FOUNDRYcast

So what happens when we bring #JesusIsBigEnough south of the border?

With Chad out for a few weeks for sick leave, we are hearing stories from those who are part of Foundry. Ben is one of the original leaders of the church and is a pediatric behavioral therapist in North Louisiana. He shares a story learned while working at summer camp in college.

Each time I lead a funeral service, I include a handful of passages from John 14. They are meant for us to feel comfort, understand the place of death, and reflect on what and where Jesus currently is. In John 14 are many of our favorite readings about Jesus and His love towards us. We learn of the Holy Spirit and get a little insight into why Jesus had to leave.

"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? John 14:1-2

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6

"I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! John 14:14-16

"If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. John 14:15-17

Jesus replied, "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn't love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

"I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe. John 14:23-29

But has I have been reading this really familiar (to me) passages these last few weeks, I am beginning to see how these last words of Jesus are chock full of the very things He has been teaching and saying for the last three years (I put the big ones in bold in the reading above). Just as our hearts are troubled at those last moments of a loved one, the disciples hearts are troubled. And Jesus speaks to what the world will be like afterwards, just as some of our loved ones might do.

But the difference lies in how Jesus is leaving to eternally affect our world. And affect us. And the effect will truly be other-wordly

When I was in High School, our principal was a pretty big guy. He actually started at our high school as a freshman the first year it opened, came back after college and began coaching and teaching at his alma mater. Eventually, he became principal. And he was pretty awesome. He set the state bench press record when he was in high school and it supposedly still stood while he was principal. Rumor has it that he would casually stroll into a powerlifting team practice (we had been national champs for around 15 years running), would take off his suit jacket and dress shirt, and then bench press a massive amount of weight in his shirt sleeves. He'd then thank whoever had been using that area and would go back to his office.

But what impressed me most was the one day our elevator broke at the high school. During lunch, we all watched Mr. Hutchinson carry each of our wheelchair bound students down the stairs in his arms.

That action spoke more to me than any of the rumors about his strength or other admirable characteristics.

Jesus, on the last night of his life, gathered His disciples around and had a final conversation with them. And He started with a single action that both showed and defined His character.

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples' feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

Jesus replied, "You don't understand now what I am doing, but someday you will."

"No," Peter protested, "you will never ever wash my feet!"

Jesus replied, "Unless I wash you, you won't belong to me."

Simon Peter exclaimed, "Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!"

Jesus replied, "A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you."For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, "Not all of you are clean."

After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, "Do you understand what I was doing? You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and you are right, because that's what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. John 13:1-17

When you love someone and are willing to serve them no matter what, the awkward becomes intimate. We can learn much about how Jesus cares for us and how He calls us as a Christian community to care for each other.

When I was a kid I remember my parents being amazed at how quickly I could work through a transformer. Every now and then my Dad would pick one up and attempt it. He'd quickly be lost.

Now, my niece knows how to change the brightness setting on my iPhone.

There is this thing about kids being able to teach us lessons we can't learn for ourselves.

Jesus, when confronted with a difficult question for the disciples brings a small child into the mix. What grown folks need the most can often be taught through the example of someone who looks at the world completely different.

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?"

Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

"And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

"What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It's better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It's better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

"Beware that you don't look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father. Matthew 18:1-10

Jesus defines greatness a little differently than we do. And He uses a child to show us how this works.

Let's talk about childlike humility this weekend.

We are currently producing both devotional content AND the full audio text of Pursuit of God for our discipleship system. Here is a teaser with the devotional content for the preface and the full book text. For more information, go to wearefoundry.com/pursuit

When Meredith and I were engaged I came up with a rule for when we were registering for things. I got to hold the registration gun. You know, the electronic scanner that puts stuff on your digital registry? I felt like it was attempting to maintain some sort of influence over all of the rather unexciting things that are part of showers and getting married.

In short, I felt the need to be in control of something.

Jesus talks about a lot of things. But there are a few things that come up more than others. And at the top of the list is money. He calls it treasures, possessions, wealth..etc, but we are talking about money.

But is it really about money, or is there something deeper going on?

I'll let you read our scripture for the message and let you make that decision.

As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked. "Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: 'You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.'"

"Teacher," the man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young."

Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. "There is still one thing you haven't done," he told him. "Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

At this the man's face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!" This amazed them. But Jesus said again, "Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!"

The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked.

Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God."

Then Peter began to speak up. "We've given up everything to follow you," he said.

"Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then."

1. What drives you?
2. What do you need right now that you can't provide for yourself?

This, then, is how you should pray:

"'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'

Matthew 6:7-9

When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help."Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly."

Jesus said to him, "Shall I come and heal him?"

The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that moment.

When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.

Matthew 8:1-16

Ever got into one of those situations where a pack of kids just experienced something and are all attempting to explain it to you at the same time? If you know the bunch, you typically learn to listen to each one of them with a different ear. You've got the funny kid, the kid bad things always happen to, the kid that exaggerates everything…and the kid that is pretty true to the actual event.

Any time something happens to multiple people, there are different views and different experiences. We all come from different places and that changes the way we encounter things. We enter in with presuppositions, assumptions about what is actually going on, and a different take on what we feel like we need to communicate.

And the books we call the "gospels" aren't that different. We have four different people, with different experiences and assumptions, all trying to communicate the truth of who Jesus is. And they are all different. And they are also all completely true.

"Gospel" means good news. Each of these writers are telling the story of what good news is to a specific group of people in a particular place and time. As the church developed and rapidly spread, they began sifting through and identifying written works as authoritative and worthy of being called scripture, thereby putting them into the same tradition as the ancient Hebrew writings we now call the Old Testament.

So this Sunday will be a little different. We are going to take a quick lap through all four gospels, and look at them each as to why they are written and why they still matter.