Radical Gratitude! Thoughts for this Thanksgiving

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

It is easy to understand the call to pray without ceasing in this world we live. But, how do we rejoice always and give thanks in all circumstances? With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us and the tension of current events surrounding us, for some it may be difficult to express our gratitude. Could it be that Paul just missed this one? Could it be that he meant we should rejoice when things are good and give thanks when things go our way? Or could it be that he meant exactly what he wrote – that it is God’s will in every circumstance to express joy and gratitude?

It might be easy to dismiss these bullet point commands given at the close of a letter. But, these aren’t just pleasantries offered to fill space and make us feel warm and fuzzy. On the contrary, this call to radical gratitude is expressed across the pages of Scripture:

• Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! (1 Chronicles 16:34)
• This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

Paul especially emphasizes this in his letters to churches:

• Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:7)
• And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)
• Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. (Ephesians 5:4)
• Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20)

Christian, through the Gospel, we have been both equipped for and called to this radical gratitude and rejoicing.

It might be easy to dismiss Paul’s closing words to the Thessalonians as too simple or in need of qualification based on the current events in which we find ourselves. After all it is another passage of Scripture that tells us there is a time for everything; a time to mourn and a time to cry (Ecclesiastes 3). But there is danger in letting our circumstances define our joy and gratitude. To not exercise this radical gratitude for all that God has done is to determine that our losses are greater than our victories, or that the blessings of the Gospel are just not enough for us. To do anything other than express our radical gratitude exposes our belief that we deserve more than God has provided.

Paul’s words don’t compete with Solomon’s wisdom. Rather they inform it. Paul is not saying we should never grieve, but instead as we grieve we cling to our great hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). For the Christian, according to Paul this man who suffered much for the cause of Christ, there will be times to cry and mourn, but the time for rejoicing and gratitude never ceases.

As Thanksgiving Day comes and goes and the parades go past; as the cheers of stadiums go silent and feasts finish; as life gets back to normal and the sun shines the following day – regardless of the current news cycle, no matter what circumstances surround us, Christian, you have great reason to be grateful. Because the Gospel will always be true, our victory will always be much greater than any loss. So…

 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Effectual Call and Irresistible Grace

Why would Matthew get up and leave a lucrative, albeit highly unappreciated, vocation? Why would Peter and Andrew, James and John leave behind the windfall of fish they had just hauled in to follow Jesus? Why would you for that matter, why would anyone? If the call to follow Jesus is, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it, “a call to come and die? Or as Jesus stated Himself, ““If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matt 16:24 ESV) Why? At least in part, the answer lies in these two components of Jesus’ Gospel Mission – Effectual Call and Irresistible Grace.

Effectual Calling

Jesus had just come out of a house in which he had healed a paralyzed man as a demonstration of his authority to forgive sin. He sees Matthew, a sinner in everyone’s eyes, He approaches and calls Matthew to follow Him. Matthew gets up and leaves his tax booth for good. What could Jesus have said that would be so convincing? Certainly, if we could replicate these words, we would be able to market this, right? Wrong.

It isn’t what Jesus said as much as who Jesus is. Matthew was surrounded by religion. He was surrounded by a culture of competing idols. He worked for the Romans and lived among the Jews. It wasn’t that he didn’t have the opportunity to follow other paths, but the path Jesus called Matthew to follow was behind Him. What Matthew heard was not the call to just any religion but a powerful call to follow the Good Shepherd.

What we are seeing in Matthew’s response is the most natural response and it is exactly what Jesus is referring to in John 10:27 when He says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Or again, in John 6:44 as Jesus taught He said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

What we are witnessing in Matthew’s life, and every other Christian’s for that matter, is a response to God’s effectual call to salvation. God’s effectual call is much different than our general Gospel call. In a sermon many years ago John Piper said, “The call of God is effective; it creates what it commands.” Gods call to sinners to come to Him not only sets the expectation but empowers the positive response. We proclaim the Gospel and may or may not see someone respond positively. However, God effectively calls those that He has foreknown, predestined and justified (Romans 8:28-30).

Matthew got up from the tax booth and followed; Peter, Andrew, James, and John left behind the miraculous catch of fish and even you followed Jesus first and foremost because He powerfully and effectively called you in grace to follow Him from death to life.

Irresistible Grace

This second component is vital. After all, this effectual call is an act of grace. God is not obligated to us. We don’t deserve nor could we earn our place before Him or any access to Him. Yet in this effective call to follow Jesus that is exactly what we are being given.

Matthew was likely very familiar with Jesus by the point he heard Jesus’ call. He likely knew that Jesus had taught with great authority, healed many people from disease, and cast out demons without even breaking a sweat. He may have even been present to witness it with his own eyes. It is even possible when the paralyzed man that was carried to the house and lowered through the roof walked out carrying his mat and glorifying God that Matthew saw it. Now this man, Jesus, was standing there in front of him calling him to follow.

We often misunderstand the meaning of irresistible grace as removing our ability to freely respond to God. But that is a complete misrepresentation. We voluntarily get up and leave our “tax booths” and other pursuits, not because He forced us to do it. Instead, in effectively calling us out of “darkness and into His marvelous light,” He has enabled us to see, know and understand the truth. When we know the truth about what we deserve and in contrast what He has offered to us, there seems to be only one right and good response.

Matthew knew he didn’t deserve this. He knew that Jesus wasn’t obligated to him. He knew that he would never be able to pay this back. But, he also knew he would be foolish not to follow. It wasn’t that Matthew couldn’t have said no, but why would he? Why would anyone. When they are given eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe the truth about this gracious God who has called them into His presence and granted access to Himself. Why would anyone say no?

Why would anyone say no to eternal life and inheritance? Why would anyone say no to being in the presence of their great, glorious, good and gracious Creator? Why would anyone say no to being the beneficiary of God’s eternal power and being united with Him in peace? Why would anyone say no to being made a part of His Kingdom and adopted into His household?

Anyone that has been powerfully and effectively called out of death into a life of following Jesus, wouldn’t say no because we know it would be foolish to say no to such amazing and glorious grace.

If you are following Him in life it is because He called you powerfully. If you are telling others about Him they won’t follow because you convince them or answer all their questions. They will only follow if He calls them. So rest easy, take confidence that you can endure in the Gospel because He has made you able and others will believe your Gospel proclamation when He calls them to follow Him!

Isolation and Solitude

There is a difference between solitude and isolation. Okay, I get it. Webster’s Dictionary might not completely agree. But, I think there is a great and even necessary reason for us to make a distinction.

Isolation is what the leper in Luke 5:12-14 would have known as a result of his being unclean. The Law commanded that lepers live alone outside the camp (Leviticus 13:46).  Taken literally, as some have, this means they are cutoff from the rest of society and other lepers. This would mean their lives are lived absolutely isolated and alone. As I mentioned this last Sunday, and referenced numerous studies, this isn’t good for anyone – loneliness is deadly. When Jesus healed the leper, He didn’t just end the disease, He ended the leper’s isolation. 

But after Jesus healed the leper, the passage ends with one final ironic twist.

Luke 5:16 (ESV) But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

It’s ironic because in touching the leper in verse 13, Jesus allowed the man to experience human contact. It’s ironic because in cleansing the man’s leprosy, Jesus made it possible for him to be reconciled to family and friends. It’s ironic because by sending the leper to the priests, Jesus was reuniting him to the covenant community and corporate worship. It’s ironic because this miracle, is a parable of the power of God through the Gospel to reconcile us to Himself and one another and yet Jesus withdraws.

The truth is this isn’t just ironic. But is a profound illustration of how desperately we need healthy rhythms of both Christian community and times alone with our Father in Heaven. Both are vitally important for our Christian life.

It is here in the midst of the differences between the leper’s isolation and Jesus’ solitude that we find an important distinction that should be made. Consider the contrast…

The leper was always alone. He was cutoff not only from God’s people but also approaching God where God might be found. He wasn’t welcome in the Temple or the Synagogues of the day. He was unclean and remained unclean until he was determined to be clean by the priests. Before he could participate in Jewish holy days or corporate worship, he had to be rid of his leprosy. Until then, he truly was all by himself. The leper was isolated.

Jesus was never alone, even in solitude. Nor, was it His purpose in withdrawing to be by Himself. Jesus knew the importance of others and how we were created to “do life” together. It was Jesus that set the tone for our unified lives together. He is the one that showed us that it is within the Christian community we are able to know and be known, serve an be served and encourage and be encouraged. When Jesus withdrew, it wasn’t to be alone, it was to be alone with God.

Jesus withdrew to spend intentional and concentrated time in pray and communion with His Father in Heaven. He knew it was this time alone with God that we are made ready to be a part of His people; loving as we have been loved, serving as we have been served, forgiving as we have been forgiven. If He needed this, how much more do we?

There is a difference between solitude and isolation – one is life giving the other is no life at all.

So, leave the phones, tablets, and distractions behind. Get your Bible and maybe a journal and go be alone with your Father in Heaven, you need this, we all do.

Who Are You Following?

We all follow something or someone. As independent or free as we feel, it just isn’t possible. Intrinsic to humanity is our dependent nature, our need for one another and our need to be led. This has always been true and will always be true. But now, because of the Gospel, we are finally able to see that there are really only two directions to go, towards life or death.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins, in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once  lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Ephesians 2:1-3 (ESV)

Apart from Christ, we have no hope of doing anything other than following a path in death to death. We are bound to follow Satan’s path, the world’s path even the path established by the desires of our sinful nature.

If this were the end of the passage or the only truth the Bible shared, we might as well close it up and enjoy life as we know it. Thankfully it isn’t the end. In verse 4, Paul sets the contrast immediately, “But God.” Paul goes on (Ephesians 2:4-10) to reveal to us that as a result of God’s power, love, grace and mercy we have been united to Christ in life. He closes this passage with the revelation that this new life gives way to new works. To say it another way, this new life follows a new path; a path He has planned for us.

The call of Jesus on each of us who have been made alive is to turn from following Satan, the world, and our sinful nature in order to follow His plan and His purpose. He is the prize and following Him is the greatest priority.

We all follow something, every action, every decision, every pursuit of our life is moving in one of two directions under the leadership of drastically different leaders. The contrast is striking, to follow Christ is to turn towards Him and begin swimming upstream against the flow. Also, the destination is incomparable as incomparable as life and death.

What or who are you following?

Do you need more reason to follow Jesus? Do you want to know more about His plans and purposes? Listen here. Then if you want to know more, contact us here.

An Eternal Feast

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. - 1 Corinthians 11:26

The Lord’s Supper is such a dynamic meal. Consisting of a small cracker and sip of juice, is packed the explosive power of the gospel to transform our hearts and minds. While it may not bring any physical sustenance, in communion we find a feast for our souls that will not leave us wanting. It is no surprise that there is a lot of confusion and even apathy over the partaking of a seemingly stale cracker and plastic thimble-size cup of juice. It is a strange thing to those looking in and maybe it is even a meaningless activity of weekly monotony to some within, but in communion there is an eternal spread of grace and glory for our souls to feast on.

Jesus told His disciples in His commencement of communion at the Last Supper, that this meal was to be taken in remembrance of Him. In the broken bread and juice we are reminded of eternity past. We are reminded of a God who, before time began, had set in place our means of ultimate redemption. (Eph. 1:4-10) We are reminded of a time in history past when the Son of God allowed His body to be broken and His blood to be shed that His people might be saved. (Matt. 26:26-28) Communion is a divine dramatization of the death of Jesus. Every week as we bring the meal to our lips we are to be reminded through all of our senses of the glory of the gospel. As David Mathis wrote the Supper is, “an act of new-covenant renewal, a repeated rite of continuing fellowship and ongoing perseverance in our embrace of the gospel.”

The Supper is more than just a meal for past memory but is also a proclamation of present reality. Paul says that every time we eat the bread and drink from the cup we “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Cor. 11:26) In this Supper we find a multitude of daily graces bestowed on us by the Holy Spirit. We are blessed with the grace of obedience in following Jesus’ command. We find the graces of the gospel that proclaim the death of our Savior in our place and so now our death to sin in this world. At the Table we as a church are brought by the presence and power of God’s Spirit, to proclaim the death of God’s Son, to the glory of God the Father. There is a spiritual union among God’s people with our Trinitarian God that happens in communion that powerful and sustaining for the Christian life.

The final piece of this eternal banquet is told in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Our small meal here in this world is just a taste of the feast in the world to come. At the Table we look forward to the days in eternity future. There, at the consummation of God’s Kingdom, we will join with the family of God to feast and delight in all that He is and will be for us. (Rev. 19:6-9) The Supper week to week with our local church family is just small picture of what is to come, and it is a small meal here because we know that nothing in this life can compare with the buffet of glory that is to come.

So come this Lord’s Day and celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Come and remember the eternal story of redemption. Come marvel at and proclaim the Lord’s death and all its majesty. Come and feast with your family on the promises of God for what is to come at the consummation and restoration of the Kingdom of God. Come, “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Ps. 38:4) 

One Body, One Spirit, One Gospel

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. - Ephesians 4:1-6

            A tribal village in sub-Saharan desert, in 100 plus degree heat, with no electricity or running water, and no real cultural similarities seems like an odd place to meet family, but I did. Many would think there are too many differences in culture and lifestyle for anyone from middle class America to have anything substantial in common with someone from West Africa. We eat different foods, we work very different jobs, we live in different kinds of homes, we live in relationship differently, we speak different languages, etc. Yet despite all of the differences, there was one similarity that tore down all dividing cultural walls. A similarity of such magnitude it made all of the differences seem insignificant – our God.

            The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news of the God that isn’t in the business of saving a multitude of different, individuals, but the God out to save a people. A single, unified people and body bound up in the “one hope… one Lord, one faith, one baptism, on God and Father of all…” That means while the Jesus believing men and women of West Africa could have been different from me in every single regard from the outside, our spirits testified together that we had one Father. (Rom. 8:16) Jesus’ blood runs thicker than culture, language, skin color, and geography. It crosses all border and boundaries in this world and in our hearts, and plants the flag of God’s glory, declaring all that it covers to be united under the rule and reign of The King. He made us a people not defined or determined by geographic location, race, or ethnicity but by our faith. We are now the people of God. Not only does it unify our citizenship under one God, it unifies our purpose as well.

            Before the gospel took hold of our lives we were given to living for a plethora of purposes. We had hobbies and activities we engaged in for our personal enjoyment. We worked and had families and friends to help satisfy our financial and relational needs and desires. We had a lot of goals that served a lot of different purposes. Then Jesus changed all of that. His Spirit came in and didn’t remove all of these ambitions, but instead He redeemed them. He took all of them and gave them a single, unified purpose – the glory of God. We can now work, live in relationship, watch movies, read books, and even water ski for the same reason. (1 Cor. 10:31) Our unity doesn’t remove our unique value, making us all robots performing the same tasks and duties. Our unity takes all of the parts of our lives that make us different, down to our desires, and redeems them for the mission of God’s glory.  

            Every Sunday is a Spirit led expression of the gospel of unity. We meet together as the people of God to affirm that our real home isn’t here on earth but our citizenship is in another kingdom. (Phil. 3:20) We gather to announce that our purpose and mission in this world is no longer a map of crisscrossing paths but a convergence on the glory of God. Sundays are an assembling of the kingdom that doesn’t place value in socio-economic standing, race, or ethnicity (Gal. 3:28) because the people of The King come from every tribe, language, people and nation. (Rev. 5:9) Sunday’s are a declaration of unity. So come Sunday and with one spirit cry out as one body the praises and glories of our one King that all may see, “…the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

The War of Worship

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 

Galatians 5:17

            Sin is a grave and deadly force. It can fall on you like a sweeping wave of undaunted resistance. Pushing away all thoughts of life, hope and love. Like a mighty and villainous army it takes no prisoners and destroys everything in its path. Sin can also be more crafty and secretive in its approach. Instead of an outright attack on your soul, it approaches slowly from the shadows and in guerilla warfare fashion takes small victories at a time. Each time it advances closer to the overthrow and destruction of the kingdom of our heart. (1 Pet. 2:11) Sin wants the throne. It wants to use our bodies and minds to do its bidding for the kingdom of darkness. (Rom. 6:12) But we mustn’t let it. We must wage war against our sin. The rightful King must reign.

            While we may not recognize it, there is a battle raging all around us and in us. It is a battle in which the victor will claim the worship of your soul. We were created to be worshippers of an infinite God who can and will satisfy all desires for worship through His infinite attributes. Our sin broke this conduit of worship and instead left our soul searching for something to worship. Finite objects, people, relationships, roles, etc. have all tried to fill the void in our souls for worship but all have left us wanting. So our heart continued to search and latch on to anything that might satisfy. Each object of our worship fought for the right and authority to be the ruler of our heart. Then one day the Spirit of God came with the power and might of the gospel of Jesus and won the throne of our heart. He has claimed the right of our worship. Jesus has won, but our sin is still fighting.

            In guerilla warfare-like action our sin is trying to usurp the throne. Every day we face battles of temptation to worship other kings. This is our flesh, the remnants of sin in our hearts, fighting the reign of God. The flesh and the Spirit are vehemently opposed to each other. (Gal. 5:17) They have opposite desires. Every time we worship something other than God we are abdicating the throne to a lesser king. This fleshly king rules in evil tyranny, placing your heart, body, and mind into its self-destructive slavery. In Christ we can oppose this sinful militia and tyrant. God’s Spirit brings freedom, grace and life, and His words give us the weapons of truth and faith to go to battle (Rom. 8:13). We must put our sin to death (Col. 3:5) and let reign of the Good King continue.

            Every Sunday we gather together with the people of God to wage war on our flesh. As we lift high the name and banner of Jesus Christ, we declare to our flesh who we worship and bow down to as King. We go to war in worship through singing His praises and declaring His truths. Our confession of sin shines light on the areas in our hearts where we have let our flesh and our sin reign so we can see where we need to go to battle. The preaching of God’s word fills our arsenal with weapons for the continued battle. (Eph. 6:17; Ps. 119:11) The sacrament of communion reminds us of the sacrifice and love of our King and the greater feast and joy we will have under His rule (Rev. 19:9), and worshipping with our brothers and sisters brings unity and encouragement as we fight the war side by side. Sunday’s are a weekly military campaign for the King. It’s a gathering of His forces for the purpose of strengthening and encouraging the troops, and a refreshing of supplies for the coming week’s battles. So come Sunday and gather for war with the people of God. By the power of the Spirit take up your weapons of praise and truth, and refresh your heart with His love and grace. Then go to war against your sin and flesh with joy because while we may not know this battle’s outcome, we know who has won the war!