Serve One Another

In Search of Fellowship: Part 4

One of the cries of our hearts is that of companionship.  We all long to be part of a group and to know that other people care about us.  This sense of companionship is best experienced when people come along side us and help us through the difficulties and problems of life.  When people sacrifice their time, money, and resources on our behalf we know that they value our relationship.

As individuals we have the ability to choose how we will use the blessings God has given to us.  We can hoard our time and resources or can give them generously away.  The chooses we make reveal much about who we are and the faith we have in God.  The apostle Paul wrote:

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. (Galatians 5:13-15; NLT)

We have been given freedom and in that freedom God expects us to choose to serve each other.  This is how true fellowship is built.  It is not always easy to serve one another because rarely does it fall conveniently into our lives, but it is what God expects of us.

This reminds me of an episode in Jesus' life.  Jesus spent a day teaching and an evening in prayer.  The next day Jesus wanted to go to a quiet place with his disciples, but the crowds returned expecting more teaching and healing.  Jesus didn't send them away, rather, out of compassion, he served them.

Through our sacrifice people come to understand that we love them and desire to have a relationship with them.  The world is full of people who are to busy or don't care and so that makes it vitally important that we take the time to serve one another in love.  That is how true fellowship is born.

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Encourage One Another

In Search of Fellowship: Part 3

  I don’t have to tell you that life is hard.  Let’s face it tough times are a fact of life.  From financial pressure to medical problems to relationship difficulties to the death of a loved one we have all faced some sort of hardship.  The Christians who originally received the book of Hebrews as a letter understood tough times.  They had already lived through one persecution, but were weary and ready to give up when a second round of persecution hit.  These were people willing to throw away everything in order to escape a second round of suffering.
   
It is little wonder then that the writer of Hebrews tells his readers twice to encourage one another.  In Hebrews 3:13 he writes; But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. The writer doesn’t say to tell each other to hang in there, but he tells them to encourage each other daily.  We have to be on the lookout for how we can encourage one another everyday.  Why?  We need to encourage one another every day because life is tough for someone every day.
   
The writer of Hebrews goes on to write; Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching ( Hebrews 10:25).  Part of finding encouragement is being dedicated to meeting with other followers of Jesus Christ.  We can’t lock ourselves away in our rooms and expect people to come and encourage us.  Being encouraged is the result of intentionally being around other people.  Since we cannot guarantee that encouragement will happen when being with other Christians we need to remember to find ways to encourage those people we encounter, whether it is a kind word or a smile or seeking them out and saying hi.
 
Encouragement is about letting people know that no matter what happens they are not alone.  I know I gain courage and confidence when I remember that I have people who love and accept me no matter what may happen.  Encourage someone today, remind them that they are not alone.

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Teamwork is Essential

Team Chemistry: Part 6

Teamwork is essential for success.  The apostles worked together with the members of the early church to impact Jerusalem, Judea, and then the Roman Empire.  If we can work together we can have an impact here in this world.  It is going to take a combination of all of our talents.  

Let me get personal for just a moment.  God has uniquely blessed you with different talents, blessings, and experiences to that you can help the kingdom of God grow.  These things are not yours, but they are God’s and He is asking you to use them.  Here is my challenge for us this morning: How can you use God’s resources for His Kingdom? Start by praying.  Pick someone to pray for on a daily basis.  Maybe they are sick and in need of healing, or financial strained and need some relief, or perhaps they need to know Jesus.  Pick a mission to pray for, perhaps you don’t even know what they do, but pray for them.  We have a bunch on the bulletin board in the fellowship hall.  Pray for the ministry of this church family, that God would open doors for you to extend God’s love.  If you are not praying nothing will change for the better.

Here is what I want you to remember this blog series: Unity is essential to function as the body of Christ. We are not the body of Christ if we are not united and we cannot be united if we are not devoted to the same things.  As the body of Christ we become God’s tool to help hurting humanity.

As we are united together, helping each other towards maturity and being compassionate to the world, we become salt of the earth and light of the world.  In other words we begin to influence the world we live in  The reason for this is because people are able to see that we are different.  Just as John and his disciples saw that Jesus was different and wondered if he was the messiah, the world will look at us and wonder if we know the way to God. That will give us the opening to make an eternal difference in their lives.

     

Teamwork is a part of life.  When we work together as Christians become the church God wants us to be as we go about making disciples of the nations. May we accept Jesus’ call by living out His example of unity. It is through unity that we show the world who God really is.

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Risky Fellowship

In Search of Fellowship: Part 2

Deep and meaningful fellowship cannot be planned or programed.  The Fellowship Ministry Team at church may be able to plan times for Christians to get together, but they cannot force people to go beyond being polite and friendly with each other.  While these connections are good they often leave us wanting more.
   
We may not be able to program true fellowship, but we can take steps to create an environment where fellowship can thrive.  Remember fellowship doesn’t come naturally to us.  Yes, it is something that we desire, but we are more inclined to do things that benefit us, and fellowship, at its core, is about doing things that bless others people
   
No wonder the New Testament writers reminded us of the importance of being involved in the lives of one another.  Reading through the New Testament we discover that we are called to love one another, forgive one another, encourage one another, honor one another, live in harmony with one another, accept one another, and instruct one another.  This is a sampling of how God wants us to relate to each other. By relating to each other in these various ways we establish an environment in which fellowship can take root and grow.
   
The essence of fellowship is love.  The one another commands in the New Testament give us practical ways for us to love one another.  Fellowship is the extension of our love for each other.  How do we go about creating an environment of love that will allow fellowship to flourish?

We need to be willing to risk if we are to create environments which promote the development of fellowship.  Fellowship in nice in theory, but it messy in reality.  To have true fellowship we have to risk getting hurt by people, we have to risk getting involved in other people's problems, and we have to risk no being able to live life on our terms.

To be committed to one another is risky business, but it is the only way true fellowship will happen.  Taking this risk won't be easy, and at times we will want to hide behind the four walls of our houses, but in the end we will discover true fellowship is worth whatever the risk.

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Bear Each Other's Burdens

Team Chemistry: Part 5

It is no secret that life has many different ups and downs.  When we have some one we can turn to for help it makes life a whole lot easier.  King Solomon taught this truth when he wrote:

 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; NLT).

The presence and support of other people in our lives makes living a whole lot easier.  Unity is important because we need each other.  Life is too tough to go it alone.


That brings us to a third reason for unity: To Bear Each Other’s Burdens (1 Corinthians 12:24b-26)

Life is unpredictable and hard.  When the tornado hit Joplin, MO last year I was reminded of this reality.  The brotherhood of churches I am a part of, the Restoration Movement, has many organizations stationed in Joplin: Ozark Christian College, College Press Publishing, Good News Production, LATM, and CIY.   So it was no surprise to see on Facebook the week following a number of people I know who went to help with the clean up.  

This same type of compassion has been demonstrated over and over again.  A year after Katrina I read an opinion piece by an atheist in which he said that while everyone else pulled out, it were Christians who were still there helping to put the city back together.  Life is difficult, and if we don’t pull together then we will fall apart.  We need the help, the encouragement, and the support of other people to continue on and to experience the life God created us to live.
   
Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35).  We need to care about each other.  The world is full of hurt and lonely people, what good is the Church if we hurt them too?  We need to be different, that is what Jesus commanded.  It is through our united love, service, and outreach that marks us as different and reveals to the world that God has not abandoned them, but He still very much loves the world.

I believe that before we show a hurting and dying world compassion we have to be compassionate to one another.  Are we praying for each other? Are we helping one another when there is a need?  How are we encouraging each other?  If we are not compassionate here then how can we be compassionate out there? To make an impact on the world means to care for each other and to reach out to the hurting people we know.

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What is Fellowship?

In Search of Fellowship: Part 1

During my time as a senior pastor I started a prayer group on Monday evening to focus on praying for the needs of our church family.  One Monday evening as we were discussing what God’s will is for our small church family one of the women made the observation that God’s will would include real fellowship.  The consensus of the group was that while we were a friendly church true fellowship was absent.
   
I believe that many church families are searching for fellowship.  They have programs in place to promote fellowship, but fellowship seems to elude them.  Potlucks and small groups aren’t connecting people to one another, let alone connecting people to God.  The reality is that fellowship can’t be programed or planned.  Fellowship is the result of people getting involved in one another’s lives.  Until we enter into the lives of other people fellowship will continue to be an elusive desire for our lives.

Fellowship is a great church word, but it isn’t one that we use outside of the context of church.  Unless your friends are Christian you don’t invite people to your home for a time of fellowship.  For most of us fellowship is about spending time with other Christians.  Yet, the biblical idea of fellowship is so much more than just being together.
   
The Greek word that is translated fellowship is the word koinonia and according to Strong’s Greek Dictionary it means partnership and participation.  In other words it is an action word and it requires us being involved in other person’s life.  The idea of fellowship isn’t that we make time for “hanging out” but that we do life together.  We are actively involved in the lives of other Christians, and we allow them to be involved in our lives.
   
We miss out on fellowship because we have made fellowship about spending time together, when it really is about being involved with each other.  There is a huge difference.  When we spend time together we can fake it by being friendly and polite.  Being involved in the lives of other people means entering into their lives, accepting them for who they are, loving them, serving them, and encouraging them.  It will require us to be vulnerable as we open our lives up to other people.  Fellowship is risky business.  Not only do we open ourselves up to being hurt, but we are also invited into the problems of other people.  True fellowship is not for the weak of heart.

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Different is Good

Team Chemistry: Part 4

Unity is essential if we are going to make disciples of all nations.  For that reason Jesus prayed that all of his followers would be united.  Our unity becomes a magnet that draws people into God's Kingdom.

Since the task of making disciples is so big no one person or even no one church family can do it all alone.  We need the encouragement, talents, and wisdom of one another in our quest to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the world.


 We can have unity when we remember that We Are Different from Each Other.  (1 Corinthians 12:21-24a)

It is so easy to fall into the mindset that my way is the best way.  One of the fads that fell over the Church in the United States during the past decade was the Purpose Driven model of organizing a church, based on the principles developed by Rick Warren.

Still today Church Families advertise their open positions by saying they are a Purpose Driven Church. This makes me smile because I know they had just grabbed a hold of fad.  I also know of pastors who have come to believe that if you are not following the Purpose Driven Model you are doing Church wrong.

Here is the thing we are all different.  People are different, areas of the country are different, cultures are different, and generations are different.  What worked well even 15 years ago may not work well today.  Something that might work well with an introvert like me may not work very well for an extrovert like my friend Sam.  What works well in New York City won't necessarily work well in Austin, MN. We need to remember that just because something is different doesn’t make it bad.

On the flip side we have to realize that we don’t have to become like someone else to be successful. Rather we need to discover what works well for us, our Church Family, and for our community.  We don’t need to be a carbon copy of another person or church, that is not what we have been called to do.  God created us to be us, and so we need true to who we are.  Whether we are an eye, a nose, or an ear in the body of Christ.

Unity is achieved when we accept and respect the difference in each other.



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Friendship is a Strength

Team Chemistry: Part 3

Jesus gave his followers a mission: to make disciples of all nations.  If we are going to accomplish this mission then we need to be united with each other.  Individual  Christians and Churches lack the abilities and resources to complete the Great Commission.  This job requires all of us combining our talents to get the job done.

1 Corinthians was written to a church family that was divided.  Some of the people chose Paul as their leader, some Peter, others a Christian teacher named Apollos, and a fourth group (trying to rise above it all) said they just followed Jesus.  One of the reason Paul’s wrote to the Corinthians is because of he wanted to remind them that they needed to be united.  In this letter Paul used the body as an analogy for the Church.

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 

 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? 

 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you." 

 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 

All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it (1 Corinthians 12:12-27, NLT).  

In this passage the apostle Paul gives us three reasons why we should strive for unity in the Church.

The first reason is that We Need To We Rely Each Other.  (verses 17-20)

On a cold December morning in 1996 children lined up in front of a New York City middle school and loaded sacks of pennies onto an armored truck.  The four and half tons of pennies, worth $16,000, would be used to buy clothes for the homeless shelter and food for a soup kitchen. “Some people think that one penny is just one cent,” said a 14-year-old, “but if you put them all together, you can help a lot of people.”
   
The Kingdom of God is made up of pennies, a bunch of cents.  Most of the apostles and early disciples of Jesus weren’t worth very much.  They were lower class and not very well educated.  Yet they were able to impact the Roman Empire within a generation of Jesus’ resurrection.

I would bet that the world doesn’t put a big value on us either.  We not famous, rich, or have much influence.  But if we unite ourselves with other Christians we can have an impact in our community, nation, and world.

Remember we can’t go it alone.  That is one of the great lessons from God’s creation of Eve.  It is not good for man to be alone, not only because he lacked companionship, but because he could not accomplish the task God had given by himself.  Not only was Eve the perfect companion, partner and co-worker for Adam, but she also insured that humankind wouldn’t be alone again.  Adam and Eve's relationship made it possible for there to always be other people who could walk this journey of life with us.

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United for God's Kingdom

Team Chemistry: Part 2

To carry on the work of Christ in the world requires that we follow His lead.

The motto of the athletic conference Nebraska Christian College was a part of during the time I was playing basketball was: To glorify God is to demonstrate His Character. We need to demonstrate Jesus' character. Read what Jesus prayed right before He was betrayed and handed over to the Jewish rulers:

"My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold. 

"Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. 

"I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me" (John 17:9-21; NLT).

Jesus prayed for unity among His followers. He knew that unity is required for a doubting and dying world to believe in the love, forgiveness, and restoration of God.

Not only is unity expected of Christ's disciples, but experience also tells us it is the most effective way to accomplish the challenges of life. Consider what basketball coach Pat Riley wrote; "My driving belief is this: great teamwork is the only way to reach our ultimate moments, to create the breakthoughs that define our careers, to fulfill our lives with a sense of lasting significance."

I agree with most of what Riley says. Teamwork enables us to accomplish things we could not do on our own, it helps us raise the bar on what we can do, and it forces us to set and accomplish goals. Teamwork is just as essential for success in the Church as it is on the basketball court.

Bo Boshersin his book about youth ministry wrote; "We are the body of Christ and each of us is uniquely gifted to help build the kingdom." Each one of us is here, part of the Body of Christ because each one of us has a gift that can be used to help the Kingdom of God expand into the world. Don't forget the parable of the talents.

In that parable Jesus reminds us that God has generously provided resources to us to help build God's Kingdom. Even the one talent servant would have received over a million dollars in our economy. One talent was not a small sum of money!

Think about the impact we can have on the world when we unite all our talents and other resources for the one purpose of building for God's Kingdom in this world. Wouldn't our communities, our nation, and our world be a radically better place? We need to unite for God's Kingdom.

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Carrying on Jesus' Work

Team Chemistry: Part 1

When I was playing basketball for Nebraska Christian College we had a goal of winning championships: the conference and national championship. We also had goals for each game that we wanted to achieve. 


 These goals: such as shooting percentage, free throw percentage, rebounds, turnovers; reminded us of what needed to be done game in and game out in order to be successful. Coach Lahm told us if we did these things winning would take care of itself. 

Success, in any area of life begins with goals, and that is true with the Church as well. We need to know why we exist and what we hope to accomplish. The main goal we have, given to us by Jesus, is making disciples of all nations.

The Kingdom of God is bigger than a single nation, a single ethnic group, a single denomination, or a single church family. The Kingdom of God is to each into all the earth and touch all people. We have been called to bring God’s love to the nations. There is one more fundamental goal we need to keep in mind as we try to achieve the goal of making disciples of all nations.

 God has placed us in the world, in this community, to reach out to a hurt and dying world. We are to carry on the work Jesus began.  How can we do this?

 When John the Baptizer was in prison he sent two of his disciples to Jesus to question him if he was the messiah they had been waiting for. Jesus responded; "Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor" (Luke 7:22; NLT).

 Jesus told John’s disciples that he is the Messiah because he was doing what the Messiah was expected to do: help the helpless. Not only did Jesus come to help our spiritual needs, but also to help our physical ones.

 What does that mean for us who follow Jesus today? It means if we are going to carry on the work of Jesus, be His servants and ambassadors in this world we have to be concerned about people. We need to be concerned with people’s physical needs as well as their spiritual needs. We need to care about people in our Church families as well as people in the world.

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Created to Crave: Part 16

A Glorious Day!

We live in a noisy and busy world which makes it very difficult for us to pause and truly examine our lives.  When we do what we discover is that our hearts crave.  While our physical bodies crave things like food, air, water, and sleep, our spirits crave things like intimacy, significance, and truth.  We get glimpses of satisfaction in this life, but our souls are never really satisfied.

C. S. Lewis wrote; "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world" (Mere Christianity, p. 121).  The logical explanation for the cravings of our souls is that we were made for another world, a world where God reigns, a place where intimacy thrives, significance is discovered, and meaning is supplied.  Once sin entered this world it was robbed of its potential to satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts.

When we encounter Jesus our hearts get a taste of satisfaction they so desperately crave.  This taste gives us hope that one day we will experience the complete satisfaction we have been longing to have.  The hope of Christianity is that when Jesus returns and sets this world right then we will experience life the way it is meant to be lived, and the desires of our hearts will be met.  What a glorious day that will be!

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Created to Crave: Part 15

Jesus is the Light

The presence of evil in the world makes all of us pause and consider the purpose of life.  If there is no bigger purpose and if there is no reason for our creation then the evil around us the pain of life renders life meaningless.  That is why our souls cry out: "What is the purpose of life?"

One day Jesus and his disciples ran into a man who was born blind and this encounter prompted the disciples to ask Jesus a question: "Who sinned, this man or his parents?" Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question helps us make sense of this world.  How does his answer help us?

Created to Crave: Part 14

Who Sinned?

Just as our bodies crave things like food, water, and air; our souls crave things like intimacy, significance and meaning.  We have a hunger to understand the purpose of our lives and to make sense of the circumstances of our lives.  This is especially true when it comes to evil and suffering.

Today we meet a third anonymous person from the Gospels.  This encounter with Jesus is a little bit different from the previous two we have looked at, the woman at the well and the rich young ruler.  The man we read about today wasn't the one who came to Jesus to discover the purpose of suffering, rather  it was Jesus’ disciples who asked the question.  It was in the encounter with this man who was born blind that provided the disciples with the context to ask their question about the meaning of life.

Seek Contentment in God's Kingdom

Protect Your Heart: Part 1

One of the dangers found in the culture of dating our society accepts is a broken heart.  While it is impossible to be involved romantically with a person without getting hurt, it is possible to reduce the sting and prevent long term damage.  To do this we have to keep circumstances and relationships in proper focus.

First, remember romance and marriage are not essential for happiness or being a faithful follower of Jesus. We can have a full, productive, and satisfying life following Jesus without a romantic relationship.  It is my belief that one of the things which rob so many Christians of joy during the season of singleness is the obsession of being in a relationship.

I know that was my experience.  Rather than using that time in my life to mature, to prepare for marriage, and to use my time building for God's Kingdom; I used it fretting over the fact that I was single.  Every event, even things like helping with church camp, began to take on this anticipation that maybe this is where I would meet my future wife.  Instead of keeping my focus on where it needed to be, I was thinking about possibilities.

Even the couple of times I was in a relationship, before I met my wife, I couldn't freely be myself because I had to do everything I could to hold on to the relationship.  I did this because I thought those relationships might be my last chance at "happiness."

During the two years between my last break up and meeting my wife I did a lot of praying and soul searching.  This is one of the truths that stood out to me as God brought healing to my heart: You don't need to be married to be happy.  The breakthrough came for me roughly two months before Jenny and I met.  I had a dream and in the dream I was older with my dog Barkley as my only companion, and I was content.  A dream that would have at least saddened me before, if not frightened me, gave me hope.

So many single Christians need to arrive at this point and realize that their lives are more than a relationship.  What brings significance, hope, contentment, and joy to their lives is a life lived following Jesus.  I know this is easier said than done, because I have been there, but it can be done.

I want to remind you of the words of Jesus:

 Jesus replied, "Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful." 

  Jesus' disciples then said to him, "If this is the case, it is better not to marry!" 

 "Not everyone can accept this statement," Jesus said. "Only those whom God helps. Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can" (Matthew 19:8-12; NLT).

Now it is important to remember that this happened within the context of a discussion on divorce.  Because of the high value Jesus put on marriage and commitment the disciples believed it would be better not to marry.

Jesus is not saying that marriage is wrong or sinful, but he is pointing out that there is a higher goal in life, and that is God's Kingdom.  When we seek the Kingdom above everything else we will discover that God will provide everything that we need for life (Matthew 6:33).

In order to protect our hearts we must first set our hearts on what we is the most important: The Kingdom of Heaven.  That is where we will find the joy, hope, and contentment our hearts truly need.
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Created to Crave: Part 13

We Crave Meaning

I don’t have to tell you that we live in a broken world.  Every day as I read the news I come across at least one story that starts me praying as I wonder how something so awful could happen.  How could a parent kill his/her children?  Why does a young college student have to die?  Why does rape and sexual abuse occur?  Why are there so many people suffering from starvation or from terminal illnesses?

I would bet if I asked, you would be able to give me personal account of suffering.  None of us can go through life unaffected by the problem of evil.

Our difficulty is trying to reconcile suffering and a loving God.  We want to believe, but all the bad which happens around us seems to make believing impossible.  We crave to find some meaning to life and the bad things that happen to us.

Here is the question I would like you to consider today: How do you make sense of the world?

Chris Adams

Who am I? This is the question, in some aspects, we spend our entire lives trying to answer. This question prompts career changes, interest in spiritual matters, and educational pursuits. We are constantly trying to figure out who we are and what our place in this world is.

Being a Christ-Follower I believe in this pursuit of discovering our identity we must turn to God for the answer. God is our Creator and He knows the purpose for our lives. He knows who we are to be.

In the book of Judges we meet a man named Gideon. God comes to Gideon and reveals to him Gideon's true identity:
The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, "Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!" (Judges 6:12; NLT; some commentators believe that "the angel of the Lord" is Jesus)

According to God Gideon is a mighty hero, that was his true identity. Gideon sure didn't feel that way. I verse 15 of chapter 6 in the book of Judges we read how Gideon saw himself: the least of people. Gideon didn't see the hero God was talking about, but the reality is that God knew Gideon better than Gideon knew Gideon, for God is the creator.

God knows who we are. This is why John Eldredge suggests we ask God these series of questions: God, who am I? What do you think of me? What's my real name? (pg. 84ff; Waking the Dead). God will reveal to us who He knows us to be. Remember Romans 8:16 says; For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children (NLT). The Holy Spirit is speaking in the hearts of every Christ-Follower revealing to them God's truth. This seems mystical and so unreliable because it isn't about propostional truth or facts which can be studied and dissected. I believe so many Christians have missed a vibrant and life giving faith because they have chosen not to listen to the Holy Spirit speaking in their hearts because they have come to believe it isn't as reliable as God's written word. When we open ourselves up to hearing the Holy Spirit speaking in our hearts we add a new and exciting deminsion to our faith. It also needs to be pointed out that what the Holy Spirit speaks in our heart will always fit within the framework of what we read in the Bible. So our identity will always exist within the framework of the reality of being God's children, God's chosen people, and new creations (just to name a few glimpses the New Testament gives us about our identity).

I have said all this to give you the reason why this next character is hero of mine. After reading through Waking the Dead for a second time I decided to do the simple excerise Eldredge mentions and I prayed asking God to help me understand exactly who I am. The image which came to mind, which seemed to rise from my heart, was the image of Chris, the leader of the hired guns in the Magnificent Seven. It was an odd image to me. For one it had been a while since I had watched Magnificent Seven and the other reason is because Chris wasn't my favorite character from the story. If I had to choose I would have choosen Vin (Steve McQueen) or O'Reilly (Charles Bronson). After all Chris (Yul Brynner) is the leader and I don't see myself as a leader. I would much rather play the supporting role such as Sam to Frodo.

My response to this revelation has been similar to Gideon's response to God's revelation of his true identity. I think: Being a leader isn't my personality, I am better suited playing second fiddle, I am too laid back, and I lack the courage to lead. But if the Holy Spirit did speak in my heart that means that my true identity is found when I lead and step out in courage to do what needs to be done, no matter what the consquences. In other words I can settle for living a moral life hiding behind the "Christian" mask or I can take a step of faith and respond to life according to the person God created me to be.

Who are you? I don't have an answer for you. I can point you to places in the Bible where it gives us glimpses of the identity of every Christ-Follower, but I don't know you like God knows you. Seek out God's answer for only He knows the true reality of your identity.

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Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

I just have to say it: Darth Vader is one of my heroes! More specifically: Anakin Skywalker is one of my heroes.

The story of Star Wars is the story of the fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker. Ultimately it isn't about the Jedi or the Force, but about the choices of one individual and how those choices shaped a galaxy (perhaps it is worth considering just how much influence your choices have). Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader is the central figure in George Lucas' vision of Star Wars.

Why do I consider such a rotten person to be one of my heroes? I consider Anakin/Vader to be a hero because his story is my story. I know far too well what it means to give into the seduction of the darkness and to follow the evil path instead of the righteous one. I also know what it means to find hope and salvation.

Think about how the Emperor convinces Anakin to join the dark side. I believe he goes after two areas in Anakin's life: Anakin's fear and Anakin's pride. Ultimately it is Anakin's fear of losing Padme that causes him to surrender to the call of the Dark Side. In his mind Anakin had no choice but to follow the Emperor when he was offered the false hope of saving Padme's life.

Isn't this one of the ways the Enemy attacks us? We are afraid of being alone and so we enter into an immoral relationship which falsely promises real companionship. We are prideful of are accomplishments at work, but when it looks like we might fail we make an unethical decision in order to keep our "winning streak" alive. Satan will use our fear and our pride to gain a foothold into our lives and eventual convince us that his dark path is the right way to go.

But we know from Anakin's story that he does not remain evil. He is able to escape the evil identity of Darth Vader Sith Lord and once again take on his true identity of Anakin Skywalker Jedi Knight. This redemption was made possible because his son Luke believed there was still good in him. Luke was able to put Anakin in a situation where he once again could live from the good that was in his heart.

No matter what we have done or how far we have slipped there is still good in our hearts. Each one of us is still able to respond to God's calling, but we need to be put in a position to respond. Often what this requires is someone who comes alongside of us, who believes in us, and is willing to walk with us on the path of light. The Apostle Paul reminds of this reality:

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are (Romans 3:21-22; NLT).

We can be saved! Our destiny has not been sealed. We are not doomed to remain in our evil way of living. It is possible for us to live by the good that remains in our hearts. Darth Vader maybe a villain, but Anakin Skywalker reminds us that within every villain there is the potential of a hero.

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Snake-Eyes

This next hero is probably one that most of you are not very familar with. I came to connect with him when I had a subscription to GI Joe published by Marvel Comics. Snake-Eyes is the silent ninja from G.I. Joe and his story is an amazing one.

Snake-Eyes was a special forces soldier in Vietnam. Upon returning home his family, his parents and twin sister, were killed in a car accident on the way to pick him up. With his family dead Snake-Eyes went to live in Japan with his best friend, Storm Shadow, who served with him in Vietnam. In Japan Snake-Eyes learned the secrets of being a ninja. After a few years Snake-Eyes surpasses the skills of Storm Shadow. Jealousy arises. At this time one of the ninja masters, the Hard Master, was mistakenly assassinated and Storm Shadow was blamed. The real target was Snake-Eyes. After another tragedy in his life Snake-Eyes returns to the United States to Washington and lives as a hermit in a cabin in the mountains.

When Hawk began to look for people to start the G.I. Joe team Stalker tells him about Snake-Eyes, whom he had served with in Vietnam, so Snake-Eyes has a new chapter for his life. But in that very first mission of the team, a rescue mission in the Middle East, something went terribly wrong with the helicopters, and because Snake-Eyes sacrificed his chance to escape to help his love Scarlett get out his face is disfigured and his voice is lost. Through all his tragedy Snake-Eyes continued to do his duty. He didn’t run off and wallow in self-pity. He did what he was called to do.

I wallow in my self-pity all the time. Things in life don’t turn out the way I want it to and I isolate myself and complain about how terrible my life is. Rather than doing what I am called to do I look for a way to hide a way to escape. I forget that in order to overcome self-pity I need to get out and do. When I do my duty as I a Christian I am able to overcome the self-pity in my life.

“But you, Timothy, belong to God; so run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for what we believe. Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:11; NLT).

The Apostle Paul tells Timothy that he needs to run from evil things, including our self-pity. The evil in the world can weigh us down and keep us from accomplishing what God wants us to do. To fight the good fight and live a life of faith, by doing our duty, we are able to overcome the bad in our lives. If we never move and do the things we know we are to do, we will be weighed down with the evil in our lives and our lives, rather than getting better, will actually get worse.

Doing our duty helps overcome the bad things in our lives. It gives us the opportunity to move and to live even when everything else doesn’t make sense. Duty gives us a life to live when the passion for life has fled from us. When all other reasons to live are gone, duty gives us the hope we need to continue to live a life of faith. It is what gets us through the deserts of life.

Samwise Gamgee

There are many different heroes in J.R.R. Tolkien's great work The Lord of the Rings. Frodo, Gandalf, and Aragorn are just three of the heroes who played a part in destroying the Ring of Power.

Yet the hero Tolkien himself enjoyed the most and the one I have developed the greatest connection to is Samwise Gamgee. Part of that reason is that in the end Sam gets the girl. He marries Rosie Cotton and starts a family, but then again so does Aragorn. What I love about Sam is his loyalty. The only reason he is on this dangerous quest is because of his friendship to Frodo. If it wasn't for the fact Frodo was going to Mount Doom Sam would not have gone.

I think many times as Christ-Followers the only reason why we would enter a dangerous situation is because of our loyalty to Jesus Christ. We wouldn't go there willingly, and that is what being a disciple is all about. When we are willing to follow Jesus wherever He might lead we possess the loyalty we need to accomplish the tasks God has prepared for us to do.

Jesus on the night that he was betrayed told his disciples:

"When the world hates you, remember it hated me before it hated you. The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don't. I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? 'A servant is not greater than the master.' Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you! The people of the world will hate you because you belong to me, for they don't know God who sent me" (John 15:18-21; NLT).

Jesus tells the disciples the cost of following Him: it will be hatred from the world. We don't want to be hated. If we are honest we do all that we can to be like by people, but Jesus says that when we follow Him we will experience hatred. The place of hatred is not the place we would choose to go on our own, but when we are loyal to Jesus that is exactly the place we will find ourselves.

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Han Solo

“I love you.” Leia says. “I know;” replies Han.

That scene from the Empire Strikes Back is one of my favorite movie moments. Why? I love it because Han gets the girl. I would love to approach a relationship with such confidence to pursue knowing in the end she would love me. Han is my hero because he gets the girl.

But that is really a superficial reason for choosing a hero. After all James Bond gets dozens of women so should he be my hero too? There is a deeper reason why Han is my hero. It is because under his tough look out for #1 exterior Han does what is right. As much as he wants to be a pirate, a smuggler, and a mercenary there is something that causes him to risk in order that he can do the right thing. Han is willing to fight for what he truly believes in.

Isn’t that the desire of men? To stand up for what they believe in and to fight for those they love. I know I have that desire in my heart. I want to walk into the action knowing that whether I live or die I did the right thing.

It is easy to hide behind that exterior wall that we erect in our lives and be the self-centered guy, the sports guy, the money guy, or the womanizer guy. Han Solo chooses, at times, to step away from that tough exterior and do what is right, and that is what sets him apart from most men and what makes him a hero worthy imitating.

So what makes the difference between a guy who hides behind a well-constructed mask and one who decides to play the hero? I believe the difference is courage. We hide because we are afraid. We either afraid of consequences of our actions or we are afraid that we don’t have what it takes, but in the end it is still fear that keeps us behind the wall hiding in order to save our own skin.

Jesus calls men to leave their lives of fear, of hiding behind the wall, and become who they were created to be. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7; NLT). Paul is urging Timothy to step up and use the abilities that he had been given to confront the Kingdom of Darkness. Fear was holding Timothy back, but Paul reminds him that as Christ-Followers we are to live courageous lives through the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives.

Heroes don’t hide in fear, but the engage the battle throwing everything that they have at the enemy. God is calling us to step out from our hiding places and engage the enemy and to put all the resources He has given us into the war against the Evil One. We are called to be heroes as we battle the evil that we find all around us.

Han stepped out from behind his hiding place and came back to rescue Luke so the first Death Star could be destroyed. God is calling us to step out from our hiding places so that He might rescue our wives, families, communities, and nations from the grip of the Evil One. It is only when we respond in courage that we can be the heroes this world truly needs.

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