one guy and there is not enough food, the guy that is popular enough to attract the crowd is going to get first dibs, and his best friends are going to get what is left over. This kid is, for all intents and purposes, giving up his food at the price of going hungry.
All of a sudden this story hits uncomfortably close to home. I do not have much (by American standards), and how often do I withhold giving to God because I think there will not be enough left over for me? Answer: too often. The irony is that this is to my detriment, but we will discuss that in a second. This withholding of what I ought to give to God reveals my continuing need for a regenerated heart. Perhaps I simply need to be like the boy and say, "Yeah, this probably means I am going to go without." I think it is when you reach this point that God reveals his ace in the hole; which brings me back to my first question.
Why can't I make more food by prayer? Or more money? Answer: I am not Jesus. It seems to be an ever-present corrective for me to remember that it is in Jesus that power is found; not prayer, not the Bible, not worship songs, not a particular community, nothing but Jesus, his Spirit, God. So what would happen if I were to adopt this faithful child's mentality? We must not ever forget that the boy left with more than he came with, he ate his meal and was full and took home leftovers. Not only that, but every person there was satiated through Jesus' provision. Therefore, if I, or any other disciple of Christ, trusts his or her Lord to the point of giving their last sustenance, we will find that bread can be multiplied, that our meager sum can feed not only ourselves, but the multitude.
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