Jan 18

Desperation & Depression

Desperate Days (Job) 2012 No Comments »

With Sunday’s snowstorm, I wanted to post the message manuscript and audio from the message “Desperation & Depression.” It was an important message for those who struggle with depression or for those who have friends or family who struggle with depression.

Here’s the AUDIO from the message.

1 Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2And Job said,

3 “Let the day perish on which I was to be born,
And the night which said, ‘A boy is conceived.’
4 “May that day be darkness;
Let not God above care for it,
Nor light shine on it.
5 “Let darkness and black gloom claim it;
Let a cloud settle on it;
Let the blackness of the day terrify it.
6 “As for that night, let darkness seize it;
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
Let it not come into the number of the months.
7 “Behold, let that night be barren;
Let no joyful shout enter it.
8 “Let those curse it who curse the day,
Who are prepared to rouse Leviathan.
9 “Let the stars of its twilight be darkened;
Let it wait for light but have none,
And let it not see the breaking dawn;
10 Because it did not shut the opening of my mother’s womb,
Or hide trouble from my eyes.

11 “Why did I not die at birth,
Come forth from the womb and expire?
12 “Why did the knees receive me,
And why the breasts, that I should suck?
13 “For now I would have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept then, I would have been at rest,
14 With kings and with counselors of the earth,
Who rebuilt ruins for themselves;
15 Or with princes who had gold,
Who were filling their houses with silver.
16 “Or like a miscarriage which is discarded, I would not be,
As infants that never saw light.
17 “There the wicked cease from raging,
And there the weary are at rest.
18 “The prisoners are at ease together;
They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.
19 “The small and the great are there,
And the slave is free from his master.

20 “Why is light given to him who suffers,
And life to the bitter of soul,
21 Who long for death, but there is none,
And dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
22 Who rejoice greatly,
And exult when they find the grave?
23 “Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
And whom God has hedged in?
24 “For my groaning comes at the sight of my food,
And my cries pour out like water.
25 “For what I fear comes upon me,
And what I dread befalls me.
26 “I am not at ease, nor am I quiet,
And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”

How bad does life have to get where you feel something like that? Some of you have actually experienced this kind of desperation and depression… a kind of desperation and depression where you don’t even have the will to keep on living. Charles Spurgeon, the famous British 19th century pastor, often referred to as the “Prince of Preachers,” was prone to seasons of deep depression even amidst enormous success in ministry. He once said, “I am the subject of depression so fearful that I hope none of you ever get to such extremes of wretchedness as I go to.” Every one of us is susceptible to some level of depression. Every one of us has the possibility of experiencing those grey days where things don’t go right and it affects how we see life. On the other extreme some of us experience the pitch-black dark night of the soul, and we rue the day we were born. Most of us have experienced or will experience something in between. Or we have friends or family members who have experienced or are experiencing depression.

What do you do when your desperation turns into depression?

This is the question I want to wrestle through today. Last week, we began a 7-week series called Desperate Days. We’re exploring the ancient book of Job… pressing into some of the most intense questions in life about tragedy, suffering, depression… and where God is in the midst of it all. Last week we were introduced to the biblical character Job and talked about how we respond when tragedy strikes. Job experiences catastrophe after catastrophe. He loses everything. He loses his ten children as they’re killed in a freak storm. He loses his possession. He loses his health. Last week we left him covered in boils, sitting in the city dump, waiting to die, surrounded by his three friends who came to comfort him but could do nothing but sit and weep in silence for seven days and seven nights. And then finally… Job opens his mouth and speaks… and his desperation has turned into a deep depression.

Job’s Wishes

As we explore Job 3, we see that Job has three wishes as his desperation turns into deep depression.

1. Job wishes he’d never been conceived (vv. 1-10). Job is in such mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual pain that he curses the day he was conceived. Notice that Job never curses God. He’s beginning to question God. As we get further into the book, he’ll even challenge God. But he never renounces or curses God. But He does curse the day he was conceived. As the story shifts from narrative to poetry, the images Job paints in his pain are dark. Over and over, he talks about the day of his conception as a dark day… black gloom… dark clouds. He wishes the day didn’t even exist because then he would never had to endure what he’s going through in his life. A quick explanation of v. 8 – the “leviathan.” Job’s talking about a mythological, seven-headed sea monster that when awoken would swallow the sun and the moon. He doesn’t necessarily believe in this mythological creature, but he’s communicating in the language of his day to explain the darkness and turmoil he’s feeling right now.

2. Job wishes he’d never been born (vv. 11-19). In v. 11, the “why” questions begin. Job asks, “Why didn’t I die at birth? Why did the knees receive me?” He’s talking about sitting on his mother’s lap while he was feeding or possibly sitting on his father’s knee as he received his father’s blessing. If he would have died when he was born, he’d be experiencing “quiet and rest.” He’d be in the grave, like great kings who built these extravagant graves that have now become ruins. Job states that death is the great equalizer. It doesn’t matter if you’re great or small, king or slave, rich or poor. One aside from these verses… Job and the rest of the Old Testament don’t have a developed view of the afterlife. Death was simply death… an end to life. There are glimpses of the afterlife is some Old Testament writings, but we don’t get a fully developed view of heaven and hell until we get into the New Testament of the Bible. So from Job’s limited perspective, death is a release from the pain and suffering of life.

3. Job wishes he’d die now (vv. 20-26). Job’s last wish is that he could die right now. More “why” questions surface. In v. 20, “Why is light (i.e., life) given to him who suffers?” He’s asking why God sustains someone’s life if they’re going through this intense suffering. In great pain, people look for death or for a way out, but it doesn’t come. I’ll talk about this more in-depth in a moment, but notice that Job doesn’t consider suicide. He simply wishes he’d never been conceived or born… or that God would allow him to die right now. In v. 23, God feels like he’s lost his way… he feels like God has “hedged” him in. Back in Job 1:10, Satan accuses God of putting up a “hedge” of protection around Job. And now Job feels like God has boxed him in and backed him into a corner of extreme suffering… and he can’t escape. In v. 24, we see that he’s lost his appetite and when someone tries to bring him food, he wails loudly. His worst fears have come true. His nightmares have become a reality. He’s lost everything dear to him. He doesn’t feel at ease or safe and secure. He’s not experiencing that longed for rest. He’s in turmoil, an agitated state (lit., “a rumbling of thunder”) that comes from a complete lack of peace. And he wishes he’d die right now so he doesn’t have to endure it any more. His desperation has turned into a deep depression. He’s in a dark place right now, and doesn’t seem to be getting better anytime soon.

That’s what Job’s going through, as his desperation turned to depression. In your life, what do you do when depression turns into depression?

When You’re Depressed

If you’re struggling with depression, whether it’s simply the winter blues or the pitch-black, dark night of the soul, here are five things that you need to remember. And please hear me on this… they won’t necessarily alleviate the depression, but they will give you some moorings when it feels like your being tossed to and fro by the tempest of life.

1. Be honest and don’t try to fake it. Job let it out… he was honest about what he was feeling. So often in the Christian community, we walk around with these plastic little smiles, and when asked how we’re doing by our friends, we tell them that everything is fine. Inside we’re crumbling. Inside we’re absolutely falling apart. While I can appreciate trying to maintain as positive, optimistic, faith-filled outlook as possible, so we’re not viewed as a constant Eeyore or Puddleglum… when you’re going through depression, be honest and don’t try to fake it, especially with your friends and family. When you’re struggling with depression, you’re already low on emotional energy. It’s not worth expending what energy you do have on trying to look like you have it all together. Be honest and don’t try to fake it.

2. You may say and do things you regret later. I wonder what Job thought about everything he said in chapter 3 once the storm passed. I wonder if he thought, “Okay, I was in a lot of pain in that moment… the lowest I’ve ever felt in my life, but there are some things I said that I regret.” Pain often makes us forget the joys and blessings of the past… because the present is so overwhelming… and the future feels so hopeless. In chapters 1 and 2, even amidst the catastrophe and suffering, Job rightly says that God is to be blessed whether He gives or takes away, whether it’s a season of good or a season of adversity. But the depression hits, and in the pain, he seems to forget all of the good things God has done in his life. I think he says some things that he later regrets. If you’re going through depression right now, remember that. Once again, don’t try to fake it… but just be careful… be discerning about what you say. If one of your friends or family members is going through a season, don’t be surprised when they say something that sounds over-the-top. Be attentive to their feelings and what they’re saying, but realize that because of the pain they’re experiencing, they may say and do things that they might regret later.

3. Suicide is never an option. Even though Job wishes that he would have died right then, throughout his story, you never get a whiff that he’s considering taking his own life. He never picks up a broken piece of pottery and slices his wrist. He never asks his friends to do a mercy killing. Even in the desperation and depression, Job was a man of faith, and suicide was never an option. If you’re in the darkest place you’ve ever been, you need to take any thoughts of suicide out of the equation. And if you’re having those kinds of thoughts, you need to get some help immediately. After the message, I’ll give you a way to get in contact with our LIGHT ministry. We can get you some help. Regardless of how deep the pain… how overwhelming the suffering… how desperate the depression, suicide is never an option.

4. Live on promises not explanations. Did you hear all of the “why” questions flood out of Job’s mouth? As I frequently say (because I’ve read and studied the book of Job several times), “God rarely answers the ‘why’ questions.” If you’re wondering why you’re going through depression, please hear me on this… with all pastoral compassion… God doesn’t “owe” you or me an explanation as to “why.” If He chooses to reveal that to you, awesome. But I often find that He doesn’t answer the “why” of suffering. This past year, when I was struggling with depression, several people asked me “why” I thought I was going through it… what was God trying to teach me. And those questions were asked out of a genuine concern. And there were days (and months) when I asked God the same question, especially when I’d done everything I knew how to do and it still wasn’t helping. But quite honestly, I’m not sure “why” I was going through the depression. I know what I learned from that season… things that came to the surface… some during… but most afterwards. And in all of it, God didn’t owe me an explanation. But what God did give me before, during, and after were promises. So even in the dark days, I chose to live on those promises… that one day (and who knew how long that would take), light would again shine through the clouds… that I could take all the pain and confusion to God and that He’d hear me. And here’s the most important promise that you need to live on if you’re going through depression…

5. God is there. In Philip Yancey’s book Disappointment with God, he tells the story of Christian Reger, a German Christian who survived the World War II concentration camp Dachau. Here’s what Yancey writes:

During the final winter, when coal supplies ran low, the ovens were finally shut off. Prisoners no longer had to put up with the constant stench of burning comrades. Many died of exposure, however, and the bodies were stacked naked in the snow like cordwood, a number stenciled on each with blue marker. Reger will tell such horror stories if you ask. But he never stops there. He goes on to share his faith, and how even at Dachau he was visited by a God of love. Reger said, “Nietzsche said a man can undergo torture if he knows the Why of life. But here at Dachau, I learned something far greater. I learned to know the Who of my life. He was enough to sustain me then, and is enough to sustain me still.”

Even in the most difficult, desperate, depressing times, God is there. The Apostle Paul reinforces this in Philippians 4:5b-7.

“The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (emphasis added)

Many of us know vv. 6-7 (“be anxious about nothing… don’t worry… the peace of God which surpasses all understanding… guarding our hearts in Christ Jesus”). But we separate it from what comes immediately before, “The Lord is near.” God is there, even in the midst of the desperation and depression. There will be times when it feels like He’s not there… but please hear me… let your “theology” (your thoughts on God)… the reality and conviction that He is there… let that interpret your experience, even in desperation and depression. God is there.

The desperate days often produce depression… sometimes it’s a low-grade depression where it feels like the gray skies won’t let the sunshine through… and sometimes it feels like the darkest black night with no seeming hope of a sunrise on the horizon. Job went there… and there are times we will as well. There are times when a friend or family member experiences deep depression. In all of this, we need to be prepared as possible… especially when the desperate days turn into desperate weeks, desperate months, and even desperate years. In those seasons, we need to remember Job’s story. Be honest and don’t try to fake it. You may say and do things you regret later. Suicide is never an option. Live on promises not explanations. And the most important thing… God is there!

At the beginning of the message, I mentioned the wretched depression that Charles Spurgeon experienced. Here’s the rest of what Spurgeon had to say:

I am the subject of depression so fearful that I hope none of you ever get to such extremes of wretchedness as I go to. But I always get back again by this—I know that I trust Christ. I have no reliance but in Him, and if He falls, I shall fall with Him. But if He does not, I shall not. Because He lives, I shall live also, and I spring to my legs again and fight with my depressions of spirit and get the victory through it. And so may you do, and so you must, for there is no other way of escaping from it.

If you need help with depression, please contact Northshore’s LIGHT & Community Support Ministry.

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Jan 05

New Series: Desperate Days

Bible, Christian Life, Desperate Days (Job) 2012, Northshore Baptist Church, Theological Musings 3 Comments »

What happens when tragedy strikes? What happens when the dark clouds won’t go away? What happens when life doesn’t seem to go as we had planned or hoped? What happens when God seems silent? These are the desperate days… the dark night of the soul. When the desperate days are upon us, one of the best places to go in the Bible is the story of Job. Desperate days and human suffering are a reality. The question for us is, “How will we journey to faith in the midst of the desperate days?” Even if and when God seems silent, He is up to something greater… something transformational… and yes, even in the desperate days.

Join us January 8 – February 19 as we explore some important themes on suffering and faith in the book of Job. This is a great series to invite your friends and family who don’t know Jesus and who might be going through some desperate days of their own. Here are the themes we’ll talk about:

January 8 – When Tragedy Strikes (Job 1-2)

January 15 – Desperation and Depression (Job 3)

January 22 – Good and Bad Counsel (Job 4-28)

January 29 – Glimmers of Truth (Job 32-37)

February 5 – The Silence of God (Selected Passages)

February 12 – The Storm of Sovereignty (Job 38-41)

February 19 – The Journey to Faith (Job 42)

If you’d like to explore the book of Job and the themes of suffering, faith, and the gospel more in-depth, here are some recommended resources:

Job: A Man of Heroic Endurance (Charles Swindoll)

Be Patient: Waiting on God in Difficult Times (Warren Wiersbe)

Disappointment with God (Philip Yancey)

The Gospel According to Job (Mike Mason)

“How Can a Good God Allow Suffering?” (Message from the YouAskedForIt series)

“Suffering: If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world?” (Message by Pastor Tim Keller)

Additional Resources for Grief

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Dec 21

From Heaven Above to Earth I Come

Christian Life, Christmas, Theological Musings No Comments »

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,

Make thee a bed, soft, undefiled,

Within my heart, that it may be

A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

My heart for very joy doth leap,

My lips no more can silence keep,

I too must sing, with joyful tongue,

That sweetest ancient cradle song,

Glory to God in highest heaven,

Who unto man His Son hath given

While angels sing with pious mirth.

A glad new year to all the earth.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

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Dec 12

Focus on Jesus This Christmas Season

Christian Life, Christmas at the Movies, Spiritual Disciplines, Theological Musings No Comments »

“Adoration of the Shepherds” by Gerard van Honthorst, 1622

The Christmas season can be a frenzied, frantic season. With all of the festivities, shopping, and family events, we easily miss the opportunity to slow down and focus on the marvelous mystery of Immanuel, God with us. Choose to intentionally focus on Jesus this season. To do that, here are some ideas for you:

1. Memorize a verse or passage that talks about the incarnation: Isaiah 9:6, John 1:14 or Philippians 2:5-8.

2. Read the Christmas story from either Matthew or Luke’s Gospel at least once during the Christmas season.

3. If you have children, have them act out the Christmas story.

4. Whether you have children or not, read the story of the real Saint Nicholas.

5. Read and meditate upon a couple of Christmas carols this season, appreciating the beautiful, worship theology of the incarnation.

6. Be generous. Find a way to combat the materialism and consumerism of Christmas.

In addition to choosing a couple of these things to do during the Christmas season, one of the best ways you can focus on Jesus is to invite and bring someone to Northshore for one of our Christmas events (Family Christmas Festival, Christmas at the Movies series, or Christmas Eve). We all have people in our lives who need to know that God has come. And because He has come, we’ve been offered the life-changing gift of life, peace, and hope in Jesus Christ. And you can help them focus on Jesus – “the reason for the season!”

Merry CHRISTmas,

Pastor Jonathan

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Nov 30

Christmas At The Movies

Christmas at the Movies, Northshore Baptist Church No Comments »

The Christmas season is a special season. Watch the movies of Christmas. Even our culture gets that there’s the possibility and even the promise of something more. So how do the movies of Christmas point to something more, something greater, something transcendent? This Christmas, we’re going to the movies. As we watch some clips from our favorite Christmas movies, we’ll discover that they make great bridges to the greatest story and greatest gift of all time—the coming of Jesus Christ. Here are some of the themes we’ll talk about this Christmas Season. Because of copyright laws, we can’t publicize the names of the movies…we’ll just give you some “clues” :)

December 4 – “Experiencing Joy this Christmas” (Movie clip: an over-sized, smiley guy in green tights who thinks he’s from the North Pole)

December 11 – “Surviving Your Family this Christmas” (Movie clip: a big family Christmas predictably turns into a big disaster when Cousin Eddie shows up)

December 18 – “Finding a Place to Belong this Christmas” (Movie clip: A reindeer with a luminescent proboscis and his elf friend who dreams of dental school)

December 24 (Christmas Eve Services at 2, 4, 6 & 11 pm) – “Finding the Perfect Gift this Christmas” (Movie clip: think Red Ryder BB Gun)

December 25 (Christmas Day Service at 10 am) – “Extending the Heart of Christmas” (Movie clip: curmudgeonly old man who changes his tune after he’s visited by some slightly transparent midnight guests)

So invite your friends, family, neighbors or co-workers… grab some popcorn, candy, and coffee… sit back and enjoy the show as it points us to reality of Jesus Christ, God with us.

Invite Your Family and Friends to Our December Events

Click on the links below to fill out the invite form.

Invite to Christmas at the Movies

Invite to Christmas Eve

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Nov 16

Get off the Fence!

Contending (Jude) 2011, Spiritual Disciplines No Comments »

This past Sunday in our Contending series (the letter of Jude), I talked about “Contending for Lordship.” What does it really mean that Jesus is not only the Savior but also Lord and Master. Jesus’ lordship confronts those who sit on the fence… people who are trying to live in two worlds with two values systems led by two masters.

Jesus has some harsh words to say to fence sitters in Revelation 3:15-16: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”

Bottom line: Get off the fence!

I’ve lived on the fence. After college, Jesus convicted me that I had been riding the fence for far too long. And it was a process of asking myself (and others asking me) some hard questions about why I attempted to live in two worlds. Here are a couple of questions that I processed through, and I hope you’ll take the time to do this as well:

1) What are the values, actions, or patterns of sin that “compete” with Jesus’ lordship in my life? Why?

2) Are they ultimately satisfying? Do they ultimately satisfy the deepest longings of my heart? Why or why not?

3) If I continue to live with these values, actions, and patterns of sin, what’s the result? What do I lose?

4) What’s the result of being “lukewarm” (I.e., living on the fence)?

5) What do I gain from surrendering full control and lordship to Jesus? (see Luke 9:24)

For further exploration of contending for and following through on Jesus’ lordship, read “Cross Bearing: Choice, Vision & Follow-through”

If you’re on the fence, here’s my heartfelt prayer for you: “Lord, help my friend climb off the fence. Give them the grace and courage to say ‘no’ to sin and the values of this world. Help them to see that You truly are their greatest good… that as they delight in you above all else, the deepest longings of their heart will be satisfied.”

I’m praying for you as you contend for Jesus’ lordship in your life!


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Nov 09

Contender or Pretender?

Christian Life, Contending (Jude) 2011, Theological Musings No Comments »

On Sunday, we began a new series called Contending. We’re spending the month of November in the letter of Jude. My big question from Sunday’s message (“Contending for Jesus”) was: What does it mean and what does it look like for us to contend for Jesus and the gospel in our lives?

Ultimately, you have two choices… being a Contender or a Pretender. I want to help you think through these two choices in your relationship with Jesus, in your family and friendships, and in our church.

1. JESUS: When you think about your relationship with Jesus there are two directions to go—Identity & Freedom or Idolatry & Fear.

Contender: Identity & Freedom. When you contend in your relationship with Jesus (not against Jesus), as you allow Jesus and the gospel to press further into your life… further into who you are, it becomes about identity and freedom. Contenders find their identity in Jesus and that brings freedom… increasing freedom from the power of sin… increasing freedom to be who we really and authentically are because we know that we’re loved and secure in our relationship with Jesus.

Pretender: Idolatry & Fear. But pretenders go to idolatry and fear. Idolatry is anything that becomes more important to us, anything where we find our meaning, purpose and identity other than Jesus. We “pretend” that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. But if we’re really honest, we often look to other things and other people for our identity. That’s idolatry, and it generates fear. If you give the key to your identity, meaning, and purpose to something or someone else, you will live in fear, praying and hoping that it isn’t taken away from you. You name it… money, sex, power, success, relationships… if you are looking to those for identity and purpose, at some point they will let you down. You know it. And so you live in fear, dreading the moment that it’ll actually happen.

2. FAMILY & FRIENDSHIPS: When we talk about the relationships within our family or with our friends, we’re either Proactive or Passive.

Contender: Proactive. Contenders are proactive in their family. Contenders are constantly thinking about and actively pursuing how Jesus makes a difference in their relationships in their marriage and with their kids. When we contend for our marriages, we’re vigilant about relational health. We keep short accounts with each other. We seek to become students of our spouse and kids. We pursue selflessness and a sacrificial spirit. We ask for forgiveness when we act out of selfishness. When we contend in our home, we pray for our spouse and our kids. We are constantly, proactively asking Jesus to give us wisdom and grace with each other. The same thing goes for our friendships. We pray for grace, for understanding, for the humility to be like Jesus and love our family and friends like He loves them.

Pretender: Passive. Pretenders are passive. They shift life into neutral. When marriage begins to struggle, they run from the problems. They’re so consumed with themselves and don’t care or notice when apathy and isolation sets in. Or there is a fear of causing waves and change that is needed to grow healthy. Pretenders are passive with their kids. Sure, they want their kids to be good, moral kids… but there’s a passivity about it. Almost an “I sure hope they turn out okay. I sure hope the Children’s and Student Ministry is teaching my kids about Jesus.” In that passivity, there’s not a proactive desire to help our kids really see the how Jesus and the gospel affects and impacts their lives, their decisions, and their relationships. In friendships, pretenders have no desire to take relationships deeper… to initiate and model vulnerability and transparency. Let’s just keep it superficial because I’m not willing to risk going deeper. Let’s just pretend.

3. CHURCH: When it comes to our church, our attitude is one of two things—Service or Serve Us.

Contender: Service. As contenders focus on Jesus and the gospel, we realize that the call to follow Him means the call to serve like Him. Contenders fight against that inward, selfish focus. Contenders pray for a love that manifest itself in sacrificial generosity as we use our time, talent, touch, and treasure for the good of other people. Contenders give of themselves and take care of people within the body of Christ. And contenders also have compassion and are focused on those that don’t yet know Jesus. In the church, contenders ask how they can give of themselves to impact and change their world, locally and globally because it’s all about the heart of Jesus and the heart of service.

Pretender: Serve Us. Pretenders on the other hand are all about “Serve Us.” With pretenders, it’s all about “What do I get out of it? How are my needs being met?” Pretenders give of their time, talent, touch, or treasure when it’s convenient and when there’s a surplus. But they usually don’t because it’s rarely convenient, and there’s rarely a surplus. But pretending doesn’t happen all at once. Churches start off being contenders… all about serving each other… all about mission and evangelism. But that focus slowly turns inward, and we begin to take care of ourselves more than the world around us. We stop contending for Jesus in our world, and it becomes about us. Service becomes serve us.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be a contender, not a pretender. I want to learn to fight the good fight and surrender more and more of my heart to Jesus. I want to understand the good news of identity and freedom in Jesus more and more every day. I want my family and my friendships to be fueled by the radical, sacrificial love of Jesus. And in our church, I want to contend for Jesus’ mission. I want to contend for boldness and courage to serve the people in our world, locally and globally, for the cause of Christ. I want us to be contenders, not pretenders. Fight the good fight. Contend earnestly for the faith in your relationship with Jesus, in your family and friendships, and in our church. “May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you” (Jude 2).

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Nov 02

NEW SERIES: Contending

Contending (Jude) 2011 2 Comments »


“Nothing is more important for mature Christian discipleship than a fresh, clear, true vision of the authentic Jesus.” ~ John Stott

Our vision of Jesus and the gospel is absolutely central to everything we believe, everything we are, and everything we hope to become. We know this to be true, but there are so many other worldviews, ideas and idols vying for our attention. Relativism, materialism, hedonism, syncretism. You name the “ism” and you can hear their siren songs woo our heart away from Jesus and the gospel. So we live in the midst of tension: how to stay true to Jesus while engaging our world with His life-transforming message of hope. The ancient letter of Jude helps guide us through this tension and challenge as we learn to contend for the faith and mission of Jesus in a messy, broken world. Here’s the line-up for the series:

November 6 – “Contending for Jesus”

November 13 – “Contending for Lordship”

November 20 – “Contending for Growth”

November 27 – “Contending for Impact”

Join us through the month of November at Northshore as we learn to contend. And invite a friend to join you at 9 am, 11 am, or 5 pm.

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Nov 02

Spiritual Warfare: THE WEAPONS

This is War 2011 No Comments »

This is the sermon manuscript from message #4 of the THIS IS WAR series. Click HERE for the audio and questions for discussion & devotion.

In the 6th century BC, Sun Tzu, the famous Chinese military strategist, said this in The Art of War: “Every battle is won or lost before it is fought.” Before the battle, you have to know the terrain that you’re fighting on. You have to know your enemy. And you have to know the capabilities of your weapons.

It’s no different in the spiritual war. We have to know the terrain. We have to know where the battle is being fought. Is it being fought in our own hearts? Is it being fought in a relationship, in our marriage, or with our children? Is it being fought in our church? Is it being fought at work? Is it being fought in our community or the world at large? We also have to know the enemy. We’ve talked about our enemies—the flesh, the world, and Satan. We have to know when our flesh, that internal predisposition to rebel and sin, rears its ugly head. We have to understand when the world’s value system covertly creeps in or overtly bombards us. And we have to know when Satan is trying to deceive, destroy, or accuse us. But we also have to know our weapons… because if we don’t understand the weapons at our disposal, we won’t know how to fight. So here’s the key question:

In the spiritual war, what are our weapons and how do we use them?

Take a look at Ephesians 6:10-20. It’s the quintessential passage on the armor of God and the weapons we have available for spiritual warfare.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

#1 Before the battle, know your weapons (vv. 10-17)

In the Army we had a motto: “The more we sweat in peace, the less we bleed in war.” So we trained. We went to weapon ranges to increase our proficiency. We did training exercise so that our tactics and battle drills became second nature and automatic responses. Before the battle, we knew our weapons, their capabilities and how to use them. This is what Paul is saying in vv. 10-12. If you’re going to stand firm in the spiritual war, before the battle begins you need to know your weapons. Paul uses the metaphor of a Roman soldier’s armor and weapons to describe the protection and weapons we have at our disposal in the spiritual war.

1. Belt of Truth. This was a belt that gathered up the tunic (the undergarment). It insured that a soldier was unimpeded as he ran into battle. It gave him hidden strength and confidence. The belt of truth is the truth about who God is… about His character… His promises and most importantly about Jesus Christ, who He is and what He’s done for us. And remember, one of the primary ways Satan tries to deceive us is by distorting the truth. He propagates false doctrines about Jesus or he whispers that it’s just too good to be true. So the “belt of truth” girds us with confidence that everything God has said about who He is and what He’s done, is doing, and will do causes us to stand firm with confidence.

2. Breastplate of Righteousness. Satan will do anything and everything to take out your heart. He will do anything and everything to continually condemn you and accuse you. He will continually whisper lies and accusations that there is no way that God could love someone like you… no way that God would die on a cross to save someone like you. So the breastplate, the armor that covers the torso, reminds us of our righteousness… our “right standing” (the only way we can stand before a perfect God) because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. Because of His death and resurrection, the penalty for our sin has been removed. And Jesus won a cosmic victory where Satan is ultimately defeated, and therefore we don’t fight for victory but from victory. And the breastplate of righteousness protects our hearts from Satan’s accusations.

3. Shoes of the Gospel. Roman soldiers shoes had nails on their soles so that they’d be surefooted in battle. And as we’re confident and surefooted in understanding the fullness of our restored relationship and peace with God, then we are more fully prepared and empowered to go and take that message of the gospel of peace with God into our world. That’s the shoes of the gospel.

4. Shield of Faith. For the Roman infantry soldier, the shield was a critical piece of equipment. It was a long, oblong, door-like shield (4’ x 2.5’) made of wood, leather, and metal. It protected a soldier from flying projectiles, especially flaming arrows that were shot to weaken the battle lines. But here’s an interesting thing about the Roman shield. It was most effective when used side by side with other soldiers in formation.

It’s the power of living out our faith with each other… standing firm in the battle together… having each other’s backs as we fight together. Confidence comes in community when we’re living out our faith together in our friendships, in our homes, in our small groups… as people are doing battle alongside us and even for us at times.

5. Helmet of Salvation. The helmet of salvation reminds us that God and His grace is our only hope against the enemy. It protects our vision of God and His kingdom and reminds us why we’re fighting.

6. Sword of the Spirit. In this last image, Paul shifts from the armor to our primary “weapon” in the spiritual war. The sword in mind here is a short dagger-like sword that was used for close, hand-to-hand combat. And our sword for the spiritual war is God’s Word, the Bible. God has shared His heart with us. He’s revealed His story and master plan. He’s told us who ultimately wins the victory. And we fight the enemy’s deceptions, distortions, and accusations with God’s Word. As we study and memorize it, the Spirit takes the very strength of God and infuses it into us so that we’re strong and steadfast in the battle.

#2 During the battle, use your weapons (vv. 18-20)

The armor and weapons of God are primarily wielded in and through prayer. Paul wants us to know our weapons, but he tells us that we use our weapons in prayer. And he tells us to use our weapons by praying for three things:

1. Pray for alertness (v. 18a). When we pray for alertness, we pray, “God give me spiritual eyes to see where and how the battle is being fought.” Is the battle right now a personal sin struggle? Is the battle right now a relationship issue with a friend, with my spouse, or with my kids? Is the battle a justice or truth issue in our world? We have to pray for spiritual eyes to see our lives, our relationships, and our world the way God does. So we pray for alertness.

2. Pray for perseverance (v. 18b). When we pray for perseverance, we pray, “God, give me Your sustaining grace.” Spiritual battles often wear us out and wear us down. So we pray for God’s perseverance to stand strong. And as we talked about the shield of faith, this is where meaningful, authentic relationships come in (“petition for all the saints”). There are times when we are so tired and discouraged that we can’t seem to go on. And then a friend, a spouse, someone in your small group, or a pastor prays for you, and it’s like a shot of strength. If you’re simply worn out and tired, use the weapons of prayer and pray for God’s sustaining grace to persevere you in the midst of the battle.

3. Pray for boldness (vv. 19-20). When we pray for boldness, we pray, “God, give me the courage to share the good news.” Remember, the battle is not only for your personal survival, the battle is for the gospel to move further and further into this broken world. And God uses us… but we’ve got to remember that our boldness comes from Jesus’ victory. Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 16:18 – “…and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” The good news of Jesus and the kingdom of God is offensive in nature, not defensive. “The gates of Hell will not overpower it.” Satan is on defense as His kingdom is losing ground to Jesus’ kingdom as we storm the gates of Hell to set the captives free. And to do so, we pray for boldness and courage… boldness and courage to take the risk of sharing Jesus with the people in our lives who don’t yet know Him.

Throughout the month of October, I challenged you to participate in Northshore’s Prayer Walk. I challenged you to walk a ½ mile radius around your home, your small group host home, or your workplace and simply pray for God’s kingdom to come. Those of you who did it put a red dot on the map of our local community. I love seeing all the red dots… all the places you prayed… all the people you prayed for… for individuals, for families, for schools and hospitals, for local governments, for churches. God is up to something in our church. He’s giving us a greater compassion for people who don’t know Jesus yet. And it’s going to be a battle, so we have to continually pray for boldness.

#3 After the battle, evaluate your weapons

After you’ve come through a tough season of struggle… a season when the battle intensified, take some time to reflect upon it. After the battle, do an “after-action-review.” And here are some questions to ask after the battle:

1. What went well? In the battle, where did I experience God’s presence?  Where are the places where I stayed dependent upon God’s strength? Where did I experience victory? Take some time and celebrate God for His presence and grace.

2. What went wrong? What happened when life didn’t go as expected? Did I get frustrated? Why did I struggle with believing that God really was and is good in this season? Why did I struggle with faith so much in this season? Don’t ask these questions to beat yourself up or create guilt or shame. But look at what seemed to have gone wrong, and if possible begin to figure out what contributed to that.

3. What did I learn? You’ve heard me say this often. God rarely answers the “why” questions. I think God is much more concerned about what we learned about Him, about ourselves, and about our relationships during seasons of struggle. When you’ve come through a season of struggle and battle, take some time to write it down and share what you learned through it.

4. What must change? This is the follow-up question to “What did I learn?” What needs to change so this doesn’t happen again or what needs to change so that I’m better prepared for the battle next time it comes? All of this is going to take some time for introspection… time for prayer… and time with a trusted friend to help you process through all of this.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been going through this evaluation process myself. This past year I struggled with low-grade depression. I could get up out of bed in the morning. I could function. And because of my energy level, most people couldn’t tell that something was amiss. So this summer as I took some time off, the clouds began to clear a bit. And even though I have a difficult time slowing down and sitting still, I took the time to conduct my own after-action-review. What went well this last year? Even in some of the darkest moments, I knew that God was present and I knew that He was bringing about some kind of change in me. I knew transformation was happening, I just didn’t know what it was. When went wrong? Even though God was constant, there were times that I just didn’t or wouldn’t muster the strength to get in the Word on a personal, daily basis. As a pastor, I’m always in the Word prepping for a sermon, for a devotional or for a small group. But at times, I struggled with simply getting in the Word to feed my own soul. And as I looked back over the past year, I felt the vacuum of God’s Word truly feeding me. What did I learn? I learned a lot of things, but one thing I learned (or better yet, “re-learned”)… being in the Word regularly is absolutely critical for my spiritual and emotional health. My prayer life is linked with my time in the Word… that kind of prayer where you simply slow down and listen. What must change? I’ve got to be disciplined about prayer and time in the Word… I have to keep a consistent pattern even when my schedule gets hectic or on those mornings when I simply don’t feel like it. I’m not being a legalistic and “religious” about it, but if I’m going to stay in shape spiritually and prepared for whatever happens in life, I’ve got to be committed to a regular time of prayer and study in God’s Word. And I’ve got to have accountability around this with a friend.

Have you taken time after a tough season to go through these four questions? If not, take some time. Pray through it. Journal through it. Discuss what you find with a friend and ask for feedback. And as you spend time processing through all the questions, make sure that you answer question #4 “What must change?” After the battle, evaluate your weapons and how you used them.

Friends, we are in the midst of a spiritual battle. Even though you can’t see it, the battle is very real. There is a very real enemy who wants nothing more than to destroy you, every one you love, and everything you hold dear. But Jesus Christ has come and won the victory. As He gave His life to pay the penalty for all of sin and rebellion against God, Satan’s claim over us was erased. As Jesus walked out of that tomb and into the resurrection of a new life, sin and death were ultimately defeated. So let me remind you: We do not fight FOR victory, we fight FROM victory. And every moment of the day, in the midst of any battle you find yourself in, God has give you armor for protection in the spiritual war. He’s given you the weapon of His truth and His Word. Before the battle, know your weapons. In the battle, use your weapons… wield them in prayer and in community with one another. And in those brief respites after the battle, evaluate your weapons and learn how to use them even better. In your life, in your relationships, in your marriage, in your home, in your neighborhood, in your workplace, and in your world, stand strong. Stand firm. And Fight the good fight with great confidence by the great grace and because of the great victory of Jesus Christ our King!

 

 

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Oct 27

Spiritual Warfare: THE VICTOR

This is War 2011 No Comments »

This is the sermon manuscript from message #3 of the THIS IS WAR series. Click HERE for the audio. For additional resources scroll to the bottom.

During World War I, a British commander led his soldiers back to the front lines of the battlefield. They’d been on furlough, and it was a cold, rainy, muddy day. Their shoulders sagged because they knew what lay ahead of them: mud, blood, possible death. Nobody talked, nobody sang. A heaviness descended upon them.

As they marched along, the commander looked into a bombed-out church. In the back of the church, he saw the figure of Christ on the cross. In that moment, something changed. He remembered the One who suffered, died, and rose again. There was victory, and there was triumph. As the troops marched along, he shouted out, “Eyes right!” Every eye turned to the right. And as the soldiers marched by, they saw Christ and the cross. Suddenly they saw triumph after suffering, and they took courage. With shoulders straightened, they began to smile as they went.

Today I want to talk about our vision of Jesus “The Victor.” We’re in a spiritual war with very real enemies: our flesh, the world, and as we talked about last week, our great enemy Satan. But the most important, overarching theme of this series on spiritual warfare is the incredible, overwhelming victory of Jesus Christ. Every week, I’ve shared the same theme of victory. Today, I’ll share it again:

We do not fight FOR victory but FROM victory!

But what does this really mean? Isn’t this just some Pollyanna, pie-in-the-sky, pastoral motivational saying? I mean, come on (you’re thinking). Do you live in the same world that I live in? Do you watch the same news that I watch? Do you experience the same problems that I experience? Because most days, I see anything but victory. That’s what some of you are thinking right now. Well today, we’re going to talk about it. And by the end of our time together, by God’s great grace, my hope is that you’ll be like those British soldiers, dispirited and dejected, trudging in the rain, marching to war but who looked to Jesus and the cross and were filled with courage. So let’s talk about Jesus “The Victor.”

#1 JESUS’ ULTIMATE VICTORY

If we’re going to talk about any experience of victory in this spiritual war, we absolutely must understand what kind of victory Jesus actually won for us… why we can actually say that we’re not fighting for victory but from victory. So let me set it up this way. Often times, when we talk about Jesus and the cross, what He did and what was accomplished when He died, Christians talk about it in very individualistic terms. We say that when Jesus died, He died for my sins and now my sins are forgiven and I can experience salvation. And please hear me… that is absolutely true. On the cross, Jesus died the death that you should have died because of your sin and rebellion against God, and He paid the penalty that you should have paid. And by placing your faith and trust in Him and by surrendering control of your life to Him, you truly receive salvation… life abundant now and life eternal forever. It’s beautiful… it’s powerful. But at the cross, something much bigger happened… something much larger. I want to look at Colossians 2:8-15 and explore what really happened at the cross.

1. At the cross, Jesus won a cosmic victory. v. 9 clues us in that something much larger is happening when Jesus, God Himself, came down to this earth. As much as I love thinking about the humanity of Jesus… as much as I love thinking about His humility, His smile as He loved people, His pain as He witnessed so much brokenness in this world, we must be ever reminded that Jesus is fully God (“all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form”). And as much as we like to think about the cross as being an incredible example sacrifice, a compelling picture of the underdog, a beautiful picture of love… the cross was ultimately about God coming down here to win a cosmic victory… to defeat our ancient enemy Satan who has deceived and taken hold of billions upon billions of hearts and lives. And the cross and the resurrection let’s us know who the Boss really is. Lest Satan, the world, or we ever forget, “He [Jesus] is the head over all rule and authority.” At the cross, Jesus won a cosmic victory.

2. At the cross, our slavery to sin was abolished. We need to understand that because of sin, not simply the things that we’ve done against God, but that inward, indwelling power that causes our hearts to be gravitationally pulled away from God… we were enslaved to sin and the kingdom of Satan. Don’t underestimate that. Part of realizing that there’s an invisible world just as real as the visible world is this: there are two kingdoms at war—God’s kingdom and Satan’s kingdom. And if you’re not a part of God’s kingdom, what does that mean? You are a servant, a slave, to Satan’s kingdom, even if you don’t recognize it. So when Jesus dies on the cross and pays the penalty for the world’s sin (past, present, and future), we are brought into a new kingdom and the chains of slavery to sin are broken (Colossians 1:13-14). If you have given control of your life to Jesus, your slavery to sin has been abolished. Your allegiance to the kingdom of Satan and the world has been changed. You are a citizen of another kingdom now. You are free from the ultimate penalty and power of sin because Jesus abolished our slavery to sin.

3. At the cross, Satan brought about his own demise. In v. 14, this “certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us” is everything that we’ve done did that has sold us into slavery to the enemy and set us at war with God. It’s a record of all of our sin and rebellion against God. Satan uses this metaphorical document against us in his claim to God that we’re his… that we’re actually a part of His kingdom. So here’s what happens at the cross. “He [Jesus] has taken it away, having nailed it to the cross.” Jesus erases it. He wipes the slate clean by paying the penalty on the cross. Now here’s the irony. While the cross was always God’s plan, Satan in his insatiable lust for more is the one who actually empowered wicked earthly rulers to crucify Jesus. “The rulers of this age” empowered by “the god of this age.” It’s Satan who enters Judas to betray Jesus. It’s Satan who deceives and directs Jewish leaders to hand Jesus over to Roman forces. When Jesus is murdered on the cross, Satan thinks it’s a victory. But what he doesn’t realize is that in Jesus’ death, as the penalty for our sin is paid for by another, Satan’s claim and certificate of debt over us is destroyed. And now the slaves of Satan’s kingdom are liberated. Satan doesn’t he know that Jesus will be raised from the dead and that sin and death will ultimately be defeated. It’s genius! God uses Satan’s own evil to bring about Satan’s own demise.

#2 OUR DAILY VICTORY

Here’s the challenge when we talk about what happened “cosmically” at the cross. You might be thinking, “Nice theology lesson Jonathan, and I see that you’re pretty passionate about it. But I still don’t understand how all of this applies to my life each and every day.”

In my life.

I am free. If your slavery to sin has been abolished, then you are free. The problem is that we still see ourselves as slaves to sin. And therefore, we think like slaves. It’s like we’re still up on the slave-selling block. Jesus has made the payment. The chains have been removed, but we’re not quite sure what we’re supposed to do. We stand there for a minute rubbing the raw spots on our wrists and ankles where the shackles dug into our skin, and we wonder if we should step off into the unknown realm of faith and freedom. It seems too good to be true. And the victory of Jesus on the cross and in His resurrection means that you don’t have to be a slave to sin any longer. You don’t have to be an angry, bitter person. You don’t have to lie to create a false façade of yourself or cover your tracks. You don’t have to cheat to get ahead. You don’t have to go to sex or substances to try to ease the pain. You don’t have to be an addict any more. You’re free. Start living like it.

I have power. Here me on this. I’m not giving you some new age, pop psychology here. I’m telling you that the very power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us in our daily lives. Listen to what Paul says in Ephesians 1:18-20.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places”

He prays that we’d get it… that we’d no longer see ourselves as slaves to sin but free in Christ but realize that the very power that raised Jesus from the dead is operating in us to bring us power and new life. Because of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, you have power. When you’re struggling with sin and the old pattern of life, go to Jesus. Ask Him for the power to stand firm as you resist the enemies.

In our church. So what does the victory of Jesus means in our church? The Church is God’s trophy case. Ephesians 3:10 says this, “so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.” Those rulers and authorities in the heavenly places are the invisible supernatural powers that include Satan and his demonic horde. And through the church, through all of these lives that Jesus has rescued and liberated from Satan’s kingdom, God reminds Satan of His cosmic ultimate victory and Satan’s ultimate defeat. So here’s how we live out this victory as a church:

Pray it. In our prayer life, in our own lives but also when we pray together, we remind ourselves of Jesus’ victory. And we pray that His victory, freedom, and rescue would extend into our lives and into the darkness of our world. That’s why we pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Share it. We invite the people of our world into the life-transforming community of Jesus. Evangelism and mission always evokes more warfare. Because every time someone says “yes” to Jesus, they say “no” to Satan and he loses ground. So we share the victory of Jesus in our world.

Demonstrate it. Every time we stand up for truth, every time we fight against injustice, every time we serve the poor, every time we do a good deed for the cause of Christ, we demonstrate the transforming, healing power of Jesus and His kingdom. When we demonstrate it, the darkness is exposed and pushed back that much more. Paul encourages us with this in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58: “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

I want to close by reading you an excerpt about Jesus’ victory from John Ortberg’s If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat:

One of the most powerful 30 minutes of film I’ve ever seen is the opening sequence of the movie Saving Private Ryan. Veterans Groups say it’s maybe the most realistic picture ever given of the brutal suffering that those soldiers faced. It’s on D-Day, June 6, 1944. An unbelievable price was paid to gain just a toehold, just a few feet of Omaha Beach in Normandy. And that price was paid in blood.

At the end of D-Day, at the end of that one day, in one sense, nothing had really changed. The vast majority of Europe was still as it had been the day before, under the power of the swastika. Evil reigned through the whole continent. There was only this one little plot of ground, a few feet of sand on an obscure stretch of beach in one lonely country. But that one tiny stretch of land, that one tiny little beach, that was enough.

The truth is, at the end of that one day, everything was changed because now there was an opening, just a crack—a tiny little crack at first. But it would get a little larger the next day, and a little larger the day after that, and a little larger the week after that. And the forces would get stronger every day.

There still was a lot of fighting to do and a lot of suffering and a lot of dying. But from that day on it was just a matter of time. Then the day came when Paris was liberated. And then the day came when all of France was liberated. Then the days came when the concentration camps were overrun and prisoners were set free. Then the day came when Hitler destroyed himself in the bunker. And judgment came to that particular beast as it always does, as it always will. And then came V-E Day, victory. And then victory in the Pacific and the soldiers could come home. The war was over. The enemy was defeated. But really, the truth was that victory was all sealed on D-Day. It just took a while. The battle raged for a season. But after D-Day, victory on V-E Day was just a matter of time.

The Apostle John says this earth has fallen under a dark power. And then one day a woman gave birth to a son, a male child, who was destined to rule all the nations. He taught about and lived in a kingdom. He lived a kind of life that the rest of us had always dreamed of, but hardly dared hope for. Then one day, at a cost that none of us will ever fully understand, He took upon himself, on the cross, all the brokenness, all the suffering of D-Day, and all the suffering and all the sin and pain of every other day in the history of the human race since the Fall.

After the Sabbath day, before Jesus’ friends went to care for his body, the stone was moved. In one sense, nothing had changed. Pilate and the chief priests were still in charge. Caesar still reigned in Rome and didn’t even know the name of this obscure Messiah in some remote country. Nobody knew at first except a couple of women, but that was D-Day. Now there was an opening in this fallen world. Tiny at first—no bigger than the entrance of an empty tomb.

But now there was an opening, and the truth is, friends, every time you resist sin, every time you proclaim the Gospel, every time you give a portion of your resources for the spread of the kingdom, every time you offer a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name to the poor, that opening gets a little larger, and the darkness gets pushed back a little more, and the light gets a little stronger.

That’s why we exist as a church. That’s why we are called to struggle and pray and work and suffer and labor because one day liberation will come, make no mistake. There will be a lot of fighting and a lot of suffering and a lot of dying, but D-Day already happened when hardly anybody was looking. And at the end of that one day, everything had changed, and now it’s just a matter of time.

 

Here are some additional resources on the victory of Christ:

“Christus Victor” in Death by Love (Mark Driscoll)

Christus Victor view of the Atonement (Greg Boyd)

 

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