robert wendt
If you haven't heard of it yet, I want you to simply search #MeToo on one of your news feeds. As you hear the stories of men and women who have been sadly victimized by another person exerting their selfishness on someone else, it pains you. I know I've personally been disappointed by the actions of even pastors I've looked up to and respected from a distance. Pastors who I've listened to, attended their conferences, and wanted to glean what I could from them. In the end, I was saddened by the accusations, their actions, and how it impacted the people they harmed as well as the Christian community they represented. As Christians, we cannot stay silent when it comes to abuse, gender inequity, and the harm it has caused people. However, it is important also to reflect on how God would have us respond. How he would inspire and encourage us to lean into one another while the world so desperately makes it seem as if men and women should be so far apart. No words can even express the pain that has been caused. However, my prayer is that as Christians we can breath life into situations. Even situations that seem incredibly unfair. Here are some reflections on God's design and our role as we navigate our cultural settings. 1. men and women need one another.In the book of Genesis (the story of how things began), we are introduced to Adam. This is the first man that God reveals to us. In fact, the Bible makes it clear that he was created by God. As we see in Genesis 2, Adam had dominion over everything. He had rule over the animals, plants, and all that was created. He was put in that place to care for and look after all that God had created. Just think for a second. Adam had EVERYTHING. He had the entire world at his fingertips. As we reflect on our own lives and the lives of others, we must be brutally honest about something. If we are to feed our selfish desires, then we are truly saying we want to have the world at our fingertips. We want EVERYTHING. And if we are to continue to feed that selfish desire, we will do whatever it takes to get what we want. However, the passage does not end with Adam simply having the world at his fingertips and then living happily ever after. No. In fact, it continues on to show that Adam was in fact still missing something. A companion. "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.'" - Genesis 2:18 NLT Loneliness is not a good thing. From working on a project at work to being in the home, it is better to be in community with others than to be on your own. God knew this. So, he created not only man but also woman. This is a picture of what we should seek as we strive to live more and more God-honoring lives. In a world that so desperately wants us to believe men and women don't need one another, the reality is—we do. In fact, we are better together. The problem is that we haven't been setting the greatest example of how to compliment one another well. 2. selfishness breathes death into our relationships.In Genesis 3, we see what has been come to be referred to as "the fall." This is where Adam and Eve eat of the forbidden fruit. They eat from the one tree God asked them to not eat from. In the situation, God wanted to give mankind free will. He didn't want them to simply be puppets. So he allowed for them to make decisions. Yet they wanted to desperately have more than they had. They wanted to know more. So they ate of the forbidden fruit. In the verses that follow, we see how this led to the punishment for all mankind. The punishment of death. This is a reality that we still are confronted with today. People are born and people die. We can thank Adam and Eve for that. At the root of their decision was selfishness. They wanted to gain more knowledge and wisdom and did not count the cost for you and me today. They thought of themselves. As we see people abuse their role, power, or privilege today, we see the same thing. A thinking of one's own self over the good of the people around them. This is why we are no different from Adam and Eve. This is why in a world where we should be able to get along, treat one another fairly, and not cause harm, we still do. We do it when we put our own self first. Whenever we act in a selfish way, we breathe death into the situation. As followers of Jesus, we are called to breathe life. So how do we respond? Where do we look? My argument is to look at the example of Jesus. 3. jesus breathes fairness into unfair situations.In John 8, we are introduced to a powerful example of how Jesus treated women in his day. The religious leaders brought to him a woman who had been caught in adultery. They challenged him with the law. The law that states she should be put to death. However, at the same time, Jesus had been talking about grace and forgiveness. They knew that this would challenge him. How Jesus responded was not only marvelous, but it leaves us with a great example to follow. First off, the situation was unfair. The law that was referred to is Leviticus 20:10. It states, "If a man commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, both the man and the woman who have committed adultery must be put to death." Yet, they only brought the woman. Not the man. From the very beginning, the situation was unfair. As they peppered Jesus with questions, he simply remained silent, drew in the sand, and was patient. The first lesson here is that it's better to wait a while, to take things in, to think before we act. Jesus could have responded immediately, but he didn't—he paused. He then made a fantastic statement. "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!" From there, the people began to disperse, knowing they themselves were sinners. Yet Jesus did not stop there. He waited for the crowd to leave and when they did, he went one step further. He looked at the woman and had this beautiful dialogue where he restored her. He gave her purpose and value. In the same way, Jesus wants to give us purpose and value despite our shortcomings. In the weeks ahead, we will reflect on how we can continue to have healthy relationships with the opposite gender. We will look at how we can truly live better together. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” - John 8:9-11 NLT
0 Comments
robert wendt@robertkwendt || lead pastor Where you plan to go impacts how you go there. My family and I are planning some trips this year. Some are close to home while others are farther away. In each of the situations, our destination impacts what we have to do to prepare to get there. For flights, it means having the right documents, suitcases, strollers, etc. For a car ride, it means finding a way to pack it all into the limited space we have in the car. Where we are heading in the future impacts how we live today. It influences the way we spend/save our money. It impacts what we talk about, how we plan our schedules, and makes us think about each and every decision we make today. And this is all just for a short trip or two. But what if we were to prepare for not just a temporary destination...but for an eternal one? How would that impact our outlook? How would that influence the way we behave today? Here's why a glimpse into heaven causes us to have to think differently. In fact, it causes us to live globally! Where we are heading in the future impacts how we live today. 1. in heaven, everyone is represented.The book of Revelation is such a gift to us. In fact, it even tells us that in the first few verses. "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear" (Revelation 1:3 ESV). It's in this revelation given to John that we get a beautiful picture of what heaven looks like. We're able to see what an eternal future with God looks like. This is a destination that's not limited for a short time, but it's where we have the opportunity to be forever. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” - Revelation 7:9-10 It was revealed to John that there will be a great multitude in heaven. It won't be small. It won't be homogeneous. Instead, it will be full of people from every nation, family, people group, and language. What an amazing image about who will be present in the throne room of God. It's a picture that's so hard to imagine, yet so enjoyable to think about. Only God could make such a beautiful thing happen. A place where all are represented in unity! 2. all will be represented, but all won't be present.While all people groups, nations, families, and languages will be represented, not all will be present. There are individuals who will have not lived their life for Jesus. People who chose to serve a different god, laugh at the idea of Jesus, or in one way or another reject that Jesus is the only way to heaven. It is those people who sadly will not be present. Look at what is said about where this great mass of people came from. Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, 'Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?' I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' And he said to me, 'These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.'" Revelation 7:13-14 There is a clear distinction that is made. The ones who are present are the ones who have been made right with God through the sacrifice of Jesus. When asked about where Jesus was going and how people could follow him, he said simply this... "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." John 14:6 ESV All throughout the Bible, it's made clear that eternal life in heaven is only for those who profess Jesus as Lord. For those who don't, there is not a place there for them. It's that simple. While this dividing line is tough to fathom, it's also full of so much hope. There is a way into heaven. The way isn't even a reflection of what we do, but rather what we believe. To get into heaven, we do not have to be "good enough." No. We simply have to have faith in Jesus. This faith changes both our eternal destination and also how we live here and now. 3. we have to share the news with everyone.If all are to be represented in heaven, then all must hear the good news that Jesus lived, died, rose from the grave, and conquered death once and for all. He took our mistakes, shortcomings, and failures away. He made us right with God. When I found out that I was having another child I was so eager to share the news. My wife and I agreed to not tell anyone, but I just could not keep it in. So I told my hair stylist. The news about Jesus is even greater than finding out about having a baby. It's life changing. It's eternity changing. There is so much hope and excitement in the news that we can't hold it in. It has to be shared. This news is to be shared with all people. In preparing his followers, Jesus commanded them to "make disciples of all nations." This command found in Matthew 28 is an order, not to simply make disciples in physical nations with borders, but rather to make disciples (followers of Jesus) of all people groups. This is a bold challenge, but one we must take seriously. 4. if heaven has all people groups, then we are to go to all people groups.America is one nation with 488 people groups. India is one nation with 2,560 people groups.* A people group can be best considered as members who have a lot in common. This may be distinguished as tribes—or, backgrounds that are very close with one another. I often think about how, when immigrants come to America, they often settle with people similar to them (language, nationality, etc.). While they become an "American," they also stick with their own people group. Globally, there are 10,212 unique people groups.* Just imagine that. In heaven, the amount of people will be so vast that no one can count. And all these people groups will have representation. Our vision of heaven impacts our mission on earth. As we glimpse into heaven, we have to then be motivated to be on mission on earth. Instead of sticking with just our own people group, Jesus challenges us to go and make disciples of people groups other than our own. This means shifting from a local mindset to a global one. In order to do this though, you don't need to travel across an ocean. Instead, it may mean a trip across the hall, street, or to the cubical next to you. The people groups are there. The question becomes—are we interacting with them? If we aren't, our mission tells us that we should be. You don't need to travel across an ocean. Instead, It may mean a trip across the hall, street, or to the cubical next to you. robert wendt@robertkwendt || lead pastor This past weekend, we had the opportunity to welcome one of our ministry partners to Fellowship. In the days leading up to him sharing with the church Sunday morning, him and I were able to connect, discuss ministry, and share what God has up to in our different spheres. Nick and his family moved to France over ten years ago. In that time, they've lived in a communist township, had their kids get in trouble at school for wearing Christian symbols, and have seemed to be up against all odds. In a country that was once a hotbed for Christianity, there's seemed to be a void, an opposition—not much hope. Yet, Nick and his family knew that God is bigger than any political system, ideology, or challenges that would lie ahead. They remained faithful. After all this time, the two of us were able to connect and really talk through what ministry is like now in France. Here are some things that became clear to me. These are some principles that I truly believe can give us hope as Americans in a quickly changing political climate—a society that is heading much more in the direction of France than where we were 50 years ago as a nation. 1. god is always up to something.Nick sat in a denominational meeting. It was during that meeting that he was brought to tears. These were happy tears. The Christian faith had once been just for the old saints who had persevered through all of the societal changes. As the culture continued to progress further from one centered on Jesus, the churches seemed to be aging and closing. In America, we're living out that trend right now. Here's an excerpt from a LifeWay article published in March 2017: Today, half of American pastors are older than 55. In 1992, less than a quarter of pastors in the U.S. (24 percent) were that old. It is hard to argue against the fact that the face of the Christian church in America is changing. For those who have been in the church for numerous decades, this can be extremely scary. For those who are young in the faith, this can make one feel very uneasy. Yet, it's important to remember that God is alive. He's bigger than our fears. He is doing something. France experienced a very similar situation; yet, the church persevered. Missionaries like Nick have continued to work diligently. They never gave up. While it was hard to see any progress, God was doing something. That brings us back to what led Nick to tears. As he sat in a room full of pastors, he found himself (one in his early 40s) as one of the oldest in the room! It was a room full of native pastors in their 20s and 30s. In fact, the stats they looked at even showed that the evangelical churches in France are growing! The hard work is beginning to pay off. People are beginning to give their lives to Jesus more and more! As Americans, it can be very easy to embrace the doom and gloom of change. However, as I heard from Nick firsthand, it's much better for us to focus on what God is doing. He is always up to something! And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6 ESV 2. the pendulum always shifts.Solomon, known as one of the wisest men to have ever lived, wrote these words: "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9 ESV) We naturally want to believe that we are making new waves. We often think that what is happening in our society and neighborhoods around us is groundbreaking and new. However, the reality is that the pendulum is simply shifting back to the other side. Our political culture in America is seemingly changing on a daily basis. This can be scary for some and exciting for others. Yet, what's key is not our political structure, but the church's influence in the lives of individuals. Jesus and his disciples did not have any political clout. They didn't have political influence. Yet, the church grew rapidly. The good news that Jesus shared spread like wildfire. This was because Jesus followers had to be moved to action. When we rely on others to meet the needs of the people around us, we're sure to be disappointed...no matter what the political ideology is. In France, the government is not meeting all the needs of people. In fact, there are currently 'yellow vest' vs. 'red scarf' protests as we speak. When the early church took off, the Roman government was not perfect for the people either. That is why all political change is not something revolutionary, but rather it's just a pendulum shift. It is our Christian duty to share the never-changing love of Jesus in a society that will always be shifting from one side to the other. 3. it's time for the church to be the church.In Rome, it was culturally acceptable treat people very poorly. In fact, deformed or unwanted babies would be left on trash heaps. The poor were left to fend of themselves. There was quite a disparity between the rich and the poor—the "deformed" and the "normal." Yet, the early church did not rely on a government to make changes. They simply saw an opportunity to show love...and they did. Here's what Julian the Apostate, the last pagan emperor of Rome, wrote: “These impious Galileans [Christians] not only feed their own, but ours also; welcoming them with their agape [love], they attract them, as children are attracted with cakes . . . Whilst the pagan priests neglect the poor, the hated Galileans devote themselves to works of charity, and by a display of false compassion have established and given effect to their pernicious errors. Such practice is common among them, and causes contempt for our gods.” -Epistle to Pagan High Priests** Nick explained how they don't need to wear Christian symbols, bring a Bible to school, or even force political change. Rather, they've seen that their calling is simply to love those who need to be loved. This love extends to everyone! As they've loved the people around them, they've watched more and more people want to know more about who this Jesus is. For us, we are called to do the same. There is hope. It's time for the church to rise up and answer our call! A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:33-34 (ESV) * https://factsandtrends.net/2017/03/09/how-old-are-americas-pastors/
** https://www.patheos.com/blogs/geneveith/2010/11/how-christianity-conquered-pagan-culture/ |