It is a common theme: We need help. Our world is hurting and needs help. And we often seek it through TED talks and self-help books. When Peter preached his first sermon, he emphasized that Jesus came to do what we cannot accomplish on our own. No self-help can can replace Jesus’ victory over sin. That’s not just an Old Time Religion thing, that’s a promise all generations to come!
In our hurry to be accepted by culture, have we lost the power of what is supposed to set us apart from the culture? The power of the church isn’t in degrees or pastors or business strategies, it is in the Holy Spirit. If we’re going to be a 21st century church that leads people to find and follow Jesus, we may need to bring back “That Old Time Religion,” meaning that we look at the exciting growth and example of the 1st century church as we see it in Acts.
Are we satisfied with the way things are? Maintaining the status quo keeps us in the crowd - Jesus calls us out of the crowd into discipleship of crazy faith. When we do this we commit to counting the cost and giving it all over to him.
Generosity starts where sacrifice begins. As challenging as it may be to accept, how we use our money is our reflection of our heart. Jesus asked his disciples to consider the Widow, in Mark 12:41-44, as an example of what crazy generosity looked like. There are opportunities for us also to join God in living out a blessed generous life!
Our culture, tired of injustices, is saying, “Enough prayers. More actions.” While action is always important, the Persistent Widow, in Luke 18:1-8, reminds us that change must always starts with praying like a crazy person. Prayer aligns our heart with Jesus’. Before we jump into action, we need to make sure our hearts are aligned with his.
The wisdom of the world says: “Get ahead at all costs.” In Mark 10:35-45, James and John tried that when they asked Jesus for a promotion: “When you take your throne, can we have thrones on each side of you?”. Jesus confronted their worldly attitudes by teaching them a crazy strategy for success: Instead of “Get ahead at all costs” Jesus told them to “Serve no matter the cost.”
God uses unconventional tactics and the most unlikely people in his story. We each have a part to play with the hand we’ve been given. Are you ready to step up into the situation God has in you or are you just praying for a new hand?
Active opposition to Jesus is noticeable, but is it possible that even followers of Jesus could be passively opposing Jesus? Are we telling Jesus, “No, not yet”? Paul’s story begins by him actively opposing Jesus. However, Jesus shows up to give him a new vision, a new mission and a new calling. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul is able to move into a ministry of suffering and a life of “Yes, Jesus.”
Jesus is both radically inclusive and radically exclusive. He offers His grace to all while calling all to follow Him and Him alone.
It can be easy to be interested in Jesus privately, to hide behind the “we” of corporate worship and church experiences. But as Nicodemus’ one on one encounter with Jesus reveals, you can’t just be near Jesus, you have to believe in Jesus to be saved!