Grace Mobilizes Performance by Tullian Tchividjian

Because we are, right now, under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness of Christ, Christians already have an "A."

My friend Steve Brown tells a story about a time his daughter Robin found herself in a very difficult English Literature course that she desperately wanted to get out of.

She sat there on her first day and thought, “If I don’t transfer out of this class, I’m going to fail. The other people in this class are much smarter than me. I can’t do this.” She came home and with tears in her eyes begged her dad to help her get out of the class so she could take a regular English course. Steve said, “Of course.”

So the next day he took her down to  the school and went to the head of the English department, who was a Jewish woman and a great teacher. Steve remembers the event in these words:

She (the head of the English department) looked up and saw me standing there by my daughter and could tell that Robin was about to cry. There were some students standing around and, because the teacher didn’t want Robin to be embarrassed, she dismissed the students saying, “I want to talk to these people alone.” As soon as the students left and the door was closed, Robin began to cry. I said, “I’m here to get my daughter out of that English  class. It’s too difficult for her. The problem with my daughter is that she’s too conscientious. So, can you put her into a regular English class?” The teacher said, “Mr. Brown, I understand.” Then she looked at Robin and said, “Can I talk to Robin for a minute?” I said, “Sure.” She said, “Robin, I know how you feel. What if I promised you an A no  matter what you did in the class? If I gave you an A before you even started, would you be willing to take the class?” My daughter is not dumb! She started sniffling and said, “Well, I think I could do that.” The teacher said, “I’m going to give  you an A in the class. You already have an A, so you can go to class.”

Later the teacher explained to Steve what she had done. She explained how she took away the threat of a bad grade so that Robin could learn English. Robin ended up making straight A‘s on her own in that class.

That’s how God deals with us. Because we are, right now, under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness of Christ, Christians already have an A. The threat of failure, judgment, and condemnation has been removed. We’re in-forever! Nothing we do will make our grade better and nothing we do will make our grade worse. We’ve been set free.

Knowing that God’s love for you and approval of you will never be determined by your performance for Jesus but Jesus’ performance for you will actually make you perform more and better, not less and worse. In other words, grace mobilizes performance; performance does not mobilize grace.

If you don’t believe me, ask Robin!

God's Graduation Speech

Here are notes from my message today at Hesston MB:

Read Romans 8:31-39

God is for us! vs. 31-34-

• This is my favorite verse in the Bible.

• Vs. 31-Today’s passage has a total of 6 questions with three in 31-32 & three more in 33-35.  If God is for us, who can be against us? What’s the answer? No one. It is a rhetorical question.  In the Greek, it could better be translated “since” instead of “if.” (MacArthur Bible Commentary). The answer is obvious.  God is for us.  God is for you. However, Paul knows how we think so he clarifies it more in the next verse.

• Vs. 32-God gave us Jesus.  This Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again.  God did not spare His own Son.  Since we know this to be true, if He gave us Jesus, why would He not give us all things.  This amazing statement reinforces the previous verse.  God giving us Jesus is evidence that God is for us. (Romans Commentary, Toews) Paul continues to prove the point.

• Vs. 33-Begins set of three more questions.  Picture a courtroom drama. Question: Who will bring a charge against us?  Answer: No one- Believer’s Bible Commentary suggests a better translation is “No one because”    He justifies.  

o   Definition of justify both “just as if I never sinned” and “to declare righteous

o   2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

o   Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. . .

• Vs. 34-Another question: Who is he that condemns?  Answer: No one.  Why?  Jesus-The one who died, raised, is praying (or interceding for you).

o   See Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. . .”

·         Quote from Judah Smith-read it and have congregation reply with underlined words.

o   God is with us, and he is for us. This is the gospel. So no matter what I go through, he is with me and he is for me. Even if it doesn’t make sense, he is with me and he is for me. Even if I can’t cross every t and dot every i, he is with me and he is for me. No matter what anybody says, he is with me and he is for me. No matter what my emotions tell me, no matter what my bodily aches and pains tell me, no matter what my bank account tells me, he is with me and he is for me.He is on my side.  I hope this is good news.  We need to be sharing it with others.

God loves me! vs. 35-39-

•  Vs. 35-Also begins with a question. Answer is  No one or nothing. Paul shares some possible answers.  Are these random?  I don’t think so.  I think God revealed to Paul that humans (including Paul himself) when faced with difficulty or hardship or persecution or hunger or nakedness or danger or death (sword image of execution) are going to question God’s love.  

• When 9/11, Boston bombings, West Texas explosion, natural disasters, death, accidents, sickness, how does a Christian typically respond?  Why, God? Why do we blame God for these. 

o   I was sharing this thought with two different individuals one Tuesday morning.  I was asking them why do we attribute these bad things to God.  I posed this question: Do we do the same thing with good?  I am alive another day. Why, God?  I have a house, food, clothes, job, family, friends. Why, God? I think you get what I am saying.  But God used both of these ladies in an amazing way that Tuesday.  Both of them told me, you need to go and read Isaiah 54:15. One had read it that morning in her devotions and the other said she often returns to this verse.

§  Isaiah 54:15 says, “ If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;”

§  What’s the point?  God loves you and is for you.

o   Illustration of child skinning a knee-typical response-run into their parents arms

o   When bad things happen around the world or personally, let’s start from God loves me and is for me rather than God is against me or out to get me or to teach me some lesson.

• Vs. 37-What should be our response to these things?  We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  Notice we are not survivors,  but we are conquerors.  No it is more than that, we are more than conquerors.  Vine’s Dictionary defines this phrase as “to gain a surpassing victory.” Why?  Because of us.  No, because of what Jesus did for us on the cross and through his resurrection, but also because of the Holy Spirit within us.  This is good news.

o    1 John 4:4 “Greater is he who is in you than He who is in the world.”

• Vs. 38-39-Paul wants to drive his point home.  He says, “I am convinced” He again lists pairs that might keep us from God’s love in Christ Jesus.  Death/Life (human condition), Angels/Demons (Supernatural Realm), Present/Future (Time), Any powers, Height/Depth (Earth above, earth below), Any other creature (anything else).  God’s love will not be taken by any of the things because of what Christ did for us.   

So, are you convinced?

Making Disciples

At our church, we are currently working through a discipleship plan from birth to death.  The committee responsible for this is called the Discipleship Ministries Committee (DMC for short).  We have also been talking a lot about discipleship as pastors at our Tuesday meetings and now on our Thursday afternoon planning sessions.  I love these conversations!

At times, it seems like we might not be making progress.  But I am glad we are asking some difficult questions.  We have also had the benefit of three people from our church attending Exponential. They heard some great speakers and are excited about what they learned.  As part of that discussion, we have had at least two conversations based on content from Exponential.  We also started reading a book together as DMC, PMC (Pastoral Ministries Committee), and pastors.  It is called DiscipleShift by Jim Putman.

I look forward to seeing what God is going to do at Hesston MB as we discuss and implement some of the ideas we are hearing.  Hopefully, the outcome will be as Putman writes, "a church exists to make disciples who make disciples. And the primary methodology is Christlike love expressed in life-on-life relationship."

So, how about you?  What is your plan for discipleship?  Is it done in classes, small groups, the worship service, or some other venue? 

What You Can Never Do No Matter How Hard You Try by Steven Furtick

A great word from Steven Furtick of Elevation Church. 

Who?

I have been studying for a message I am preaching on May 19th.  As I reflect on this message, I am drawn to two specifics (I might even go so far as to say basics) of the Christian life.  I need to know who God is and I need to know who I am.  If I look to the world or determine these on my own, I can have a flawed understanding of both.  We need to look at God's Word to see who He is and who we are. 

What does the Bible say about God? 

• God has revealed himself throughout the Bible.  After all, the Bible is truth about God.  Every page tells us something about God.  More intelligent people than me have taken the passages of Scripture and tried to explain God's attributes (his character) in a systematic way.  This is helpful, but we also have to understand God is bigger and wiser than we are.  We will not understand everything about Him.

What does the Bible say about us?

• Many Christians are confused about their identity.  The world says one thing.  They believe something different personally about themselves.  Others define and tell them who they are and should be.  But God's Word clearly teaches who we are.  However, we seem to make it more complicated.  
• Are we sinners or saints?  Are we loved because we obey or loved unconditionally? Am I victim of my circumstances or more than a conqueror?  Do I need to ask for the fruit of the Spirit each day or are they always available and accessible as a believer? Am I a worm or precious child of the King? Is God on my side or do I need to be on guard because He might want to punish me or teach me a lesson?

  I look forward to sharing this Sunday about who God is and how this should affect how we live. 

Check back on Sunday or Monday for points from my message on May 19.

New Books Next on My Reading List

As you know, I love to read.  Here are a few new books that I have purchased that I look forward to reading:

Prototype by Jonathan Martin

What It Means To Be a Man by Rhett Smith

Limited Church: Unlimited Kingdom by Rob Rienow

Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart by J.D. Greear

The Naked Gospel by Andrew Farley

Who Do You Think You Are? by Mark Driscoll

Books I Am Reading

Here is my current reading list:

The Genius of Generosity by Chip Ingram

Multiply by Franis Chan

On the Grace of God by Justin Holcomb

Identity by Eric Geiger

When Heaven Invades Earth by Bill Johnson

Altar Ego by Craig Groeschel

What great books are you reading that you would recommend?