Desert Watch

Malachi - The “Yeah Right” Prophet

God is alive, he cares and has an amazing purpose for your life. “Yeah right!” I hear you say. We live as cynical people in a cynical culture - just like in Malachi’s time. If you have ever heard a preacher quote from the book of Malachi I can almost guarantee it was in the context of trying to get money out of your pocket. “God will bless you if you tithe and curse you if you don’t” (yeah right...). No wonder we are cynical. But that’s not really what Malachi is about. 

Background:

Malachi was a prophet in the period around 433BC. The Jews had returned from exile in Babylon and the temple had been rebuilt by 516BC. Their return had been due to some rather spectacular prophesy coming to pass and some incredible favour given to them through foreign rulers not usually in the habit of being generous! But 80 years later the people were in a state of stagnation. The excitement of return to the land and the miracles God had done in accomplishing this had been replaced by the mundane existence of day to day life. Prayer seemed somewhat pointless and there seemed to be little evidence to point to the presence or even existence of God apart from dry rituals from the past. 

Into this culture of cynicism Malachi brings his sharp prophetic blade. He tries to expose the cancerous beliefs which have brought about the near-fatal slumber. He attempts to restore to them a vision of God’s love and gracious choosing of their nation. He speaks of the hope of the coming Messiah and the day of his justice and judgement. And he pinpoints the practices that are sure indicators of a corrupt heart condition. The blame is placed squarely on the shoulders of the religious leadership - the Levitical priests. Their attitudes and example have influenced the whole nation. He calls them firstly to repentance, in the confidence that the nation will follow, but with the realistic expectation that full cleansing will only be accomplished by the coming of the Lord himself to his temple.  

Chapter 1 - God’s people forget who they are and who He is!

Malachi starts by re-affirming God’s love for Israel as a chosen nation. He describes an imaginary conversation between God and Israel to illustrate this:

“I have loved you.” says the Lord. But you say “How have you loved us?” (v2) In other words Israel’s response was “It doesn’t look like you love us - life is hard, people are ripping each other off (2:10), the wicked prosper and there is no justice (2:17), our economy is a mess because our crops are failing and we live in drought (3:10-11), our children are going astray (2:3), our marriages are falling apart (2:15), and you don’t seem to hear our prayers (2:13).” 

So Malachi (speaking for God) explains what this love means by recounting the story of Jacob and Esau (1:2-5). These twin brothers are used in scripture to illustrate the doctrine of God’s sovereign choosing or election. God chooses individuals, tribes, cities and nations for his sovereign purpose. Being chosen creates both privilege and responsibility. (Election speaks of God’s call to service rather than - as commonly misunderstood - his call to eternal salvation - but that’s another story). 

Another name for Jacob is Israel (Gen 32:28). Another name for Esau is Edom (Gen 25:30). Through Malachi God reminds the current descendants of Israel that he chose to set them apart as his chosen people - his representatives among the nations. His choice was based on his sovereign will even before the two sons had displayed their character or their works.  God’s love set upon Israel had returned them to the land and ensured them of survival. In spite of their common displays of distinctly bad character and disobedient actions God had called them! Because he had called them and he would discipline, purify and correct them for the sake of his choosing (3:3). Edom on the other hand would reap the full consequences for their sin and face destruction. Israel would be disciplined but not consumed (3:6)! Good news so far...

After reminding them of the responsibility that comes with being God’s chosen people Malachi turns his sights on the leadership - the priests (1:6-7). He accuses them of despising the Lord. Malachi anticipates their horrified response “How have we despised your name?” He replies that when they bring inferior offerings to God they are despising, dishonouring and disrespecting Him. They were bringing the lame and sick animals to be offered to the Lord rather than the best and the unblemished of the herd and flock as commanded (Ex 12:5). Would they bring such offerings to an earthly governor (1:8)?  God would rather the temple be closed than have these unacceptable sacrifices offered (1:10). 

Verse 11 breaks in with a prophetic glimpse of the future where all the nations will offer acceptable pure sacrifices to the Lord. Part of the structure of Malachi is this switching between the “forth-telling” and the “fore-telling”. Forth-telling is the bringing forth of the hidden truth speaking into the current circumstances to bring change. The other and perhaps more familiar role of the prophet is to foretell the future. Malachi combines both for the purpose of providing incentive and hope that change is both very necessary and possible with the right perspective on the big picture.

Malachi then elaborates on the specific practices that are so offensive to him: the substitution of the best offerings for the sick, lame and stolen. They are even promising the best then substituting it for a blemished animal! Obviously they are not honouring God as the great King whose “name is feared among all the nations”  (1:14). Their practices indicate hearts that have grown weary and lost a living faith.

Chapter 2 - The fallout of leadership failure

Malachi now delivers a direct warning to the priests - appealing to the law in Deuteronomy 28:16-20. They have not followed the Lord’s ways so they will and already are reaping a curse upon themselves (2:1-2). This has impacted their children and their celebrations before the Lord have become a farce (2:3). Malachi continues by recounting what was expected of the Levites. They were to revere God, give true instruction to the people, to walk with God in peace and righteousness and turn others from iniquity (2:4-6). They were preserve knowledge and give wise instruction as the spokes-people for the Lord (2:7). 

The Levites were the descendants of Levi, son of Jacob. Moses and Aaron were of the tribe of Levi, and Aaron’s descendants were called firstly as priests of the Lord (Ex 29:9). Later after the passover when all the first-born males of Egypt were destroyed God set apart each first-born of Israel as consecrated to the Lord’s service, but he later spoke to Moses that he would take the Levites instead of every first-born to holy temple service (Numbers 3:12).  They had no inheritance of land so they were to be supported by a tithe to be paid by the other people of Israel (Numbers 18:21,24). 

This tithe was based on 10% of the food produced from the land (Lev 27:30) including the grain, new wine, oil, cattle, sheep and goats (Deut 14:22-23) This tithe seemed to have been required to be given to the Levites every third year (Duet 14:28). The other two years it (or at least the portion not put aside for the Levites) was to be eaten in the presence of the Lord as a joint celebration before the Lord (Deut 14:22-27). This feasting was to also include the Levite, the alien, the orphans and the widows who were unable to produce food for themselves (Deut 14:29).

So the sin of the Levites that Malachi highlights is that they have “corrupted the covenant of Levi” (2:8). They are showing partiality, offering and accepting inferior sacrifices and in all this providing a bad example to the people. They are unfaithful to God. So it is no wonder that although the Levites may “cover the altar of the Lord with tears” he “no longer regards the offering” (2:13). Their prayers hit the low ceiling and fall to the ground.

The fallout of unfaithfulness to God also has affected marriage relationships within Israel. Taking their covenant with God lightly the people have also taken their marriage covenants lightly. Malachi stresses God’s hatred of divorce and unfaithfulness and the impact that this has on raising up godly children (2:14-16).  They have lost their awareness of God so their values have been distorted (or were their values distorted then they lost their awareness of God?) As an example of their distortion they say: “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them” (2:17). Perhaps this is just their cynicism speaking in that they also say “Where is the justice of God?” (2:17). In other words - when they failed to see God act in justice they became cynical and concluded that either God is evil, powerless, didn’t mind or didn’t notice. “God do something about evil? Yeah right!”

Chapter 3 - God’s promise of justice and call to repentance 

In answer to the question “Where is the justice of God” Malachi responds in verse 1 by introducing “My messenger who will clear the way before me” speaking of John the Baptist  (quoted in Matt 11:10 and mentioned again in 4:5). He also introduces “the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight” - Christ himself. It seems that the “in whom you delight” is perhaps a little barbed. His coming will be anything but delightful should they fail to heed the word of Malachi. This messenger is coming to purify the sons of Levi and “refine them like gold and silver so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness” (3:3). 

Justice will begin to be restored in the nation once the leaders begin to practice righteousness. The Lord states that he will bring justice against sorcerers, adulterers, those who swear falsely, those who oppress the wage earner, the widow and the orphan, those who turn aside the alien and who do not fear him (3:5). If not for his covenant with Israel they would be consumed already, but because he is unchanging and will not break his promise he will purify the nation instead (3:6). He states that their turning aside has been “from the days of your fathers” (3:7). They were at least a generation away from those who had returned to the land and they had all but forgotten the Lord. It was time for a shake-up and Malachi delivered it.  

So he speaks for them - “how shall we return?” (3:7). Now that their hearts were convicted they were ready to get back on track over specifics. In “tithes and offerings” (3:8). Malachi returns to the inferior offerings of chapter 1. As noted Malachi prophesied about 80 years after the return from exile. At the time of the return Nehemiah had brought the people back to their distinct identity as the people of God by restoring to them practices discarded when they had been in exile.  They repented of their neglect of God’s laws and covenanted together to restore their practices. These practices are well summarised in Nehemiah 10:28-39. This included the resting of the land every 7 years, the release of debt, an annual contribution for the temple, the provision of the various sacrificial offerings, the supply of wood, and the bringing of the first-born and first-fruits as an offering to God, plus the tithe of the ground for the Levites (Neh 10:37-38,12:44). Essentially these were practices required for the smooth running of a just, sustainable nation where the poor were cared for and God was honoured. 

By the time of Malachi these practices were again being neglected - shoddy offerings (1:13), neglect of the poor and unjust oppression of the powerless (3:5). They had neglected the Law of God and the covenant made just over a generation earlier. This had brought reproach on the nation and the curse upon their endeavours, just as they had acknowledged in Nehemiah’s time was the very reason for their state of exile (Neh 9:26-31). The blame is placed on “the whole nation” (3:9). The unbelieving, cynical “yeah right” attitude of the leaders had infected the people. God tells them that if they will return to him by returning to these practices then he will bring blessing “until it overflows” in place of curse, and he will “rebuke the devourer for you” (3:10-12). 

Next God deals with their words. Their actions and their words both point to the sick, unfaithful and unbelieving heart of the nation. “Your words have been arrogant against me” (3:13). What words? “‘It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the LORD of hosts? So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape.’” (3:14-15) Perhaps these are the secret thoughts that they would never dare confess but are their true motivations? This theme is repeated through scripture - why do the wicked appear to prosper? (Jer 12:1, Ps 73:7 etc) Why should we be required to live in this seemingly rigid way while others are living it up however they like? There is no answer given in this part of Malachi - perhaps because they have already realised from chapter one that no matter how much they protest they are not like the other nations -they are the elect of God and they have both privilege and responsibility. What the nations appear to “get away with” in the short term is not the acceptable standard that God wants to display for the people that are called to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex 19:6) and a “light to the nations” (Is 42:6).

So the people respond - those who “feared the LORD spoke to one another” (3:16). The passage says that God gave attention and heard it and now he records a “book of remembrance” noting down their names. He says that “they will be mine...on the day that I prepare my own possession” (3:17). He says that this is how we will be able to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked - the righteous are those that fear, serve and honour God. The wicked are those that are flippant, neglectful of their duty to God and unfaithful to his call (3:18).

Chapter 4- The wind-up  

Malachi builds on the “on the day” theme of the previous chapter by again flipping into “foretelling” mode. We look through time to the day of the Lord when God’s name will finally be fully “feared among all the nations” (1:14). He uses the metaphor of burning introduced earlier in 3:2 to describe the effect of this day on the wicked and the righteous. In doing this he answers the question “why do the wicked prosper?” Ultimately they don’t. There are very real consequences for how we treat each other and whether we neglect God. In the blaze of the day of the Lord “all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze” (4:1) They will be left with “neither root or branch” - perhaps indicating that they are completely without excuse on that day, or perhaps that their works are completely obliterated and all memory and influence of their evil is destroyed. But for the righteous the same fire that destroys the wicked appears as “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings” (or “rays” as some translations put it). To one the coming of the Lord is destruction - to others it is the final healing and a time of great joy where they  will “go forth and skip about like calves from the stall” - free at last! All that is left of the wicked and their works are harmless ashes that melt away to nothing under the skipping feet (4:3). 

He concludes by encouraging the people to “remember the law of Moses” (4:4) - well aware perhaps that this will not be the last time his people forget and slip into destructive patterns, and that law keeping will never be an ultimate solution to their unfaithfulness. So he adds a prophetic teaser: “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” (4:5-6) We know from the New Testament that this is a prophesy regarding the preparatory ministry of John the Baptist (Matt 11:14 etc). The reference to the hearts of the children to their fathers could be referencing a faithfulness to God that transcends generations - something lacking in the present context - or perhaps a unity only possible through the work of the Spirit where the law is written on the hearts as in Jeremiah 31:33. This passage in Jeremiah explores similar themes around the day of the Lord, the joy at God’s justice and restored family relationships. 

So the final hope left by Malachi is not so much that the nation will now be faithful to God forever, but an acknowledgement that keeping the Law is not the ultimate hope of the world. God’s intervention - veiled as it is at this point but revealed in Christ - is the hope of final justice. The people are left in no doubt however that they are loved, they are called, and their response is to be loving reverent obedience to their King.

And so?

I hope you see that Malachi isn’t about what preachers call “tithing” today.  The tithe is a church tradition dating from the 6th century used to fund the Institutional Church - where Christianity was largely a cultural form rather than a lived-out reality. It was very loosely based on the tithe within Israel whereby a tenth of the produce of the ground (crops, animals, fruit) was used for the support of the Levites (who had not been allocated land) , and those who would be on social welfare today (widows, orphans and other poor). Only those who produced food from the land were required to tithe. 

The early church didn’t carry on the practice but used whatever they could to help one another so that no-one was in lack. Leaders were self-supporting as much as possible and only received offerings where they were sure that there were no “strings attached”. They did not have purpose-built buildings or a priestly class so overheads were low. All the recorded church offerings taken up in the New Testament were for the support of poorer believers (including those taken up for Paul when he was imprisoned and would have starved unless they cared for him).  The only references to the tithe were firstly from Jesus where he was rebuking the Pharisees for their minute attention to the details of the law over tithing of crops, and secondly the mention in Hebrews of Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek. The point of the first is a rebuke to the Pharisees for their distorted values not encouragement for followers of Jesus to tithe. The point of Hebrews is the exaltation of Jesus as high priest of a better covenant which superseded the law - not an instruction for New Testament believers to tithe.  

What is Malachi about then? We live on the other side of the prophesies about the coming of the promised one. We live in a weird split in history where justice has been won through the death and resurrection of Christ but not yet established in it’s fulness. Like the people in Malachi’s time it’s easy to have a “yeah right” attitude to God and either slip into dead empty tradition or perhaps more honest doubt as to the love, justice and even existence of God. We have to walk in faith looking over the horizon at something we can’t see yet, based on something from the past that has slipped over the other horizon. How do we know the love of God in these times? Actually by the fact that he doesn’t let us go. He doesn’t let his remnant disappear or true faith fade away.  What feels like the painful rejection of God may just be him trying to get our attention so we will return to truth and justice. And to return to not just “belief” but to practice those things that reflect his care for people and for his creation. 

Malachi is a lot like the New Testament book of James. James is very strong on practical faith and being genuine. He says “faith without works is dead”. He also speaks of the stricter judgement that falls upon leaders who teach as they set the example for the people to follow - good or bad. We can call ourselves Jews - or Christians - but labels don't count for much with God. The fruit of faith is shown by changed lives.

Cynicism is a highly contagious disease in our culture. It takes courage to reject the story that many people live by that says there is no hope and no justice so just "live it up" as best you can. Instead chose to say that God is alive, he does care and he does have an amazing purpose for my life. Yeah! Right!

 

What is Truth (and why does it matter)?

What is Truth? Pontius Pilate’s famous rhetorical question to Jesus echoes through the twisted wreckage of failed societies down to today. We cannot help but assume that our version of truth is the true version. In this article I want to consider truth from three different perspectives; my own cultural background, current Youth culture, and Contemporary “Consumer” Church culture. Then I evaluate these through a Biblical grid. My interest in this is based around the question: How much of our contemporary church culture is valid contextualization and how much is simply syncretism with the prevailing culture? 

My perspective:

I grew up in a white, middle-class, and mildly religious farming family in New Zealand in the 1960’s and 70’s. Truth seemed simple, yet in our society it was becoming an increasingly complicated issue. My cultural worldview was broadly Western Modernity where it was accepted that truth arose from the power of human reason. Instead of accepting tradition and other forms of authority as the source of truth it was a time when critical thinking was being encouraged in an attempt to free society from “repressive” traditional structures and belief systems. We were being made aware of new ways of thinking and living through the influence for the first time of television, and through more commercially motivated print media. Truth was the name of a newspaper that my father read every Sunday – the truth of the contents was rather questionable. Image was definitely emphasized! The idea of questioning and discovering our own truth and with it the increasing power of image were expressions of emerging postmodernism. Oblivious to this I accepted these conflicting views of truth, unaware that “…modernity is only one particular story of how to read and order life. It is not particularly old…but it became our cultures normative way of reading the world.”[1]

It was this shifting sand of culture and lack of personal foundations that lead me on a search for truth - to seek stability in what we would now call a metanarrative – an overarching story that gives meaning to everything.[2] I remember thinking how lost I felt. My parents’ traditional answers were not satisfying to me. Following my peers into mindless partying also failed to meet my inner hunger. Somehow I realised that there was such a thing as truth that was bigger than tradition and bigger than scientific “proof”. I found Truth experientially in the person of Christ and this truth also gave me cognitive answers to the “big questions” of life. I believed the gospel because of the inner witness of the Spirit. So affectively I was - as John Wesley put it - “strangely warmed”. Cognitively I was satisfied that the Bible was defensible and I should trust it as a better foundation in my life that anything else including my own ideas. Evaluatively I now had a moral foundation – a combination of the promptings of the Spirit and the witness of the scriptures.

However I found that my background worldview of Modernity with its emphasis of digital sets where everything is neatly pigeonholed was to be a hindrance to my walk of faith.  This view of truth – that it is limited to the scientifically and rationally proven – meant that “…truth claims that could not be verified scientifically were relegated to the lesser sphere of private value… with no role in the public life of the culture.”[3] Thus my faith faced a challenge – either prove God’s reality using scientific method or divorce it from reason and let it become a personal faith. My life was being partitioned and I wasn’t aware of it. [4]

I came to faith in the Charismatic movement, which was mixture of the mind-oriented Evangelical Fundamentalist theology[5] and heart-oriented Revivalist experience that called for a life-changing encounter with God. In theory this synthesis was good, but the new wine of the life of God in the Spirit was trapped in old wineskins of modernistic thinking. Every doctrine became a battleground: Should everyone “speak in tongues?” When would the “rapture” take place? The digital mindset couldn’t cope with the diversity of what the Spirit was doing. It was okay to just “believe in my heart” and have a “personal relationship with Jesus”. The atomized compartmentalizing of faith away from works lead to confusion and an increasing distancing of the gospel message from the big issues facing society. Faith wasn’t “provable” in normal scientific method so Christians backed away and the Gospel message was increasingly marginalized from mainstream society. Those who did concern themselves with issues of social justice were mainly the intellectual liberals – accused by the “true believers” of reducing the message to simply a “social gospel”.

Theologian Robert Webber points out the irony that although evangelical fundamentalism was “anti-intellectual” it “…remained rooted in intellectual thought…”[6] I viewed the Bible and Christian life through this essentially modernist lens whereby “…the Bible was transformed from a collection of diverse stories about Yahweh and his people through time to source material for systematic theologies based on linear, rational, abstract, and cognitive reasoning.”[7] Professor Scot McKnight says: “A distinct form of spirituality, not all bad, emerges from this form of Bible reading: an intellectual, heady theory of the Christian life that genuinely believes that if we have the right ideas, we will live more godly lives. That is, such a spirituality is a form of cognitive behaviorism.”[8]

I found myself stuck between a walk in the Spirit on one hand and cognitive behaviorism on the other. This dissonant view of truth limited my effectiveness as a believer - strong on knowing and doing but weak on being and relating.[9] In answer to Pilate’s question “What is truth?” - I could have given a statement of my faith, but I doubt he would have seen much challenge to his world.

Contemporary “Consumer” Church Culture

When applied to theology reason produced a type of evangelicalism that attempted to reduce Christianity to a set of beliefs or formulae. As words became exalted, belief in those words became more important than the reality behind the belief. Instead of faith in God we came to have faith in God’s Word, or at least in our reduced version of God’s word. So right “belief” becomes primary and actions became secondary. Reformation theology was soundly impregnated with this kind of thinking. Webber observes: “…both Luther and Calvin had emphasized that a relationship with God was based largely on right knowing... the emphasis on right doctrines produced a protestant orthodoxy, which in its worst expression was an embrace of orthodox teaching without the transformation of life.” [10] He calls this type of church formed by this thinking pragmatic evangelicalism. This pragmatic approach has produced in our day “…a method of evangelism that paid attention to marketing issues, sought to meet people’s needs, and relied on a seeker service...”[11]

The temptation with this understanding of truth is that it becomes easy for the means to justify the ends. To our end of “church growth” we apply our problem-solving skills and create means to achieve this goal. We set Key Performance Indicators such as levels of giving, attendance and growth. Then we apply the necessary inputs to achieve these goals.[12] So with our thinking shaped by modernity we formed church around this input-output model. Our root metaphor is mechanistic rather than organic.  But because religious truth isn’t accepted in our culture we must add a postmodern version of truth based on image and emotion to provide the means - marketing techniques to promote good feelings in order to gain tacit adherence to propositional truth. Church competes with society not on the level of reason but on the level of image – following the societal trend toward technology, media, marketing, and franchising of church “brands”. [13] The means and ends are neither consistent with each other nor are they very much related to the biblical concept of truth because we have a modernistic, atomistic view of truth rather than a holistic view.

So truth for contemporary “consumer” church can be divorced from actions. In trying to compete in the marketplace it has forgotten that the “medium is the message”.[14] Truth is seen as a set of propositions – a statement of faith – that we give assent to. How we persuade people to assent is less important - and because the “conversion” process is incongruent to the message neither does the lifestyle need to be conguent. Truth hasn’t impacted on what Missionary-statesman Lesslie Newbigin calls the “plausibility structure” level[15]. Behavioralism is all that’s left and it’s not particularly effective. 

To impact at this world-view level the gospel must be incarnated into the practices of the faith community. Our statement of faith is our community. Our community is our statement of faith. Instead in our attempts to contextualize the gospel to contemporary culture we have taken on board the worst of modern and postmodern thinking. We are simply consumers of cheap religious goods and services that lack the substance to meet the deep hunger and healing our society needs.[16]

Under the influence of postmodernity, both youth culture and consumer church culture are heavily influenced by image.[17] Image conscious consumers want to be seen as part of the hip church just as they want to be seen drinking the hip beer. In becoming just another product churches become competitive – their brand of church being better than the next. Competition destroys intimacy and unity – both precious commodities to the Christian faith. Is it okay for the gospel to be just another consumer product?

As the children of modernity we scoff at Pilate’s question. We know what is true and we can happily explain it in rational terms. But when it comes to “spiritual” truth the categories of modernity fail us and we turn to the subjective appeal of image that is the hallmark of postmodernity. We dither before Pilate and try to change the subject, hoping to draw him into the fold instead through our entertaining programs and slick presentations.

Youth Culture

Most youth do not talk about truth much. On one level they equate truth with “scientifically proven facts”, but they react against those who try to use truth to control them with the postmodern “whatever” or “yeah right” response – whether that be “evidence-based” truth (“drinking is bad for you”) or traditional moralistic truth (“God doesn’t like sex before marriage”).[18] They accept as truth that science has answered the questions about life and therefore faith is simply belief in myth to provide comfort for those who cannot face reality. So our young people are a product of rationalism and a scientific worldview fueled by the assumptions of the Enlightenment. Unfortunately while this may meet to some degree their cognitive need, it leaves the affective and evaluative areas barren and in crisis.  This has birthed “…a ravenous materialism as matters of the soul were ignored or re-interpreted within this tightly controlled version of reality. When the life of the spirit is ignored, people will seek to feed the hunger of the neglected soul with the only nourishment available: in our context, the consumptive acquisition of material goods.”[19] Youth also try to fill the dreadful void with all manner of entertainment and activity. Psychologist Bruce Anderson says that this “poverty of the spirit” and the resulting slide into all manner of addiction is the inevitable result the destruction of community and commodification of culture that globalization brings – with it’s emphasis on image-as-truth for the sake of encouraging consumption.[20]

In pre-modern times truth was in the hands of those who claimed to speak for God. Their view of truth could be summarized by “might is right.”  Their abuses of power lead to the Enlightenment reaction and the birth of modernity. Modernity instead put truth into the domain of the intellectual and scientist where “knowledge is power”. Postmodernity is in turn a reaction to the failure and abuses of modernity.[21] Truth and power have now been passed into the hands of the image-makers – the media and advertising world where “image is everything”. Youth do not realize that the truth they receive through the media is just as abusive and destructive as what they have rejected as it emanates from a globalized consumer culture intent on exploiting them. Therefore “…consumers and borrowers lacking self-control and self-awareness become easy targets for the selfish manipulation of producers and lenders. Advertising that offers instant credit, or that promotes products or instruments of sexual seduction, directly undermines the consumers self-control.”[22]

So affectively many young people are often dominated by fear, anger and frustration that they attempt to combat through “highs”. Their mechanistic view of the world, whereby we are simply bio-chemical products or evolutionary chance, sees no problem with chemically induced good-feelings. Their atomistic view of human nature sees no problem in abusing the body to extremes through binge-drinking, drug-taking, and all manner of high-risk behavior. These good feelings are tinged with negativity as the deeper needs go unmet, so self-harm, eating disorders and suicide are an epidemic. Evaluatively they often display high emotion, are particularist in their beliefs (“that’s right for you but this is what is right for me”) and place high value on achievement within the goals that are set for them by the market (having the latest things, having the right clothes, watching the right movies). They are often avid consumers and like any addiction it is insatiable. Everything becomes a commodity – including the spiritual, sexual and relational.[23] Their consumer-driven world is one of image with very little substance.[24] Such a life has little real hope. Newbigin says: “the absence of any sense of worthwhile future is one of the marks of our present culture. By contrast one of the marks of biblical counterculture will be a confident hope that makes hopeful action possible even in situations which are humanly speaking, hopeless.”[25]

Why are few young people finding hope in the contemporary consumer church? It is because consumer church is built on an uncomfortable mix of pre-modern authoritative truth, modern rationalism, and postmodern consumerism. This mix of values is confusing enough to Christians – so how can the young person find reality there? Missional Church Leader Tim Keel says: “I have found that many Christians, consciously or not, try first to convert postmodern people into a modern, Enlightenment way of thinking before they can share the Good News of Jesus Christ with them. Why? Because we have encoded the gospel in the categories of modernity.”[26] Yet with our commitment to the categories of modernity, we also have built contemporary church on a consumptive model that was the obsession of a past generation. So actually “…the Contemporary Church, having been built and enmeshed in the generational values of the baby boomer, is alienating a generation of adolescents.”[27] Globalization has seen the adoption of internationalised styles of “McChurch” that are simply a reflection of trends in society. Individuality and diversity both of people and nations are discouraged. Brand identity and conformity are essential.

So youth are hungry for more than the truth of image – they hunger to belong[28] - yet the global consumption model is so all-encompassing that the whole of life can be spent in it’s pursuit, and it is so seductive that we are unaware that in it “we live and move and have our being.” To Pilate’s question “what is truth?” the bored yet over-stimulated young person might reply: “whatever.”

The Biblical Concept of Truth

In the Bible, truth is in the ultimate reality of God and is incarnated through Christ and his Church. Christ is the Word made flesh. God spoke creatively and expressed himself in word (Logos) that produced the created order (Cosmos). The creation speaks truth that reflects the maker: "The heavens declare the glory of God..."

So the ultimate reality of the creator was expressed in his speaking into being of creation and finally in the expression of his son Jesus –who is Truth incarnate. He not only speaks words of truth but also is the expression of truth. His actions are completely congruent with his words that are also a complete reflection of the Father:

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. Heb 1:1-3. 

So Jesus says, “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Jesus, the word of truth “…became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14). Jesus, who says of himself: “I am… the truth…” (John 14:6) calls us to walk in the same manner: “As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”John 20:21.  We are called to also incarnate the truth in our lives and communities. We are not just to believe truth but to “walk in the truth” (3 John 1:4).

Professor Leonard Sweet says: “Jesus is the truth. Truth resides in relationships, not documents or principles. The Gospels don’t teach us about Jesus as principle but as Jesus as person…Not until the fourteenth century (at the earliest) did truth become embedded in propositions and positions.”[29] So truth is not found in words as modernity assumes but in the ultimate reality behind the words. Words and scientific reductionism are only weak attempts to describe ultimate reality.The apostle Paul says: “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.”1 Cor 13:9. Completeness of knowing is impossible in our current state, as we live in bodies that are still unredeemed and have limited finite minds also marred by sin. They must be renewed progressively but will never comprehend fully.[30] So Jesus describes truth - not in terms of hypothesis and theory or systematic theology or evidence-based conclusions or provable propositions - but mostly through narrative, metaphor and demonstration. This actually works in a postmodern world where “…the alternative way of knowing truth… is to be convinced of truth through participation, not consumer appeals; through wholly lived display, not reasoned arguments.”[31] Webber asserts: “…the church becomes the post modern portal to truth”[32] In today’s society the community of God’s people “…needs to be an alternative culture. It needs to be defined over against the ruling values of society…a sign, a foretaste, and a witness to a humanity and a world shaped by the vision of God’s reign over the lives of his people.”[33]

Our medium is our message. Consumer church lives in a pragmatic divide where we think we can use marketing methods so long as the result is church attendance. This is faulty thinking that eventually only alienates most postmodern youth. Newbigin says:“The biblical story is unique. But how does the telling of it challenge the reigning world-view? The answer is that it can do so through the witness of a community which, in unbroken continuity with the biblical actors and witnesses, indwells the story the Bible tells.”[34] How do we know when biblical truth is present? Webber says that it is when “…the message takes up residence within the listeners life and heart… and has transformed that person into the image of the content.”[35] The answer to Pilate’s question from a Biblical perspective – if he was a young person today starving for truth and connection - could perhaps be “come and see”. Do we have faith communities that can say that?

So returning to my initial question: How much of our contemporary church culture is valid contextualization and how much is simply syncretism with the prevailing culture? I would have to conclude that too much of contemporary church culture is simply syncretism which mimics rather than challenges the world-views – simply adding a layer of Christian jargon over the top. True contextualization, Newbigin says “…happens when the word is not a disembodied word, but comes from a community which embodies the true story, God’s story...”[36] God give us grace to be that community.

---

 

[1] Alan J. Roxburgh, Missional Map-Making: Skills for Leadership in Times of Transition. (Jossey-Bass, 2010), 11.

[2] Within postmodernity “…the idea of a consistent, understandable whole shaping human life (often called a metanarrative) is replaced by the idea of a pastiche, where our lives are actually characterized by a multiplicity of private styles, moments, experiences, and choices that we use to pick and choose our own self-definition.” Roxburgh, 101.

[3] Michael W. Goheen & Craig G. Bartholomew,  Living at the Crossroads, an Introduction to Christian Worldview. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008), 96.

[4] “Sociologically, modernity partitions each human life into a variety of segments, each with its own norms of behavior.” - Roxburgh, 10.

[5] Fundamentalism, the root of contemporary church culture, “…was characterized by a rigorous foundationalism – an intellectual frame of reference that adhered to the scientific method of empiricism and to the ability of the mind to arrive at factual propositional truth.” Robert E.Webber, The Younger Evangelicals – Facing the Challenges of the New World. (Grand Rapids: Baker,2002), 25.

[6] This “…Common Sense philosophy insisted that “facts” could be known directly. This conviction derived from Descartes’ emphasis on knowledge gained through the empirical method.” Webber, The Younger Evangelicals, 27.

[7] Tim Keel, Intuitive Leadership: Embracing a Paradigm of Narrative, Metaphor, and Chaos. (Grand Rapids:Baker, 2007), 124.

[8] Scot McKnight in: Corcoran, Kevin. (Ed), Scot McKnight, Peter Rollins, Jason Clark. Church in the Present Tense – A Candid Look at what is Emerging. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011), 110.

[9] Categories from Tim Keel’s “Missional Leadership” paper, 2010.

[10] Robert E.Webber, Ancient-Future Evangelism – Making Your Church a Faith-Forming Community . (Grand Rapids: Baker,2003),32.

[11] Webber. The Younger Evangelicals, 36.

[12] Roxburgh says “Western culture came to see the world as a vast-input-and-output machine… This measure-predict-manage methodology became the framework for leadership, based on the conviction that we had the capacity and the method (science) to name all the parts and control those parts to produce our desired ends.”Roxburgh, 60.

[13] Webber says: “…many contemporary church leaders argue that the most effective churches will be those that allow Christian commitments to connect with the more laissez-faire attitudes of society. By making Christianity more like the culture of which it is part, some argue, the church will become more attractive, more relevant, and more accessible. ” Webber, Ancient-Future Evangelism, 158.

[14] “The idea that “the medium is the message” holds important ramifications for the communication of the Christian faith. First, the real message of Christianity is not rational propositions but the person of Jesus Christ with whom a personal relationship is possible…the church must be an embodied presence…communicating faith …through a combination of oral, visual, and print forms of participatory immersed community communication (or cultural transmission)”. Webber. The Younger Evangelicals, 65.

[15] Newbigin, Lesslie, The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society, (Grand Rapids:Eeerdmans,1989), 57.

[16] “…the general tenor of Christian faith has been watered down to a view perilously close to the meism and experience-centered spirituality of the day. In this setting the very substance of the gospel – both it’s doctrine and lifestyle, are threatened.” Webber, Ancient-Future Evangelism, 163.

[17]  “Are we not in peril of marketing a version of that story in which God’s people are consumers of “spiritual” experiences and “mission” adventures? A story in which to be fully alive is to fulfill dreams and live out fantasies on a global scale…In buying into such a story, are God’s people not faced with the prospect of devastating disappointment, of a fragmented and potentially self-destructive engagement with life?” Rod Thompson in: Goheen Michael W & Erin G. Glanville (Eds.), The Gospel and Globalization – Exploring the Religious Roots of the Globalized World. (Vancouver: Regent, 2009), 130.

[18] “Old notions of ‘authority’, such as the idea that science enables human progress, are viewed with suspicion. Science is reductionist (it explains complex things in terms of its less complex constituents). Scepticism and/or cynicism are common.” G. Lealand and H. Martin, It’s All  Done With Mirrors: About Television. (Palmerston North: Dunmore Press, 2001), 93.

[19] Keel, 107.

[20] Bruce K. Alexander, The Globalisation Of Addiction: A Study In Poverty Of The Spirit. (Oxford University Press, 2008).

[21] “The postmodern turn is a reaction to the dominant political ideologies that caused the horrors of the twentieth century as well as a growing conviction that the Enlightenment claims of producing “facts” and “absolute truth” through the application of a universal method were fundamentally wrong. Roxburgh, 101.

[22] Paul Spencer Williams in The Gospel and Globalization, 130.

[23] “By disembedding cultural values and then placing them in the service of consumer markets, capitalism gradually reduces all values, all beliefs, and all meaning to a matter of taste, preference and consumption habit.” Williams, 132.

[24] “The surface (‘the look’ of form and style) is often more important than the content of ‘meaning’… a set of effects designed to entertain and to persuade viewers to consume and to experience pleasure. This is nowhere more exemplified than in the music-video genre” Lealand and Martin, 93.

[25] Newbiggin, 101.

[26] Keel, 128.

[27] Webber, The Younger Evangelicals, 156.

[28] “The power of connection is a healing power. Healing connections are here, there and everywhere for picking if the church can help postmoderns understand what it means to be connected – connected to one-another, connected to creation, even connected to the church itself.” Leonard Sweet, Post-Modern Pilgrims. (Broadman & Holman: Nashville, 2000), 120.

[29] Sweet ,131-2.

[30] Newbigin notes that even Albert Einstein understood the limitations of science and mathematics to describe reality where he quotes him as saying: “As far as propositions of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.” Newbigin, 29

[31] Webber, Ancient-Future Evangelism, 62.

[32] Webber, Ancient-Future Evangelism, 63.

[33] Webber, Ancient-Future Evangelism, 158.

[34] Newbigin, 97.

[35] Webber, The Younger Evangelicals, 67.

[36] Newbigin, 152.

 

The Great Co-Mission 2 – Teach us to pray

In Luke 11 Jesus’ disciples said – “Lord, teach us to pray” and he taught them a prayer displayed in its full length in Matthew 6. My recently deceased mother taught me this prayer as a young child and I am indebted to her for it. I’ve been meditating a lot on the prayer this year and I want to share with you some thoughts that I hope will be encouraging.

This prayer has to do with how we live as followers of Christ in this life – on his great co-mission: “As the Father sent me so I am sending you” (John 20). Jesus introduces it as follows:

Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 

There are rewards for prayer – not from people but from God. One reward is that we will be changed so that God can also influence those around us. They will be able to better respond to God as we know him better.  God won’t change them or change our circumstances without first changing us.  He is more interested in our character than our comfort. Someone told me recently that she was struggling in her marriage and felt God say to her: “Don’t complain – pray and there will be change.” Things began to improve. She didn’t realise until years later that God was talking about changing her – not her husband! God’s reward is also greater responsibility in this life and the next. Jesus told a parable about how those who are faithful in this age are given responsibility over cities in the age to come. Our character is formed in this age. I don’t believe that our character suddenly changes upon our death – it’s just that we don’t have our marred “flesh” tripping us up any more. I like to think of prayer as if I am standing on a boat pulling into a wharf. I have thrown the rope over a mooring and I'm pulling the boat toward it. It appears from my perspective that I am moving the wharf!

⁷ When you pray, don't babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they'll be heard for their many words.  ⁸ Don't be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.  

God is not an idol – he is a Father. It’s not words that matter so much as sharing his heart. The apostle Paul in the book of Romans describes prayer “in the Spirit” as the Spirit helping us pray with “groanings too deep for words”. If we have words use them – but prayer is more about getting close to the heart of the Father and having a deep connection with his ways. The greatest joy of a parent is not that their children just obey them, but when the children begin to share the parents' deeply held values as their own. So in this prayer Jesus gives us not so much words but themes. Prayer is not about magic words or a secret success formula, but themes that we centre ourselves upon. So he starts: 

 ⁹ "Therefore, you should pray like this:  

Our Father in heaven,

    Your name be honored as holy.  

Notice how God comes first in the prayer – not us. God is the centre – not our needs. We revolve around him – not him around us. Paul says in the book of Ephesians that God’s ultimate purpose is the “summing up of all things in Christ in the heaven and on earth”. Then after that Jesus hands it all back to the Father.  Important as it is that our sin and pain is dealt with this is not where Jesus starts the prayer, but on the honour of the Father. He is Father of creation, the originator of all that exists. Why is he in heaven and separated from us? At creation he walked with humankind but his name was not honoured as holy. His honour and integrity were called into question by the serpent and we know the result – separation not just of humankind from God but heaven and earth became clearly separated – dimensioned off - with the connection points now only through God’s initiation (the temple, angelic vsitations, visions, God's Law and finally the Word of God made flesh - Jesus).  There is coming a day when heaven and earth will again be joined as one when all that has destroyed the world is itself destroyed at Jesus’ return. Until that time we are called to be those who honour God’s name and to make his character and will known through our actions and lifestyle so that others will honour him also.

    ¹⁰ Your kingdom come.

    Your will be done

    on earth as it is in heaven. 

God is firstly Father, but he is also described as a King with a kingdom. He is a kind king - not like the ancient kings who dominated and enslaved - but as one who encourages and gives us many chances and opportunities to be reconciled with him. He is the King who sent his own Son so that we may be reconciled to the Father. He didn’t leave us to go down with this sinking ship but made a way of escape. His will is that none should perish but all should come to the knowledge of that truth. He provides a way of escape from destruction through faith in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. His will is unchallenged in the unseen dimension called heaven, but here it is challenged because we are created as free agents. There is no opportunity for a relationship with a robot or a computer but only with a truly free person.  As we acknowledge him as King and pray his Kingdom come we are submitting to him and making him Lord – the very thing that was lost at the fall and caused all the trouble we see. As Jesus went about healing and doing good works he previewed the Kingdom that will be introduced in it’s fullness when he returns – no sickness, no dying, no poverty, no injustice, no broken relationships, no bitterness, no starving, no abused and no oppressed. We are called also to be previews of that Kingdom. As the Father sent Jesus so he sends us – how?

    ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. 

If we are to do his will and be his co-workers we need help! We are made from the dust - fallen and marred. Even as God’s children and forgiven we still live in a body that is subject to sickness, sin and death. When we receive our redeemed bodies then death the final enemy will be defeated. In the meantime God gives us the down-payment of our full inheritance - the Holy Spirit – God not just with us but his presence living inside us. The theme of ‘daily bread’ hints back to the Exodus. The ‘children of Israel’ were in the wilderness and every day God gave them enough manna – bread from heaven - for the day. The lesson was that they would learn that “man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”. God will provide our daily food, but much more so he will provide us with his Word and his Spirit.  Again in Luke 11:13 Jesus says “if you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” There are many passages that tell us we are also to be filled with – “the knowledge of His will.” We are to grow “in the knowledge of God so we you be filled with all the fullness of God.” By the Spirit God writes his laws on our hearts. We are to pray that we will not just have our material needs met but that we will be filled with the knowledge of his will and have the strength and love to live it. 

    ¹² And forgive us our debts,

    as we also have forgiven our debtors. 

Followers of Christ are not sinless! While we still live in this body we will stumble and fall – but when we do sin the apostle John tells us that we have “an advocate with the Father”. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews says that we aren’t to ever forget that we come to the “throne of grace” through the blood of Christ – through his righteousness not our own – where we may “find grace to help in time of need”. We are to never cast away that confidence to come. This is not using his mercy as an excuse to continue in sin but doing our best by his grace while at the same time being realistic. We are a work in progress -damaged goods - earthen vessels - jars of clay. But we are called to carry his glory in the earth as his co-workers. Then he gets the glory not us! It’s okay for people see our humanity - but they see the glory shining through our cracks as we submit to him and walk by his Spirit. Psalm 103 13-14 says “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.”  Forgiveness is also the key force that we have in our power to liberate others from slavery to Satan and sin. The spiritual forces - “principalities and powers” - that are defacto rulers of this world hold their power through a web of bitterness, anger, resentment, unforgiveness and desire for vengeance. When we practice these things we feed the power system which holds the world in such disarray.  On the cross when Jesus prayed: “Father forgive them they know not what they are doing…” he sent a shockwave through the kingdom of darkness that will ultimately see it completely destroyed. Stephen did the same at the hands of his murderers. Forgiveness undoes people’s worldviews. Most worldviews are based on “you owe me” – you owe me love, you owe me money, you owe me loyalty, you owe me respect – and taking vengeance on those who don’t. When we forgive we deeply challenge that. The people that changed the world most significantly for good in the in the 20^th century all understood this, and all got it from Jesus' teaching here in Matthew.

For example Mother Teresa said:

"People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. 
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. 
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. 
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. 
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. 
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. 
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway." 

Martin Luther King Jr said: 

"Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." 

Ghandi said :

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”

Desmond Tutu said:

"Forgiving is not forgetting; it’s actually remembering--remembering and not using your right to hit back. It’s a second chance for a new beginning. And the remembering part is particularly important. Especially if you don’t want to repeat what happened."

    ¹³ And do not bring us into temptation, 

    but deliver us from the evil one.

If we as God’s people are honouring his name; being filled with his Spirit; coming before him with confidence and shaking the powers of darkness through forgiveness we will be formidable forces for good in the world and for bringing people into healing and reconciliation with the Father. This will not go unchallenged by the forces trying to maintain their power-base against the invasion of God’s Kingdom. Our own “flesh" is still unredeemed and can let us down badly too. So we have the world systems, our own flesh and the evil forces of the age arrayed against us. So we humbly ask the Father for help and deliverance from their power. We live in hostile territory taking our life into – not our own hands – but Gods hands. In this world we shall have tribulation but Jesus says "...be of good cheer, I have overcome the world". We are promised suffering as followers of Christ – suffering from within and without. But he has promised never to leave us or forsake us. Not even death can separate us from the love of God so we are not to fear even those who can kill the body. Our lives are already hidden with Christ in God.

    For Yours is the kingdom and the power

    and the glory forever. Amen.

It all comes back to God. He gets all the glory, he is acknowledged as King, every knee bows and acknowledges him. Eternity belongs to him. The rebellion will only be a distant memory as we spend eternity in unbroken fellowship with him and with each other free from sickness, oppression and death on the new heavens and earth – no longer separated but joined as God always intended. He had to allow the rebellion so that he would have a people who he calls metaphorically “the bride of Christ”. Our eternal relationship with him is not a forced marriage but that of a bride who has been completely won over through unending patience, forgiveness, love and ultimate sacrifice.

So take this prayer with you as a power pack from Jesus. Meditate on it, pray it and let God speak back to you as you do. Pray it for yourself but remember it often uses the plural “us”. We are in this together as God’s people. Remember that it was our unwillingness to honour him as God that let the darkness in to the world and into our hearts in the first place. So daily make him Lord. Daily pray this prayer. The starting point to this new life is making a public confession of faith through Baptism – identifying with Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and signifying you are in on that great gift of life. If you’ve never done that ask someone you know is a real Christian about it. There is a movement of faith being stirred up right now that is going to prepare the way for Jesus to return. It’s something worth living and dying for.

The Bible as Six Act Drama

Stories in the Bible are not random events but part of an interconnected story. Just like a TV series where if you sit down and just see one episode of ‘Lost’ (which is about all I watched) you end up confused and mystified. You may be able to glean a little life-lesson from the episode (or not) but you can’t possibly get the whole story arc. Reading individual episodes of the Bible without reflecting on the big picture can be like that.

Like a good play or movie, the Bible can be divided into Acts. I call these six Acts Creation, Crisis, Covenant, Conquest, Community and Consummation.

ACT 1 - CREATION

This is the set-up. We are introduced to the characters and the scene is set. Firstly we meet the Sovereign Creator, then as Genesis records he says: "Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground”. 

One writer puts it like this: “By causing the creation to come into being by his word of power, God establishes it as his own vast kingdom. He thus establishes himself as the great King over all creation, without limits of any kind, and worthy to receive all glory, honor, and power in the worship of what he has created.”  He exercises dominion as he speaks and all creation responds.  He names what he creates.  He pronounces blessings over his creation; all unmistakable acts of a monarch.

His kingship is relational and loving as he walks with his subjects in the garden he has created. He invites them to participate in his ruler-ship over creation. This is more than creating servants, but of vice-regents, co-heirs, image-bearers and friends. Human beings are ‘image-bearers’ - we have authority and a degree of autonomy to also rule.  So to some extent we are all rulers just because God has created us in his own image to have responsible dominion. What follows is that we all have a little kingdom. We are accountable for the creation’s good as commissioned. This authority is an essential part of our humanness and remains with us to be used for good (if under God’s dominion) or for potential great harm if exercised apart from the relationship we were created for.

At creation everything is good. Shalom (peace, well-being, wholeness, safety, completeness, welfare) reigns. Human-kind is created uniquely in God’s image and put in the perfect environment where all is in harmony. God is in close relationship with his creation.Which leads us to Act 2.

ACT 2 - CORRUPTION

We could also call this Crisis or Chaos: Within creation God had also given a degree of authority and autonomy to another class of being to carry out his will. But within this angelic class there was one who overstepped his God-given boundaries - later called “… the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray…” Satan desires to be like God. To do this he must usurp the authority over the earth that humans alone carry.  

His tactics are the same as that of a scheming abuser. He carefully grooms his victims then once the innocent have fallen their guilt and shame keeps them in his clutches. Afraid and confused they withdraw from each other and hide from God.  The harmony of the Kingdom is shattered and the authority given the vice-regents becomes an instrument of destruction. The “dominion of darkness” has found its entrance into the Kingdom of Peace. Satan becomes the de facto “god of this age ...” continuing to blind and enslave victims who are powerless to break out of the victimhood and abuse cycle.   Another writer says: “Victims victimise others, and even themselves. In this way sin gains momentum. Worse, all sinful lives intersect with other sinful lives....”And so we come to Act 3 - capturing the chaos. 

ACT 3 - COVENANT

Humankind is bound in covenant to their cruel oppressors – sin and Satan. We are powerless to save ourselves or our broken world having surrendered our authority over to Satan.

God wants willing subjects, co-workers, friends and vice –regents. He doesn’t want robots. For free, powerful creatures like us to willingly submit to God is impossible; especially when we have literally sold our souls to the devil by choosing our own way above that of our sovereign King. So God allows us to feel the full weight of our independence from him. Society is like a train that’s jumped the tracks. We plummet to destruction smashing into each other and ripping apart our societies and God’s creation in the process.

So God does an incredible thing – through Covenant he binds himself to our fate. He partners with us in our destruction, not as participant in evil but as co-victim. In setting up the covenant with Abraham he is setting the stage for Act 4 – Conquest through the cross of his Son. Through the covenant God takes back for us what all the effort in the world could never earn; what all the military force could never win; what all the wealth in the world could never buy – but it is incredibly costly.

As God and Abraham bind themselves together in covenant it’s for the blessing and recovery of the whole world as God says: “all nations will be blessed through you”. It’s for Abraham submitting his little kingdom to the Creator King on behalf of all who follow in the path of the faith of Abraham; those who are of faith are the children of Abraham who inherit this blessing. So like the prodigal son "came to his senses" we also realise that we have squandered our inheritance and return to the gracious Father’s house.

Ominously the covenant was about blood. Innocent animals die as if to say "this is serious". Some blood covenants were sealed by the blood of animals, some by the blood of the participants. This covenant looked forward to a time over 2000 years later when a descendant of Abraham and of God would become the sacrifice, would go down with the train wreck, and would win it all back. Covenant captures the chaos.

ACT 4 - CONQUEST

Now the Son of God comes as the truly faithful, righteous covenant partner – the representative of human kind – the faithful Israelite - their expected Messiah. He also becomes the sacrifice. The "god of this age" is defeated – his legal claim over humanity is broken through the cross of Messiah. Jesus' resurrection is absolute conquest over our captors – sin and Satan, making a way for new creation and eternal life – the restoration of all things to the Shalom of the garden.

Recovery and restoration starts with the return of our wayward kingdoms to God’s Kingdom. But in our sinful broken state we can’t even do that - so God makes a way. Have you recognised that? If you’ve been a victim, Jesus has too. Some victims victimise others. We’re all victims and we’re all victimisers to different degrees. The good news is that through him there is forgiveness and freedom and restoration.

If you are afraid of being abused God says to you like he said the Abraham "Do not fear, I am your shield". Satan is the abuser, who whispers that God will never have you back, there’s too much shame; you’re too corrupted. Abram recognises that he is as powerless to help himself as he and Sarah are barren. All he can do is dare to believe and God does the rest.

ACT 5 - COMMUNITY

The victory is won, Satan has been defeated, the prison doors are open; the frail survivors begin to leave the concentration camps of sin. Yet like victims of long-term abuse there is still sometimes an unhealthy affinity with the abuser - a fatal attraction to what has enslaved fuelled by ignorance or fear of the unknown. Freedom feels too foreign. The familiarity of the abusive relationship feels familiar and therefore safer than freedom. So in his patience the King waits, trying to lure us out with foretastes of the goodness of his Kingdom.

This is where we find ourselves; we who know what it’s like to be back in the Father’s house. We willingly submit our ways to his and in return he clothes us with garments of righteousness, a ring of authority and sandals to take the good news to others. We willingly and gladly serve him through love and relationship not through compulsion. Our joy and restoration to true humanness as displayed by Jesus attract others to the house of the Father because the one who is Creator and King is also the loving Father. We model the mercy and justice of the King in the humility and servanthood of Jesus and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. That's our challenge

As the community of the people of God we have inherited the promise that "all nations will be blessed though you"; restated by Jesus as "go into all the world and make disciples of all nations" - offering to people release, freedom from fear, refuge; calling and reconciliation through Jesus the Messiah. We are a foretaste of the fullness of the kingdom yet to come in the final Act.

ACT 6 - CONSUMMATION

Consummation is defined as “the perfect ending; bringing of something to a satisfying conclusion, or the final satisfying completion or achievement of something”. The announcement is complete; the followers have modelled and proclaimed the kingdom so that all of creation has heard the invitation to freedom. It’s time for the Kingdom to come in its fullness. The groaning of creation is over. Evil is finally purged from the earth as the Son returns in unvieled glory with all the returned prodigals from all generations. The masterpiece is restored and heaven and earth can once again dwell as one. God has a creation in harmony and a people who will enjoy him for eternity.

LOST?

Why is the most popular genre on TV criminal drama? Why are there so many stories about broken relationships and the struggles to see restoration? Because deep down we know this story – the longing for justice and restored relationship is embedded in our DNA. God has placed eternity in our hearts. It will be a happy ending, but not for all. Not all the prodigals will return. But let us not be a stumbling block to any like the elder brother in the story. God's promise is that if we will take this reality seriously and submit our lives to God's reign then we will come alive in this new life and reflect it out into our world. Are you ready?

The Great Co-Mission

John chapter 20 could be described as the turning point of the whole biblical narrative – the day Jesus is raised from the dead. Tears of grief become tears of joy. Despair turns to faith - darkness to light – death to life – emptiness to fullness – hopelessness to purpose.

John is a poet – an artist with word-images. He deliberately parallels his book to the creation account in Genesis. Both Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1 start with “In the beginning.” John 20 is the start of new creation – the day Jesus is raised from the dead - the “first day” of the week. Darkness is over the face of the deep but the Spirit has been at work bringing life out of chaos. This is Day One of a new creation.

Imagine witnessing the creation of the universe? Mary Magdalene is about to witness something equally as significant. Mary was one of the women who travelled with Jesus – a female disciple. It is recorded that she contributed to the support of his ministry so she must have had financial means. She was also recorded in Luke as having had seven demons cast out of her. So she had quite a history. Some commentators think Mary Magdalene is the same person who anointed Jesus' feet with her perfume and tears as recorded by Luke chapter 7. Jesus says of that women: “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”

Today she was on a mission – to anoint Jesus’ body again with spices along with Mary the mother of James and Salome (as per Mark).  But the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty! She runs to get the men – what does this mean? Peter and John come to check it out – “yep it’s empty all right – lets go home”. But something of Mary’s female intuition tells her there’s more going on here.

She can’t leave. I like the old word “tarrying” – sometimes we need to listen to those divine prompts to wait instead of rushing on to the next thing. She hesitated – it just didn’t seem right to go yet. She stays – processing the grief, taking in the moment. We only weep over those we love. There’s a line out of a Switchfoot song that comes to mind: “If it doesn’t break your heart it isn’t love.” Then through her tears she sees something (everything looks like angels through tears!)

“Why are you weeping?” The angels ask. Well it seems obvious to her but out of respect she explains to them why. Then another voice – same question – plus “whom are you seeking?” Who are you seeking? What are you seeking? Where are your efforts being placed? Where is your heart passion directed? Mary’s was directed to Jesus.

She thought he was the gardener! John is referencing the creation account again. Adam was the original creation man put in the Garden of Eden to “tend and keep” it. Now here is the new creation Gardener – the second Adam. Paul – explaining the nature of resurrection and the new creation in 1 Corinthians 15 says “Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man.” Jesus has a physical resurrection body – but she doesn’t recognize him. In the resurrection there is continuity with our current physicality and discontinuity as well – more than mortal. Paul uses the analogy of comparing a seed to the plant it produces to explain this difference between first creation life and resurrection life.

He says her name: “Mary”. She recognizes him.  Someone saying your name brings back all your history with that person in an instant – not facts but emotions. Mary becomes a “sent one” – the first witness of the resurrection! The first messenger/missionary/apostle of the crucified and risen Son of God. He tells her “go to my brethren”. This is the first time he refers to his followers as “my brethren” – they had become his family – born anew of the same Father - my whanau, my family, my people, my brothers and sisters.

So it’s now evening – the doors are locked. Jesus appears in their midst – physical but different. What does he say? “Peace to you.” This is more than just saying “chill out guys its just me”. This is announcing that something has shifted. The Second Gardener who is also the Sovereign of the World has reclaimed the peace or “shalom” that was lost in the original garden. This was announced hundreds of years before by another poet in Isaiah 9:

Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.…

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.

The kingdom of God is a Kingdom of peace – peace with God, reconciliation of races, restoration of the groaning of creation in terms of the new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells. The people of the world are gripped by anxiety but we as the sent people of God are called to both possess his peace and to take the peace of God into our broken world.

Sometimes things have to be broken before they can be fixed. At one point Jesus says: “I didn’t come to bring peace but a sword.” God will challenge and judge our abusive structures, relationships and belief systems - but the end-goal is peace. Our message is peace and our method is peace. “My peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.” (John 14:27) “Seek peace and pursue it” (1 Pet 3:11). When Jesus sent out his people two by two he instructed them to bring a blessing of peace on a house. This wasn’t just words but something I believe God wants us to draw from his presence – something tangible we can pass on.

Jesus’ pattern was to send out his disciples two by two to places where he was going to come. (Luke 10:1). Like John the Baptist they (and we as “sent ones”) have this task of preparing the way of the Lord. He will come where we take his peace. If we take arguments, anger, criticism and judgment we aren’t preparing the way for him to come. Why? He wants human witnesses to model what it’s like to live in relationship with God. We are broken, imperfect, stumbling people with the life of God within – a treasure in earthen vessels that the glory might be his not ours.

So he says again “Peace to you – as the Father sent me so I send you”. This is the great mission. God is a sending God. God sent his prophets, God sent his Son Jesus, now God sends us in the same way. Author Alan Hirsh says:“Although we frequently say "the church has a mission," according to missional theology a more correct statement would be "the mission has a church."” God has a mission and we are instruments of that mission. We talk about the Great Commission but this is the great “Co-Mission”. He co-missions them and he co-missions us to go as he went – with compassion, with service, with tears, with suffering, with joy – the attitude that was in Christ also be in us (Philippians 2).

Then he says in the next breath (literally) “receive the Holy Spirit”. Jesus was “anointed with the Holy Spirit and power and went about doing good and healing” (Acts 10:38) and so must his followers be. Not putting on shows and selling tickets but doing good and healing – moved with love and compassion as he was with this new-creation-Spirit-life in us now that Jesus is risen from the dead. Here again is a parallel to Genesis where God breathes on Adam and he becomes a living soul. We come alive with the life of God in us – new birth – regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Jesus quickly adds that our attitude and message is to be one of forgiveness in line with his nature of restoration not condemnation. Take a breath of God, receive his peace – and forgive.

So where does this leave us? Our method is our message. In our busy anxious world we are called to be like Mary – a seeker of his face. If it doesn’t break your heart it isn’t love. We are called to be people of the heart more than people of the head. Jesus calls us to be his brethren, his whanau, his people - to live in this world as ambassadors of the age to come. Where we go in his name taking his peace he will follow. As the Father sent me so I send you. Peace to you.

Who’d have thought?

who’d have thought that God the King
would give himself an offering
upon the altar of my pain
that his great loss could be my gain?

who’d have thought he'd make a way
for me to come to him today
my sin and shame no more a wall
instead to him in worship fall?

who’d have thought that in his face
i see not anger but love and grace
that through the blood of his only son
boldly to his presence i could come?

                                                who'd have thought?

Making sense of tragedy - the Christchurch earthquake

Tragedy is a wake-up call. We all become more aware of our own mortality - that could easily have been me. What is really important in my life?

Tragedy is a chance to reflect on how the things we think are permanent can change in a flash. The buildings and organisations that crumbled represent the things we often put our trust in - media, education, immigration (CTV Building), finance, sharemarket, real estate (Forsyth Barr Building, Pyne Gould Guiness Building) tourism (Hotel Grand Chancellor) religion (cathedral). The Bible speaks of a time coming when all those things that can shaken will be shaken. What are we trusting in ultimately? 

In the midst of it our true quality is tested. Some prayed, some blasphemed. Like the structures shaken we see what foundation we have built our lives on.  The materials we have built our lives from will become obvious. We will all face tests - the time to prepare is before the storms or earthquakes come. 

What would Jesus say? In Luke 13 there is a story about a time when some came and reported to him about an atrocity commited against innocent people by Pilate the Governor. They wanted to know why these had been singled out for suffering. He says:“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." So it's not about a particular person's sin or goodness (who dies and who survives). Ultimately we will all face our end and the proper response is to seriously examine our priorities and attitudes and change our thinking and living where appropriate now.

Luke 13 also hints at what that repentance will look like - God's people Israel hadn't bought forth the fruit God had expected. Jesus tells a story about a fig tree that had failed to produce fruit being given one more chance, But failure seemed inevitable. National judgement was coming - the swords and falling buildings literally engulfed Jerusalem in AD70. So from tradegy there is an expected response of national re-examination and repentance. God sorts out his own household first. Those of us who claim to be Christians need to lead the way in this. I see this as seeking to be all that God has called us to as the church - not settling for pretty facades just because that's how it's always been.  In Jesus' time most of the leadership in Israel were quick to point the finger of condemnation at the nations and individuals that were crossing their moral boundaries. But they had failed in their calling to bring blessing and reconciliation to a lost and hurting world. Jesus did the opposite. What should we do?

Where is God in the midst of tragedy? Is he the cosmic mad scientist pulling the levers and killing babies? No - he is the one who in Christ is with us in the midst of our suffering - who's sacrificial blood is mingled with ours and who is buried with us under the weight of sin not his own. 

Two dead guys

Jesus tells the story recorded by Luke about two characters from vastly different backgrounds. We first meet a named character - Lazarus - who comes from the lowest of the low. He's a beggar, homeless and dying. There's no Social Welfare, no ACC, no Health Insurance - just some hungry dogs licking his open sores as he lies dying outside the rather plush home of the second man.

Character two is un-named even though in this life he is obviously the important powerful person. Inside the strong door and high walls he is partying with his friends. Jesus simply calls him 'a rich man'. Traditionally he's been given the name 'Dives' because apparently that's the Latin word for rich. Dives seems to be in good shape but maybe his over-indulgent lifestyle gets the best of him because within a short space of time both he and Lazarus depart this life.

Scene two is the afterlife where we see now a dramatic role reversal. Lazarus is comforted by Father Abraham and the rich man is in torment. Why? Is this just Karma? Payback for being rich? Revenge of the Universe?

There's lots of possible levels here:

1. The rich man was a member of the ruling class that fed off the poor class; not just uncaring but actually largely responsible for the plight of the poor. He represents the fat cats of society that create conditions where poverty thrives so they can profit from the misfortune of others. The scene represents the reasonable justice of God on those who would live so uncaringly towards the powerless.
2. The rich man was simply too blind to see the plight of those around; preoccupied with his own Very Important Business, like the story of the Good Samaritan where the religious people simply passed by and were not the 'neighbour' that the wounded man needed. If this is the case then the judgement seems a little harsh (i.e. uncomfortable for us middle class people). 
3. The rich man represents the religious leaders and the poor man represents the people they considered unworthy of the Kingdom. Lazarus wasn't playing their religious games so he was an outsider who 'deserved' what he got. Jesus used this theme a lot; the story of the Prodigal Son for instance. He's saying to the religious leaders: "Guys, my Kingdom doesn't look like yours. How about trying to see it the other way around. You've got it totally upside down - wake up!"
4. Perhaps the story is actually about God's Law. As Jesus tells it when the rich man is in torment he asks Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his brothers, Abraham replies that they wouldn't listen even if one rises from the dead, but they have God's Law if they cared to heed it - they are without excuse. Note Jesus is not approaching the Law like the religious leaders; as something to score people against to see if they are 'in' or 'out' (because on that basis Lazarus and the Prodigal son were definitely out), but the Law was about how to treat other people with mercy, dignity and compassion because we are all created in God's image. The Law was given to help us understand God's love and extend that love to the world, not to give us a sword of judgement. 

All these levels are valid. I think we often read God's Law wrong and miss the point. Jesus said that he didn't come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. Yes God will deal with evil because he is just, but stories like this illustrate that we may not always perceive evil as God does. Believers in Jesus are meant to have not just the external Law but God's Law written on our hearts and his Spirit within outworking his care for the world. 

The challenge is to treat the Lazarus' on earth as they are in heaven, and maybe see the rich, famous, powerful and charismatic in this world as the 'Dives' they are - to be pitied rather than to be imitated.  

Mark - the Epic Adventure

Mark’s account of the story of Jesus is an epic action packed narrative. It has a great sense of scale as it gathers together the great promises of history; the sweep of civilisations toward a climactic moment; and the dramatic miracles adding an extra dimension of divine power to the story. He uses every opportunity to stress the importance of what is taking place. It is critical to the Jewish people; critical within the great civilisations of the day and critical to all who hear the story in the ages to come. 

Mark strongly anchors the story in space and time as if to assure the hearers that this is not a work of fiction but an historical account of real events with eye witnesses. There were challenges being made to the whole world order and Mark makes it plan that Jesus was aware of the challenges he was making; and he was aware of the consequences he would face as a result of that challenge; building a sense of impending danger through the story but leaving numerous hints that the outcome will not be what most of the participants in the story expect. 

Overview

Mark begins with Jesus’ impressive credentials: prophesied by Isaiah; personally announced by John; attested to by the voice of God; tempted by but victorious over Satan; lead by the Spirit and ministered to by angels.  Jesus is also shown as the one who announces the Kingdom of God and his teaching and works of power seem to be consistent with his calling as the Messenger of the Lord; the promised Messiah.

In Chapter 2-3 Mark goes on to reveal Jesus with the authority to forgive sins and even as a friend of sinners who has come to announce a new order which challenges yet strangely fulfils the Law of God. Jesus is revealed as willing to boldly confront the existing religious order as he begins to call his own disciples as those he will apprentice in this new Way. Verse 19 begins to show a backlash; from Judas who we are told eventually betrays Jesus; and a backlash from Jesus’ own family. We begin to see a surprising vulnerability in Jesus and a sense of impending tragedy.

Chapter 4 is an interlude of Jesus’ teaching the multitudes as Mark begins to flesh out for the reader Jesus motivation and methods. His teaching is all about this Kingdom he has come to inaugurate. 

Chapters 5-8 moves back into action mode as Jesus is shown raising the dead, taking authority over unclean spirits and instilling hope in the lost and scattered multitudes but showing Jesus’ vulnerability among his own people where he is limited by their unbelief. He sends out his 12 apprentices to do on their own what he has taught and to use the authority he has given. The story of the death of John the Baptist is told in flashback; again hinting at the possibility of Jesus himself being put to death. Chapter 6 finishes with the more dramatic accounts of miracles of provision of food, walking on water and mass healings as Jesus fame grows but with a clash with the religious establishment where Jesus exposes their hypocrisy. Jesus heals a non-Jewish woman showing himself more obviously different to the ruling religious order who would disapprove; climaxing with Peter’s revelation and confession of Jesus as the Christ and Jesus clearly predicting his own death and the potential cost to all would follow him.

In Chapter 9 Mark gives the mind-blowing account of the supernatural appearing of Moses and Elijah with Jesus. These were some of the most revered characters in Jewish history so for them to be personally endorsing Jesus left no doubt as to his Messiah-ship. Jesus once again predicts his own death and warns his disciples that to be his followers they must chose a path of servant-hood.

Chapter 10 is another teaching interlude; this time discussing issues of divorce from the perspective of principles from creation and our attitude toward possessions; choosing a life of simplicity and servant-hood; again with Jesus illustrating by predicting his own death.    

In chapters 11-15 the action picks up as we enter the final phase of the story; Jesus entering Jerusalem hailed as King. He cleanses the temple with a whip then speaks parables which sting the religious establishment with equal severity. Jesus warns of the destruction of the temple and predicts his own return. He eats the Passover with his disciples and prepares himself for death - although the disciples still don’t understand that he is to be the fulfilment of the Passover.  Jesus is arrested and whipped and crucified. The dynamic earthquake, tearing of the temple curtain and announcement by the centurion that ‘this man really was God’s son’ seal Mark’s case; this was fully the plan of God for Messiah to bring the Kingdom by his own death.

Chapter 16 is the epilogue and the grand conclusion: Jesus is risen. He speaks to his disciples, teaching and instructing then ascends to the Father promising his return.  

The challenge

The gospel of Mark is blatantly evangelistic and pointed. Mark packs a lot of punch into a small space as he cleverly weaves narrative, flashback, hints of conspiracy, clues from Jesus own teaching and a back-story from the Old Testament prophets.

The picture he paints of Jesus is nuanced. Jesus is the promised one, but not how he was expected. There is a vulnerability to him which seems to run counter to his spectacular abilities to heal and provide. Mark paints Jesus as powerful yet vulnerable, commanding yet humble and radical yet approachable.  

What a powerful message we have! It cannot be ignored, yet are we able to communicate this message as powerfully in our day as Mark did? We live in a world that has ‘heard it all before’ and only the Spirit of God can stir us up to bring the message alive again in our generation. 

How are we to be as confrontational to the ruling powers of our day as Jesus was; yet in a spirit of humility and servant-hood like him; to reach the masses with a message of comfort and understanding rather than alienation and condemnation?

The message of the resurrection of Jesus and what it means is something we must continue to grapple with. It has the power to bring life into the lifeless but we struggle to communicate this with the power it carries. God open our eyes to this epic adventure we find ourselves in and equip us to live worthy of it!

Acts - Jesus Rocks the World

The book of Acts represents a thirty year history of the explosive expansion of the Christian movement after the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. What were the factors which led to this rapid expansion? I believe they can be summarised in seven concepts: Focus, Filling of the Spirit, Fellowship, Faith, Fear of the Lord, Flexibility and Freshness.  In the early church these factors came together in a powerful synergy to produce earth-shaking results. Can we recapture that synergy today?  

Focus

Luke introduces Acts as the continuation of the story of the life and work of Jesus post-resurrection; now taken up by the ministry of the Holy Spirit.   It’s the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection now changing gears into Jesus working by His Holy Spirit through a people.  The players in Acts saw themselves as a part of the sweep of history; the Creator God’s plan to rescue the world through Israel being fulfilled in his Messiah. They clearly saw the glory of the Lord filling the heaven and the earth.  I believe the incredible momentum we see through Acts is because the followers of The Way  understood that they were part of a bigger story.

This story gave them Focus. It set the scene for them. They knew and proclaimed the narrative which started at creation; carried on through the fall, God’s covenant with Abraham, then raising up from him a people who were to be a light to the nations; the setting apart of those people by the Law through Moses and their subsequent proving in the wilderness. It continued through the establishment of the kingdom and exile and the promise of Messiah and full restoration.  This story was climaxed in the coming of Messiah in Jesus of Nazareth; his living as the faithful servant representative of Israel who became also the suffering servant and the deliverer; not only of Israel but of the world – all as promised in the Hebrew Scriptures. Now those who had seen how the story worked out were captured by its implications and had no doubt as to the part they were to play in the coming of the fullness of the Kingdom and the final return and reign of the King.    This is the essence of Peter’s message on the day of Pentecost and subsequent messages throughout Acts. 

This sense of story gave focus; a sense of a great destiny and purpose to those who embraced it and a message which permeated everything they lived and died for.  This focus was called ‘the good news of the Kingdom’ ; ‘the gospel’ ; ‘the Way ’; ‘the Word of God ’. This narrative put everything into true perspective and true focus. Continually through Acts the preaching of the gospel is tied into the sweep of history and into the story of Israel.  The point was that this movement was something unexpected but it was not something new. It was part of a grand sweep of history giving a sure foundation to those who were confused, downtrodden and scattered.  People could be connected, not just to a worthy cause but to Truth; the whole purpose of creation and history. Even among the non-Jewish people the believers preached a creator God who had been lovingly at work all along, in the background, involved in the lives and histories even of those who were ignorant; now calling all to faith in the resurrected Messiah and saviour for all peoples. 

On the day of Pentecost...“Peter...is understanding the Old Testament as a single great story which is constantly pointing forwards to something that God the creator was going to do through Abraham and his family... this great Something was the restoration of all things, the time when everything would be put right at last. And now he says, it’s happened! It’s happened in Jesus! And you can be part of it.” (Tom Wright: Acts for Everyone - Part 1)

Filling with the Spirit

Secondly and significantly intertwined with this focus was the Filling of the Spirit. Early in Acts the spectacle of the outpouring of the Spirit attested to the message preached.   When Peter stood and explained what had just happened on the day of Pentecost he references the Prophets, specifically the prophet Joel ; explaining that although this is something new to us, it all makes sense in terms of the big picture. It obviously impacted the hearers as three thousand joined the movement that day.

The filling of the Spirit was more than just a sign though. It was the birth of a new creation – the life of God re-birthed among humankind; the resurrection life of Jesus within individuals forming them into the expression of Messiah on the earth; fallen humanity bought back into the life of God and the guarantee of resurrection and the new creation.  The life of the indwelling Spirit empowered them to do the works of Jesus  and to become part of a new community – the people of God.  They were now empowered by the Spirit to do what Israel could only attempt to do by obedience to the Law.  And the people of God were no longer limited to Israel or those who adopted Judaism but were drawn from every nation. 

The book of Acts is filled with the work of the Spirit though the people of God. The Spirit led them and guided them in matters of doctrine.   The Spirit did signs and wonders through them, the Spirit helped them pray, praise, and testify.  The Spirit helped them face death and adversity with courage and faith and the Spirit along with their focus on the story they found themselves in produced the next key: Fellowship.

Fellowship

A definition of Fellowship (koinonia) I like is The Shared Life.  True fellowship as experienced in the early church encompassed a shared focus, the shared life of the Spirit, but also the practical outworking of sharing of resources within a caring community.  In this community there was reconciliation of previously strained or warring relationships which made a powerful statement to the outsiders.  Rich, poor, slaves, free, Jews, Gentiles, men, women, young and old were all treated with respect, care and dignity. This was a huge contrast to the racist, classist, sexist society of the day and drew many to the church.   

The church therefore became a source of practical salvation as well as spiritual needs. There was little if any distinction between the two.  The church became all that the temple was supposed to have been; the dwelling place of God, the place of forgiveness and reconciliation and the place of provision. The church also became all that Rome had promised but could only try to deliver by brute force – safety, justice and prosperity. Consequently the Church was popular with the common people but jealously persecuted by both the Jewish leadership who felt they were losing followers to heresy and later by the Roman state nervous that someone else was claiming to be King  and Lord  and doing a better job of it ('Lord’ was used by both the Romans to refer to Caesar and by the Jews to refer to Yahweh, so when the believers proclaimed Jesus as Lord and Jesus did the things that Yahweh had promised to do and Caesar had boasted he could do but never delivered on the church drew some unpleasant attention).

This shared life extended to their leadership style.  They recognised that all are members of the Body of Christ with every person a gifted and valuable member , yet some have been given gifts of leadership. This did not equate to superiority but if anything to greater responsibility.  Jesus had modelled servant leadership and stressed to them that they were not to copy the dominating leadership styles common in their culture but instead to lead by example and genuine sacrificial love.  

Fellowship in the early church was not only horizontal but also vertical.  The indwelling Spirit breathed a whole new dynamic of prayer and worship into the people of God. They became the living temple of the living God! As they prayed and worshipped they received fresh infilling and empowering.  Prayer and worship permeated all they did.  

At the heart of this was the celebration of the Lord ’s Table , the Lord’s supper  or 'breaking of bread' as it was simply referred to in Acts 2:42. This distinctive celebration  instituted by Jesus prior to his death encompassed and refocused the story in one simple profound and participatory act. It calls to mind creation, the Passover, the broken body and spilt blood of Jesus and the Old Testament sacrifices.  If encourages faith in the oneness of the believers eating and drinking together and the power of the death and resurrection of Jesus through the indwelling Spirit. It brings hope in the promise of the future kingdom when all is summed up in Christ and much more.   

Faith

The combination of the filling of the Spirit, the backup of a loving supportive community and an unshakable focus on God’s purposes produced another key factor: Faith. The apostles in particular were known for their staggering confidence before God, before people and before the forces of evil. The church chose leaders for these qualities of being full of the Spirit and faith.   True faith, Paul says in Romans, comes from hearing the word or story concerning Christ (Rom 10:17). As the Holy Spirit enlightens our understanding faith will the natural outflow. Faith was such a powerful factor in the early church that another name for the movement was The Faith. 

Faith has some balancers which were critical to the growth of the church. Faith without love, Paul tells us later – reduces us to nothing.   Spectacular faith without true care for each-other will not produce the results God desires. Faith also needs to be coupled with the filling of the Spirit. There is an unfortunate incident where a group of fired-up young enthusiasts (the sons of Sceva) were casting out demons in the 1name of Jesus – apparently with some success until a demon realised that they were missing the critical ingredient and turned on them.  They seemed to have great faith but did not have the life of God within them. 

The Fear of the Lord

Another critical balancer is The Fear of the Lord. God was close and big among the early church – he was awesome in their midst.  The believers knew the track record of the God of the Hebrews. He was known for His compassion but also His justice. The stories of His past dealings with His people rightly gave the apostles a great respect for Him. Jesus himself had reflected that character when he cleansed the temple.  God has an agenda for holiness and his Spirit is called the Holy Spirit for good reason. So the few times that God brought about judgement (enforcing justice) the resultant response was ‘the fear of the Lord’. 

The great value of the manifestation of the fear of the Lord was to make the church a safe place from predators and abusers. This was key to the churches rapid growth as it marked it out as genuine; not under the control of people but under the firm hand of God. Acts 9:11 says: “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.”  Anyone who dared speak or presume to lead had to have a healthy fear of God, to stay true to His word and treat people right or face God’s anger.

Flexibility

Paradoxically the fear of the Lord did not lead to inactivity and rigidity as might be expected by those afraid to put a foot wrong but coupled with the work of the Spirit and the focus on God’s story the fear of the Lord allowed a great freedom and Flexibility. The believers were able to relate powerfully using the culture and symbols of those they were ministering to without fear of compromise or syncretism because they had a deep Spirit-enlightened understanding of God’s ways and God’s story.  

This flexibility was manifested in how they organised the new groups of believers , how they shared the message, how they related to people from other cultures and how they interfaced with the Jewish faith they had sprung out from. Roy Clements says: “Unlike the imperialisms of men, the Holy Spirit had no ambition to homogenise the peoples of the world into a uniform Christian culture. On the contrary, he intended to bridge cultures and to overcome the alienation they create without eroding the diversity they represent...the dividing walls of culture would not be destroyed but lowered to the point of innocuousness, being superseded by a new kind of social identity altogether... – the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.” (Roy Clements, The Church That Turned the World Upside Down).

There were many challenges to their existing thinking. Firstly the temple became less important because they understood now that the believers themselves were the temple of God. The relationship to ‘outsiders’ – non-Jews was dramatically challenged by God through Peter’s vision.  The issue of keeping the Jewish law came to a head in Acts 15 and the church was able to make a major shift to recognise that believers did not have to become Jewish before they could become part of the church.

The apostle Paul continued with great effectiveness sharing the story of Jesus throughout much of the known world because he understood that God was bigger than Judaism – he was and has always been working in every people group and has his finger-prints on every culture.  

Freshness

The combination of all these factors meant that the Acts church was a place of continual Freshness. There was movement and excitement because the wind of the Spirit was moving.  The story of God was unfolding before their eyes in their generation. They knew God’s ways; what he likes and why because they knew that they were part of the great story and through prayer and worship they had become His friends (In John 15:15 Jesus had said: “I no longer call you servants, because servants do not know their master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you”).  

As a result they were full of faith, joy and enthusiasm. They could then apply the unchanging principles they had learned from Jesus or passed down from other under the leading of the Spirit without fear of compromising the message in ways that honoured the people they were ministering to.  

They understood what it means to serve and created a safe, just and kind environment that was a place of great refreshing. People were attracted and the church exploded with growth even in the midst of extreme opposition at times. 

Fitting it together

What can we learn for the contemporary church? I think a major key is to regain the story of the gospel. It is not just a set of statements we must believe, it is an unfolding story we must grasp, grapple with and learn to communicate. I fear that we have lost the power of this story among the many competing narratives in our world.  Tom Wright says:“When no attention is given to teaching, and to constant, lifelong Christian learning, people quickly revert to the worldview or mindset of the surrounding culture, and end up with their minds shaped by whatever social pressures are most persuasive, with Jesus somewhere around as a pale influence or memory.” (Acts for Everyone)

The other major key I see is that we need to have all these factors in place together in synergy. There have been churches and movements that have emphasised faith but have forgotten the fear of the Lord so have become self-serving. There have been movements that have emphasised the fear of the Lord but without understanding God’s ways which can be applied with flexibility and grace they have become rigid and legalistic. Others have emphasised fellowship and community but missed the big story focus so neglected the urgent call to tell the story. Some have been so flexible in their desire to be relevant that they have unwittingly compromised the message itself. Others have emphasised the filling of the Spirit so much they neglect the rest and focus instead on their next (supposed) Holy Spirit experience.  Some have focussed so much on teaching doctrine they forget to simply care for each other.

At a basic level the spread of the message about Jesus is about God who made us bringing us into what we were made for. Humans long to be a part of big story which gives meaning to life and fits with the world we observe. They hunger for truth. The story of God in Jesus supplies this Focus. We are made to be connected to the source of all life; so we fill that God-shaped gap with God-substitutes to ease the craving but we are made for the Filling of the Spirit. We are made for warm, meaningful and safe relationships:  Fellowship in God’s people is to provide this. We are made for adventure and risk taking and the danger we find in a life of Faith. We hunger for justice and to know that there is someone who is able to deal with evil and correct us when we stray. We find this as we understand The Fear of the Lord.  We instinctively know that life is about grace and that God who made this amazing creation is a God of variety, beauty and Flexibility not harsh rigidity. We love an adventure where the plot unfolds and we are surprised and delighted by the Freshness of what we find. These were distinctive of the early church. Is it any wonder that multitudes were added? 

These principles are rooted in God’s character and in the needs of humanity and they are proven to produce lasting fruit that will remain. Focus, Filling of the Spirit, Fellowship, Faith, Fear of the Lord, Flexibility and Freshness working together in the early church produced incredible results. I believe as we begin to align ourselves afresh with these proven keys we too will see powerful results.