April 25, 2014

"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:46-47

Faith becomes contagious like a virus or flu bug, through casual contact. When it comes out of quarantine and connects with other believers or makes contact with unbelieving people regularly and intentionally, it can infect many!

Healthy contagious churches have growing people and they have generous people but the also have genuine people.

What is a genuine person?

In terms of our analogy it would mean someone who has a real case of the disease.

How can you be contagious and infect others unless you are infected yourself?

Perhaps the key word in this verse is "sincere". This word has roots in two Greek words "sine" and "cera" which when translated literally mean "without wax". Here's the story behind it:

In the ancient days unscrupulous potters would use wax to seal up the cracks that were created in their kiln. Rather than throwing out their defective pottery they filled the cracks with wax and painted over them making them look first quality. But of course, the unsuspecting buyer who purchased one soon discovered the flaw and knew he had been deceived.

Not only did this reflect poorly on the crooked potter but also on the honest ones. So, in an attempt to distinguish themselves from dishonest pottery merchants the legit ones began displaying signs declaring - "our pottery is sine cera" - without wax!

To have a contagious faith you must be "sincere" - the real deal - not trying to hide your faults but committing those flaws to God. Genuine believers are not perfect in their performance but perfect in their desires and motives.

Like the early Christians, genuine believers don't just claim to love worship - they worshiped - "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts".

How can you claim to be a genuine Christian and then be haphazard with worship?

Like the early Christians, genuine Christians don't just claim to love fellowship - they were involved daily in fellowship - "They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts".

How can you claim to be a genuine Christian and be careless in your fellowship with your church?

Like the first Christians, genuine Christians don't just claim to witness - they were involved with witnessing to their faith daily - "praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

How can you claim to be a genuine Christian and not be clear or consistent with your witness?

Contagious Christians are genuine in their worship, genuine in their fellowship and genuine in their witness. When that happens God's Spirit is unleashed to call unbelievers to faith!

Genuine faith lowers the level of resistance non-believers so they can "catch" the contagious faith of sincere believers!

April 24, 2014

"All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need."  Acts 2:44-45

I remember when I got it just like I get the flu, I caught it from someone else. I'll bet you did, too!

To what am I referring?

Faith! Contagious faith, that is!

When I read the second chapter of Acts I see contagious faith on display!

So, as one who would love to see the Church come out of quarantine and start and epidemic of Christianity I asked myself, "What causes a church to become contagious?"

I was able to recognize three traits of a contagious church:

1) Growing people

2) Generous people

3) Genuine people

In my previous post I talked about growing people. Today's verses focus on the second trait of contagious churches - generous people.

That begs the question, "What does it mean to be generous?" Does it mean giving to everything every time a need presents itself? Does it mean giving a large amount to a few needs?

In keeping with the big idea of this message, generosity is defined in terms of what can spread the most "germs" of faith? How can I give in a way that breaks down people's resistance to the faith and makes them more susceptible to "catching" our faith? Where can I get the most spiritual impact from my gift?

Another important concept in these verses is the idea of "getting by with less in order to give more". True generosity is not just giving more because you have more, it about needing less to be able to give more. It is about taking more risks in giving because we have each other's backs. 

Some look at the phrase "having everything in common" and see socialism or communism. I look at it an see Christian love. I see responsible stewards being frugal so they can care for their own needs and be able to care for others within the fellowship. That is being generous!

Caring for one another by living on less to give more, fosters a level of love and Christian community that catches the attention of unbelievers and draws them toward the faith.

Furthermore, when needs are cared for within the church that fellowship is prepared to respond to outreach opportunities when they arise. When that happens contagious churches are willing to do what it takes to reach out even if it means selling off some possessions to do it!

Growing people are generous people and growing generous people make a church contagious!

April 23, 3014

"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:42-47

Nearly a year after I had returned from a mission trip to Africa I received a phone call from someone at the Center for Disease Control , Atlanta. As soon as the caller identified herself  and where she was calling from she had my full attention!

She proceeded to explain that it had been discovered that someone on the flight back to the USA from Africa had tested positive for tuberculosis so everyone listed on that flight manifest was strongly urged to get screened for TB.

Fortunately, I had not contracted that very dangerous and contagious disease and I hope no one else did either!

But that got me thinking about how one person can infect several hundreds of other people just by being in close proximity with them. 

The members of the Church in Acts 2 were like that! They infected everyone around their city with their contagious faith!

That raises the question, "How did they get contagious enough to infect others?"

Verse 42 gives some insights - "They devoted themselves......."

The original language renders it "they continually gave themselves"  to four important functions of a contagious church:

1) devoted (continually and earnestly) learning and study of the Word

2) devoted (continually and earnestly) fellowship with believers

3) devoted (continually and earnestly) sharing of the sacraments

4) devoted (continually and earnestly) prayer

You may accurately say they remained contagious by staying infected with a good case of the "faith" disease.

What about you?

Are you truly devoted to your faith?

Are you continual and earnest in your study of God's Word?

Are you continual and earnest in finding fellowship with other believers? 

Are you continual and earnest toward the sacrament of Communion?

Are you continual and earnest in your prayers?

Are you "contagious" enough to "infect" someone else with your faith?

April 22, 2014

"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"  John 11:25-26

This is quite a claim made by Jesus! Very confident and quite comforting!

If you will live and believe in Jesus, and if you allow Him to live in you by faith, you will never die!

However, there ARE several things that WILL die when you die and I feel compelled to point those out.

When you die, suffering dies. The moment you slip away from your earthly body and into eternity with Jesus - your suffering is over! Forever!

When you die, sorrow dies. At your last breath in this life, you are done with sorrow! Once your spirit enters into the presence of God there will be only joy! Sadness has no place in Heaven! You will shed no more tears. You will know no more heartbreak!

When you die, sin dies. If you die in Christ and enter into His paradise you will enter a safe, secure, sin-free environment. Not only will you be free from sin but you will not have to deal with temptation either!

So, you see, death is final - final for the things that are not worthy of God or right for eternity!

As we bring the Easter Holiday to a close I just wanted to remind you of a few reasons why it is the pivotal event in all of human history! You will never die, but all the things that make your life difficult or painful will die!

He's alive! You will live! Your heart-ache and hardships won't! Your crises and crosses will become crowns!

April 21, 2014

"And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered." Luke 4:1-2

Wow! Is this confusing!

It was the Holy Spirit that led Jesus into temptation? I thought Jesus taught us in the Lord's Prayer to pray, "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil."

So, how is it that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted?

This apparent inconsistency provides a good opportunity to clarify what Jesus meant when He gave us this pattern for prayer. Notice that the end of the verse says, "but deliver us from evil."

When you understand what Jesus was REALLY praying here you will get a greater appreciation for it. He is teaching us to daily implore the Father to never lead us into temptation unless He delivers us from doing evil. In fact, when you have prayed that prayer and God does lead you into a time of testing you can be assured that He plans to deliver you!

What Jesus knew when He went to the wilderness, led by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted by the Evil One that God would deliver Him from evil. God did not lead Him out there to fail.

This is akin to what Paul writes in I Corinthians 10:13 regarding temptation and trials, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

The alternative to having God lead you into temptation would be to go in alone. You don't want to do that! There is only one reason to go into temptation - TO COME OUT STRONGER! Only God can do that!

Jesus discovered first hand that God only leads us into temptation in order to deliver us from evil.

April 20, 2014

"The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."… Matthew 28:5-7

The glorious news of Easter is that Jesus is alive and that makes all the difference in the world!

A Muslim in Africa became a Christian which is extremely dangerous  and even fatal in Muslim countries. One of his friends asked him, “Why have you done such a thing?” He answered, “Well, its like this: Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions. You didn’t know which way to go; and there at the fork were two men—one dead, and one alive—which one would you ask to show you the way?”

The glorious news of Easter is that Jesus is alive! He arose from the dead and that makes all the difference in the world!

Max Lucado, in his book, “Six Hours One Friday,” tells the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying daily. 

A hospital was not too terribly far away — across the river, but the Indians would not cross it because they believed the river was inhabited by evil spirits. And to enter its water would mean certain death. 

The missionary explained how he had crossed the river & was unharmed. But they were not impressed. He then took them to the bank & placed his hand in the water. They still wouldn't go in. He walked into the water up to his waist & splashed water on his face. It didn't matter. They were still afraid to enter the river. 

Finally, he dove into the river, swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. He raised a triumphant fist into the air. He had entered the water & escaped. It was then that the Indians broke into a cheer & followed him across.

Isn't that what Jesus did? He entered the river of death & came out on the other side so that we might no longer fear death, but find eternal life in Him.

The glorious news of Easter is that Jesus died for our sins and arose on the third day! He is alive for ever more and that makes all the difference in the world!

On Feb. 27, 1991, it was the height of the Desert Storm War. A woman by the name of Ruth Dillow received the worst news that a mom could ever receive. Her son, Clayton Carpenter, Private, First Class, had stepped on a land mine in the Persian Gulf and he was . For the next three days she grieved the loss of her son, and although people tried to comfort her, there just isn’t any comfort that can comfort the grieving mom – no words that can be whispered. Three days after the notification of the of her son, the phone rang. She picked up the phone, and on the other end of the line there was a voice that said, “Mom, it’s me. I’m alive.” She didn’t believe it. She thought it was some kind of cruel joke and as he continued to speak, she recognized his voice. Her son was alive She said she laughed, cried, she rejoiced – what seemed like a hopeless situation was radically transformed into the greatest day of her life. That’s what news from a graveyard can do Today, I’d like you to know that there is still hope from an empty tomb.

He is alive! Rejoice in the difference Easter Sunday makes for you!

April 19, 2014

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;" I Corinthians 15:3-7

There is a saying that only two things are sure in this world, death and taxes.

This week I have had very real experiences with each. It was a tough week.

But on this Easter week-end I want to declare there is a third thing in life that is sure - THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST!

Some doubt that.

This week an atheist group posted billboards that claimed - "no one died for your sins - Jesus is a myth"

I am amazed at how stupid people become when they are overcome by hatred for Christianity.

There is nothing mythical about Jesus. He is so well documented that we mark time by His life. It is 2014 AD!

And the Resurrection of Jesus is one of those most documented events in history! 

The Romans documented His resurrection in their attempts to prevent it! By sealing the tomb and posting Roman guards in front of it, they assured His body would not be stolen. The fact that the seal was broken, the stone rolled away, the fearless guards having fled in fear, the grave clothes neatly folded, the angels present, and Jesus' body gone are all evidences that Christ arose from the dead.

Reliable historic record documents that over 500 people testified to having seen the Risen Jesus following His Resurrection. They testified to this despite the threats and pressures to deny the Resurrection. No one ever found the dead body of Jesus but hundreds saw the Risen body of Jesus.

The millions of transformed lives over the two thousand years of Christian history testifies to the power and presence of a Risen Savior! Why would people be willing to forsake everything that this world system values in order to follow Jesus if they were not absolutely convinced of His resurrection?

It is illogical to declare Jesus is a myth. History documents that Jesus lived and that He was crucified on a cross. There are three logical conclusions about Christ:

First, He was a liar. He claimed to the the Son of God while knowing that He was not.

Second, He was a lunatic in that He lived under the delusion that He was the Son of God but wasn't.

Third, He is Who He claimed to be - the Son of God in the flesh Who came to take away the sins of the world.

So who do you say Jesus is?

Liar?

Lunatic?

Lord?

If you conclude that He is Lord then you concede the resurrection!