The Kingdom Perspective

Transcript:

Hello this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective!

Self-advancement and self-justification are intuitive to the human heart. We constantly not only put ourselves first, but also justify why we do it. As Katharine Roberts, director of Verity Fellowship puts it: “[A]ccording to the world, life is like a ladder. At the top of the ladder is success, and at the bottom of the ladder is failure. Apart from Christ, we all naturally see life through this lens.”

Even the Apostle Paul admits this was his operating grid. Before meeting Jesus, he describes his life as a sort of ladder climbing narrative: “…I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own contemporaries…” (Galatians 1:14)

Later he describes his “advancement narrative” to the Philippians, “…If anyone…thinks he has reason for confidence in the [himself], I far more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.” (Philippians 3:4-6)

Paul’s pedigree was impeccable and performance impressive.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with having an impressive background or with working hard to better yourself. Self-improvement per se is not a sin. In my opinion, we could use a little more of it. However, when you believe your performance or pedigree IS your identity (your true self) or that it gives you worth before God, then trouble ensues. The only sure place to put your hope is not in your pedigree or performance, but in God himself. He alone is our glory, our shield, and defender.

And that’s something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only were hearing it said, ‘He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they glorified God because of me.”

~Galatians 1:11-24 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

In one very profound sense Christians do not live for this world. And, because of that, in a very profound sense that’s the best possible thing for this world.

What do I mean?

Think of it this way. What causes all the injustice and fighting in this world? In large part it is driven by our lying, stealing and cheating in order to get worldly gain over others that are likewise lying, stealing and cheating in order to do the same. This vicious and envious cycle spirals to the point of misery and even murder.

What drives this obsession? Underneath is a belief that this world is all there is. Simply put, you only go around once. And so, if I don’t get my way in the here and now, I’ll never get it.

However, the Christian is driven by a different vision of the world. She believes and knows that this world is not all there is. Rather, this world is a kind of testing ground for a renewed world yet to come. In the yet-to-come world, God has promised unimaginable delights to all who trust and obey Him in the here and now.

Now, what’s the effect of this? The effect, I think, is quite obvious. Those trusting in this promise from God will live differently in the here and now, because they know the best is yet to come. They will have patience when mistreated, kindness when slandered, courage in the face of opposition, perseverance in doing good, and generosity with their material possession. Why? All because they have a hope that goes beyond here-and-now.

Is this hope driving you?

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
~ Luke 12:13-21 (NASB)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

The only way you can come to Jesus is as a sinner. As a matter of fact, if you come to Jesus as anything other than the Savior of your sins, you will not find the true Jesus. Rather, you will find at best a grotesque caricature of Him.

Jesus is not the mascot for your favorite political or social cause. He is not your guru, your personal life coach, giving you advice on how to have a happier, more fulfilled middle-class life. He is not your divine barista, serving up personal happiness at the McJesus Café.

No, Jesus is the creator God come to save you, giving up His life for your sin on a bloody Roman cross.

Jesus is the exalted one who has dominion over all things. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the Creator and Redeemer of all things. All things were made by him, through Him and for him (Colossians 1:15-20; Revelation 21:1-4). He is the eternal judge of heaven and earth, who Himself was judged for His people. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Certainly, any caricature we make of Jesus will speak to something of His nature—after all this is how caricatures work. Nonetheless, Jesus is not defined by our culture-bound distortions. Jesus did not come to take your side. He came to take over. Jesus did not come to help you with “your life.” He came to give you His life. He did not come to conquer your problems or your enemies. He came to conquer you with His love.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate click here or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit www.christredeemerchurch.org.

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

Your sin is no match for the riches of God’s grace. Where sin abounds, grace super-abounds!

You may be overwhelmed by the seriousness of your sin and the debt you owe God’s justice. You may be filled with shame at the spiritual and moral crimes you’ve committed. You may be embarrassed for your continued struggle against sin and its effects in your life. But at the very moment that you put your faith in Jesus’s work for you on the cross, at that very moment, all the riches of heaven were transferred into your account. In the words of St. Paul, God blessed you “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). In yourself you were a pauper in the kingdom of sin, but in Christ you’ve become a prince in the kingdom of heaven, with all the riches of your Savior now at your disposal.

God in His grace spared absolutely no expense when He chose to redeem you. He was under no obligation to redeem you. But when He freely chose to do so He broke the bank. He did not redeem us with the leftovers of His love. He did not redeem us with the hand-me-downs of heaven. Rather, He found the most valuable thing that He had, His beloved Son in whom His soul delights, and He gave Him freely, fully and gladly for us.

This is why we sing of “amazing grace” and “amazing love”. Though we see echoes of such love in this world, they are but echoes, dim reflections of a love that is essentially foreign to this world, but overflowing from the throne of Christ.

Christian, God demonstrates His own unique love for you in that while you were still a sinner, Christ died for you (Romans 5:8).

Something to think about from The Kingdom of Heaven.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”
~ Ephesians 1:3-6 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

Jesus loves sinners. You could even rightfully say that He prefers sinners.

But, our problem is that we tend to make too little of our sin, and therefore too little of our Savior. We pretend that our sin is not as bad as it is, or that God is not as mad at sin as He is.

Now, we could stop here, and just berate ourselves over the seriousness of our sin. However, the Bible does not; it encourages us to go deeper.

Why do we tend to downplay our sin? Well, the Bible suggests that it is a self-justifying move. In other words, we intuitively know that sin is bad and God is mad (Romans 1:18). And so, at a very deep, perhaps even subconscious level, we justify ourselves. We make excuses for our sin: “It’s not really my fault! It’s really my wife’s fault…my husband’s fault…my kid’s fault…my parent’s fault…. It’s really the ‘systems’ fault, not me.”

Or we begin to compare our sin with others: “At least my sin is not as bad as those people. At least I don’t condemn others like my political opponents do!” “At least my personal choices don’t destroy the fabric of society as those evil people do!”

All such maneuvers are a kind of deflection—a defense mechanism—a way of protecting ourselves from God. It is a way of avoiding the reality of our own sin. But when we avoid our sin, we avoid Jesus.

Jesus loves sinners. He loves sinners just like you and me. With Him it is safe to lower your guard and let Him approach. During His earthly ministry, Jesus was so attracted to sinners and sinners to Him that He was constantly criticized for “receiving sinners and eating with them” (Luke 15:2). One gets the impression that sinners enjoyed Jesus and that He genuinely enjoyed them.

My friend, your best ticket to Jesus’s table is not your spirituality but your sin.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
~ Luke 15:1-7 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello! This is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

Our culture correctly tells us that we should: “Speak truth to power.”

The idea is that power must be properly used. It must be constrained by what is true, good, and beautiful. Though sadly Christians at times and places have not lived into this proposition, nonetheless, this is a deeply biblical and Christian idea.

God is not God simply because He is all powerful. He’s not a cosmic bully. Rather God is God because He is good. You cannot separate God’s governance from His goodness. Thus, the Psalmist reminds us that “The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether” (Psalm 19:9). God in His very essence is power constrained by truth and goodness. And so, the Psalmist elsewhere exhorts us: “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 106:1).

So, it is critical for us to speak truth to power, so that righteousness and goodness can animate our social life together.

However, when we, as a society, have implicitly, if not explicitly, assumed that all truth statements are mere power plays—that there is no such thing as truth in any objective, impartial sense—then there is no longer any truth to speak to power. If it is merely my truth vs. your truth, and your truth vs. my truth, then there is no real truth to arbitrate our truth claims. We are left with only power plays, and so, are trapped by this or that version of the “might-makes-right” formula.

Inevitably, in such a world, the individual or group that screams the loudest, or that is most physically threatening will end up with all the power. In a world where there is no truth, we are left with only disordered power. And where disordered power reigns, there is no freedom.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.”
~ Psalm 19 (NASB95)

Transcript:

Hello, this Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

What comes to mind when you think of meditation? Sitting silently with your legs crossed? Trying to think of the “sound of nothing”?

Well, the irony is that as modern Western secular people, we tend to have an Eastern religious view of meditation. We tend to see meditation as emptying our minds—trying to get in touch with oneself or some impersonal force. However, biblically speaking, meditation is not emptying one’s mind but filling it with Scripture.

The Psalmist tells us the blessed man is the one who meditates upon the Word of God, day and night (Psalm 1). The Hebrew word for meditate comes from the idea of murmuring—mumbling words under your breath. To meditate is to muse, to cogitate and consider God’s Word from every angle.

Other places in the Bible connect meditation with the idea of chewing—like a cow chews his cud—repeatedly chomping, swallowing, regurgitating, over and over again, until all the nutrients are thoroughly extracted and absorbed. We are to savor every “bite” of God’s Word, so that our soul is nourished by it.

In this sense, we are all meditators—our minds are chewing on something. The only question is what we’re chewing on? Even to “veg” in front of the television or to scroll through social media is a form of mediation. We are soaking in something, and so, being shaped by it.

You are a meditator! The only question is what are you meditating on?

And that’s something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“How can a young man keep his way pure?

 By guarding it according to your word.

  With my whole heart I seek you;

 let me not wander from your commandments!

  I have stored up your word in my heart,

 that I might not sin against you.

  Blessed are you, O Lord;

  teach me your statutes!

  With my lips I declare

 all the rules of your mouth.

  In the way of your testimonies I delight

 as much as in all riches.

  I will meditate on your precepts

 and fix my eyes on your ways.

  I will delight in your statutes;

  I will not forget your word.”

~Psalm 119:9-16 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

At our cultural moment we are in desperate need of optimism, and there is no better place to turn for that than historic Christianity. Christianity is an optimistic religion.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Christianity does not turn a blind eye to the reality of evil. It does not tip toe around the ugliness of sin, the seriousness of hell and the judgment to come. As a matter of fact, it tells us that the world is not the way it’s supposed to be. Our world is fallen and corrupted by sin—every inch of it! The Apostle Paul calls it “this present evil age” (Galatians 1:3). You see, the Bible doesn’t naively assume that what is, ought to be. And that’s precisely the point; it tells us that there’s a new world coming, in which all sin will be judged and all evil banished. Justice will roll down like a mighty river (Amos 5:24).

In large part, it is this optimistic vision that drove the 1950s and 60s Civil Rights Movement. Remember, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. He was not merely a civil rights leader. He was first and foremost a Baptist minister.

The night before he was assassinated, King preached his now famous “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top” (1968) sermon at a church in Memphis. In it he calls for unity, economic and social reforms, and for the American nation of that time to live up to its stated Christian ideals.

Now, people perhaps can debate about the best policies for implementing Dr. King’s vision. However, the Christian optimism that drove him to live and die for this hope, must not be a matter of debate. Rather, it must drive us all at the very core of our being.

The Bible gives us a view from “the mountain top”—a vision of a world yet to come, as well as a vision that also should inform how we live in the here and now.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.’”
~ Revelation 21:5-8 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

At times of civil unrest and deep cultural division, people tend to be on edge. They feel threatened and under attack. They assume a lot about their opponents and tend to attribute evil motives. Every little gesture, every little word, is scrutinized in the most negative light.

Now, in such an environment, Christians are called not to return fire but to turn the other cheek. We are called to be “shock absorbers”. In the words of the New Testament book of James, we are to follow the “wisdom from above” which is “peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy…impartial and sincere” (James 3:16-17). 

However, if you’ve ever tried to do this, you will find that it feels like being a shock absorber. And here’s the rub. To be a shock absorber means you have to absorb shock. You absorb the insults, bitterness, misunderstanding, anger, irrational rage, and the heat that others are feeling. This is painful! Outrageously painful! How in the world are we to find the strength to do this? Only one way.

We look to Jesus. We are reminded that our Lord Christ came into this world to absorb all our sin. He took all the pressure and insults we could throw at Him. He absorbed the shock of our judgment and took it down to the grave.

Knowing and living in the reality of this gives us, in principle, an unlimited ability to be shock absorbers in our world.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

Matthew 5 (ESV)

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

Arguably, the Bible speaks of the church more as an organism than an organization. The Church is the very life of Christ—His breath, His Spirit, His Word giving the church its being and vibrancy. To the degree that the church is filled with Jesus’s Spirit (see Ephesians 5:18 and Galatians 5:16-24), to that degree it is fulfilling its purpose and bearing fruit.

However, this is not to say Christ has given no organizational structure for the church. Of course, He has. Christ gave “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:9 ESV). But even the responsibility of these leaders is often given in organic (“body of Christ”) or agricultural terms. The church leaders are workers in God’s field or vineyard—sowing the seed of the gospel, watering and tending its growth as hard-working farmers (2 Timothy 2:6). They are not so much manufacturing disciples, as they are applying good farming techniques and trusting God to cause the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-9). Similarly, church leaders are to shepherd the flock of God (another agricultural reference), following the manner of the Good Shepherd, laying down their lives for the sheep (John 10; 1 Peter 5).

The upshot of all this is that we must be serious-minded about submitting ourselves to those God has appointed for our care. God never intended the church to be a “free-range farm.” No! We need to be present when the church meets, submitting ourselves to one another (Ephesians 5:21), not wandering like lost sheep, doing our own thing. We need to do our best to remain firmly planted in the structures God has provided through our local churches, not uprooting ourselves with every wind of change. God has appointed the structure of the church and its leaders for our good.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

~1 Corinthians 3:5-17 (ESV)