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1 John and Truth: Notes from Last Night’s Study

by | Dec 6, 2011 |

Here’s the notes from last night’s study…

We started with a definition of “truth” from from Wikipedia: Truth has a variety of meanings, such as the state of being in accord with fact or reality. It can also mean having fidelity to an original or to a standard or ideal. In a common usage, it also means constancy or sincerity in action or character. The direct opposite of truth is falsehood, which can correspondingly take logical, factual or ethical meanings.

Then we began to see what 1 John had to say about truth. We looked at it from 5 perspectives.

1. Truth lives in the real world of action.
Truth is something we do: 1:6  We can claim fellowship with Him by word, or experience it in action.   i.e. Our love should be in deed and truth. 3:18

2. Truth also has to do with the inner environment of your life.
Truth can be (or fail to be) in us: 1:8; 2:4. The inward environment determines the truth of your outer life. Do you have the truth living in you?
Taking numbers 1 & 2 together: Being “true” is the total package of inner truth which comes out to prove it’s there.

3. Truth is not unknowable. Christians know the truth.
You know the truth. And lies cannot come from truth. 2:21  We can know we are of the truth.  3:19

4. Truth is ultimately a spiritual issue.
There is a spirit of truth and a spirit of error, we need to discern them. 4:1-6  Truth is not just a static list of facts. It always has an energy behind it. So all claims to truth need to be weighed:”What is the spiritual energy behind this claim?” Everything preaches. 
Tellingly, John leads us to see that The Holy Spirit is truth.  5:6, 2:27 

5. Jesus/God is truth. 5:20

To get the background of Johns letter, we then looked at Three truths from John’s Gospel:  (John 1:14, 17:17, 14:6)

  1. When the disciples saw Jesus, they saw the glory of God full of grace and truth.
  2. The word of God (who Jesus is) is truth. Truth comes from God’s mind and is carried by His word.
  3. Jesus is Truth. Truth is what Jesus is.

    Now, what does it actually mean to say that someone “is truth?”

  1. He is the ultimate reality and the ultimate test of what is real. Is it part of, from, connected to, in agreement with Him?
  2. It means truth is personal. It is about living connection. Truth is what lives in and flows from Him.
  3. When He speaks, it is not only true but binding. It creates obligation in us.
  •  There is a great war between truth and lies in the universe. It stretches from the very beginning of time, when Satan brought the first lie in the the world, to the end, when the Truth comes back victorious: see John 8:42-47, Rev 19:11, 21:22.

 Challenges for us:

  1. Do you have God’s truth?
  2. Do we let the person of Jesus define our lives?
  3. Do we examine the things in our lives in relation to Jesus? If He is the measure, do we measure everything by Him?
  4. Are we people who have Him as truth in our hearts, coming out? Is He making us true people?

Pray for Ben

by | Dec 6, 2011 |

Got this yesterday from our friends the Spectors. Again, if you don’t know, we’re adopting them as kind of our official missionary partners for our young adults fellowship. They’re part of us, Ben having come out from our High School youth group, gone to bible college in Europe, married Emily, and continued on to church planting in Croatia. You may remember them sharing about it with us back in September. You can check out their blog at http://thespectors.wordpress.com/.

So here’s the prayer request. Sounds like warfare from starting off in a place not really touched by the gospel…

Hey all,

We wanted to ask you to be praying for Ben.  The past four days he has been in severe pain throughout the night with inflamed joints in his hands and feet. We talked to some doctors in the States, recommending that we find a clinic here to go get it checked out. So far, they think that it may be virus-related. Right now, Ben is doing fine and in stable condition, but we just need to get some heavier pain meds before another inflammation episode hits. So, after researching what our options are here, with the help of one of our Croatian friends, we are heading to the ER in Split. Please pray for Ben’s healing and protection, that the doctors here would be able to accurately diagnose him and provide the needed medication. Also…from what we’ve heard, hospitals here don’t exactly provide the most pleasant experience, and we also don’t speak the language very well, so your prayers are appreciated!

 We will keep you updated! 

 -Ben and Emily

Did Jesus Care About Morality?

by | Dec 5, 2011 |

This post follows one from last month where we looked at a common misconception about Jesus.  I was reading in Mark the other day (it’s what we’re teaching in the high school here at CCA) and ran into a story that made me think of another misconception about Jesus. This one basically says that the core of Jesus’ message was love and justice.  These are the “weightier” matters he rebuked the religious leaders about neglecting. He was unconcerned with discussing people’s personal morality, especially their sexual morality, and would have accepted anyone regardless of the choices they made about how to live their life.

 Again, this is one of the prevailing images of Jesus in our culture today. So when we as Christians discuss any kind of biblical view of morality, we’re accused of misrepresenting our own Messiah! But is this picture of Jesus accurate?

Much more could be said about this, but for today I just wanted to highlight one passage from Mark 7. Jesus is confronted by the religious leaders about His disciples’ failure to wash their hands according to the special ritual prescribed by the tradition of the day.

5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” 6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:‘ This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” 9 He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

First, it should be said here that there is a danger we need to watch our for, and it is what Jesus chastises the Pharisees for in this passage: adding to God’s word and teaching traditions as divine commandments. So in all our discussions of personal morality, we should seek to keep our thinking and language very biblical so we don’t fall into this same trap. We shouldn’t lay burdens on people that God never created. But the next section is where we get to our topic:

14 When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: 15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” 17 When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18 So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?”

Here Jesus goes deeper than we might have expected in His explanation of His opposition to the Pharisees and scribes. And even here, he seems to be going in the direction of the way our culture sees Him: “It’s not what’s on the outside, but what’s on the inside that counts.” This is true in a certain way. But the key to understanding what Jesus means when He talks this way is in verse 15. The issues, Jesus says, is not simply what “counts” but what “defiles.”

“Defiles” is a moral word. It carries the idea that certain things are morally (and therefore spiritually) polluting, and therefore repugnant to God. In other words, Jesus was not simply preaching a message of mass acceptance for any and all kinds of behavior. So what, exactly, are the things that “defile” a person? He explains in the next verses:

20 And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.

It is safe to say, then, that “it’s what’s on the inside that counts” is too simplistic to capture Jesus’ thought. There are things that happen “on the outside” that He’s very concerned about. Things that can defile. But it’s not where those things happen that’s most important, its where they come from.

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

Here’s where Jesus tells us which things defile. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it makes an important point for our generation. Jesus says that when these things are conceived in the heart, and then come out, through the body, they defile. They are morally repugnant and spiritually damaging. He is against them. Look again at the list. Notice the categories He’s working with:

  1. Sexual morality (Adulteries, fornications, lewdness)
  2. Wanting other people’s things (thefts, covetousness, evil eye)
  3. Lying (deceit) 
  4. Anger and violence (murder)
  5. Speech (blasphemy)
  6. Pride
  7. Foolishness

These activities (these “choices people make about how to live their life”) affect whether in God’s eyes they are defiled or not. In fact, Jesus’ teaching throughout the Gospel’s is very clear: we are all defiled, because we all have these things living in our hearts and often coming out of us as actions as well. He doesn’t say, “If it’s your personal choice then that’s cool with me.” Instead, He says, “admit it, the defilements of heart and body are all over you, so I’ll die and take the penalty for your defilement. I’ll become defiled by what defiles you. Then, by trusting what I did for you, you can become clean in a way that ritual hand washing can never cleanse you.”

You see, the larger issue was that the Pharisees thought that the rituals cleansed them. Jesus’ point was that our defilement runs way deeper than that.  There’s a lot more in the Gospels that speaks to these same issues, but for now we can just say that it’s simply not historically accurate to say Jesus thought matters of personal morality are unimportant.  In fact, they’re so important to Him that they’re a matter of life and death.

 

Testimonies of God’s Power from Our Church

by | Dec 2, 2011 |

Have you seen this yet? It’s the video for the Monday night Addictions Ministry we share the building with when we meet. If you didn’t know, they’re over in the CPAC amphitheater while we’re in the Auditorium. Seriously, friends, Tim and his team are the real deal, and God is doing awesome stuff through them. I am always massively encouraged by them and by the stories that are always rolling in of God’s power, right now, changing lives.

You may be called to serve with these guys in the work they’re doing. Pray about it, and find Tim Patrick on a Sunday morning to talk to him if you want more info. I’d love to introduce you. I would love it if God called some of you away from our group to be with them. Also, if you know of anyone who is stuggling with addiction issues, don’t hesitate to refer them to the ministry. In the mean time, here’s the video:

 

Calvary Chapel Addictions Ministry from Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia on Vimeo.

Mike Reichenbach and the Eagles Tomorrow Night at Church

by | Nov 30, 2011 |

 

Tomorrow Night Trevor and the Men’s Ministry is sponsoring a night of Eagles football with an evangelistic message by former Eagles’ linebacker and current CCA football coach Mike Reichenbach. Doors open at 8 PM.

Yes, their season seems hopeless. All the more reason to join some brothers and invite out unbelieving friends to hear the gospel.

Also, a local paper did write-up on Mike the other day, and it’s a great read if you want to see a strong testimony and a good example of using your gifts for the Lord. You can read the article here.

1 John and Fellowship: Notes From Last Night’s Study

by | Nov 29, 2011 |

 Here’s the notes from last night’s study on fellowship in 1 John. We focused especially on the first 7 verses of the first chapter.

First, we notice in 1:1-4 that fellowship with other believers and with God is the Goal of the gospel proclamation. It is why John and his apostle friends were preaching. John says here that in Christ God revealed eternal life, and this is what we needed to connect with God. 

1. What fellowship is:      
Two Definitions:

  1. “…common participation in the grace of God, the salvation of Christ  and the indwelling Spirit which is the spiritual birthright of all believers. It is out common possession of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which makes us One.” (Stott).
  2. “the experience of a common yet transcendent bond and especially the bond of trust in the crucified and resurrected Christ…which grows out of and ought to translate into a certain buoyant affection for others and praise for the Lord because of the community participation in forgiveness of sins, transformed lives, and ennobling labor to bring about kingdom ends.” (Yarbrough)

First, John means fellowship with God: Reconnection to our Creator (restored relationship) and life. This is one of the Bible’s main concepts. you could say the whole Bible is about fellowship: the fellowship of God in HImself (in the Trinity) creating humans in His image with the intent to enjoy fellowship, only to see that ruined by sin and the relationship broken in Genesis 3. This leads to “exile” out from the garden of Eden as a picture of the separation sin creates between God and Man.  The rest of the Bible, then, is about God working to reconnect with humanity after we sinned ourselves into separation. We lost fellowship, but in the Bible we see how God restores it. So, this is one of the meanings of heaven, all of us, together reestored to eternal fellowship with God. The bible is about how God brings us into a state where we can be fully connected to Him, with nothing separating.

Second, John means fellowship with others who are “born of God” into His family. Fellowship with others means membership in a new family and community.

So we see that “fellowship” is one of God’s Big Goals: Us with God, together. For some illustrations of this, see John 14:1-3, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, and Revelation 7:9-17, 21:3-4. 

2. What John says about it:

  1. It starts with being born into the family. (2:29-3:1)
    It is a relationship of a child to a father. Now Once you are born again through faith in Christ, you now relate to God as a “born one” to a father. (see these verses where John talks about being “born of God”: 3:9, 4:7, 5:1,4,18) 
    And now too, you relate to others as brothers and sisters.
  2. “Walking in darkness” indicates a lack of fellowship (1:5-7) and on the other hand, “walking in the light” ensures fellowship. In other words, to have fellowship with God, we must agree with God. That is our whole being must be in a state of agreement with God. See Amos 3:3 for an explanation.
    We can claim fellowship and not actually have it. (1:6)  Sin breaks fellowship with God and others.
  3. Lack of love indicates lack of fellowship (2:9-11, 4:7)  Lovelessness also breaks fellowship with God and others.
  4. Loving the world breaks fellowship with God. (2:15-17)
  5. Fellowship leads to leads to complete joy (1:4). This is a central truth of what makes the Gospel good news and Heaven a pplace we want to go. See Psalm 16:11.

3. What We Should Think and Do:

  1. We must know and think about what fellowship is, where it comes from, and where were all headed.
    – If you’re one with God, you are now one with others.
  2. We must find our connections to other Christians based on the things we really have in common. Not what we usually need to enjoy relationships with others, like common age, race, interests, social class, etc… Even unbelievers can find connection based on these things. See 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 and Ephesians 4:1-6. We have one God, one faith, one future, one mission, one message, one body, one family… If we can only enjoy ourselves with other Christians who are just like us, we need to grow in this area.
  3. We must learn to find the joy and strength that comes from being a living part of this fellowship.
    – First, with God. Do you draw joy and  strength from your union with Him?
    – Second, with others. Do you draw joy and strength from your union with them?
  4. We should actively arrange our lives so that we enjoy this fellowship with God and others.
    – Do you prioritize blessing, receiving from, and working alongside of other believers?

Let’s Invite People Out

by | Nov 28, 2011 |

 

I’ve been thinking lately that there’s no reason I shouldn’t be quick to invite people out to join us on Monday nights. If they’re the right age, why not? So I did a little redesign of the business cards and they’ll be out for you to take tonight. The website and email information are now correct and working, and they make more sense to hand to somebody that doesn’t know us, or even anything about the Lord at all. Take as many as you want and hand them out freely.

See you tonight!

Was Jesus a Hippie?

by | Nov 25, 2011 | ,

The image of Jesus as a kind of green hippie revolutionary is so commonplace in our day that often it is not even questioned. This was brought home to me again with our recent trips down to Occupy Philly, where several times I heard someone remark that Jesus would have been joining the protests. Sometimes I agreed that, yes, He would have been down there, but even as a I said it I knew in my heart that I meant something different than the protesters meant. He would have been down there as a physician, for sure (as in Mark 2:17), but would he have been chilling in a tent talking revolution?

Last night I read something in a commentary on Mark that seemed to shed some light on the whole idea. It seems that in the ancient world there was a wandering preacher movement known as Cynicism. The Cynics (you can wikipedia them here) preached that:

  1. The goal of life is happiness, which is to live in agreement with Nature.
  2. Happiness depends on being self-sufficient, and a master of mental attitude.
  3. Self-sufficiency is achieved by living a life of “Arete.”
  4. The road to arete is to free oneself from any influence such as wealth, fame, or power, which have no value in Nature.
  5. Suffering is caused by false judgments of value, which cause negative emotions and a vicious character.

Doesn’t this sound familiar? Isn’t this what so many people around us believe? I can say it is the dominant philosophy down at Occupy. And, even as you’ll see in the wikipedia article, some people try to say Jesus was a Cynic. But this opinion ignores the basic facts about who Jesus was. In the passage below, James Edwards makes some great observations about how Jesus relates to all this. He’s commenting on Mark 6:8-9, where Jesus sends out His disciples to preach and tells them to take only a few things.

It is fashionable in some circles today to portray the early Jesus movement according to the model of Cynical philosophers and preachers who wandered the ancient world ([one scholar] sees Jesus and His followers as “hippies in a world of Augustan yuppies.”)…The resultant picture of Jesus is that of a countercultural peripatetic [someone who walks around] who flaunts societal norms and encourages others to do so as well.

The correspondence of Jesus and His followers to wandering radical philosophers is a modern fantasy, however. There is, for instance, no evidence for the presence of Cynics in Galilee in Jesus’ day. This fact alone goes a long way toward refuting the Cynic hypothesis. But there is further conclusive evidence against it. More than one scholar has unmasked the ideological agendum of those who ply the Jewish-Cynic argument. [Here the author footnotes this quote: “Is not the aim of this entire venture to make sure that there was ‘nothing unique’ about Jesus, that he was ‘not a beginning’ of anything, and that his identity was ‘internal’ to the culture?”] A closer examination of Cynic dress, practices, and ideals reveals the correspondence between Cynicism and Jesus to be superficial, at best. The standard apparel of Cynic philosophers was a cloak, knapsack, or travel bag, and staff, but no shoes. The instructions to the Twelve, on the contrary, require staff, belt, sandals, and one tunic, but no travel bag. The differences in items are important, and not only because the recognizable Cynic travel bag is omitted. The four items required of the Twelve are, in fact, identical to the belongings that God instructs the Israelites to take on their flight from Egypt: cloak, belt, sandals, and staff in hand (Exodus 12:11). The parallel in dress, in other words, is identical to Exodus but only loosely similar to Cynic dress. These four items of clothing recall the haste and expectation of the Exodus. They suggest that the mission of the Twelve announces something as foundational and revelatory as the Exodus from Egypt, and that the disciples must be as free from encumbrances as were the Israelites, to serve God in a new venture.

The purpose of the wandering Cynic preachers were foreign to Jesus not only in dress but also in teaching and instructions. Cynicism was essentially an attack on civilization. The cynic preacher made himself uncouth and unkempt to protest the privilege and refinements of the patrician class, in particular [that is, the 1%!]. Above all, Cynicism sought emancipation from all forms of authority, and submission to nothing but the “royalty” of one’s own conscience. For Cynics, itinerancy and lack of attachments were ends in themselves. This is quite different from the program of Jesus and His disciples. The mission of the Twelve is not a crusade against civilization, nor is it free from authority. The mission of the Twelve is not a carefree nonattachment but fraught with danger, as we shall see in the subsequent story (vv. 14-19). It is a participation in a new authority conferred by Jesus. Its minimal baggage is not itself a virtue but a means for greater service and dependence on God, and its purpose is not protest but rather proclamation of God’s coming rule.

(James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark, pp. 179-180)