Do You Follow the Example of Jesus?

Seated now at the right hand of God is a human being. His name is Jesus.

As our Lord walked the earth in his brief but glorious life, none who saw him wondered if he was a human being. Of course he was human; they accurately stated, “Isn’t he the carpenter’s boy?” As much as we defend and declare that Jesus is God, we must also defend and declare that Jesus is human. Always and forever he is and will be fully God, and always and forever he is and will be fully human. I preached on this last Sunday morning. You can listen to the full sermon here.

Because Jesus is fully human, he can be our example for how to live life. Think about it, if Jesus isn’t fully human what difference does how he lived make to us? If he’s not fully human, then what he does is not typical for you and me, mere humans. It’s like when a parent compares one child’s accomplishments to a sibling, “Why can’t you be like your sister?” Exasperated, the scolded child blurts back, “Because I’m not like her!”

If Jesus isn’t actually one of us, then his example really isn’t an example for us. His prayer life is not an example for us. His victories over temptations are not an example for us. His kind displays to needy people are not an example to us. None of it matters because none of it was done by an actual human being.

But he is fully human. He was hungry, thirsty, tired, tempted, emotional, and in the end, he died. Death, the ultimate expression of what it means to be human, is the experience we all have in common. Jesus is human, and because he is human we have an example of how to live life. Isn't this what Hebrews means when we read, "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb 12:1-2)?

Here are two questions for you to consider as you think about the truth that Jesus is fully human. First, what example from the life of Jesus is a helpful model to you? In the gospels you’ve read accounts of something Jesus did or character he displayed and you have taken this as your pattern in your life. We are Christians, “little Christs,” and we pattern our lives after Jesus. What part of Jesus’s life are you following today?

Second, what example from the life of Jesus do you find a difficult model to follow? Is his prayer model hard for you to follow? Do you find his model for overcoming temptation hard to follow? Do you find yourself failing to do the will of the Father though you see your Lord setting the pace for how to do the will of the Father? Have you asked yourself, “Where could I follow the example of Jesus?” Today would be a great day to begin.

Long ago Matthew Henry wrote, “The example of our Lord Jesus Christ is set before us. We must resemble him in his life, if we would have the benefit of his death.” Yes, this is our pursuit in this life – to be like Jesus. I trust you will become more like him today.

As always I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.

The Extraordinary Value of the Ordinary

We aren’t promoting anything extra ordinary this week. We don’t have a week of special meetings coming soon. There’s nothing seasonal to draw our attention and maybe a crowd, and we aren’t organized Friend Day, the Sequel for this Sunday. The first three weeks of April were as busy as we get at First Calvary, but now it’s back to the routine, and that’s a good thing.

A Christian builds her life on the layers of the ordinary. Ordinary Bible reading, ordinary prayer, ordinary gathering together for worship, and ordinary faithful living to the Lordship of Jesus Christ are the hallmarks of the mature Christian. Boring is not a synonym for ordinary. Ordinary equates to normal, usual, regular, or familiar. And ordinary church life is the hallmark of a healthy church.

The spectacular moments of a church may, and I emphasize may, inject a momentary jolt into the system, something like the impact of a Red Bull, a six-pack of Mountain Dew, or a double espresso (I really don’t know what that is.) But the spectacular moments are not the foundational stones of the church. The bedrock of the church is the ordinary. When we embrace the ordinary together, we grow a healthy church.

Ordinary corporate Bible reading informs the gathered church of what God thinks about his creation and what He wishes to reveal to us about himself. A church that knows the mind of God is a healthy church.

Ordinary corporate prayer unites the body in mutual dependency on God and broad agreement on what is important and needful for the church at the moment. A church that routinely enters God’s presence together is a healthy church.

Ordinary corporate worship promotes so much that is good for the church. In ordinary worship we learn to subdue our preferences in seat location or even music selections. In ordinary worship we gravitate to the same comfortable faces and choose to receive the less than inviting ones. In ordinary worship we receive the ministry of the Holy Spirit every time the Word of God is faithfully preached to us. We can count on the Holy Spirit showing up to the faithful preaching of the Word. We don’t need a special tent meeting to have him do a work in us. Just take in the ordinary preaching of the Word of God, and He will be there. A church that routinely gathers to worship together is a healthy church.

Ordinary faithful living by the church to the Lordship of Jesus Christ calls the next generation to the same ordinary faithful living to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In my opinion a major though not singular reason the next generation does not live faithfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is because they saw so much unfaithfulness in the local church. They want nothing to do with that kind of religion. And rightly so. As a rule, generational Christians point to those before them as models for faithful living to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

In addition, ordinary faithful living by the church to the Lordship of Jesus Christ calls an unbelieving world to salvation that comes from Jesus Christ. The big events may aid evangelism, but they are no replacement for the ordinary faithful life of the church to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. When the unbelieving world sees our love for each other, our holiness because of the change brought about by the Holy Spirit, our generosity with our resources, and our peaceful response to pain and sorrow, our words that convey the gospel resonate in their souls. A church that routinely lives under the Lordship of Jesus Christ is healthy church.

So, there are no flyers in the lobby announcing the coming big thing. You won’t receive any emails reminding you not to miss out on what’s happening next. However, I do hope you will eagerly anticipate the ordinary as the steady way to grow a healthy Christian and healthy church.

As always I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.

Lost, Alone, and Out of Gas

This isn’t the Musing I planned for you to read today. That one goes back into the file for another time. Instead, let me tell you about my morning.

I arrived at the church building a little after 8:00 to find an older Jeep Cherokee abandoned in the middle of the parking lot. The smashed lift gate window and shattered side windows meant somebody had a cold ride overnight. I wasn’t sure what I was going to find inside.

When I opened my car door to take a look, I expected to discover someone passed out in the SUV. It wouldn’t be the first time. Our location, adjacent to a major highway in the Twin Cities. makes our parking lot a convenient rest stop for weary and occasionally inebriated travelers. But this vehicle was empty. The broken glass in the backseat probably meant the damage was recent. The driver left a note, pink ink with big curvy writing. I’m guessing a girl.

“Ran out of gas. Be back soon. Sorry.”

“That’s good,” I thought, “Now I don’t have to spend my morning trying to figure out how to get this piece of junk out of our parking lot.”

It wasn’t long and Emily walked up the hill from the main road carrying an empty gallon jug, the kind that usually holds window washing fluid. The closest gas stations are over a mile away, and the bank tellers across the street probably couldn’t help.

“Hi. It looks like you’re still out of gas.”

“Yeah, there wasn’t anyone across the street to help.”

“I’ll check in our church garage and see what we have.”

A few minutes later I returned with a small gas tank and started pouring gas into her tank.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Emily.”

“I have a daughter named Emily. Are you from around here?”

“No, I’m from Anoka (Anoka, Minnesota is 35 miles northwest of our church building).”

“That’s a cold ride without any windows in the back.”

“Yeah, my boyfriend and I had a domestic. So…”

“Anoka’s a long way away. What are you doing down here?”

“I got lost. I don’t have a phone. Then I ran out of gas. I only have $6.”

“Do you have a church up there in Anoka?”

“Yeah, St. Stephens.”

“Is that a Lutheran church or a Catholic church?”

“A Lutheran church. Sister Marie helps me out.”

I emptied the last of the gas from the can into her tank and asked her to give it a try. The engine fired. She said thanks and drove away. I watched her leave and wondered, “Lord, what did you want me to do for her?”

Do you ever wonder how many women like young Emily drove our Minnesota roads last night with nowhere to go? I’m guessing the “domestic” with her boyfriend happened sometime late last night. The fighting escalated. Lots of screaming and cussing and she tells him she’s leaving. She is so desperate to get away from him, she doesn’t grab her phone. How threatening must her life have been to run without her trusted companion?

She races to the car, and he follows her with something in his hands, maybe a baseball bat? He threatens as she climbs behind the wheel. Suddenly, glass shatters, and he winds up for the next swing. Smack! There goes another window. She stomps on the accelerator, shaking uncontrollably as she speeds away.

Getting as far away from him as possible, she turns on this road and then takes that exit as warm tears stream down her face. Before long the moonlight fades to sunrise, and her gas tank is nearly empty. She’s lost and without a phone. Her car lurches toward the exit ramp and comes to rest in our church parking lot. “Now what do I do?” had to be part of her thoughts at the moment.

Again, I ask, “Lord, what did you want me to do for her?” The only answer I can surmise is, “Put gas in her tank.”

“Yes, Lord, but what about the abuse?”

“I’ll take care of that.”

“Yes, Lord, but what about her soul?”

“I love her, and I died for her. I will woo her and chase her. I want her to love me like I love her.”

“Yes, Lord, but what did you want me to do?”

“I wanted you to put gas in her tank.”

“Yes, Lord, but she lives too far away to invite for Friend Day, and she drove off too fast to even give her a gospel booklet or to offer a prayer with her.”

“Like I said, I wanted you to put gas in her tank. That’s all. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Yes, Lord.”

As always I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.

Why We Must Pray Corporately?

This Sunday evening we begin a new event at our church, our Spring Prayer Refresher. Jonathan Edwards of The Great Awakening fame helps us with why we should give these days to corporate prayer.

I have often said it would be a thing very desirable and very likely to be followed with a great blessing, if there could be some contrivance, that there should be an agreement of all God’s people in America, that are well affected to this work, to keep a Day of Fasting and Prayer to God; wherein we should all unite on the same day…Some perhaps may think its being all on the same day, is a circumstance of no great consequence; but I can' t be of that mind…It seems to me, it would mightily encourage and animate God’s saints, in humbly and earnestly seeking God, for such blessings which concerns them all; and that it would be much for the rejoicing of all, to think, that at the same time, such multitudes of God’s dear children, far and near, were sending up their cries to the same common Father, for the same motives. Jonathan Edwards, 1742

Edwards delivers impactful ideas in the brief quote. For me, I like the clause, “(corporate prayer) would mightily encourage and animate God’s saints.” We want that in our church, right? We long for encouragement for ourselves and our church family. We hope for each of the church to live the Christian life within our Christian community and to a lost world. Prayer is the catalyst for both.

Would you commit to corporate prayer, “for the same motives?”

Our corporate prayer begins Sunday night as we gather around the Lord’s Table. Our emphasis will be confession. Monday we will commit to obeying our Lord. Tuesday will find us declaring our dependence on God, and Wednesday we will ask God for his intervention. I trust this emphasis will be good for the church and glorifying to God.

As always I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.

Don't Be Afraid Unless You Should Be

Like money and our bodies, fear is a great servant but a brutal master. When money rules, acquiring it or holding on to it become the prime directive of life. When bodies rule, satisfying its cravings and meeting its pleasures become the morning drive and the evening fix. Fear is like this.

When fear is the master, fear stops you from doing what you should do or could do and goads you into doing what you shouldn’t do.

When fear is the servant, fear prompts you to do what you otherwise would not do and prevents you from doing what you shouldn't do.

Think in simple terms. Fear is a heartless master when it stymies a guy from asking out a godly and beautiful Christian girl. On the other hand, fear is a great servant when it prevents a married Christian man from flirting with the attractive woman at work or behind the counter at Starbucks. I could spend the rest of the day providing examples from work, school, athletics, marriage, friendships, swimming, horseback riding, sports car driving, and so much more. You don’t have time for that, and this is a musing not a paperback. But be certain, from the time you read this Musing until you go to bed tonight, you will encounter a circumstance where you will choose if fear is your master or your servant.

In the Garden of Eden and before the fall, fear was unknown to the human condition. The Bible tells us so when we read, “Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame (Genesis 2:25).” No body shaming meant no reason for fear. No sin anywhere meant no threats to the first humans. Fear was unknown because sin was unknown. But when sin entered, fear came with it as a source to combat sin and as an impetus to sin. Fear is a great servant but a merciless master.

Think what God says. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning people away from the snares of death (Proverbs 14:27). If terror of God’s response turns you away from a trap that brings spiritual or physical death, fear served you well.

On the other hand, Proverbs says, The fear of man is a snare, but the one who trusts in the Lord is protected (29:25). Fear betrays you when it lays the trap of “What will she think?” or “You can’t risk this relationship” or “Your job is on the line.”

The challenge for us is to identify where and when fear is a master and remove him from the throne. Then, welcome the efforts of the helpful servant named “Fear” who can deliver to us a protected life.

May God help us all to know the difference.

As always I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.