Defined//Saved

When the Church first started, people started calling this peculiar group of people "Followers of the Way." People didn't know much about these people, all they knew is that they lived in a way that was totally different than everyone else and that they were offering people a whole new way to live. And this bothers me because...

Are Christians, in our days, offering people a whole new way to live?
Or...
Are we just offering them the "you're saved" title and a promise that one day "you will be in heaven"?

We the Church have not shown this world another way of life. Most Christians look pretty much like everyone else...they just sprinkle a little Jesus in whenever they need it. The question we need to answer is...

What are you saved for???

I am convinced that Jesus didn't come just to prepare us to die (sit in the pew till heaven comes), but to teach us how to live.

People are looking for a new way to live their lives and that's what Jesus offered. Jesus didn't touch the leper so that the leper could say, "I'm saved" and attend Sunday School. Jesus touched the leper so that the leper could dance--so that he now could live a whole new way of life. A life that is abundant (John 10:10)--one full of forgiveness, freedom, grace, and love. That's what being "saved" is all about--it's loving our God for this new life that He offers and loving our neighbor so that they can see that new life that He offers.

"There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them." (Acts 4:12)

You see, in the Greek, "saved" means..."one"--to be made one again. Cause aren't we all broken inside? Don't all of us know what it's like to have our lives shattered? Don't we all need someone to pick up our pieces and put us back together again?

Isn't that what Jesus did--put our lives back together and make us whole (one) again?

And since the Church is His Hands and Feet, aren't we suppose to go out into the world and pick up all the broken pieces in people's lives and show them that Christ can put them back together again?

Salvation is more than the sinner's prayer.
Salvation is more than "with every head bow and every eye closed."
Salvation is more than raising a hand.
Salvation is more than just heaven.

Salvation is being made one with God again and living in that oneness to the point that this world wants to be one with God too.

Cause we all want to be whole
Cause we all want to be one again
Cause we all want to be saved!!!

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Sources
The Bible
UnChristian by David Kinnaman and Kyle Lyons
True Story by James Choung
Irresistibe Revolution by Shane Claiborne

Defined//Witness

Witnessing...you know the "christian" formula we invented to tell others about Jesus...since we got to make an event out of it. We have to take classes like F.A.I.T.H and know our "Christian Alphabet"--Accept, Believe, Confess--before we're allowed to witness. Yeap, even Jesus did the study Share Jesus Without Fear, because He was scared of Himself. We've made witnessing into this massive thing-to-do and we've totally screwed up what Jesus originally planned.

Jesus said, "you will be my witnesses." (Acts 1:8) He did not say go and witness. It's not something you go and do. It's something You are. Everything you do witnesses Christ to this world. The question is what kind of witness are you? Does your witness--your life--lift Jesus up and allow Him to draw people to Himself (John 12:32) or does your witness--your life--make Jesus want to spit you out of His mouth? (Rev 3:14-22)

If you witness a crime, what happens? Did you do something? No, you just saw it. What happens? You become something. You become a witness. You become a part of a bigger story. Jesus didn't tell people about a bigger story. He lived out the bigger story, God's story of redemption. Then whoever came in contact with Him witnessed it and they became a part of God's redemption story because of it.

This world is looking for a bigger story, a redemption story. They are wanting to witness that there is more to life than this. They are wanting to witness that there is such a thing as faith, hope, and love.

We would rather show somebody a diagram, than to show them Jesus alive inside of us. We would rather walk the "Roman Road" with them, than walk down life's road with them hand in hand so that they can see that Jesus makes a difference.

We've made this witness thing into something so impersonal. (so we don't have to get close and so we don't have to get our hands dirty) When Jesus walked into people's lives, he was very personal. He didn't go up to Zacchaeus and say, "If you were to die tonight, would you go to heaven or hell?" No, he went up to Zacchaeus and said, "Stop hiding up in that tree. Come on down. Let's go eat and hangout at your place. Come follow me." And this changed Zacchaeus' life because no one wanted to hang out with him and now this Jesus dude comes in and shows Zacchaeus what heaven is like, instead of just asking him about it. Now money, which controlled his life earlier, didn't even matter anymore and he gave it all away for he found the "treasure in the field." (Matt 13:44) He found the greatest love ever and he was willing to give it all away just to be apart of that love.

This world is looking for a bigger story, a redemption story. They are wanting to witness that there is more to life than this. They are wanting to witness that there is such a thing as faith, hope, and love.

All we have to do is...
Love God.
Love God's redemption story.
Love people.
Be God's redemption story.
"For you will be my witnesses..."
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Sources
The Bible

Defined//Repent

REPENT--oh yes, the famous "christian" word that we use to bring down hellfire and brimstone. It comes packaged with protesters holding up signs saying, "Heaven Yes. Hell no. REPENT." And the old pastor types screaming at the top of their lungs, "Turn or burn, I say, turn or burn." But the thing is...that really doesn't look a lot like Jesus, but more like the pharisees--the ones who killed Jesus. So this got me thinking (I know scary thought lol)...

What did Jesus mean when HE said Repent?

Repent is not a word of condemnation (do this or die).
It's not a bargaining chip (if you would just do these four things, then God will...).

In the Greek (the original language), Repent translates into "rethink your life." So when Jesus showed up on the scene and said, "REPENT for the Kingdom of God is here," (Matt 4:17) He was saying, "Ok it's time to reevaluate everything. It's time to rethink your life cause the Kingdom of God is here. Yes, the Kingdom of God is here and this is gonna change everything."

And He has changed everything--absolutely everything--he's "made peace with all things." (Col 1:20) So when Jesus was going around touching people's lives, he was not going around and saying, "If you just do this, then God will do this." He was going around saying, "The Kingdom of God is here. I've made peace with all things. Do you realize that you can have peace, REAL peace!!!"

Repentance is not trying to get God to do something (maybe if I just do this, then God will do this...). If you are just doing this "Christian Walk" just so that God will do something for you, then you do not know who God is and what He has done. Cause He's already done EVERYTHING--he's made peace with all things!!! Do you realize what this means??? This changes everything. I don't have to do all these things to get to God, cause God came down to get to me. I don't have to make up for my sins, cause he already nailed them to the cross. Cause He's made peace with all things.

What about turn or burn??? What about the change???
HELLO!!! Who wouldn't change when you come to the realization of what all God has done??? Like Rob Bell says, "Of course you're gonna live in a different way. Of course you're gonna reorder your life. Who wouldn't, when they came to the awareness that peace has already been made." All that is left to do is celebrate what God has done and to trust in it--For the Kingom of God is here!!!

Rethink your life--cause this changes everything!!! Repent.
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Sources
The Bible
True Story by James Choung
Jesus for President by Shane Clairborne
The God's Aren't Angry DVD by Rob Bell