Category Archives: mercy

God’s treasures

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I’m in Guatemala this week for several reasons. We have a team here doing soccer camps and evangelism. We’ve come to see and encourage our own Erin Threadgill who is serving here (great to see Erin)! We’re also here to see how we can more effectively accomplish the mission of Jesus in this country. We have a wonderful partnership with Buckner International and they do amazing work, meeting the needs of “the least of these”. I was especially moved again by our trip to the city dump this afternoon. After visiting a couple of orphanages and potential church partners, we made our way to “ground zero”, in terms of poverty and need in the city. We met with an amazing team of leaders at Casa del Alfarero (The Potter’s House). This ministry exists to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the families and the children who live in the 16 communities around the dump. 6,000 children live in these communities. All of these families essentially survive by scavenging this massive city dump.

As we talked and heard the vision of “The Potter’s House”, and saw what they are doing, the words of one of the leaders (Hector) kept ringing in my head. “We call all of the people we serve ‘treasures’ because that’s who they are to God. We are all God’s treasures.” I was reminded of a more crude form of the same sentiment I heard years ago: “God don’t make no junk.” God desires all people to be His treasured possession. YOU are His valued treasure.

“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” Deuteronomy 7:6

Better late than never.

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Luke 23:32-43 describes the story of the crucifixion and Jesus’ conversation with the men on either side of Him on Golgotha. Why were they not put together? The prophet Isaiah tells us why:

“He was numbered among the transgressors.”  Isaiah 53:12

God decreed that the most holy should die with the most unholy.  At His birth He was surrounded by beasts, and now, at His death He is surrounded by criminals, deserving of capital punishment. This “friend of sinners” finds Himself with them once again. In fact, it seemed that was where He was always most comfortable.  He lived among them, now He dies among them. Our attention turns to the two men crucified on either side of Jesus. One particularly captures our attention because he received the promise that we must share if we are to see our Lord in Paradise.  Pastor Erwin Lutzer wrote, “What a day for the thief!  In the morning he was justly crucified on a cross; by late that evening he was justly welcomed into Paradise by Jesus!”  Let’s look at this thief who is each of us.

The thief in the mirror 

I think we’ll discover he is you and me.  In fact, the two thieves on the cross represent every human being who has ever lived.

  • His failure we don’t know what he had done but we know, whatever it was, it deserved the death penalty.  He was the vilest of offenders.  Like us, he was trapped by his sin.
  • His fate his fate was determined by his sin.  He, like us, is paying the consequences for his sin.  Every person in the world is bound for the same fate, the same destination as this man- were it not for the intervention of Jesus.  Rom. 3:23- “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God…”
  • His faith Consider the faith of this man.  It was a simple, yet amazing faith.  Consider what he had seen.  On the one hand he had heard Jesus say, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  No doubt that prayer pierced his conscience.  He heard the inadvertent testimony of the crowd: “He saved others…but he can’t save Himself.”  No doubt he pondered, “What do they mean- “He saved others”.  And then there was the “first Gospel tract” ever- nailed to the cross proclaiming, “This is the king of the Jews.”  And then he had this conversation with Jesus.

Do you think his faith came easy?  Does faith come easy for you?  For most of us it doesn’t.  Consider that this man had perhaps never seen Jesus before.  It’s one thing to believe in Jesus when He does a miracle or has just provided some great teaching or act of love.  But this man believed at a time when it appeared that Jesus was entirely helpless to save anyone.  In fact, it seemed that Jesus Himself needed saving!  Jesus hung there as the hapless victim, not a king.  When you need saving, you don’t turn to someone in the same predicament that you’re in.  You don’t turn to someone who is dying in disgrace.  Or do you?  The scandal of the Gospel is that we worship the God who died.  This thief believed before the darkness fell over the land.  He believed before the earthquake rocked the place, and before the veil of the Temple was torn in two.  Improbable as it was, he believed.

Here’s the point- you too can believe.  Does God seem distant to you?  Does Jesus seem weak and powerless in your situation, in your life?  How can we explain the fact that this dying thief took a suffering, bleeding man for his God!?  There’s only one answer- it was the work of the Holy Spirit drawing this man toward the Man in the middle.  The Spirit is drawing you as well.  His faith was simple.  It was courageous.  It was enough.

  • His future  This man, whose entire life was consumed with a never-ending struggle to find meaning and purpose, enslaved to sin, now finds himself about to enter eternal paradise.  Notice the reunion would be that very day!  “Today.”  Jesus died before this man did.  Charles Spurgeon noted that “this man, who was our Lord’s last companion on earth” was His “first companion at the gates of paradise”.  Notice, he did not make a pit stop in purgatory en route to paradise.  His future- in heaven- secured by Jesus alone, began that day.  With such a dark past, how bright was the future of this dying thief!

One commentator wrote, “There is one such case recorded that none need despair, but only one that none might presume.”  Warren Wiersbe points out that this man was not saved at his last opportunity, but at his first.  Don’t wait another minute.

“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

William Cowper, the great hymn writer, though plagued with doubts in his own life, understood that if the thief could be saved, then he could too.  He wrote a song entitled, “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood”.  One of my favorite stanzas reads: “The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day; and there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away.”  The thief’s forgiveness should remind you that there is more grace in God’s heart than sin in your past.

It’s better late than never… but it’s better now than later.

Why Forgive?

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“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34  The first of seven phrases from Jesus on the cross is a prayer, not for Himself, but for His executioners.

Now, you think of someone you need to forgive.  But remember, we forgive people, persons, (individuals) not institutions or groups of people.  You forgive what they have done, not what they are.  And you can only forgive someone who has done something to you directly that has wounded you.

1. It breaks the chain of “ungrace”  Only grace breaks the cycle of retribution.  If Jesus had prayed, “Father, give them what they deserve” there would be no forgiveness- no grace.  Do you forgive others who are “executing/crucifying” you?  You see forgiveness has that maddening quality of being undeserved, unmerited, unfair.  But as I forgive, as you forgive, we break the law of retribution- the chain of ungrace is broken.     

2. It sets us free from anger  Often we think, “I have justifiable pain!”  This is simply another way of saying, “I will not forgive.” 

3. It sets the offender free  Forgiving does not remove our scars any more than a funeral takes away all of our grief.  We often carry a scar even after the wound has been healed.  But if we continue to have resentment over time, we are “feeling again” the pain caused and our response in hatred.  “Forgiveness” in the Greek means, literally, “to release, to hurl away, to free yourself”.  You know you have forgiven the person when you release the person to God- and even hope for good.

4. It heals the relationship  Forgiveness brings life to the relationship again.  But, not always- Jesus forgave but not every one was reconciled.  Forgiveness doesn’t always mean reunion or reconciliation.  Sometimes we pay for our sin by being shunned, let go- we are left to our desires and pay the consequences.  

5. It sets us free to love again  One of the best books I’ve read on forgiveness is Lewis Smedes’, “The Art of Forgiveness”. In it he writes, “When we genuinely forgive, we set a prisoner free and then discover that the prisoner we set free was us.”

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”- Colossians 3:13   

Theologically, the Gospels give a straightforward answer as to why God asks us to forgive: because that is what God is like.  We are never more like Christ than when we forgive.  Why?  Because Christ has forgiven you.  We are to forgive “AS” HE has forgiven us.  How has He forgiven you?  Completely. Unconditionally. You cannot fully forgive until you’ve been forgiven.  Was Jesus’ prayer answered? Every prayer He ever prayed was answered.  You have been forgiven so that you might be one with God.

You and I cannot muster up forgiveness on our own.  We must allow Christ to transform us from selfish, prideful, unforgiving people into those who extend grace to others. But it begins when we embrace the One who is Perfect, the Giver of grace.

“The object of my faith is not personal change. It is the unchanging perfection of another Person.” Byron Yawn

 

Forgive.

The Kingdom of God and the Gospel of Grace

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“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

What does it mean for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven? Throughout the Gospels we read that Jesus came “proclaiming” and “bringing”- (enacting) the kingdom of God. This coming kingdom was accompanied by healing and great acts of compassion. Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes- a description of kingdom people. Most parables begin with the words, “The kingdom of God is like”. This kingdom is wherever and whenever the King reigns and some day, because of His completed salvific work on the cross His Kingdom will come on the New Earth exactly as it is in heaven.
It should be OBVIOUS from an honest reading of the Gospels that Jesus expected His disciples (US) to master the lessons He taught and actually LIVE a kingdom life- to actually practice illogical acts of compassion, unreasonable amounts mercy and stunning amounts of forgiveness. Clearly this Gospel of the kingdom of God… is a Gospel of grace. This Good News is that in God’s kingdom GRACE abounds. It’s Christ’s vision of the world and how it should be AND how it WILL be. If Christianity is about anything, it is about forgiveness. It is about grace. If we are to live as kingdom people, we need a recovery, a re-discovery of the core- the central- Message of Jesus- the FOCUS of the Christian faith: forgiveness. Indeed, in our best moments the gracious melody of forgiveness is heard as the recurring theme of our faith. The kingdom of God is a place where GRACE abounds.

The Kingdom comes when grace abounds. The parable of Jesus – like the story of the Vineyard workers in Matthew 20 leave the listener with head-scratching disbelief- how is it that one could work all day and another work for one hour and ALL receive the same compensation? Jesus taught “the new math of grace”. It’s not about human merit; but about divine forgiveness. It’s not about earning wages- in the kingdom of God the last are first, the weak are strong and there IS NO counting. Living in the kingdom, Jesus says, is not about religious moralism; it’s about a complete reorientation to the Gospel of grace.

What is grace?
Justice is getting what you deserve. Could’ve started with the word “revenge”- which we see a lot of in our world- that’s when someone does you wrong and you pay back with more than what you deserve.
Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Now, James tells us that mercy triumphs over justice (James 2:12).
Grace is getting what you don’t deserve.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
To live the grace-filled life means that we see grace- not simply as a means toward salvation but as a WAY of LIFE. That’s why you’ve been forgiven- so that you might LIVE forgiven. Grace demands a radical love and a forgiveness- in the final analysis forgiveness is an act of faith. I’m trusting God to be a better justice-maker than I am. Too often we know we should forgive, we want to forgive, we almost forgive, but in the end we realize we cannot forgive- we are too just. My need for justice trumps my ability to forgive. But in James 2:13 the Bible says that, “Mercy triumphs over justice”.
“The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:20-21
So, among God’s people, grace “abounds” (it overflows, it thrives, it increases). How does it “abound”, increase? It abounds, it thrives through us as God’s people when we extend grace to others.
Luke 14:15-24 Jesus tells the story of the Master who is planning a grand banquet and he tells his servants to go and invite certain people to come. One by one they offer excuses and say that they cannot come. The Master opens the invitation up to all and extends as invitation to the banquet to the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. The kingdom comes when grace abounds!

Grace abounds when…
1. We embrace God’s forgiveness. When God forgives He sees you as though your sin never happened. Can you forgive like that? You never will- until you realize that change won’t happen through ‘trying harder’ but only through encountering the radical grace of God. There is so much in your future but you’ve got to leave the past behind you! You need to bury the past- what could’ve been, what should’ve been, and how justice must be served in the life of that individual who has hurt you.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

2. We become agents of God’s forgiveness. Christians sometime believe in a theology of grace but not a lifestyle of grace. Grace abounds when we take on the heart of Jesus. As kingdom people we are administrators of grace dispensers of His grace- we peddle, (we tout, we push) grace… here’s the picture of a kingdom person: wherever they go, they are so filled up with God’s grace- it abounds, it overflows, it spills over on to everyone they encounter. Have you ever met someone like that? Here’s how you spot them: they are kind to everyone. In fact, to the point that it doesn’t make sense- if grace doesn’t make you say, “Wait a minute…that CAN’T be right”, it’s not grace. Because grace, by it’s very nature is NOT fair. It is a most unnatural act. Grace-filled people have lots of friends- and lots of friends who don’t look like them. Following Jesus will always take you into relationships that make you uncomfortable.”
Grace-filled people are joy-filled people. Grace-givers are FUN to be around. They’re the people you want at your party. In fact, they know how to party! Don’t miss this: Jesus is saying the kingdom of God is like a party. It’s a feast! And why is it that so many Christians are unhappy, tight, grumpy, and solemn?! They have never truly embraced God’s grace. Because grace-filled people are constantly overwhelmed by the grace they’ve received from God- so much so, they want you to experience as well- so they show you what grace looks like. You can spot grace-givers. Are you one of them?

3. We decide to include everyone- especially those who are undeserving. We must determine that we will include everyone in this kingdom party. Everyone is invited to be a recipient of my love. I will show NO discrimination as I dispense this grace that I have been given.

4. We introduce others to the Grace-giver Jesus.
Everyone is welcome… the kingdom of God is all-inclusive (or more correctly- exclusive to those who come undeserving, humble, and contrite before God.
As we apply this as a church family- we’ve said that as kingdom people- we are a Gospel-centered church- and this Gospel is the Gospel of grace. Grace leads to inclusion (the central point of this parable in Luke Grace leads to diversity which should lead to more grace. That’s the Church!

A sign you’re growing in grace: You realize Jesus ALWAYS writes stories of mercy, of grace, compassion, and reconciliation bigger than you would. Join Him in writing a story of grace today.

What’s the Gospel?

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At the core of our Message, our ministries, our lives, our hope, and life is the Gospel.  The longer I preach the more convinced I am that I (we) have but one message: the Gospel of Grace found only in Christ. Surely all of Scripture is inspired by God and all of the Bible is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness- but it is the Gospel that is central. I’ve heard Christians through the years express a desire to go “deeper” in the Word. Sometimes this is a true desire to get beyond the surface preaching that seems to come from many of our pulpits. But most of the time this is a desire for more knowledge (and not a desire nor evidence of obedience to what is already known- i.e. kindness, compassion, care for the poor, the marginalized, a lack of grace and purity, etc..).

I ask, “What’s deeper than the Gospel?” How can we ever tire of studying, scrutinizing, exploring, and- indeed- applying the Gospel to every aspect of life. The Gospel is the well that never runs dry. Jesus is eternal and the exploration of His majesty is never-ending. Let’s preach, teach, and apply the Gospel. It is (HE is) the Only hope of salvation for those who believe.

Here Tim Keller (who is always Gospel-centered) answers the question: “What is the Gospel?”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0g-s4Qhtyk&feature=youtu.be]

What Every Mother Needs

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“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”       2 Timothy 1:2

Paul’s blessing to young Timothy is my blessing for all moms this Mothers Day.

Every mother needs:

1. Grace

Mothers, may God’s unmerited, pardoning and transforming favor and power be upon you.  May His grace cover you, define you, and guide you as guide others.  May your marriage be grace-centered.  May you parent with grace.  We are all in need of grace.  So let’s go ahead and destroy the myth of the “super mom”.  There are no perfect moms.  The super mom is simply the mom who sticks with it day in and day out and does not give up.  Real moms need the grace of God.  God’s grace picks up where we are done.  Paul said,

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect.  No, I worked harder than all of them- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”  1 Corinthians 15:10 

Mom, God’s grace finishes the task when you can’t go on.  Aren’t you glad, when you feel you can’t go on, God’s grace gives you strength?  When you fail, His grace covers you.  When you lose your temper, His grace covers you.  When you find yourself feeling all alone, unappreciated, or unworthy His grace covers you.  You can turn to Him.  To be a mom is to rely daily on God’s grace.

2. Mercy

God’s warm and tender affection for those who are in need and who are afflicted comes in unlimited ways to moms.  It is His compassion and understanding love that can keep you going.  Moms, God knows your deepest hurts.  He understands those private moments when you grow weary and become discouraged.  To be a mom is to rely daily on God’s mercy.

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  Hebrews 4:16

3. Peace

Peace is the fullness of God’s blessings upon His people- because we have been reconciled to Him through the death of Jesus Christ.  Because we have peace with God, we can experience peace in our hearts daily.  Mom, what do you need more than peace today?  You find it as you run to God.  To be a mom is to rely on His peace in your life daily.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

Mom, you are a valued treasure to God to everyone around you.  But your ultimate worth in life is not found in being the perfect mom, it’s not found in your husband or your children.  Your worth is found in Christ.  In Him you find peace.  In Him you find mercy.  In Him you find grace.

Happy Mothers Day Mom!

When our worship gatherings and our lives don’t match up…

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Isaiah 1:13-17 (The Message)

“Quit your worship charades.
I can’t stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings-
meetings, meetings, meetings- I can’t stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!
You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion,
while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance,
I’ll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray,
I’ll not be listening.
And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing
people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.
Go home and wash up.
Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evil-doings
so I don’t have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
Go to bat for the defenseless.”

“Go and Be” the Church

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This past weekend our church family (FBC McKinney) decided not to come to worship services but to worship through service.  We had 1,600 volunteers serve the Lord by serving our community through our “Go and Be” initiatives.

Why such an effort? Because we’ve decided to take Jesus’ words, “love your neighbor as yourself” seriously (Matthew 22:39).  He said we love God when we love others.  He said, “If you love me you will obey my commands” (John 14:21).  He said that others will know we love Him by our love for them (John 13:35).

A large church of spectator Christians tends to produce more of the same.  We have enough of those churches.  It’s important to “come and see” what God is doing “at church”.  But the Church for which Jesus died is actually on the move out in the world as His followers “go and be” the Church 24/7.  Taking one Sunday away from our gathering continues to hold high the value or serving our community as Jesus has called us to.  We have been blessed to be a blessing.

Watch this video: Go and Be video/results