On Rewinding and Fast-Forwarding

If you haven't discovered the Stuff Christians Like blog by Jonathan Acuff, then you are missing a treat. A collection of these are coming out soon in book form, but you can read "Prodigal John's" ramblings for free each day on the blog. Today's post hit me as a father of girls, so I thought I would share it. That and because I haven't had any interesting thoughts of my own today. (Some wonder whether I've had any interesting thoughts since Carter administration).
Here's a portion of his blog entitled "Raising Dorks."

I've got nothing against the particular pop star my daughter suddenly became fascinated with but the transition from “I love the Wiggles” to “the Wiggles are for babies” was ridiculously fast. (In her defense, that Captain Feathersword who the Wiggles run with, scares me to death.) Up until that point I really hoped my daughter would grow up to be a cool kid. I wanted her to be part of the popular crowd at school and be considered hip. But when she started sweating pop stars and other little girls in our area started getting into teenage television shows, I had to pause.

Those things weren't created for a 5 year old. The entertainment she wanted to watch was not written for a girl two years out of diapers. It's got boyfriends and girlfriends and topics that are way out of her understanding as a little kid. And she might love it. She might sing all the songs and have a blast doing it and fit right in with all her friends. But if I encourage her to do that, if I push her toward that, I fast forward her through childhood. I speed her up from a 5 year to a 10 year old. And although I make about 47 dad mistakes a day, I have learned one secret about childhood:

You can fast forward childhood, but you can’t rewind it.

I wish I could but I can't. Childhood only goes one direction and I want her to stay a little kid for as long as she can. There will be plenty of time later for her to think boys are cute and interesting. (Right now I’m pushing for “smelly and cootie laden.”)

Until then though, she's not going to be hip. I'm going to raise a dork. Which is different from naïve, don't misunderstand, she's going to be like Matthew 10:16, shrewd as a snake and innocent as a dove. And if you're making different decisions with your kids, please don't hear this as an attack. I'm new to being a dad, am by no means a pro, don't have all the answers and am really only writing about the two kids with my last name. Who will be dorks.

I hope I don't help create one of these sheltered Christian girls that just goes insane when they get to college, but I promise you that I'm going to do everything I can to keep my kids young, out of the loop as far as the world goes and maybe even dorky. And when my oldest daughter yells at me when she's 13 because she can't go to a party with a bunch of boys, who I know are going to try to kiss her, I'll show her this post. And she's going to yell some more, but at least I'll kind of look like I predicted the future, which is fun.

"You can fast forward childhood, but you can’t rewind it." That quote struck me. My girls are now 28 and 22. Somehow someone leaned on the fast-forward button of our lives and it blurred by fast. If I had to give some starting-out-Dad some advice (and I do from time to time, whether they want it our not), it would be something like what Jonathan suggests in his post.

A Place for Sinners

Warren Wiersbe, in his book Be Free, says this, “Nothing reveals the wickedness of legalism better than the way the legalists treat those who have sinned.” Think for a second about how the Pharisees treated sinners—

• Think of the contempt for the tax collector that is expressed in the Pharisee’s prayer, “Lord, I thank you that I'm not like other men, or like this tax collector.” (Luke 18:11).
  
  
• Think of the Pharisees dismissal of Jesus as well as sinners in the expression, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15:1-2)
  
  
• Think of the arrogance of dragging an adulterous woman (John 8) before Jesus to use as a test cause to see how easy Jesus would be on sinners?

The Pharisees were absolutely convinced that they were righteous because they were right, so they had little use for people who were neither righteous nor right.

On my first trip to Ukraine, I was surprised to learn that a city Metro driver made more money than a physician. In the Soviet Union, doctors were seen as tradesman. Why? The explanation given to me was that sick people were of no use to the Soviet state, so the doctors who cared for them weren’t valued either. Could it be that the struggling and the sinful are dismissed because they are seen as having little value to the church?

Why did sinners so often flock to Jesus? Oh, sometimes they came for the free food (John 6:26). But the sinful and struggling made up the crowds who pressed around Jesus. Why? Jesus was accepted by the sinful and the struggling because Jesus accepted them. He spoke to multi-married Samaritan woman of John 4. He spent time with the tax-cheat Zacchaeus in Luke 19. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, so the lost came seeking Him as well!

The church needs to do better at being a place that receives the riff-raff (ultimately, that’s what we all are, right?). We need to do better at welcoming people who struggle, rather than being willing to receive them once they get themselves straight. If we are really Christ-followers, the sinful and strugglers who find themselves in our midst will feel that they came to the right place!

Don't Call Me; I'll Annoy You

I had one of those calls today. You know the kind—the salesperson has just the product that you need even though you don’t know you need it. My usual response is to interrupt them and say, “I’m not interested and please take me off your call list.” But this time, it was different; at least, I felt like it needed to be different. This solicitation call was at the church building, and it was a product to help with our church outreach. I just couldn’t be rude and hang up—I am the preacher for crying out loud. I couldn’t even say that I wasn’t interested; what church isn’t interested in outreach.

What I said was, “If you will fax me or email me information, I will take a look at it; I just don’t take phone solicitation here.” The salesperson said, “I understand perfectly, but our product…,” and she went over the exact same sales pitch she had given before. I repeated two more times that I wasn’t interested in talking about it at the moment but that I would look at any information she would sent me. Two more times, she cheerily said, “I understand perfectly, but our product…” What I wanted to say was, “Do you really intend to annoy me until I buy your product?” What I said was, “If you don’t want to send me information, then this call is over; please take us off your list.” Then I hung up and I was really miffed for awhile. I don’t know why pushy, artificially familiar and annoyingly persistent sales pitches annoy me so much, but they do.

And then I remember some of the ways I have talked with people about Jesus. I took some training once in a one particular evangelism method, and we were taught some of the exact foot-in-the door retorts my good friend and best buddy was using on me this afternoon. I remember sitting down with people and literally arguing over baptism, as if I were going to annoy them into the baptistery. I heard a salesman say (jokingly) onetime that “the key to sales was sincerity; one you learn how to fake that, you have it made.”

Now, if a friend would have shared with me information about a great new product and arranged for me to sit down with them and this salesperson to discuss it, then I would have been willing to listen— especially if they would have bought lunch. Maybe there is a lesson in there somewhere about sharing faith in relationships as opposed to seeing evangelism as a sales gimmick.

Or maybe this is just a chance to let me vent about that annoying call!

Orphan Sunday

I received an email yesterday informing me that November 15 is the "Annual Church of Christ Orphan Sunday" and that we are again invited to participate. The email also said that someone would call me soon to let me know exactly how we could get involved. No one has called yet, but I’m sure they will. I am always leery of emails that use 4-5 different type-styles and sizes (I don’t know why, but I always am). I’m also leery of emails that tell me that someone will call (why don’t they just call). I’m also leery of annual Church of Christ events that I have never heard of, but then I don’t get out much.

The Bible has a lot to say about our responsibility to help orphans. In the Old Testament, helping orphans was part of what it meant to be the people of God. If God was concerned about the powerless (widow, orphans and aliens), then His people must be concerned for them as well

• Deuteronomy 10:17-18-- For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.
  
  
• Deuteronomy 24:17-- Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.
  
  
• Psalm 68:4,5-- Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds— his name is the LORD— and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
  
  
• Psalm 146:9-- The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
• Isaiah 1:17-- Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

In the New Testament, James tells us that caring for widows and orphans is part of a “religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless” (James 1:27).

Denbigh has been very involved in the care and feeding of orphans. We regularly support a brother who works with orphans in Ukraine, and many of our trips there since 1993 have focused on working with orphans. We also send significant ongoing help to orphans in Africa (we call the effort “At My Gate”) and have been making trips and sending funds to City of Children orphanage in Ensenada, Mexico.

I didn’t know there was an official annual “Church of Christ Orphan Sunday,” but it sounds like a good idea.

The Strong and the Weak

The play above doesn't look like one that will make SportCenter play of the day, but it was the best play for the weekend. It seems the Benton (MO) Cardinals football were losing 46-0 against Maryville with ten seconds to go. Benton coach Dan McCamy called a timeout and went across the field to confer with Maryville coach David McEnaney. Together they called the play captured on the YouTube video.

The player who scored the touchdown is Matt Ziesel, a freshman at Benton who suits up for every game and cheers on his team from the sidelines. Matt has Down syndrome, a disability that will keep him from ever playing for real. But with this game out of reach, the two coaches conspired to give Matt him moment in the sun. The crowd went wild as Matt went 60 yards for the touchdown, a moment that he will remember for his entire life.

The Spoofhounds gave up their shutout, but Coach McEnaney said it was a small price to pay in comparison to what they got in return, "It was a great opportunity for our kids to kind of realize that while, yes, winning is a big deal, there's bigger life lessons out there." Former Ohio State Woody Hayes once said, "Any time you give a man something he doesn't earn, you cheapen him. Our kids earn what they get." But sometimes even in football, "It is more blessed to give than receive."

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. (Romans 15:1-2)

On Preaching and Practicing

My sermon yesterday was on “The Joy Paradox.” I started with how the beatitudes describe a blessedness, happiness, joy or fortune that is contrary to what we normally think of in terms of happiness. “Blessed are those who mourn?” Really? “Blessed are the meek?” Are you serious? “Blessed are those who are persecuted?” Jesus is obviously talking about a joy comes from serving God and is different from the happiness in what's happening that we usually focus upon.

Jesus says that we can be his disciple unless we “deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23). This follows immediately after Peter’s “good confession” that Jesus is “the Christ of God.” Jesus next explains to the apostles for the first time his coming death and resurrection. So when Jesus tells them that disciples must follow Him and carry His cross, he was talking about the journey toward Jerusalem and death he was getting ready to undertake (see 9:51). Jesus goes on to say “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it” (Luke 9:24).

It is only when we die to self in following Christ that we can really find true and lasting joy. Our world and our nature lead us to think that we are happiest when we pursue self. Jesus tells us that lasting joy comes in the act of denying self, and we spend some time talking about what that might mean for our lives.

I guess it was a good enough sermon. No one stopped me in the middle and yelled, “Men and brethren, what must we do?” But then no one stood up and yelled, “Oh fooey!” either (that happened to a preacher friend of mine once). So it was a good enough sermon.

So then I went home and helped Lynn with dinner (made dressing for a spinach salad and even opened a can of mandarin oranges) and we ate. Then I sat down in my recliner for my usual Sunday afternoon nap in front of the Redskin game. It’s always each to sleep during a Redskin game; they never do much that would encourage much other than sleep. I wasn’t really aware of what Lynn was doing until she asked me (with a little bit of an edge), “Are you going to watch football all afternoon?” That was an unfair question. I wasn’t really watching; I was dozing. And it wasn’t really football; it was the Redskins.

Apparently Lynn wanted to go for a drive down the Colonial Parkway or do something else fun with her husband on what was a gloriously beautiful Sunday afternoon. But I was too dense to recognize either her desire or the beautiful day because I was focused on dozing in front of the TV. Why? Because that is what I wanted to do. By the time she let me know of her displeasure with my choice of Sunday afternoon activity, it was too late to do anything else (my Sunday night group is at 5:00). We do have a date for NEXT Sunday afternoon

Moral of the Story: Apparently it is easier to preach about unselfishness than it is to live unselfishly. Go figure.

The Right Way to Pray?

I just read an article by a Jewish agnostic writer named Zev Chafets entitled, “The Right Way to Pray?” He decided (as a reporter, not a seeker) to visit different places where prayer happens to see if he could learn what the deal was with prayer. About 75% of Americans report that they pray at least once a week. People seem to put a lot of emphasis on prayer, and Chafets wonders if there was a right way to pray.

He visited a huge evangelical megachurch that stresses prayer in its services by having people stand in groups of three and pray together. He visited an Anglican spiritual director who uses Tibetan prayer bells and candles. He visited a Jewish rabbi who taught prayer through yoga (people in mourning are to say the Kaddish prayer while standing on their heads to acknowledge the upsetting nature of death).

He talked with a seminary professor who taught prayer and once edited a now defunct magazine entitled Pray! Who suggested that there are rules for proper praying—“Keep your prayers brief and clear” [Jesus prayed all night]. “Repeat simple Scripture-based phrases” [Jesus warned about vain repetitions]. “Pray standing up to fight torpor” [Jesus fell with his face to the ground]. “And pray directly facing other” [Jesus said to pray alone in our room]. And finally pray “in a loud, clear voice.” [Remember Hannah’s silent prayer answered spectacularly in the birth of Samuel?]. The problem with coming up with rules for relating to God is that the Bible is always filled with exceptions!

Rabbi Marc Gellman (half of the popular duo “The God Squad”) suggested that prayer is essentially “Gimme! Thanks! Oops! and Wow!” He said, “Wow! are prayers of praise and wonder at the creation. Oops! is asking for forgiveness. Gimme! is a request or a petition. Thanks! is expressing gratitude. That’s the entire Judeo-Christian doxology.”

The last place he visited was an Assembly of God church. He got there early and talkws for awhile with some kids in the children’s choir. When they found out he was writing on prayer, they began to share in childish enthusiasm how prayer had made a difference in their lives-- for the grandmother who broke her leg, the sister who suffered with asthma, the friend who was burned in fire. It was in this child-like faith in God and reliance on Him in prayer at a simple, old-fashioned church that became for Chafets "the right way to pray."

There are some 300,000 churches in America, and I could have picked any one to attend on Easter morning, but I liked being in this one. Especially the kids. They didn’t need Reverend Henderson’s prayer techniques, or the high-tech mantras of the Brooklyn Tabernacle. Their prayers weren’t Rabbi Gellman’s suburban Jewish prayers of Thanks! offered to whom it may concern. They didn’t pray to de-center their egos or find transcendence or to set off on a lifelong therapeutic spiritual journey. They prayed to a God with whom they were on a first-name basis, and they believed their prayers gave them power, which they used on behalf of their asthmatic sisters and infirm grandparents and a kid they knew with burns on his body. Sitting in church on Easter morning, I realized that I was probably never going to become a praying man. But if, by some miracle, I ever do, I hope my prayers will be like the prayers of the kids I met at the Love church in Berkeley Springs. Straight-up Gimme! on behalf of people who really need the help.

Of such is the kingdom of heaven!

Party Hardy!

Ever notice that we can get so used to one nuance of a Bible topic that another side sounds like heresy? We are so used to stressing baptism (every sermon ends with a call to baptism, right) that we become suspicious when somebody suggests that we are saved “by grace through faith.” What do they mean by that? Are they denying the place baptism? No, actually they are just quoting Paul! We are so used to hearing one side of a truth that the other sounds like heresy.

We are used to the church being compared to the body of Christ, the kingdom of God, the bride of Christ and the family of God. So sounds like heresy to suggest that the church is also to be a party. In fact, one of the most used metaphors in scripture for the kingdom of God is the party. Jesus often describes, explains and invites us to God’s kingdom by using the example of a feast, a banquet or wedding reception—a party!

• Matthew 8:11-12. Jesus uses the setting of a big party to illustrate that Gentiles were to be included into the kingdom of God.
  
  
• Matthew 22:1-12. God’s kingdom is described as a wedding feast where those invited to come don't, and the master sends his servants to find other guests.
  
  
• Matthew 25:1-13. The necessity of watching for the Lord's return is explained in terms of a wedding party.
  
  
• Luke 15:22-24. The father celebrates the return of the Prodigal Son by throwing a huge party, complete with music and… well, choreography.
  
  
• Revelation 19:9. The celebration to which all are invited and by which all who come are blessed is the wedding feast—party—of the Lamb.

The festive celebration of a party is used over and over to represent the kingdom of God. Remember, God’s people in the Old Testament were a partying bunch. The major religious days—Passover and Pentecost and Tabernacles—were festive parties. Only the Day of Atonement was solemn ritual. Even the sacrifices themselves, those symbols of sin and forgiveness, were often cause for celebration as the priest and the worshiper ate the meat of the sacrifice together.

What's the point? If our experience of relationship with God is primarily one of dourly keeping the rules, humorlessly following patterns and always being so decent-and-in-order that our face would break it we cracked a smile, then we’ve missed something of the kingdom. God is our loving Father and we are to live in his love and reflect that love to others. Life might not to a bed of roses all the time, but we’d better be smelling the roses some of the time. God calls us to a joyful and abundant life, not a slavish, joyless existence. People should be drawn to us because “the joy of the Lord is out strength.” (Neh 8:10).

Yes, the way of the cross is one of denying self (Luke 9:23), but even that becomes a path to joy (see Heb 12:2). Maybe people would take Christianity more seriously if Christians didn’t take the things that really don’t matter so seriously. Paul tells us. “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Phil 4:4, NLT).

Baptism and the Sinner's Prayer

Whenever someone comes to faith in Jesus and is ready to begin his or her life of faith and discipleship, they rightly ask, “OK, so what must I do now?” That is a logical question, and all believers in Christ would agree that something must be DONE. OK, salvation is by grace and through faith in Jesus, but when one comes to understand that, then they rightly want to know what they must do.
Many people would encourage the new believer to to say “Sinner’s Prayer.” That prayer might go something like—

Father, I am sorry for my sins and want to turn away from my sinful life. I believe that your son Jesus died for my sins and was raised from the dead. I want Jesus to be the Lord of my life.

There are many different versions of this Sinner’s Prayer, and there a good reason why there are many different versions—it’s not in the Bible. Oh, the sentiments of repentance and commitment are of course very Biblical, but no one in the Bible is ever told to pray the Sinner’s Prayer. There is no example of anyone saying the sinner's prayer. Again, Bible assures us that we are saved “by grace through faith… not of works so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9). Nothing we do can add to the work of God in salvation, when we must do something. Praying the Sinner’s Prayer is doing something; repeating this prayer is outward action. To suggest that there is something that we do to receive the grace of God does not mean that we earn our salvation when we respond.

Believers in the New Testament are told to do something to express their penitent faith, but it is not to say the Sinner’s Prayer. They are rather told to be baptized. If we must do something in order to express saving faith, why not do what it is that the Bible says to do? In the NT, baptism is the sinner's response to salvation by grace through faith-- it is the sinner's prayer. It is not a work that earns salvation; it is rather the response of faith that relies on God for salvation. Notice several reasons why this response of baptism should be stressed.

Baptism Was Commanded in the Great Commission

Just before Jesus ascended back to the Father to heaven, He left behind marching orders with his apostles to take the gospel all over the word. They are commanded to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19). There were many important things that Jesus did not mention in His Great Commission.

• The apostles were not told to build great churches.
• They were not told to come up with ways to care for the poor.
• They aren’t instructed to conduct worship services or establish Sunday Schools.

He does tell them, “Teach them to obey everything I have commanded” (28:20), and surely covers a great many things! But there are many things that are important to our faith and service that are not specifically mentioned in the great commission.

But Jesus does specifically tell the apostles to baptize those who believe. Of all the things that are not mentioned, surely this emphasizes the thing that is—baptism. In fact, in Mark’s version of the Great Commission, Jesus connects baptism to salvation, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Yes, it is indeed true that He doesn’t say that all those unbaptized will be lost, and that is a fact that we must respect. But then, Jesus isn’t telling people how they can reject the gospel; He is telling them how to be teach people so that they may be saved. And He specifically mentions baptism. The Great Commission as our foundation for evangelism stresses baptism.

All Examples of Conversion in Acts Mention Baptism

If Jesus told the apostles to go into the world and baptize believers, then we would expect them to go out and do exactly that. Acts is the record of the apostles going into all the world preaching the gospel. Jesus told them to go into Judea, Samaria and all parts of the world (Acts 1:8), and Acts tells of Peter (working in Judea), Philip (working in Samaria) and Paul (going into all the world). Acts tells story after story of people putting their faith in Jesus as their Savior. Sometimes there are huge crowds and many being converted (Acts 2); other times a single family is being taught privately at home (the jailer in Acts 16). And sometimes there is only the teacher (Philip) and a seeker (Eunch) (Acts 8),

Jesus specifically told the apostles to baptize those who believe. And all the conversion stories in Acts end with baptism… always. Every one. Whether there is a large crowd responding or a single person coming to faith, every believer is immersed based on their own active faith in Jesus—

• The first gospel sermon ended, “Repent and be baptized.” (2:28)
• The story of the Ethiopian ends, “and Philip baptized him.” (8:31)
• Paul’s own conversion story, “He got up and was baptized.” (9:18)
• The story of the Jailer, “he and all his family were baptized.” (16:33)

The Acts’ record is absolutely consistent; baptism is always mentioned. In some of these cases, baptism cannot be connected with a public confession before a “church.” The Ethiopian Eunuch was absolutely alone when he was baptized. The Philippian jailer was locked up with just his family in his own house in the middle of the night when he was baptized.

In every cause, people were baptized in the book of Acts when they came to accept Christ and their Lord and Savior. People in acts don’t eat or sleep between the time they come to faith in Christ and the time when they are baptized. Put the first two points together, and the case for baptism seems pretty strong. Jesus told the apostles to teach and baptize those who believe. And in Acts, the apostles went out and started teaching and baptizing people!

Theological Reflections on Baptism

Baptism is never argued to lost people in the Bible. Sure, lost people are taught, but that teaching always focuses on Christ Himself. Peter and Paul’s sermons in Acts put the emphasis on the cross and empty tomb. There are no sermons on baptism or complex arguments for it; people simply believe and their baptism naturally follows. The texts that explore the theological significance of baptism were written to people who were already baptized. These theological reflections on the meaning of baptism stress its importance. Notice some examples.

First, Paul argues in Romans 6 about relationship of grace to holiness. Paul here anticipates an objection by some to his teaching on grace who say, “Why not keep sinning so grace can increase?” (6:1). Paul replies that we have died to sin and therefore can’t continue to live in it (6:2). And his proof is found in baptism (Rom. 6:3-4)

3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life (Romans 6:3-4)

Just as Jesus died and was raised to life, so in baptism, we die to sin and are raised in righteousness. This ties baptism to both the cross and the commitment to holiness
Paul’s point here about holy living emphasizes the place of baptism.

Second, Paul’s point in Galatians 3 is one of equality in Christ (Gal. 3:26-28). In a first century world torn apart by racial/ethnic distinctions (sound familiar), Paul proclaimed a gospel where everyone was level at the foot of the cross. He says—

26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s main point here isn’t baptism; he is arguing against Jewish racism. There are no distinctions between people—social, ethnic or gender. His point is that baptism has brought us into the same relationship with Christ. His proof for equality in Christ and against racism is the rite of baptism.

Third, Paul’s point in Colossians 2 is the all-sufficiency of Christ. The church in Colossae struggled with Gnostic-like false doctrine which perhaps was a blend of Judaism, Eastern religions and Greek philosophy. This eclectic brew was added to simple Christian faith, but Paul argues that they did not need the addition. He points to all-sufficiency of Christ. In Christ is fullness of God (2:9) and in Him we put off sin (2:11). And baptism was the commitment they made to Him and only Him.

having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. (2:12)

They trusted in Christ alone when they were baptized in him. Again, this reflection on baptism’s meaning shows its central place in New Testament thinking.

Fourth, Peter’s point in 1 Peter 3 is about faithful living during times of difficulty and persecution. Peter’s audience was suffering the stern opposition from a world that did not accept their faith or their God. He tells them that they shouldn’t fear (3:14) but rather be ready to give answer when asked about their hope (3:15). But that will mean that they must sometimes suffer for doing the right thing (3:17). But then that is the example of the cross (3:18). Peter next mentions the story of Noah where only a few are saved apart from world (3:20) and sees in Noah a picture of baptism (3:21)

and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Baptism is said to save us here, but Peter is clear that baptism saves through the power of the resurrection. Baptism points to the cleansing of our conscience as we are raised together with Christ. Once again, this theological reflection points us back to the importance of baptism.

All of this begins to have a cumulative effect as e consider baptism. Jesus told the apostles to baptize disciples in the Great Commission. In the book of Acts, they did just that— they preached the gospel and baptized everyone who believed it. In the epistles, the apostles reflect on the theological implications of baptism.

In addition, there are other allusions to the importance of baptism in the words of New Testament writers—

• Ephesians 5:25- “the washing with water through the word”
• Titus 3:5- “the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”
• Hebrews 10:22- “having our bodies washed with pure water”
• 1 Corinthians 6:11- “But you were washed, you were sanctified”

So it seems that we are on rather firm biblical ground when stress place of baptism. So we would says to those who would believe on Christ and trust Him for their salvation, “Yes, say the sinners prayer, but then be baptized to receive Christ.

Conclusion

The New Testament presents baptism as the response of faith in the accepting God’s grace in salvation. Peter offers a baptism “for the remission of sins” to believers on Pentecost (Acts 2:38). And we offer believers today the same response of faith. If you have never been baptized based upon your faith in Christ, then we offer that to you. I think we are on firm Biblical ground when we offer it.

But what of people who are not baptized? Many Christians have never been challenged with the importance baptism? Does that mean they are not really Christians? All salvation issues are God’s alone; all we can do is struggle to understand what the Bible says. But the real question here often is, “What if someone is baptized to obey God but doesn’t understand that baptism is for the remission of sins.” Actually the Bible suggests several different reasons for believers to be baptized. All of these are important, but often (always) the person being baptized does not fully understand all of these reasons equally. And they may stress one reason over the rest. Notice just some of the reasons for baptism given in the New Testament—

• To fulfill all righteousness (Matt 3:15)
• To have a good conscience (1 Peter 3:21)
• To commit to a life of discipleship (Matt 28:19)
• To receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38)
• To have sins washed away (Acts 22:16)
• To become part of the Body (2 Cor 12:12-13)
• To put on Christ as a garment (Gal 3:27)
• To be saved (Mark 16:16)

God is not limited by misunderstanding of baptism. All of these reasons are valid; one baptized for any of these Bible reasons is Biblically baptized. One may be baptized simply because one wishes to obey Jesus (“fulfill all righteousness”) without fully understanding the import of “for the remission of sins” or to “receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” As we study and grow in Christ, we will add to our understandings of baptism just as we learn more about any Bible doctrine.

Paul’s argument in Galatians 3:26 is that baptism unifies believers. It would be ironic for people to use this doctrine as a way to divide true Christians from false ones. But faithfulness dictates that we preach and practice His word as best we can, and that is what we seek to do. For all the reasons above, when someone asks me what they must do after they come to believe in Jesus Christ, I tell them, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38, NLT).

A Mouthful of Grace

In 2002, I took a graduate seminar in Boston under John Warwick Montgomery, one of the leading apologists for the Christian faith. Montgomery suggested that apologetics (the defense of belief in God) can be divided into two types--

• He called the first type “Apologetics for the hard-headed.” This is what he did— giving philosophic, scientific reasons why faith is both reasonable and demanded by the evidence. He suggested that modern liberal theologians have adopted a “If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em” mentality that makes too many concessions to and compromises with the modern world. He also said that fundamentalists take a “If you can’t beat ‘em, avoid ‘em” approach that isolates itself from the modern world. He suggested that the correct approach, his approach, was “Just beat ‘em!”
  
  
• Montgomery (rather grudgingly) admitted that there is another type of apologetics, one that he called “Apologetics for tender-hearted.” In our postmodern world, many people no longer trust philosophy or science to have an answer. They are rather looking for something, not that they can prove is true, but something that works like its true.These people aren't looking for our arguments, but at our lives.
  

I think both of these apologetic types are important. Faith is reasonable, and we must be able to share reasons why we have accepted those reasons with people who don't believe. But I doubt that our arguments for faith will matter too much if we are living a faith that works. Montgomery's first type of apologetics won't matter too much if we aren't actively living out the second. And if we are doing the second correctly, then maybe the first will be easier.

Whatever it is that we say to our skeptical world, whatever approach we take, it must be done with a mouthful of grace. Whether we are speaking to the hard-headed or the tender-hearted, our speech follow Paul's instruction--

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6)

Back-to-School

Today is the first day of school. Yes, I know that children in other states have been back for awhile already, but Virginia gets one more week of tourist season in by decreeing that schools can’t start until after Labor Day. Students reported for class today for the first time. That means that teachers reported for class for the first time at the regular time— 7:05 for Denbigh High (Lynn generally leaves around 6:30 a.m.). So that means the alarm went off a little earlier this morning than it has been for awhile. Actually, it means the alarm went off this morning… and we got to wake Bella up for a change!

Sunday’s service was our church's blessing over our school children and teachers. We seem to have an extra large number of kids starting new schools, so I thought it would be a good idea to have a service where we prayed over them. I also decided to use several of the soon-to-be-school kids by letting them read the text during the sermon. I was surprised how easily most of them agreed to participate. Then I realized Sunday morning that I hadn’t been completely clear on what I was asking. Some of them didn’t understand that they would be getting up onstage in front of the whole church to read! I got several deer-in-the-headlights looks when realization finally dawned, but they all went up there and did a great job. Nobody remembers anything I said Sunday in the sermon, but everyone remembers Kate, Wyatt, Jay, Alex, Olivia and T.J. doing reading. They all did a great job! Thanks guys!

They other thing that surprised me Sunday was when I did my commercial for our FriendSpeak seminar and then asked if anyone had questions-- we had a lot of people speak up and ask questions. Maybe we ought to have more crowd interaction on Sunday mornings. OK, maybe not. But I do hope all our people are as excited by FriendSpeak as they seem to be. Everyone be there Saturday, September 19 for the seminar!

Honorable Disagreement

A Baptist pastor in Tempe, AZ preached a sermon two weeks that created a bit of buzz. In fact, seriously looking men in black suits who talk into their sleeves are paying attention to it. The sermon was entitled “Why I Hate Barack Obama.” In the sermon, the preacher told his church that he regularly prays for the president's death.

If you want to know how I'd like to see Obama die, I'd like him to die of natural causes. I don't want him to be a martyr, we don't need another holiday. I'd like to see him die, like Ted Kennedy, of brain cancer.

Tell me again why we have such trouble today convincing people that Christianity is a good, honorable and reasonable way to live? We are told to pray for our enemies (Luke 6:27-28), but I doubt Jesus meant to pray for them to die of a horrible disease! You know, if you ask anyone else to kill a person for you, that is criminal conspiracy. We have been assured that the US Secret Service is taking the matter seriously.

It is generally believed that Paul and Peter were both executed during the persecution by Nero after the Great Fire of Rome in AD. 64. According to Roman historian Tacitus, Nero launched these persecutions after blaming Christians for the fire to deflect suspicion from himself. Most Roman historians portray Nero as an egotistical, extravagant and brutal tyrant. Major historical sources like Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio really have few complementary things to say about Nero. Christian writers like Tertullian and Eusebius condemn Nero as the persecutor of Christians and the killer of Paul and Peter. Augustine believed that Nero was the Antichrist.

So maybe Nero was responsible for the deaths of Paul and Peter. Nero certainly was responsible for the deaths of many Christians. So I wonder what Peter and Paul would have said about the administration of Caesar Nero? We don’t have to guess; they did speak about him.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. (1 Peter 2:13-17)

Paul and Peter taught Christians pray for the king and those in authority… even if that king is Nero.

So why do so many Christians seem to be so smug and justified in their constant mean-spirited, demeaning, and vitriolic ridicule and derision of the president? OK, so you don’t agree with his proposed overhaul the health system? Well, stand in line. But does anyone seriously think that the president (this one or any other) is as evil as Nero? Paul and Peter told Christians to pray for and honor Nero. We are given the right by our Constitution to disagree with our leaders. But we are given the commandment by God to pray for and honor them.

According to Nancy Reagan, Senator Kennedy and President Reagan were great friends despite being so far across the aisle on most issues that they could barely see one another! One can disagree with another's politics while remaining honorable. One can be adamantly opposed to a president's agenda while still being respectful. I'm thankful God has blessed us to live in a country where disagreement with leaders is our Constitutional right. We must never think that the Constitution gives us the right to the clear command of God.

Practicing What We Preach

What is wrong with our world today? I was cleaning out my files and ran across the following old quotes from some old articles. All of these quotes were written by the same preacher in the mid-to-late 70's. And though written more than 40 years ago, they serve to illustrate what’s wrong with our world today.

Venereal disease is epidemic in the land. Homes are decaying and marriages are disintegrating at a frightened pace. Personal integrity is rapidly disappearing across our land. (Gospel Light, April, 1976)

An all wise Creator made the distinct sexual natures of men and women and assigned their unique roles in life. True happiness comes to men and women who understand their proper sexual role and observe it. (Gospel Advocate, Jan 1978)

Immorality is brazenly extending its territory. Porno shops, massage parlors and nude bars are in almost every city... Even more serious is the deterioration of marriage and the home. Adultery, desertion, and divorce are now commonplace. (Gospel Light, August 1979)

The face of every large American city is covered with ugly sores. There are massage parlors, adult book stores, X-rated movies, nude bars and gay hangouts. Every faithful Christian is against such vices as these. (Gospel Light, Nov 1979)

These statements were made before the AIDS epidemic or internet pornography or gay marriage. But they seem curiously relevant today, and they illustrate what is wrong in our world. What is wrong is YOU and ME and US.

The preacher who wrote these articles was having multiple adulterous relationships over a long period of time with several different women in churches where he preached. Even as he was known to others as a moral crusader, he was failing at living the moral life he proclaimed. What was wrong was not what he preached but what he practiced.

Maybe what is wrong with out world is that those of us who say we believe the truth are so woefully inadequate at living the truth. It is easy to point at the failings of our culture, for they are many. But maybe we need to deal with the log in our eye so we can better see how to remove the speck in the eye of others.

If the world sees the holiness of God reflected in our lives, then maybe then they will listen when we have something to say about morality. Maybe if the world sees the joy of the Lord reflected in our hearts, then maybe they will listen when we talk about the best way to live life. Maybe of the world sees the love of Christ reflected in how we deal with broken people, then maybe they will listen when we talk about repentance and redemption.

I’m not sure anyone will pay much attention to what we preach until we practice what we preach. But speaking from personal experience, it’s a lot easier to just preach.

School Daze?

Several elementary school students in Gainesville, FL were sent home on the very first day of school last week for violating the school's dress code policy. It seems that these children (one only 10 years old) wore a T-shirts imprinted with the slogan “Islam is of the Devil” to school. Their church decided that this would be a good outreach ministry to the school community. The children weren’t suspended; they were simply sent home to change into more school-appropriate clothing.

Have you ever wondered if it would be much easier to teach people about Christ if it weren’t for some Christians? Come on! Did the Dove World Outreach Center (the church that produced the T-shirts) really think that anyone is going to be positively influenced by such a stunt? Is anyone going to say, “Hey, I wondered where Islam came from, but now I know it's from the devil because it says so right there on that T-shirt?” Did Paul go to the Areopagus in Athens to speak to pagans wearing a “Zeus of is the Devil” toga? Do people really think non-believers will take Jesus MORE seriously because people send their kids to school with T-shirts denouncing other religions? All that sun in Florida must be baking people brains.

Whether we like it or admit it or not, we live today in a multicultural world-- the same kind of world that Paul lived in. It is a world in which every truth is accepted and no truth is accepted, a world where there are many gods and no god at all. In our world, Christianity is just one idea in a marketplace of ideas. Sure, Christianity is different-- it happens to be true. But if we want non-Christian people to ever accept Christianity as true, then belittling other beliefs is the absolute wrong way to go about it! On the Areopagus, Paul was actually rather complimentary and showed a great deal of respect in sharing the gospel with pagan professors (See Acts 17:22-31).

The right way to get people to take Christ and Christianity seriously is to show gentleness and respect toward non-believers as we live a life that shows that Christianity works. That is precisely what Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:15-16

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

Gentleness and respect. Good behavior. Reason for the hope you have. These are the things that will cause others to respect what we believe. If our Christian faith doesn't work in making us better people, then why should non-Christians believe it anyway?