Four Lessons From the Resurrection

Posted on April 24, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre 2 Comments

The four lessons

It is Easter Sunday 2011, the day which commemorates the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. I insert the adjective “bodily” to distinguish myself from those who would understand the resurrection story to be nothing more than a metaphor for renewal and hope.

In 1 Corinthians 15:14, the Apostle Paul tells us that without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, “our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” The Apostle tells us in Romans 1:4 that the resurrection of Jesus is a powerful declaration that Jesus is the Son of God. Belief in the resurrection is foundational to historic Christianity. If you do away with the resurrection, we have nothing to believe.

The question is, what difference does the resurrection make in my life? How can an event that happened close to 2000 years ago affect me? Does it really make a difference?

The answer is yes, it does make a difference and I am writing this post to remind myself and my readers of some ways that resurrection should change our minds and attitudes. Here are four applications that I would like to explore in this post:

Despair is never an option
Sin can be overcome
Renewal is available
The grave is not our final destination

Despair is never an option

I am grateful that Tony Campolo brought attention to a sermon entitled, “It’s Friday but Sunday’s Coming” by African American preacher S. M. Lockridge. The point is that no matter how bleak it looked on that first Good Friday, the events of the following Sunday made all the difference in the disciples’ outlook.

The resurrection demonstrates to me that no matter how bad things might look right now, God has the power to change me and/or change my circumstances. God remains in control and as I look to him, I can be assured that he will arrange the outcome according to his plan. Paul tells us this in Romans 8:28, but a few verses later in that chapter (Romans 8:38-39), he assures us of God’s love for us.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Because of God’s power and love, I should never despair.

Sin can be overcome

One of the best short descriptions of what Jesus accomplished on the cross is found in 2 Corinthians 5:21. Jesus took our sin and gave us his righteousness. The resurrection proves that Jesus has the power to accomplish this. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:17 that “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” The converse is that if Jesus has been raised then we can be freed from our sin.

Ultimately, sin will be overcome when Jesus returns, but until then sin is being overcome in believers. God is working.

I should never think that there is any sin that the cross and resurrection cannot overcome.

Renewal is available

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 tells us that “in Christ shall all be made alive.” Not only can our sins be removed, we can be renewed in our thinking and in our behavior if we are in Christ. The resurrection demonstrates the power of God to bring renewal. In Christ, I have the power available to become what God has intended me to be.

I should always remember this and be doggedly, unrelentingly, seeking from God this renewal.

The grave is not our final destination

In John 14:1-3, Jesus tells the disciples that he is going to prepare a place for them and that “I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” This is true for all believers.

The resurrection proves that Jesus has the power to live up to this claim. He will come and take us to himself and we will dwell with him.

I should always live with the knowledge that this life is not all there is and that any struggles now will be forgotten in the glory that is to come.

What lessons have you learned?

Great Packaging + Great Product = Integrity

Posted on April 21, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre 1 Comment

As consumers we know that beautiful packaging does not guarantee the quality of the product inside. The photo on the box often looks much better than the content. On the other hand, with the rise of store brands, we know that good stuff can be found in very plain packages.

Visually stunning packaging is done because it sells product. Good products will sell better with attractive packaging. Effort needs to be extended toward development of both.

This morning, I was thinking about three areas to apply this idea. The first is on an individual level, the second is with regard to web media and arena for application is the Church.

Personal Behavior

One of Jesus’ criticisms of the Pharisees was that their behavior did not match how their public appearance. In Matthew 23, there is a long discourse given by Jesus in which he condemns the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. He says of them in 23:3, “they preach, but do not practice.” Later, in verse 5, he says, “they do all their deeds to be seen by others.” From this, we get the proverbs that we should practice what we preach, or we should walk what we talk. This speaks to personal integrity, something that we should all strive for.

Web Media

Recently, I started paying more attention to site design as I looked around on the internet. I found some web sites that were visually stunning but lacked compelling content. I found some other sites that had great material but the site layout made it difficult to navigate or the format hindered the reading. It seems to me that there needs to be a balance struck between the form and the content. It is not an either/or decision, both the form and the content must be considered. Good content must be presented in a form that is both functional and pleasant for effective communication to take place.

Churches

Impressive buildings, talented musicians and diverse programs are all for naught if they are devoid of solid, Biblical teaching. Paul warned Timothy this in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 where he writes,

¹ But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

It is possible to have a beautiful presentation that is devoid of content. The key phrase in the Scripture above is “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” If the function of the church is not based on Scripture and aimed at deepening relationships with God and each other. There is no power in the congregation.

On the other hand, we need to structure the local church body so that it is accessible to the people in the community. The “packaging” should not deter someone from participating in the church. The music, style of dress, decor of the building, etc. should be within the “bell curve” of the surrounding society. If people are to be offended, let them be offended by the gospel message, not how it is presented.

The Challenge

The word that seems to run all through this is integrity, having our individual or corporate behavior match what we claim to believe. I see two basic steps to living in integrity:

Discover a sense of purpose. Ask yourself, why am I doing this thing?
Continually assess if what I am doing helps me fulfill this purpose.

I heard someone say that the person who knows how to do something will almost always have a job, but he will work for the man who knows why it should be done. The “why” should be asked before the “how” question.

In what other areas do you see needing this balance?

Toward an Understanding of Christian Stewardship

Posted on April 19, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment

The main word that is translated steward is οἰκονόμος (oikonomos), a compound of the words for house (οἶκος) and law (νόμος). It literally means one who rules over a household. Therefore a steward is one who manages his masters assets for the master’s benefit.

A steward manages the assets of another. Therefore the first question that must be asked about Christian stewardship is, “what assets are to be managed?”

The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 that the believer has been purchased by God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore when coming to faith in Jesus Christ and trusting him for salvation, the believer then acknowledges that he is under the ownership of God. Paul writes in these verses:

¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (ESV)

Later in the same book, in 1 Corinthians 7:23, Paul writes”

²³ You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. (ESV)

The first asset that a Christian steward must manage is himself. He is to be lead and directed by God for God’s purpose. The Christian Steward must be transformed in his thinking (see Romans 12:1-2), and he must surrender himself to be filled by the Holy Spirit as Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:15–21 (emphasis added by this author):

¹⁵ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ²⁰ giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (ESV)

Our thinking must be transformed because Paul tells us that we are born dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). Believers are being transformed into what God wants us to be, but the process is not instantaneous, it is one that takes time and effort on the part of the believer.

This transformation is the first order of business for the believer. The best news of all is that God is the one who superintends that process and he promises to accomplish it (see Philippians 1:6). The transformation will take place.

The question then arises, for what purpose does God have in allowing the transformation process to happen in this life, on this planet?. The answer to this question is that we have been given a mission. The two clearest statements of this mission are found in Matthew and Acts.

In Matthew 28:18–20 we have recorded the words of Jesus shortly before he was taken up to Heaven:

¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV)

In Acts 1:8 Jesus tells his followers:

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (ESV)

The Christian Steward has the mission of making disciples by being a witness to Jesus Christ (see the words emphasized above).

Therefore, everything that the steward is, owns and does should be focused on accomplishing this mission. We, as believers in Jesus Christ are called to bring others into relationship with Jesus Christ.

Here are some examples of how the words steward and stewardship are used in the New Testament:

Paul and his companions were “stewards of the mysteries of God.” (1 Corinthians 4:1)
“it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” (1 Corinthians 4:2)
“I am still entrusted with a stewardship.” (1 Corinthians 9:17)
Paul considered himself a steward of God’s grace (Ephesians 3:2)
Paul was given a stewardship to make the word of God fully known (Colossians 1:25)
A teacher in the church has been given a stewardship from God that is by faith (1 Timothy 1:4)
An elder or overseer is God’s steward and must be above reproach (Titus 1:7)
Believers are to serve one another as good stewards of God’s grace (1 Peter 4:10)

Jesus told the story of the servants and the talents in Matthew 25. The servants who used their talents wisely were commended with the statement, “well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21, 23). The servant who did not use his talents wisely was described by the master as a “wicked and slothful servant.” (Matthew 25:26) The lesson is that each servant will have to give an answer as to how he used the resources given to him by the master.

In Ephesians 5:16, which was quoted above, Paul tells us to make the best use of the time we have been given. From the parables on money that Jesus told in the Gospels, we can see that stewardship involves the use of financial resources which we have been given. From the remainder of the verses in Ephesians 5 quoted above, we can see that the steward is answerable to God as to how he conducts himself.

The conclusion is that a Christian steward has been given orders from the master as to what he is to accomplish. The Christian steward has been given resources to use in accomplishing this task. We see also that the steward is answerable to the master as to how well he accomplished the task.

The only question that remains is for each of us to ask ourselves, “how am I doing in my stewardship?” It is better to ask it now while there is time to take corrective action.

What do you think? Please add other aspects of Christian stewardship in the comment section.

Religion of The Senses

Posted on April 13, 2011 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment

The reading for today in the devotional book that my wife and I go through together was the opening verses of Mark 14. In that chapter are recoded events which happened two days before Jesus was crucified.

In one story we are told that Mary poured Nard on Jesus’ head. This was an extravagant act, consuming a resource that was worth a year of a laborer’s wages. The bystanders are indignant over this waste, but Jesus confronts them, indicated that this anointing was in preparation for his burial.

Truth be told, prior to today, when I read this story, I struggled to understand why the pouring was not a waste. What is the point? I believed this act was a good thing because of worth of Jesus to receive such worship. Also, I believed it to be good because Jesus said it was. But the disconnect between my understanding and my belief caused my sentiments to be closer to those of the bystanders who criticized her act.

As I read these verses today, it struck me that when Jesus was being flogged, when he was staggering through the crowd carrying his cross, as he was being removed from the cross, that fragrance would emanate from him. I wonder if those who were witnesses to this event ever after were reminded of it when they caught a whiff of nard. Were the soldiers who taunted and beat him reminded of him when they smelled it? What about those along the route to the crucifixion site and those who removed Jesus from the cross?

We have been created as sensual beings. The creator has intended that those senses be used in the worship of him. For example, the communion table is rooted in the senses. The feel of the bread or the cracker, the smell of the wine or grape juice, the taste of both. All five senses are engaged as we partake at the communion table.

Perhaps you have had a particular smell remind you of a time an place that you had not thought about in a long time. Perhaps Mary was lead to anoint Jesus to give the witnesses to the crucifixion additional sensual input by which to remember the event.

In this I see the God who gave us the senses, appealing to those senses to reach out to us. I find comfort in that.