One way churches and businesses can raise the bar is with their websites.  I want to tell you leaders about Clover Sites.

It always amazes me how God orchestrates things in our lives.  On Monday, you can have a conversation that you totally don’t understand, and by the end of the week see how that conversation played into a another conversation you were going to have on Wednesday.

I have been discipling a young college student each Monday who has tons of great questions about the Bible, Christianity, and God.  He recently became a follower of Jesus.  He, like many young people in the Bible belt, grew up in church, heard a lot of sermons, got baptized, and went to college without a clear understanding of the gospel. What he heard for 18 years was Moral Deism, good behavior, how to get God on your side. That’s not the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Two weeks ago, as we were wrapping up our discussion of the previous Sunday’s message at Mars Hill, I offered to pray for him and the job interview he was about to have.  He said that was fine, but asked, “Before you do that, can I ask you something?”

I said, “sure”.

“How do you pray?”

“Great question,” I said, “the disciples asked Jesus the same thing.”

We turned to Matthew 6 and walked through the Lord’s prayer.  Then I asked him what it looks like when he goes to God.  “How do you pray to God right now?”

His answer broke my heart.

“Well, I usually pray at night right before I go to bed.  It’s really the only time I have to pray.  The bad thing is, I’m usually stressed out all day because of some sin I committed that morning but I have to wait all day before I can ask Jesus to forgive me.  I sure hope nothing happens to me during the day before I can ask Jesus for forgiveness.”

Is it possible for us to grow up in church and miss the gospel?

How many of us, those of us who seem to know and understand the gospel, still live life this way?

Many of us are still living as if we need to earn God’s approval.

Look briefly to what Paul says to the Corinthians,

[15:1] Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, [2] and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
[3] For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,     (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 ESV).

Who was Paul talking to in this passage?  I’ll give you a hint… in verse 1 he calls them, “brothers”.

He was speaking to the church.  He was preaching the gospel to people who already knew the gospel.  He said that I want to come and “reap a harvest among some of you.”  He wasn’t saying, “I want to come and save some of you that are already saved.”  He was saying, “I want to come and push some of you closer and closer to holiness.”

In verse 3 he says that I want to remind you of the message that you already know… the gospel.

We need to remind ourselves of the gospel in our own lives.  Preach the gospel to yourself, everyday.

When we come to God as if our relationship with him is based off of our own merits, then we only come to God when we’ve done something we can brag about.  That’s self righteousness.  If we approach God as if his approval is dependent on our good behavior, then when we fail, we’ll run from him.

Paul wants to remind us that our relationship with God is about what Jesus has done.  It’s not because we are spectacular, it’s because Jesus is spectacular.  He delights in us because of the cross.

When we can understand the gospel in our own lives, that it’s more than just a message we preach to lost people, we have the freedom to pray.  We have the freedom to stand before God in all of our failures because we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus.  There’s no more stress, no more trepidation, no more fear, just Jesus.

When we understand the gospel we can approach God in our failures, rather than run from him, and he allows us to become more and more like Jesus.  He reaps a harvest in our own lives, moving us more and more into holiness.

[3] For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

If we miss any of that, we miss the gospel.   Because of the life and death of Jesus, we are free from the bondage of sin and death.

Christian, may you find freedom because of what the gospel has not only done in your life, but what the gospel continues to do in your life today.  May you draw closer to God, even in your times of failure, that he may remind you of the role the cross still plays in your life.  The gospel doesn’t end at salvation, it lives on in our life today.  Because of the gospel, God delights in us.  Because of the gospel, God is for us.

I often have those “Paul moments” when I ask God, “Surely I’m not the best you have for this job?”  God quickly reminds me, “No, you’re not.  But you are the one I want for this job.”

I know I’m not alone in this.  I think most of us have these moments, maybe often, where we just don’t understand why God chose us.  We know our own secrets.  We know our own failures.  We know where we came from.  And, on top of all of that, God knows it.  He also knows where we’re going and when we’ll fail again.  And yet, in spite of all of that, He still chooses us.  Why?  Why me?  Why you?  Why us?

The simple answer is this… “It has nothing to do with you.  It has nothing to do with me.”

When I took on the role as Administrative Pastor at Mars Hill, I was quickly met with opposition from a few concerned members.  I understood their concern.  I was young and inexperienced.  It was a lot of responsibility.  I was only 26 years old at the time and the church was in the middle of its biggest growth spurt since its conception.  I was scared to death. I have never read more books in such a short amount of time in my life.  I knew I was getting into something that was over my head and I had better learn how to do the job quickly.  I also knew, in the back of mind, that this was bigger than me.  God was clearly at work.

When Jesus called Paul to surrender and be a follower of Christ, I don’t think Paul fully knew what he was getting himself into.  Paul was the persecutor of Jesus’ followers.  He killed them, brutally.  All of a sudden, he becomes one.   Then Jesus sends this “Jew among Jews” to give the rest of his life preaching the gospel to Gentiles.  Paul, suffering for Gentiles! But Jesus’ plans were much bigger than Paul.  If I were Jesus, I would have sent Paul to the Jews.  Surely they would listen to Paul.  He was well respected by the Jewish community.  But Jesus sends him to the Gentiles.  To the people he used to kill.  Surely Paul thought, “Uh, Jesus, you sure you have the right guy?”

I think that as Paul grew in his understanding of the gospel, as he grew in his knowledge of who God is, his question went from “Why me?” to “Why not me?”  Surely if I’m serving the gospel and surely if Jesus has called me to it, than who am I to say, “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not ready”.   Why do we allow our own insecurities to get in the way?  Why do we allow the words of our critics stop us from doing the things that Jesus has clearly called us to do?  The opinions of man should not trump the opinions of Jesus.  What man thinks of me should not trump what Jesus thinks of me.  The truth is, most people you know probably wouldn’t endure what Jesus endured for you.  We should always seek wise counsel from those believers around us.  But, when we seek this counsel, be sure it is consistent with the gospel.  Above all, follow the words of Psalm 37:4, “Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

It’s easy for the guys on our staff to assume that people are hearing the Word on Sundays and doing it during the week.  This is the idea of the “gathered church and the scattered church.”  Yesterday, Jack (our teaching Pastor) taught one of the greatest messages I think I’ve heard from him.  In Revelation 17 we see John’s vision of the Prostitute and the Beast.  If you really want to get the details of this passage then go to pomh.org and listen to it… but here’s what I got from it…

Over the centuries, the church has prostituted herself out to the world.  We have tried so hard to stay true to God’s word and yet gain political power at the same time… it simply can’t happen.  The result is what you see today.  We have accepted so much into the church that is so contradictory to the scriptures that, if we don’t change course, we’ll never recognize Jesus when he returns. We see denominations of churches allowing and endorsing things that I think most of us would have never dreamed.  It’s because we have become hearers and not doers.

So many churches  have created a culture that is based around the guy in the pulpit, or the building, or the music, or whatever earthly treasure we can think of and not around what the scriptures tell us.  James so clearly warns us to not just hear the word but DO it.   This happens in the confines of community.

I truly believe that the proclamation of the word is an important part of the church.  The proclamation bring conviction.  This conviction should then be brought into a community where the people of that community begin to live out their convictions.  So many of us walk into our corporate gatherings, sit for an hour, critique the service and talk about what we would have done better, grab our free cup of coffee (but upset because the right flavor creamer isn’t available), then go about our life during the week completely disconnected from the rest of the church body. We must stop living like this!

Over the last three years we have been pushing community groups at Mars Hill.  We haven’t had a whole lot of success.  There are many different factors contributing to it (southern culture, adequate staff, church culture, etc.).  I think the biggest factor, however, is that most of us assume that the depth of knowledge and level of teaching we are getting on Sundays is enough to get us through until next Sunday.  We couldn’t be more wrong.  This isn’t faith.

James reminds us that if our faith is not producing good works, then it isn’t faith at all.  Our love for Jesus will be evident in the way we live our lives… the way we live with one another.  Throughout scripture, Christians are called to love, encourage, and rebuke one another.  We’re called to bear one another’s burdens, pray for one another, and mourn with one another.  God intended us to show himself to the world through us.

When we rely too heavily on the Sunday message, rather than hearing on Sunday and doing Monday – Saturday, we neglect to preach the gospel to the world around us.  We must be able to count on one another, counsel one another, and hold one another accountable.  The church has lacked this attitude over the last centuries and we’ve lost the simplicity of church.  Hear the word, then do what you hear.  Be led by the Spirit to do good works that God has predestined for the church to do.  It was his intention all along to use his people to accomplish his plan.

May we be a generation that changes the course of church history.  May we bring back the simplicity of church, hearing the word and living it out.  May we truly get back to this idea of “being the church” as we learn how to love one another and live in community with one another.  May we find ourselves connected to a community of believers throughout the week, come together and worship, and go out and preach the gospel to the nations.  May we do this to the glory of the heavenly father rather than to our own glory or the glory of other men.

Many of us know the passage of Mark 8:31-38 where Jesus tells his disciples that if anyone would follow him he must first take up his cross. I’ve heard and read that passage many times. I’ve used it in sermons I’ve preached. But, what does it really mean? What is discipleship? Is discipleship merely me spending time with an older person who teaches me the Bible, tells me when I do bad stuff, and buys me lunch once a week? Is it something more?

When I was in High School I had the privilege of being discipled by my youth minster, Brian. Brian took myself and one of my closest friends, Taylor, and began pouring into our lives. We would study scripture together, spend time together, we even went on a few road trips together. Brian is one of those guys who’s pretty honest with people. His emotions show on his face, even when he tries to hide it. I can relate to him. What I appreciated about Brian is that he was always honest with me. I would have to say that I am in the ministry today because Brian taught me how to listen to God’s voice and answer his calling.

Discipleship is honesty. It’s the desire to lead someone to be more like Christ. It’s us, pointing others to the cross. That’s where we should end up, the cross. It’s at the cross that we find Jesus.

Jesus said that we should take up our own cross if we are to follow him. We should share in his burden. It’s only when we carry our cross that we are truly following Jesus.

I think this is a truth that the church must relearn. There are many of us in the church who think we are following Jesus, when we really aren’t because we are to afraid to carry our cross. To share the burden of Christ, and carry our cross, means to endure what Christ endured. Jesus endured rejection, suffering, and ultimately death. Most of us are unwillingly to partake in that. We’ll stand up for values in the work place, as long as it doesn’t cost us our job. We’ll share Jesus with our neighbors, as long as they bring it up. We’ll go as far as Christ wants us to go, until it hurts.

That’s not what Jesus was teaching his disciples. To truly follow Christ means to obey him fully and literally. When Jesus called Matthew, the tax collector, to follow him, the gospel of Marks says, “he arose and followed him.” While some hesitated and tried to create their own terms, Matthew heard the call from Jesus and responded in obedience. There was no altar call, someone playing “Just As I Am”. Matthew didn’t make a “profession of faith” and start serving as a deacon at his church. He picked up his cross and followed Jesus, having no idea what his cross was really going to be.

When Peter denied Jesus it displayed his own unwillingness to suffer, and many of us can relate. That means that Satan has pierced the door of the church and gained entry into her as he tries to tear her away from the cross.

Jesus gives us this first opportunity through salvation. He calls us to first cut ourselves off from our attachments to this world. The rich young ruler had a problem with that. When the young man asked Jesus what he must do to be saved (as he was more concerned about perfection) he let Jesus know that he had not broken any of the commandments. Jesus responded by saying, “go and sell everything you have and give it to the poor.” The man walked away frustrated. He was unwilling to accept the call to die. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “only the man who is dead to his own will can follow Christ.”

It wasn’t money that kept the young man from grace, it was his attachment to it. It had become what defined him. He was unwilling to be defined by Jesus rather than his wealth. His attitude toward his money kept him from obeying Jesus and experiencing true salvation.

So, I pray I am willing to take up my cross daily. I have no idea what my cross will be for tomorrow or the next day. I just pray I have the will to surrender, to die, and claim about myself, “I know not this man” and follow passionately after Jesus. Where I fail, I pray that I forgive myself as Jesus renews me, corrects me, and leads me to my cross. We all bear different crosses. Some are led to die, others are led to suffer, and some are led to sacrifice. It’s Jesus that chooses our cross for us, and he leads us to it. As we share in Jesus’ burden, as the world still looks for someone to bear it’s own burden, the church bears that burden for them. May we find joy in the cross, and may we see the promises of heaven and the glory of God as we suffer with Christ.

I just started reading a new book yesterday.  I try to read about three books at a time.  Some people have told me this isn’t wise but I’ve noticed that at different moments in the day I feel like reading certain types of books.  The morning time is a great time to do some Bible study and read through some commentaries.  During the day, usually while I am eating lunch, is a great time to read something a little heavier, and night time is a great time to read something a little lighter, especially if you have trouble falling asleep at night.

For my heavier reading, I’ve begun reading The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  To be honest, yesterday was Thanksgiving and I found it difficult to find quality time to read with so much family that I don’t get to spend much time with around.  I did however get to sneak in the first page of the book while I was sitting on the porch of my grandmother’s house.  I couldn’t wait to get home and finish the chapter if it was going to be anything like the first page.

Bonhoeffer is pretty blunt in this first chapter… maybe that’s why I enjoy him.  He talks about our view of grace and how it’s very cheap.  We prefer the cheap stuff over the real stuff.  The cheap stuff doesn’t cost us much.  The real stuff cost us more than we would rather give up.

I’ve learned over the years that I prefer the cheap stuff, and so do many of the people around me.  We say things like, “I’m saved through the righteousness of Christ, not my own” or “I’m free under the laws of grace.”  While these things may be true, I don’t think they mean what we think they mean.  We use grace as if it were a credit card ready to be swiped whenever we find something we enjoy but can’t afford.  Bonhoeffer reminds us that Grace cost God the Father his only Son, it cost Jesus his life… more importantly, Jesus gave up his position in heaven to come into human history and offer grace to us. Grace gives us something to live for. Grace gives us something to die for.

I don’t think the Apostles were any different than us.  Most of us put the Apostles on some sort of pedestal, as if they weren’t human.  In the book of Acts we see them fighting over legalism, selfishness, and unbelief.  I wonder if Jesus had any of this in mind when he thought about the grace he was giving to us.  What’s great is that we see the Apostles repent, and become willing to sacrifice anything for the cause of Christ.

Peter, one of the more popular figures in church history, comes a long way in his relationship with Jesus. After walking and talking with Jesus for three years, telling Jesus he would go as far as to die for him, Peter ends up denying Jesus three times because a preteen girl is asking him about his connection with Jesus.  What Peter did wasn’t any less of a sin than Judas’, but rather than killing himself, Peter repented.  Eventually Peter lived up to the promise he made to Jesus and was crucified upside down on a cross for his faith.

That’s what real grace is.  It’s removing ourselves from the superficial and focusing on the spiritual. Grace is willing to be inconvenienced, broken, uncomfortable, and even faced with death.  As Bonhoeffer said, “Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession.  Cheap Grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”  Imagine what Jesus could do through the church if we stopped using cheap grace and starting pouring the real stuff.

This morning I read the first 8 verses of Acts 1.  Most of us have probably read this before, the words of Jesus commissioning and encouraging the apostles, reminding them of the purpose in which he came, died, and will come again.  One thing that I have often missed reading this passage is the rebuke that Jesus gives them.  Usually when I read this passage I think of “nice Jesus” encouraging those who followed him that they weren’t in it alone.  While I think Jesus is still “nice” in this passage I can’t imagine how upset, maybe even frustrated he was when the apostles asked what they asked in verse 6.  Luke records in Acts 1:6 that the apostles asked the following question, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?”  AHHHHH!  What had Jesus been teaching them for the last three years?!?  It’s about the Kingdom of God!  Come on guys, you’ve been walking with the guy for three years, every day.  You know him better than anyone else around and you saw him die on a cross and rise again three days later just like he told you, and you’re still asking the same question you asked before his death?

I must say, I would probably do the same thing.  I say this because I know my tendency today.  “Jesus, when will you restore my kingdom?”  When Jesus taught his disciples to pray he said, “Your (the Father’s) Kingdom come, Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10).  It has always been about the Kingdom of God.  It has never been about the kingdom of Israel.  Even when Israel was in its prime, it was still about the Kingdom of God.  This was clearly demonstrated through the life of Jesus.  If it was about any kingdom on this earth then Jesus would not have come as a humble Jewish boy from Galilee born in a manger.  He would have come as a ruler, warrior, general, or something other than a servant.

How many times do we ask Jesus to restore our kingdoms?  Our kingdom at work, home, on the ball field, with our friends/family, our country, or even at church?  I am the worst about having things in order.  I have a tendency to lead if no one else will, and I will am really bad about taking control when I think things can be done better.  In other words, I have a terrible tendency, maybe even addiction, to make it all about me.  As a Pastor, I’ve seen this in other people as well.  Most pastors have their “dark years” in their ministry.  I’m only 28, but I’ve experienced a few “dark years” of ministry as well, and I’m sure I will experience more in the future.  I’ve been on staff at churches in the past where I constantly asked, “Seriously Jesus, is this where you want me to be?”  All the while, Jesus’ answer was, “Yes.”  Jesus used the things in other people to point out the things in my own life.  Selfishness, greed, pride, disobedience, selfishness, addiction to power, selfishness (I may have already said that one).  It’s always been about my kingdom.

The challenge I receive in Acts 1:1-8 this morning is that it’s about Jesus’ Kingdom.  How frustrated Jesus must get with me when I complain about being busy, annoying people, even traffic.  How everything I complain about ultimately screams, “Jesus, when will you restore my kingdom!”  In Revelation, Jesus finally returns and declares one last time, “it’s my Kingdom that matters, not yours.  Your kingdom will burn, My Kingdom will last forever.”  What’s great is that Jesus lets us rule with Him in His Kingdom.

So, next time I have the tendency to restore my own kingdom, I pray that Jesus reminds me to pursue His Kingdom.  A part of that is pointing people to the gates of His Kingdom.