Category: Evangelism

Everybody Looks for Love

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You know the song, it goes, “Looking for love in all the wrong places.” I think they do mainly because people don’t have a clue what real love is all about. Love is “more than a feeling” and is actually an active word. First Corinthians 13:4-7 mentions a lot about love in action. Christians understand that real love is not experienced until they acknowledge and receive the love of the Father through Jesus Christ.

The tragic thing about living a life without Christ is never knowing how much the Father loves each person. The Father demonstrated his love for us when we were least deserving. While still active sinners, he actively saved us. He gave us his only Son who “died for us.” It is truly an understatement when the Bible says, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Let’s look at one single verse: Romans 5:8.

The Proof of His Love (“But God demonstrates His own love toward us”)
God proved his love for us. The Bible says, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (Galatians 4:4). There is something in all of us that longs to be loved, and God loves us so much that he sent his Son. You are an individual, loved by the Lord, and the love you can voluntarily return to him is indescribably valuable to Him.

The Phenomenon of His Love (“in that while we were still sinners”)
The phenomenal thing about the love of God is that it is expressed to us not when we were perfect or deserving, it came to us “while we were yet sinners.” Jesus came and clothed himself in human flesh. He became what we are so that we could become like him. He was forsaken so that we might never be forsaken.

The Price of His Love (“Christ died for us”)
Jesus died our death so we could live His life. He took our sin so we could take on his righteousness. The price he paid to demonstrate his love was awesome. Every lash of the whip, every sound of the hammer, was the voice of God saying, “I love sinners so much I am making a way for their salvation.”

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Churches and Bridge Events

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Kim Jessie at the Norfolk Area Baptist Association has some great advice for churches planning on hosting community outreach events, like sports camps, children’s activities, VBS, movie nights, etc. The hope is that we can build a bridge from the church to the community.

Here are some easy to do tips for a more successful bridge event:

  1. Have plenty of smiling volunteers to meet and greet participants and parents.
  2. Have volunteers prepared to start conversations with parents or other adults who bring children to the event.
  3. If you are outside for the camp, provide cold drinks, chairs, and shade for the adults who hang out and watch their children.
  4. Provide a glimpse of what happens in worship. This can be done with a song and a brief devotional message at some point during the event.
  5. Make sure everyone is personally invited to worship, Bible study, and other summer events.
  6. Encourage children’s Sunday School teachers, worship leaders, mission/Awana leaders to be present to meet and interact with the children and their parents.

May God richly bless all that is done in His name!

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What is the Gospel?

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There is talk about the actual definition of the gospel.

Briefly, the true gospel is the good news that God saves sinners. Man is by nature and by choice sinful, and is separated from God with no hope of fixing his situation or standing before God. But God, by his power, provided for our redemption in the death, burial and resurrection of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

The word “gospel” literally means “good news.” To truly appreciate how good this news is, we must first understand the bad news.

  1. As a result of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:6), every part of man—his mind, will, emotions and flesh—have been corrupted by sin.
  2. Because of our sinful nature, we do not and cannot seek God. We have no desire to come to God and, in fact, our mind is hostile toward God (Romans 8:7).
  3. God has declared that our sin dooms us to an eternity in hell, separated from God.

It is in hell that man pays the penalty of sin against a holy and righteous God. This would be bad enough news if there were no remedy.

But God, in His mercy, has provided the perfect remedy, a substitute for us—Jesus Christ—who came to pay the penalty for our sin by His sacrifice on the cross. This is the essence of the gospel that Paul preached to the Corinthians.

  1. In 1 Corinthians 15, he explains the two elements of the gospel, the death and resurrection of Christ.
    1. Jesus died for us, the proof being that he was buried (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
    2. Jesus rose from the dead, the proof being the post-resurrection appearances (1 Corinthians 15:5-8)
  2. Anything added to this “first creed” of the church is not defined as the gospel:
    1. Not the plan of salvation
    2. Not liberation theology
    3. Not a social gospel
    4. Not justification, sanctification or glorification
    5. Not bearing fruit or good works or evangelism
    6. Not what one believes about the virgin birth or the end times
    7. Not humanitarian causes done in Jesus’ name
    8. Not even letting your light shine before men
  3. For us, our old nature died with Christ on the cross and was buried with Him. Then we were resurrected with Him to a new life (Romans 6:4-8).
  4. Paul tells us to “hold firmly” to this true gospel, the only one that saves.
    1. Believing in any other gospel is to believe in vain (Romans 1:16-17, Galatians 1:6).
    2. Paul declares that the true gospel is the “power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” He means that salvation is not achieved by human effort, but by the grace of God through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Because of the gospel, those who believe in Christ (Romans 10:9) are not just saved from hell. We are given a completely new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17) with a changed heart and a new desire, will, and attitude that are demonstrated through good works. This is the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in us by His power (Galatians 5:22-23). Works do not bring salvation, but they are the proof of it (Ephesians 2:10). Those who are saved by the power of God will always show the evidence of salvation by a changed life.

A Former Muslim’s Story

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This is the season of Immanuel, God coming into the world to dwell with us, the incarnation. It is more than myth or legend, this God-Man Jesus changes lives, and people do not recant in the face of hostility and death. Take a look at this Voice of the Martyrs video at one family in Iran.

Matthew 5:10-12, Mark 10:29-31, Luke 21:12, John 15:20, Acts 7:51-53, 1 Corinthians 4:11-13, 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5, 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 4:12

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Discipleship in 3D

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Scripture Reading for the morning was from Luke 15:22-24, part of the story of the Prodigal Son, “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. (Luke 15:22-24)

The lost son in this story returns and the waiting father throws a party. When we reflect on our own experiences, we each may have a similar story of before we became a follower of Christ; we recognized our lostness and the fact that we were spiritually dead. The wayward son looked around at his circumstances and his surroundings and the Bible says that “he came to his senses” (Luke 15:17). I love that phrase. It tells me that the Christian faith does not expect us to check our brains at the door, but to discover that Christianity is a reasonable and rational belief system.

Another story about coming to life is found in John chapter 11, the story about Lazarus. Not a spiritual coming to life, but he actually came back from the dead.

This is a story about a man who goes from the barren tomb to the banquet table.

I believe that every person in this room will discover exactly where you stand with Christ. I’m going to make it very easy because I call this message, Discipleship in 3D. The D’s are listed in your notes. Let’s begin in John 11:33-35, and check out that first scene.

  1. What Jesus Saw (John 11:33a): Jesus saw that Mary was weeping, and also the Jews who came with her. A better word might be “wailing.” Think about it, Jesus had come down from heaven, stepping out of eternity where there is no sin, sorrow, tombs or tears. On a practical side, this family was special to Jesus, and he saw these special people grieving over the loss of Lazarus. So let’s move on to…
  2. What Jesus Suffered (John 11:33b): Jesus was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled. The word used is similar to agitated and pretty close to “snort” like a horse. It is used in the NT for displeasure or indignation. He was troubled, he literally shook with emotion.
  3. What Jesus Said (John 11:34): “Where have you laid him?” Note that Jesus was not ignorant to the location of Lazarus, but rather he wanted to get the people focused on the place of his greatest miracle to date. All these people made their way to the tomb. Think about it. All of us are also on the way to the grave. Why? Because of our sin. Jesus was going to the tomb for the same reason… because of our sins.
  4. What Jesus Showed (John 11:35): it is here that we read the shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept.” This Greek word (dakruo) occurs here and nowhere else in the Bible, meaning he burst into tears. It is a different word used for Mary’s tears (John 11:31) and the tears of the Jews (John 11:33).
    1. This was no wailing in despair, it is the strong emotion of the Son of God, as we read in Hebrews 5:7 (While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death). He was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief; he cried because his heart was broken over the sorrow of his close friends.
    2. I think he also wept because he could see what the crowd could not, perhaps he saw Lazarus in paradise, surrounded by the saints of God. He was in a place where time stands still, where the hosts of heaven were eagerly awaiting the time for the Son of God to be glorified. He was barely introduced to Abraham and Moses; perhaps the saints were questioning him about what he knew about Jesus. And now, Jesus was about to call him back into this world of sin, suffering, pain and death. I think Jesus wept out of a different sorrow for Lazarus.

All of this is by way of introduction to the scene: the feelings of the Savior and the finality of the grave. All those around the tomb that day knew for certain that once someone lands in the graveyard, there’s no leaving, sort of like checking in to the Hotel California.

The Order (John 11:39a): We read that Jesus tells them to remove the stone. He is all-powerful, and he could have done it all by himself, but I believe Jesus wanted the people to participate in the miracle. This was going to be the greatest miracle yet, and he was not going to show off his power in an inappropriate was by commanding stones to move by themselves. Besides, Jesus commands people, not stones. Remember that story in Luke 19:38-39, during the celebration and entry into Jerusalem, “if these disciples remain silent, the stones will cry out.” Jesus wants people involved in his mission here on earth.

The Objection (John 11:39b): The objection to removing the stone was that after four days, there will be such a stench.

Here is where we will discover our first D of Discipleship; we discover for certain that Lazarus is DEAD. How can you tell if someone is dead? It is fairly obvious when it comes to physical death: the heart stops beating, the lungs stop breathing, the person grows cold, but Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:1 that we all “were dead in our trespasses and sins.” He was speaking to believers who were born again; so those who are not born again are still dead. We walk around people every day, and there are people in this room, who are dead on the inside. How can you tell?

There is no health: they might have physical health, but on the inside, they’re rotting away. Have you noticed that those who are dead will often engage in behaviors that will hurt them physical, emotionally, and relationally? They are involved in habits, hurts and hang-ups that are damaging to their health.

There is no happiness: people might say they are happy and have all they want, but there is no real or lasting peace on the inside, which only comes from knowing that our sins are forgiven and we are loved unconditionally by God.

There is no hope: These spiritually dead people seem to be fine as they go through life, but when it comes to eternal matters like physical death, they have no hope or assurance of what happens to them after they die; they fear the unknown.

Some of you sitting in here today can’t say for certain that you have passed from death to life. You wonder why you get nothing out of the worship experience, and can’t figure out what these church people are all about. Don’t feel bad, because the Bible tells us WHY you don’t get it. First Corinthians 2:14 says, “But people who aren’t spiritual (spiritually dead people) can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.”

Is this YOU? Are you dead? Those who are alive in Christ can tell that you’re dead, because we are able to inspect the “fruit” that people bear. But we are never to judge, because we reserve judgment for God alone. What needs to happen today is that you follow the steps of the Prodigal Son, come to your senses (Luke 15:17) and allow the love of God to flood your soul and forgive your sin. Come to life and be born again, born anew, born from above in order to become one of God’s children. Jesus is calling your name and he invites you to step out of the tomb and to walk in newness of life.

Lazarus was dead, but after calling his name, he is now delivered from the grave (John 11:44a): “he who had died came forth.”

  1. I believe that there is a reason that Jesus called Lazarus by name. If he would have simply shouted, “Come forth” everyone in the graveyard would have been raised from the dead that day.
  2. Jesus also called him in a loud voice, which tells me that when we do something for Jesus, let’s not be shy or remain in secret, but allow people to see Jesus through your words and actions. Let people see your good works and glorify the Father who is in heaven.

When we are delivered from death, God wants us to be set free from sin, which brings us to the second D of Discipleship, Lazarus was DEAD, but now that he is alive, he is DISABLED. He steps out of the tomb bound hand and foot and his face was wrapped with a cloth (John 11:44). He was wrapped up and held in bondage with the funeral garb of his day. The man is alive but he is not set free until Jesus tells the people to “unbind him and let him go.”

I think that many people in the room find themselves in this situation. You’ve prayed the prayer, you’re born again, delivered from death, but they are disabled and defeated by some sin that they are just not willing to give up. Jesus speaks to us daily about walking in a manner worthy of our calling and Christians, but you turn aside and refuse to get rid of the sin that so easily trips you up. What are some things that bind Christians?

Bound by darkness: (John 11:44) there was a cloth over the face of Lazarus, which prevented him from seeing clearly. For us, perhaps someone doesn’t really know that certain behaviors are sinful. He needs to be taught the Word of God so that they will know how to live and what sins to avoid. God’s children need to be able to walk in the light. Let’s learn what pleases God and and what displeases God.

Burdened by disillusionment: it is here that people can stop attending church and following Christ. Perhaps they thought that when they were made alive in Christ, their problems would go away. They have become disillusioned. Their passion for Christ has gone AWOL. Perhaps you’ve listened to too many skeptics bad-mouth the Christian faith to the point you are sliding backwards away from Christ. Jesus does not remove problems in life as much as he gives us a new way to deal with our problems.

Bought by declaration: Jesus tells the people to unbind him and let him go, so we must remember that the same power that raised Lazarus from the dead is available to us today. If we want to be unbound and set free, it is only through the power of God’s word. Jesus declared that we are to be set free. We are bought with a price.

Is this YOU? Are you disabled? You claim to be a follower of Christ, maybe you’re a member of this church, and have been baptized, but you have some sinful habits that continue to hold you captive. You’re disabled. The Bible talks about overcoming the world, and you have no clue what that is all about. It is only with God’s help, and the strength we find in gathering as the community of faith. Notice that Jesus told the people to unbind him; so for me, I believe Jesus does not expect us to be set free on our own.

The next time we see Lazarus, he is back home dining with Jesus. He has gone from the barren tomb to the banquet table. Imagine the celebration! But the mood becomes heavy when they discover that the Jew are seeking to kill Jesus, and while we’re at it, let’s kill Lazarus, too (John 12:10).

It is here that we get to the third D of Discipleship, Lazarus was once DEAD, then he was delivered from the tomb, yet DISABLED by things that had him bound. Now he has become DANGEROUS. Why is Lazarus dangerous? John 12:11 tells us point blank, “because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.” Our common enemy, the devil, saw Lazarus as a threat that needed attention. He needed to be eliminated. Lazarus was alive, people were coming to Jesus and that got Satan angry.

When you hang around with lost people, how many times do you get shot down because you don’t participate in whatever activity you are convinced that it is sin if you did it? Maybe it’s drinking alcohol at a bar, or living a promiscuous lifestyle or committing adultery, you insert the sin. The fact that you don’t participate is condemning to lost people; the Spirit convicts them of their sin and the best way avoid the guilt is to get rid of YOU. They think they won’t feel convicted if you’re not around.

When people are controlled by the enemy, they will seek to get rid of all that is holy. If you are convicted that your mission is to point people toward Jesus, then you my friend have a desire to be dangerous.

But there is another danger that is more subtle. What if Lazarus was simply happy to stay at the dining table with Jesus? Is that not a dangerous thing for believers? We come to church and we sit down and soak up inspiration, relationships, perhaps enjoy the entertainment, and now we have the potential to become consumers. The church can become all about me.

A great word-picture for me is the difference between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. Galilee has water flowing in and also flowing out of it; and it is full of life. The Dead Sea has all sorts of life and living water flowing into it, yet nothing ever flows out; nothing lives in it either. It is dead. Don’t let that happen to you.

I am convinced that what we need can be boiled down to this formula: Worship plus two. Coming to worship is fine, and enjoyable, but it is really non-committal. We just show up an hour a week putting in our time for God. We need worship plus two:

  1. Involvement in a Small Group: to develop community and put ourselves into a greater position to experience life transformation. We don’t really experience community when we sit in a pew looking at the back of someone else’s head. We need interaction and accountability.
  2. Involvement in a Serving Ministry: where I can give back and serve God and others. The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

It is dangerous to ourselves if we only dine at the Master’s table, but we can be dangerous to the enemy by making an impact on the world around us, and point others to faith in Christ.

So, where are YOU in this story?

Are you still in the tomb, dead spiritually? Then you need to repent and believe the gospel, and be born again.

Are you alive in Christ, but disabled by some sin that you can’t shake? Today can be the day that you allow Jesus to be your Lord, not just your Savior. Are there sins you need to forsake, seek forgiveness or repent of? Don’t wait another day. Once you know you’re disabled, how can anyone live that way any longer?

Perhaps you’re born again, set free from sins that used to plague you in your early Christian life, but now you realize that you need to be dining with Jesus on a regular basis. Any living thing grows, if it’s not growing, it isn’t alive. Disciples grow in their faith. We can teach you how to do that.

Finally, maybe you have been made alive in Christ, you’re no longer bound by habitual sin, your devotional time with Jesus is going well, but you realize that you have never become dangerous to the enemy. Today is the day you want to learn how to tell others about Jesus, how to let your light shine in dark places. Today can be your day to publicly tell Satan that you intend to be like Lazarus, you want to be dangerous.

The alternative is found in John 11:46, those who did not come to believe in Christ, went away to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. I don’t believe they went to witness for Christ, they went into the enemy’s camp rather than stand up with Christ.

So, are you dead, disabled or dangerous? Where do you stand with Jesus? The choice is up to you. There is always room to move toward a higher level of commitment to Christ and his church. What is your decision today?

 

A Valley of Dry Bones

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Here is a word for this generation, it is not a message given only to the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37:1-10). Listen to the words as the Spirit of God speaks to your heart. Awaken your passion for God and his mission in the world. Become a part of proclaiming God’s message to those who have yet to hear.

These dry bones are your neighbors, classmates, friends, co-workers, golf buddies. The valley is at the grocery store, gas station, the racquet club, the golf course, the oceanfront, among the homeless and at your favorite restaurant.

Live in a way that is worthy of our calling as followers of Christ. How will you live differently today than any other day up until now?

Why Teens Leave the Church

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There is a new Barna study on teens leaving the church (click here for the full study).

There is an accompanying book worth looking into, much like the book unChristian a couple years ago. The findings of this research are included in a new book titled You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church and Rethinking Church.

Overall, the research uncovered six significant themes why nearly three out of every five young Christians (59%) disconnect either permanently or for an extended period of time from church life after age 15.

Reason #1 – Churches Seem Overprotective.
One of the defining characteristics of teens and young adults today is their unprecedented access to ideas, worldviews and their prodigious consumption of popular culture. As Christians, they express the desire for their faith in Christ to connect to the world they live in.

  1. However, much of their experience of Christianity feels stifling, fear-based and risk-averse.
  2. One-quarter of 18- to 29-year-olds said “Christians demonize everything outside of the church.”
  3. Other perceptions in this category include “church ignoring the problems of the real world” (22%)
  4. And “my church is too concerned that movies, music, and video games are harmful” (18%).

Reason #2 – Their Experience of Christianity is Shallow.
A second reason that young people depart church as young adults is that something is lacking in their experience of church.

  1. One-third said “church is boring.”
  2. One-quarter of these young adults said that “faith is not relevant to my career or interests” or that “the Bible is not taught clearly or often enough.”
  3. Sadly, one-fifth of these young adults who attended a church as a teenager said that “God seems missing from my experience of church.”

Reason #3 – Churches Come Across as Antagonistic to Science.
One of the reasons young adults feel disconnected from church or from faith is the tension they feel between Christianity and science.

  1. The most common of the perceptions in this arena is “Christians are too confident they know all the answers” (35%).
  2. Three out of ten young adults with a Christian background feel that “churches are out of step with the scientific world we live in” (29%).
  3. Another one-quarter embrace the perception that “Christianity is anti-science” (25%).
  4. And nearly the same proportion (23%) said they have “been turned off by the creation-versus-evolution debate.”
  5. Furthermore, the research shows that many science-minded young Christians are struggling to find ways of staying faithful to their beliefs and to their professional calling in science-related industries.

Reason #4 – Church Experiences Related to Sexuality are Often Simplistic and Judgmental.
With unfettered access to digital pornography and immersed in a culture that values hyper-sexuality over wholeness, teen and twentysometing Christians are struggling with how to live meaningful lives in terms of sex and sexuality. One of the significant tensions for many young believers is how to live up to the church’s expectations of chastity and sexual purity in this culture, especially as the age of first marriage is now commonly delayed to the late twenties.

  1. Research indicates that most young Christians are as sexually active as their non-Christian peers, even though they are more conservative in their attitudes about sexuality.
  2. One-sixth of young Christians (17%) said they “have made mistakes and feel judged in church because of them.”
  3. The issue of sexuality is particularly salient among 18- to 29-year-old Catholics, among whom two out of five (40%) said the church’s “teachings on sexuality and birth control are out of date.”

Reason #5 – They Wrestle with the Exclusive Nature of Christianity.
Younger Americans have been shaped by a culture that esteems open-mindedness, tolerance and acceptance. Today’s youth and young adults also are the most eclectic generation in American history in terms of race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, technological tools and sources of authority. Most young adults want to find areas of common ground with each other, sometimes even if that means glossing over real differences.

  1. Three out of ten young Christians (29%) said “churches are afraid of the beliefs of other faiths” and an identical proportion felt they are “forced to choose between my faith and my friends.”
  2. One-fifth of young adults with a Christian background said “church is like a country club, only for insiders” (22%).

Reason #6 – The Church Feels Unfriendly to Those Who Doubt.
Young adults with Christian experience say the church is not a place that allows them to express doubts. They do not feel safe admitting that sometimes Christianity does not make sense. In addition, many feel that the church’s response to doubt is trivial.

  1. Some of the perceptions in this regard include not being able “to ask my most pressing life questions in church” (36%) and having “significant intellectual doubts about my faith” (23%).
  2. In a related theme of how churches struggle to help young adults who feel marginalized, about one out of every six young adults with a Christian background said their faith “does not help with depression or other emotional problems” they experience (18%).

Turning Toward Connection
David Kinnaman, who is the coauthor of the book unChristian, explained that “the problem of young adults dropping out of church life is particularly urgent because most churches work best for ‘traditional’ young adults – those whose life journeys and life questions are normal and conventional. But most young adults no longer follow the typical path of leaving home, getting an education, finding a job, getting married and having kids—all before the age of 30. These life events are being delayed, reordered, and sometimes pushed completely off the radar among today’s young adults.

“Consequently, churches are not prepared to handle the ‘new normal.’ Instead, church leaders are most comfortable working with young, married adults, especially those with children. However, the world for young adults is changing in significant ways, such as their remarkable access to the world and worldviews via technology, their alienation from various institutions, and their skepticism toward external sources of authority, including Christianity and the Bible.”

The research points to two opposite, but equally dangerous responses by faith leaders and parents:

  1. Either catering to or minimizing the concerns of the next generation. The study suggests some leaders ignore the concerns and issues of teens and twentysomethings because they feel that the disconnection will end when young adults are older and have their own children. Yet, this response misses the dramatic technological, social and spiritual changes that have occurred over the last 25 years and ignores the significant present-day challenges these young adults are facing.
  2. Other churches seem to be taking the opposite corrective action by using all means possible to make their congregation appeal to teens and young adults. However, putting the focus squarely on youth and young adults causes the church to exclude older believers and “builds the church on the preferences of young people and not on the pursuit of God,” Kinnaman said.

Between these extremes, the book You Lost Me points to ways in which the various concerns being raised by young Christians (including church dropouts) could lead to revitalized ministry and deeper connections in families. Kinnaman observed that many churches approach generations in a hierarchical, top-down manner, rather than deploying a true team of believers of all ages. “Cultivating intergenerational relationships is one of the most important ways in which effective faith communities are developing flourishing faith in both young and old. In many churches, this means changing the metaphor from simply passing the baton to the next generation to a more functional, biblical picture of a body – that is, the entire community of faith, across the entire lifespan, working together to fulfill God’s purposes.”

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More Than an Easter Message

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Today is Easter, Resurrection Sunday. For many people across the country, it is one of the two days people gather at church, I suspect “to pay our respects to God.” This is done often with no real consideration for what God has done for us. Just believe the right stuff, come to church a couple of times a year, but God can’t expect me to get all fanatical about this stuff. Jesus said it best, this generation “honors Me with their lips but their hearts are far from Me” (Matthew 15:8, Isaiah 29:13). Don’t let Jesus say that about you.

According to The Message version, Jesus also said, “I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 MSG)

Easter is a celebration of Jesus conquering even death in order to give us freedom. After walking this life with you, Jesus wants you to join him in heaven.

Are You In?

How do you do that? You accept the gift that he’s given you, the gift of forgiveness and life. You can do that right now. You can talk to him and tell him, “I accept your gift of forgiveness and I accept your gift of life. I want to live the life that you made me to live. Thank you, Jesus, for loving me.”

This is a very simple prayer, but it changes everything. When you say I accept the fact that Jesus’ blood was given so I could be forgiven, it changes everything about your life, everything about who you are and everything about your eternity. It becomes more than a twice a year ritual.

Do You Think You’re In?

For those who are already believers, Jesus also said that we need to receive him (or accept him – John 1:12). Have you done that? Have you gone beyond simple belief to actually receiving him? This is a life-changing action, worthy of full consideration. It makes all the difference.

Jesus also said that on that day (judgment day, the end of time), many will find themselves face to face with Jesus and he tells them I never knew you.

Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws (Matthew 7:21-23).

The scary part? He said MANY people who felt they were “in” will discover that they are actually on the outside. Let’s get serious about God and involvement in what God is doing through his church. He loved the church (the followers of Christ) enough to die for it. Should it not be an important part of our lives? A tree is known by it’s fruit (Matthew 7:19-20). Don’t forsake the gathering of yourselves together (like going to church – Hebrews 10:25).

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Don’t Leave It on the Desk

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I read this story and had to pass it on; I don’t even know the author to credit. An internet search reveals it has been around a while but no one seems to credit the author. Responses on the Internet go from inspiring to mockery (as on messages.snopes.com). After you read this story, you might want to read the original.

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States. Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this
particular institution. Every student was required to take this course their freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor’s class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.

“How many push-ups can you do?”

Steve said, “I do about 200 every night.”

“200? That’s pretty good, Steve,” Dr. Christianson said. “Do you think you could do 300?”

Steve replied, “I don’t know…. I’ve never done 300 at a time”

“Do you think you could?” again asked Dr. Christianson.

“Well, I can try,” said Steve.

“Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it,” said the professor.

Steve said, “Well… I think I can…yeah, I can do it.”

Dr. Christianson said, “Good! I need you to do this on Friday.. Let me explain what I have in mind.”

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren’t the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson’s class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, “Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?”

Cynthia said, “Yes.”

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?”

“Sure!” Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia’s desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, “Joe, do you want a donut?”

Joe said, “Yes.” Dr. Christianson asked, “Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?”

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.

Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship.

When the professor asked, “Scott do you want a donut?”

Scott’s reply was, “Well, can I do my own push-ups?”

Dr. Christianson said, “No, Steve has to do them.”

Then Scott said, “Well, I don’t want one then.”

Dr…. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want?”

With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups.

Scott said, “HEY! I said I didn’t want one!”

Dr.. Christianson said, “Look! This is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it.” And he put a donut on Scott’s desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, “Jenny, do you want a donut?”

Sternly, Jenny said, “No.”

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn’t want?”

Steve did ten….Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, “No!” and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn’t bear to watch all of Steve’s work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr. Christianson, “Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?”

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, “Well, they’re your push-ups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want.” And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, “NO! Don’t come in! Stay out!”

Jason didn’t know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, “No, let him come.”

Professor Christianson said, “You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?”

Steve said, “Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut.”

Dr. Christianson said, “Okay, Steve, I’ll let you get Jason’s out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?”

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. “Yes,” he said, “give me a donut.”

“Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?”

Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Dr Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve’s arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, “Linda, do you want a doughnut?”

Linda said, very sadly, “No, thank you.”

Professor Christianson quietly asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want?”

Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.

Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. “Susan, do you want a donut?”

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. “Dr. Christianson, why can’t I help him?”

Dr Christianson, with tears of his own, said, “No, Steve has to do it alone; I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not.. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push-ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes.”

“Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?”

As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, “And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, ‘Into thy hands I commend my spirit.’ With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten. ”

Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.

“Well done, good and faithful servant,” said the professor, adding, “Not all sermons are preached in words.”

Turning to his class, the professor said, “My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not His Only Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid.”

“Wouldn’t you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?”

Share this with someone. It’s bound to touch their heart and demonstrate Salvation in a very special way.

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