Sanctification: The Theory!

We Christians are always talking about being made new. We talk about newness in Christ because the Bible makes a big deal about it, and we’re pinning all of our hopes on that truth: That we have been made new in Christ. Everything that happened before we met Christ was simply preparation and waiting for deliverance. And now that we have been delivered by Jesus and His work on the Cross, everything is brand new. We’ve received a new life to start with. And so one of the biggest ideas of our faith is that we have been made new, don’t look back.

The belief is that our new life in Christ and the power of the Spirit within us will guide us to being more like our Savior, one change at a time. We’ll gather together in groups called churches and impress the world round us with our kindness and justice, people will want to meet our Savior and join our groups because we’re so Jesusy awesome.

I want to be that Christian and be a part of that group; I signed up for just that brand of Christianity when I met Jesus in the Jesus Movement of the 60s. But it hasn’t been that smooth, this transformation from the inside out I was told to expect in myself and others — what is the theological term? –sanctification.

Sanctification: The Practice …

It’s not that I don’t believe what the Bible teaches about sanctification in verses I’ve memorized like Galatians 2:20. It’s just that I’m often a mess, and most of the people God has gathered me in groups with are messy too. And I don’t trust the ones who tell me they’re not a mess. I don’t want much. I just want authentic Christianity, and I want it yesterday, or at least next Thursday, but for sure before I meet Jesus in heaven and have to start apologizing for me and all my messy friends.

Sometimes I think about calling a religious expert, but then I remember that I’m supposed to be one of those. You’d think that with all of this knowledge and study I’d be a little more clear on this sanctification thing. I have instead been thinking of how much I don’t know about the transformation I read about in the New Testament and how amazing it is that Jesus puts up with people like Peter, and James, and John, … and me and my messy friends. He must be seeing something I’m missing.

And then it hits me. Oh yeah, it’s that grace thing that makes it all work. If grace means anything it means that Jesus is okay with messes.

And then I begin to think about what Jesus is doing with me and my messy friends.

Sanctification: A Glimpse

Like at a recent baptism on the back porch of our church. There they were, people whose stories I knew, stories that were as messy as mine. And they were talking about how God used them in the lives of the messy people they were baptizing in the name of Jesus. They talked about His grace and love and the difference He was making in their lives. They talked about our messy group, this family we call Church of the Open Door.

So then I conclude what I’ve concluded so many times in my Christian life. Jesus is more powerful than my mess. And He’s more powerful than the messes of my messy friends’ lives.

He’s determined to bring glory to Himself by redeeming messes.

It was just another glimpse of what sanctification looks like in real life, in real time, and in real community.

“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Dodgertown, here I come!

I couldn’t believe I was really boarding a plane headed for Vero Beach, Florida a few years ago. All my life I had been talking about meeting a lifelong friend to see our beloved Dodgers in their spring training home–Dodgertown!

I was telling the Lord how thankful I was to be finding my seat on the overcrowded plane when I saw a man sitting in my window seat.

“Sir, I’m in 27A.”

“I know, would you mind switching seats with me. My son and I are headed to spring training and he’s afraid to sit alone.”

“No problem,” I assured him. And I really meant, “No problem”–that is until he told me that his assigned seat was a middle seat.

The Middle Seat?

I argued with the Lord about what to do. I knew it was the right thing to do and I even wanted to. But a middle seat?

“You enjoy the ride with your son. I’ll take the middle seat.”

As I fought back up the aisle for my miserable middle seat I couldn’t help thinking about the fact that the man and his son were Red Sox fans. I hate the Red Sox!

When two beefy guys piled in on both sides and I felt like I couldn’t breathe, the Lord brought Esther’s story to mind.

My “Mordecai” Moment

When Mordecai challenged Esther to risk her life by going before the King of Persia to expose Haman’s evil plot to kill all the Jews, he put her rise to queen in perspective: “Who can say but that God has brought you into the palace for just such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

We should always be looking for the spiritual and eternal reason God has ordered our lives in the way He has. He is never surprised, never overwhelmed, never without purpose. His hand is the one that moves historic world events and the “smaller” events and circumstances of our lives–like sitting in a middle seat.

All of the noble and eternal reasons God wanted me to sit in the middle seat ran through my mind. Maybe I would have an opportunity to lead one of my portly row-mates to Christ. Maybe I would see this man and his son at the Dodgers-Red Sox game tomorrow and they would ask me why I was so nice. I’d then have an opportunity to tell them that I’m a Christian and causing them to think about the kindness of God’s people.

For almost three hours the guys on both sides fell asleep and leaned their massive body weights in on me so that I could barely move. One of them snored loudly in a way that made me happy that they don’t serve meals on planes any more.

When we walked off the plane in West Palm Beach, the father never even said, thanks.

Your Middle Seat?

My point? Most of the time we will never connect the dots of the difficult assignments the Lord asks us to take in His name to His eternal purposes.

If we’re telling Jesus that we’ll do the hard things only when He makes it clear why we should, He’ll just start handing out the really significant assignments to His more willing and trusting followers.

Question: So, what is your middle seat? What are you telling God you won’t do unless He guarantees that it all makes sense?

Only those willing to sit in the middle seat when they don’t know why will discover the joy of His intimate guidance.

Tearful Rage!

A struggling father was talking about their severe financial situation and closed his report with this sentence: “I’ve concluded that Jesus just doesn’t care about my finances.”

My response surprised him. “Nobody grieves more over the pan in your life than Jesus,” I told him.

In my book, When God Breaks Your Heart, I tell how Jesus’ reaction to Mary’s tears helped me understand this. Look at what Mary’s grief did to Jesus.

The depth of Jesus’ friendship with Mary brought on a display of emotion so profound that many Christians feel a need to explain it away. Uncomfortable with John’s vivid description of Jesus’ emotions, they ascribe cosmic theological motives to the Son of God. They speak of Jesus as an objective, but beyond emotion observer of Mary’s pain.

I have a better explanation, the same explanation offered by those who were there that day: “See how He loved him [Lazarus]!” (John 11:36) Jesus could not hide his feelings when he saw the pain of this family he loved.

“Therefore, when Jesus saw her [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.” (John 11:33)

John’s choice of those two words, “groaned” and “troubled” paint a picture of an extremely distraught Jesus. The rare word translated “groan” originally described the snorting sound of agitated horses or the grunt of a protective she-bear. When used to portray human behavior it indicates a loud inarticulate noise expressing angry feelings. The term “troubled” indicates an observable shuddering of the body brought on by mental or spiritual protest or anguish.

Somewhere in the mystery of God wrapping Himself in human skin Jesus-the God-man-expressed his Godly anger against the pain of sin and death through intense human emotions. Jesus could not and did not suppress his rage against the impact of all that is wrong with life on his friends.

Yes, He Cares

Just because Jesus hasn’t made everything better right now doesn’t mean He doesn’t care. He cares about your life, including your finances.

But if you want to feel His care, you have to trust Him for your finances. Because what He really wants from you is your trust, the kind that runs to meet Him and falls at His feet.

Looking for a friend?

If you’re looking for that friendship that is totally fulfilling, you need to know that you won’t find it this side of heaven.

On the other side of that barrier is the only One who will not disappoint you, the only One who is always thinking about you and never of Himself, the only One who doesn’t need you.

His name is Jesus.

Friendship:

Since no one thinks about you much,

Unless they need you.

Relate deeply to Jesus;

Expect Him alone to meet your deepest needs.

Where did the term Jesus Freak come from?

Jesus freak was a slanderous term they called us in the Jesus Movement of the 60s and 70s. It came from two sources. First, the secular culture we came out of–the radical counterculture of the 60s–called us Jesus Freaks. Second, the institutional church–the religious hall monitors who rejected us because of our long hair and rock music–called us Jesus Freaks.

And guess what? We didn’t care. If a freak is someone who is radically different from all others, we wanted to be freaks for Jesus.

So we embraced it.

Who were the first Jesus Freaks?

We weren’t the first Jesus Freaks. It all began with Twelve Jesus Freaks that Jesus called His disciples. They were freakishly committed to Him and abandoned themselves to His care.

Oh yeah, and one more thing, they turned the world upside down for Jesus!

Are You One?

A Jesus Freak, I mean. If you’re a Christian, you should be. When people talk about your life they should be talking about your freakish devotion to Him and your freakish faith in Him.

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My organizational communication training was decidedly non-Christian. As a young man I cut my leadership teeth as a squad leader on an elite firefighting crew for the U. S. Forest Service, the Fulton Hotshots. After college, I served as an officer in the United States Army in various leadership positions in a tank battalion. The communication was often crass, even profane, as you might imagine.

What it was not was unclear, vague, or mysterious. Firemen and soldiers have a refreshingly distinct way of telling you exactly what they think about you or the organization. They tell you…exactly what they mean!

Christians? Not so much. It takes years to learn the nuances of the sanctified codes and secret body language signals of the brethren. It’s not what they said that’s important. It’s what you should have known they meant.

What they say is all prettied up, and spiritualized in safe evango-speak. They pepper their sentences with “from my perspective”, “after a lot of prayer,” and “according to the Bible” jive that somehow makes the most damaging and divisive words acceptable.

But after a while in the sick culture of hidden, codependent religiosity, everyone knows what they really mean:

“You @#*+#%*#, how dare you disagree with me.”

“I didn’t get my *%#@_*+* way and I’ll be #@#%&*+* if I’m going to take it.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of the charade. Cuss me out, slap me, or scream at the top of your lungs. But please, please, please, tell me what you really mean!

“We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro…in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in loves, may grow up!” (Ephesians 4:14-15).

Believe in the Son of Man and Follow Him

“For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” (Jesus Christ, Luke 19:10) 

The four Gospels are corresponding accounts that provide a complex portrait of the person and work, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel, Savior of the world, and Son of God. These historical books encompass about 46% of the New Testament. Though they were not the first books written, the early church placed the Gospels at the beginning of the New Testament because they are the bedrock upon which the book of Acts and the Epistles are constructed.

The Gospels are written as biographies with a purpose. They are thematic portraits of the life of Christ focusing on the brief public ministry of the Son of God. Each author selects distinctive events and teachings of the Lord Jesus to present a purposefully skewed account to accomplish their purpose:

Matthew, a Jew, writes to persuade His countrymen that Christ is their King. Frequently quoting from the Old Testament Scriptures, he argues that Jesus of Nazareth “fulfills what was written.” His birth, life, death, and His resurrection leave only one possible conclusion: Jesus is the Messiah of Israel.

Mark seeks to reach the Roman mindset and presents Jesus as the Servant who came to “give His life as a ransom for many. He begins by serving the masses, but as He is being rejected and His departure grows near, He concentrates on serving His disciples and equipping them to serve others in His name.

Luke focuses on the Greek way of thinking, revealing Christ as the Perfect Man. Dr. Luke highlights the human side of Jesus, describing Him as the one who came to earth “to seek and save that which was lost.”

John writes to everyone, regardless of culture. He selects seven miracles and arranges them carefully to persuade his readers to believe in Jesus as the Son of God who will give them eternal life.

Luke, a Gentile physician, writes from the perspective of a careful and compassionate family doctor. The warmth of his words must have comforted Theophilus, because he offers persuasive evidence that the gospel he had heard was true. Jesus Christ did indeed fulfill His purpose “to seek and save the lost” (19:10). Luke uses the words “saved” and “Savior” more than any other book in the New Testament.

Doctor Luke was a careful historian who presents Christ as the Perfect Man who came to seek and save sinful man. Growing belief in Jesus and growing opposition develop simultaneously. The title “Son of Man” is Luke’s favorite for presenting Jesus. He stressed the saving work of Jesus as One who transcends history and is like no other human who descended from Adam. Jesus was not a sinner and did not inherit sin at birth. Jesus is the head of a new race and the older brother in a new family. He was a man, but the unique man, unlike any of the Greek gods of polytheism and mythology. He was superior in every way because He was God in the flesh.

And as God in the flesh, He conquered sin and death, thereby redeeming humanity and history. “Luke’s Gospel gives a reader a more comprehensive grasp of the history of the period than the other Gospels. He presented more facts about the earthly life of Christ than did Matthew, Mark, or John.” (John A. Martin, “Luke,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 201):

Luke is the longest book in the New Testament and Luke’s writings in Luke-Acts compromise 27% of the Greek New Testament!

I.  LUKE’S PURPOSE (1:1-4): Luke is writing a biography of Jesus to prove to Theophilus that the gospel he had believed is true.

II. INTRODUCTION OF THE SON OF MAN (1:5-4:13): Luke proves that Jesus of Nazareth was no ordinary man by tracing his birth to Adam, but emphasizing the miraculous circumstances of His birth, baptism, and temptation.

III. MINISTRY OF THE SON OF MAN (4:14-9:50): The authority of Jesus is irrefutable, and His teaching is irresistible.

IV. REJECTION OF THE SON OF MAN (9:51-19:27): Inexplicably, most reject the Perfect Man who came to save them. But a few believe and begin to follow Him. On His last journey to Jerusalem, Jesus teaches His followers the cost of discipleship, and thrusts their thoughts toward His Second Coming and His soon sacrifice.

III. CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION OF THE SON OF MAN (19:28-24:53): After His triumphal entry, official Israel rejects the Perfect Man. He focuses on the equipping of His disciples for His departure and their future ministries. Then, He is crucified for the sin of humanity. Finally, Luke’s account of His resurrection proves that the Son of Man has conquered sin and death.

LUKE AND YOU: In one of the pivotal passages in the New Testament, Luke records Jesus’ teaching of the cost of discipleship (Luke 14:25-35).

The Five Marks of a Disciple

1.  Disciples must be totally devoted to Jesus Christ (14:26).

2.  Disciples must deny themselves for the sake of the Gospel (14:27).

3.  Disciples must willingly and intelligently decide to commit their lives to Jesus Christ (14:28-32).

4.  Disciples must desert all for the cause of Christ (14:33).

5.  Disciples must desire a life of eternal significance (14:34-35).

Counting the Cost:  There is no such thing as a reluctant disciple!

1.  Is serving Jesus Christ the highest priority in your life?  Unless you put Jesus first, you cannot be His disciple.

2.  Are you willing to put aside your own goals and desires in life?  Unless you put yourself last, you cannot be His disciple.

3. Will you commit your talent, treasure, and time to Jesus Christ?  Unless you put it all on the line, you cannot be His disciple.

4.  Is your burning passion in life to serve Jesus Christ?  Unless you are excited about eternal significance, you cannot be His disciple.

5.  Have you counted the cost?  Do you really want to be His disciple?

Follow Jesus; Serve Others

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve,

and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Jesus Christ, Mark 10:45) 

The four Gospels are corresponding accounts that provide a complex portrait of the person and work, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel, Savior of the world, and Son of God. These historical books encompass about 46% of the New Testament. Though they were not the first books written, the early church placed the Gospels at the beginning of the New Testament because they are the bedrock upon which the book of Acts and the Epistles are constructed.

The Gospels are written as biographies with a purpose. They are thematic portraits of the life of Christ focusing on the brief public ministry of the Son of God. Each author selects distinctive events and teachings of the Lord Jesus to present a purposefully skewed account to accomplish their purpose:

Matthew, a Jew, writes to persuade His countrymen that Christ is their King. Frequently quoting from the Old Testament Scriptures, he argues that Jesus of Nazareth “fulfills what was written.” His birth, life, death, and His resurrection leave only one possible conclusion: Jesus is the Messiah of Israel.

Mark seeks to reach the Roman mindset and presents Jesus as the Servant who came to “give His life as a ransom for many. He begins by serving the masses, but as He is being rejected and His departure grows near, He concentrates on serving His disciples and equipping them to serve others in His name.

Luke focuses on the Greek way of thinking, revealing Christ as the Perfect Man. Dr. Luke highlights the human side of Jesus, describing Him as the one who came to earth “to seek and save that which was lost.”

John writes to everyone, regardless of culture. He selects seven miracles and arranges them carefully to persuade his readers to believe in Jesus as the Son of God who will give them eternal life.

Mark is the shortest and simplest of the four Gospels. It gives the reader a vivid, compelling account of the life of Christ. With no editorial comments, Mark lets the narrative tell the story: Jesus is a Servant, constantly on the move and the pace is exhausting. He never rests, never ignores a hurting heart, and never avoids controversy, opposition, or danger. He just keeps moving and serving toward His reason for coming to earth—to suffer and die for the sin of the world.

Those who follow Him on the path of serving and suffering are often confused and exhausted, but always marveling at the wonder of being close to Him. Amazed at His words and works, His compassion and strength, they come to understand what all of us realize as we read on: Following Jesus is extremely difficult, but eternally rewarding.

Mark began by citing Isaiah, who predicted the Servant of God (1:3; cf. Isaiah 40:3). He ends with the Servant suffering on the Cross, and the implications of that event on the lives of His followers. Jesus came to serve God and others by providing salvation through self-sacrifice. Mark is the Gospel that most portrays Christ as the Son who became the Servant of the Lord Paul describes in Philippians 2:5-11. John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas and disciple of Peter, records the life of Christ from the eyewitness stories of Peter. “Mark’s story of Jesus is one of swift action and high drama. Only twice, in chapters 4 and 13, does Jesus pause to deliver extended discourses.” (J. D. Kingsbury, Conflict in Mark: Jesus, Authorities, Disciples, p. 1):

The pace of the Book is as exhausting as the pace of life for a devoted follower of Christ. The adverb euthys, translated “immediately,” occurs 41 times!

I.  PROLOGUE: PREPARATION OF THE SERVANT (1:1-13): Mark’s dramatic introduction of Jesus of Nazareth sets the tone for the rest of the book. Prophecies from Malachi and Isaiah identifying John the Baptizer as Messiah’s forerunner, established Jesus’ credentials as the Christ (Messiah).

II. THE SERVANT’S GALILEAN MINISTRY (1:14-8:30): His work in Galilee stirs up the religious authorities. Two series of confrontations with Jewish leaders reveal their hard hearts (2:1-3:20). The first time around, they decide to kill Him (3:6); the second time, they accuse Him of relying on Satan instead of God (3:22).

Three events—the charge by the religious authorities that His powers come from Satan, His rejection at Nazareth, and the murder of John the Baptizer—precipitate a great transition in the ministry of Jesus. His primary focus from this point forward is His twelve disciples. Just one year from His crucifixion, Jesus devotes six months to an intense training of the Twelve—teaching and demonstrating that He is the Son of God—as He withdraws away from the hostility of the Jewish authorities, the domain of Herod Antipas, and the fickle masses (3:23-8:22).

The great transition in Mark’s narrative follows the re-teaching of the answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?” until finally Peter answers correctly for the Twelve, “You are the Christ!” (8:30) After Peter’s declaration, the disciples will learn what kind of Messiah He is as they follow Him to Jerusalem, where they will witness His crucifixion and resurrection.

III. THE SERVANT’S JUDEAN MINISTRY (8:31-16:8): Jesus’ movement to the cross dominates the second half of Mark’s Gospel. From the time they leave the north, Jesus and His disciples were “on the way” to Jerusalem (9:33; 10:32). Mark bookends this section with two separate healings of a blind man—the first in Bethsaida on the north shore of Galilee (8:22-26), the second in Jericho, just before He enters Jerusalem for the last time (10:46-52). Mark’s careful placing of these miracles demonstrates that Jesus was endeavoring to open His disciples’ eyes to the truth of the necessity of the cross and suffering. All who follow the Suffering Servant must be prepared to lay down their lives and serve others in His name.

Over a third of the book is devoted to the eight days following their arrival in Judea on the Sunday before His resurrection—from His entry into Jerusalem (11:1-11) to Christ’s resurrection (16:1-8). Monday through Thursday Jesus cleared the Temple, exposed the hypocrisy of Israel’s leaders, received Mary of Bethany’s worship, predicted His desertion and betrayal, instituted the Lord’s Supper, prayed in the garden, and was arrested and condemned by the Sanhedrin.

But only the Roman authority, Pilate, could execute anyone. On Friday morning, Jesus stood trial before Pilate. By 9:00 AM, after being scourged and mocked, the process of His crucifixion began—the Son of God was nailed to a cross between two thieving insurrectionists. He was guilty of being “The King of the Jews.” For six hours, Jesus suffered on the cross, the last three being accompanied by miraculous events. Then, at 3:00 PM, Jesus died, and was buried in a nearby tomb.

The foundational truth of Christianity is the Gospel: Christ died for our sins and arose. But too many Christians underestimate the mighty work of Jesus on the Cross. He not only paid the penalty for our sin, He made a way for us to overcome the power of sin!

MARK AND YOU: When reading Mark, keep in mind the author and the audience. John Mark was a privileged young man who failed miserably in his early Christian life. He abandoned Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. Years later, he writes his Gospel from Rome, primarily to Roman Christians living in a proud and powerful culture.

Remember that Mark is stressing sacrifice and service from a heart that grew up in privilege and to a people who dominated the world.

Remember that Mark is stressing suffering from a heart that tried to avoid it and to a people who were facing persecution

Remember that Mark doesn’t try to hide the faults and weaknesses of Jesus’ followers.

Remember that Mark learned his lessons on suffering and servanthood the hard way—through disappointing those he admired in Christ when he decided that following Christ was too costly.

Jesus’ Command

In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus tells every Christian exactly what He wants us to do, “Make disciples of all the nations.”

It would seem that any theory of church growth, any mobilization of God’s people, any desire for revival would begin with making disciples.

Is your heart longing for revival?

Do you want to change your world, your nation, your community, your neighborhood, your church, your family?

What if we just did what Jesus said? What if we just started making disciples–maturing followers of the Lord Jesus?

What If?

You make disciples—the church must take responsibility for its role in revival to make disciples of all nations.

• What if you told some people you told about Jesus that you would love to meet with them for breakfast once a week, or they came over for dinner, or two or three of them agreed to come over to your house or meet in a conference or break room at work or school weekly?
• What if you asked them to tell their own story about Jesus so that they could get to know one another better?
• What if you asked them how you could pray for them, and if they knew anyone who needed Jesus?
• What if they said yes, and you showed them how to tell their friends about Jesus?
• What if their friends believed in Jesus and suddenly you were hosting a “minichurch” in your home or at your workplace or school?