Pluralism? Religion? Salvation?

Aren't all religions the same?
Don't all paths lead to the same god?
All world religions claim to have heard from God, so aren't they all the same in the end?
If we are sincere about our faith (in whatever religion) won't God reward that commitment and effort?

Or

Is there a specific world religion that saves?
Is it only Islam? Is it only Confucionism? Is it only Christianity?
And how do we know which one is right?

Paul addresses RELIGION and PLURALISM thinking in Galatians. It wasn't a book written only for people 2000 years ago, but written even for the modern (and post-modern) man to answer these type questions.

I recently addressed these issues in a sermon on Sunday night entitled RELIGION SAVES? (audio can be found here). I would love your feedback as we continue this conversation in our world.

Religion Saves & 3 Other Misconceptions of the Church

So most of you know, I'm a young pastor. I've been in ministry for almost 2 years now at First Baptist Church in Kaufman, TX. And I am loving what I am doing. Telling teenagers about the love of Christ- what a great job! There has been a lot of ministry firsts for me in Kaufman- First time leading a mission trip, First time coordinating adult volunteers, Its in this church that I preached my first Sunday night sermon, and since I guess I didn't screw it up too bad, they let me preach on a Sunday morning eventually- my first Sunday morning sermon- ever. This past Sunday was another first- the first Sermon Series. Last Sunday morning I preached a sermon entitled "Religion Saves and 3 Other Misconceptions of the Church" (Audio of the Sermon can be found here) as the start to a Sunday night sermon series covering the book of Galatians.

I have really enjoyed studying the scriptures in depth and having the opportunity to teach through them with a church that is so kind and gracious to put up with this 25 year old learning what he's doing. Looking forward to the weeks to come. You can join in praying for me as I preach this series over the next few weeks.

Wherever God guides, He provides

Bethany recently left her job in Dallas in February feeling very much called to be in Kaufman, to do ministry here and to love on our community. She felt like her effectiveness in reaching students & the lost in Kaufman was being hindered by her job in Dallas & the toll the commute took on her each day was wearing her down physically and spiritually. So we planned and budgeted and determined if this is where God wants her, then He will provide. In quitting her job, we had figured she would start substitute teaching and then work towards securing a job teaching full time in the fall. The same week Bethany put in her notice at Northwestern Mutual, my assistant Kim put in her notice at our church- this opening in the same week provided a part time position for Bethany to jump into while she substitutes in the schools the other days of the week- This allows her to be in Kaufman, to be in the schools, and to do ministry (exactly what she felt God was calling her to do). God called, and God provided.

Due to the Education budget crisis in Texas, Kaufman's first and second year teachers recently received notice that they may not have their contracts renewed for next year. This means Bethany's chances of getting a job in the school district for next year are even more slim than we thought when she left her job in Dallas. Bethany has been in full confidence that God has called her to be in Kaufman and God will provide. I trust God and I trust my wife, but I've kept saying "I just want to be wise with what God has given us," and, I have worried about the Fall semester coming and going without a full-time job for Bethany.

Over the last several days God has been hitting me over the head with two subjects: God's grace is sufficient and God provides. In my personal time of studying the Bible I am reading Galatians- all about Grace, and 2 Kings- God continuing to provide for His people (see 2 Kings 4,6 & 7). There is no doubt in my mind that God has me in these places in scripture to teach me these lessons specifically for this time in history.

This is not to say that I think Bethany will for sure have a teaching job in the fall, because I don't know that that will happen, but rather I am confident that God's grace is sufficient and God will provide even if she doesn't. God has called us to be in Kaufman, and God's grace & provision is enough.

So I trust God, I trust my wife, God's grace is sufficient & He provides.

18 Pages

The Apostle Paul took 200 words and conveyed a life-changing, revolutionary message to the Gentile believers in Ephesians 2:11-22. On the heels of one of the most memorized passages about our salvation in Christ, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God..." (Ephesians 2:8), Paul goes into an amazing argument about where we were before Christ, what Christ did and the ramifications of his saving grace.

In my studies at Dallas Seminary I am currently taking NT104, otherwise known as Greek 4, other-otherwise known as "a beatdown," and our most recent assignment was a 20 page exegetical assignment dissecting and breaking down Ephesians 2:11-22. My paper is currently 18 pages and almost 8500 words. It took Paul 200 words to convey a life-changing message and it has taken me 8500 words to dissect it.

One of the things I remember from High School biology is that sometimes when we dissect things (frogs for instance)- it gets messy, and because we've cut things open we damage the body, maybe even forget some of the parts that we just cut, and usually someone in the class is more excited about cutting things open then actually learning something from the assignment. I've spent up to 40 hours on this assignment over the last month and feel kind of like I've dissected a frog- its messy and at times I've kind of forgotten the point of it. I talk to people in my class who are so excited about it and argue with each other over the proper interpretation of this participle or over that clause in heated debate. But what I haven't heard much of is: HOW is this life-changing? HOW do we APPLY this to our lives? I don't think Paul wrote it so we'd dissect it, he wrote it to be applied and put to use.

This passage is life-changing and eye-opening, not a frog to be dissected. I am in awe of the clarity and brevity in which Paul was able to communicate some deep issues in only 200 words. So from 18 pages to some quick life-changing applications:

- Jesus didn't just come to die for YOUR sins so YOU could go to heaven- Jesus came so that he could renew relationships both vertically (between God and humanity) and horizontally (amongst men).
- Jesus' death on the cross purchased not just our freedom but unity & peace among all people. If you are living in disunity over racial or cultural differences- you are living in opposition to what Jesus died for.
- Jesus is our peace, Jesus is our peacemaker & Jesus preached peace-   Therefore we should be peaceful amidst a violent and troublesome world, we should be peacemakers in personal and corporate conflict, and we should preach peace in all circumstances. 
- And in the end- we serve a God who dwells amongst us in the Spirit- not a high and lofty disconnected God, and not a God who is confined to a temple built by human hands- but a God humbled himself to die on the cross, and God who through the Spirit, now indwells those who have placed their faith in Christ.

 

beLOVED, LOVE.

I've frequently considered blogging. I've come to blogspot.com often and stared blankly into the screen contemplating opening an account, and then ultimately shying away- not because I didn't have anything to write...  but because I felt like I couldn't come up with a cool blog name or an intriguing url address. I'll admit, lame excuses. And, in moments where I have hot sports opinions about controversial issues I even more consider the prospect of blogging- but realize shortly after, its probably better I didn't have a blog to come sound off on- and end up looking like this or that idiot that just ran his mouth off without thinking.

So I've created this blog, not as a sounding board for my opinions, but rather as a simple way to express my daily (or weekly) thoughts in a more lengthy manner than my normal 140 character musings of the twitter variety. I've given up my vain pursuit at having the coolest, most creative blog name, and have settled for a title that I think sums up my life pursuit and what is ultimately most important.

So for my first post I thought I'd explain my choice in blog title. One of my favorite passages of scripture is

1 John 4:7-8
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

I often tell my students "what is most often repeated is most often the point." The word love is used poetically in this passage 6 times in 2 verses. The word love is used 35 times in this 5 chapter book. This passage is about LOVE and this book is about LOVE, and I'd suggest that life is about LOVE. The first two words in this passage in the Greek are "agapetoi, agapomen" or Beloved (Loved Ones/Those who are loved), Love other people. This passage makes it so simple. You are loved, therefore love people. Now we could argue this is John calling his readers "beloved" here but throughout scripture humanity is referred to as God's beloved- the loved ones of God. And God calls us simply to LOVE others. 


God is love. How awesome is that? The God of the universe is LOVE. Now often this passage is read out of context and read as if God is only LOVE, that he has no other characteristics other than love. God is love like the sun is light. You look at the sun and you can't help but see light, but the sun isn't only light- its heat and energy and made up of hot plasma and gases. It is a fireball that if you were too close to it you'd burn alive. God is love but that doesn't diminish his other characteristics- he is just, he is merciful, he's gracious, he's powerful, he's omnipotent, and yet in all of these & if you stood too close to Him- you might burn alive (j/k- but really!). God is love and we are made in His image- therefore we should be love as well. When I look to God, I see love, when people look to me- I want people to see love.