The Search (parts that were cut out)

On the weekend after Christmas I enjoyed the opportunity to preach at our church (previous times here and here).

The text was Luke 15, and I called it “The Search.” (Listen here.)

Three key themes emerged from Luke 15:

1. A deeper view of our sin // we are lost
2. A higher view of our value // we are treasured
3. A farther view of salvation // Jesus is the Relentless Shepherd

The background was key, especially about the Pharisees. Won’t go into it here, but suffice to say they were not villains or extremists. They were the moral middle class, and they are more like us than we even realize. Also, we tend to open the Bible and think that it’s about our search for God. That we are searching or Him. Jesus came to show us God is searching for us. The Bible summarizes God’s relentless pursuit of His people. The search continues today.

We began with this intro video:

The parts cut out

As is the case with every message I’ve ever given more than once, there are parts that don’t make it to round two. Below is a section I shared at our Saturday night worship gathering, but not on Sunday, along with some context to the parts I did share all weekend. The cut out parts simply did not fit perfectly, and I needed to edit down some content. But, it remains a deep insight that I hope will stay with me and us as we figure out how to relate to people, whether they seem to be near God or far from Him.

The religious leaders then (and now) made barriers to approaching God. People had to progress this way in the faith community:

Behave -> Believe -> Belong

if you behave how we tell you & believe these things, then and only then can you belong.

Jesus had a different philosophy:

Belong -> Believe -> Become

In reality, none of us can actually “belong” without believing, not in the eternal and ultimate sense. We need to trust in Jesus as the only way to God. (While Truth is exclusive, Christianity is inclusive. Jesus came to reveal God to us, and light the way to the only true God. He is inclusive by being exclusive, and vice versa.

But this is a safe place to doubt-our-doubts, learn who Jesus is, why He came, and what it means to follow Him. Be challenged, and yet feel affirmed and valued as a person. Wrestle, ask, seek, knock, and come to know this Jesus that we keep pointing you towards. (That’s why I am so excited by a new course beginning January 24th, a dinner and discussion on Christianity Explored.)

Again, let’s see the progression: BELONG -> BELIEVE -> BECOME. When you believe in His Name, and build your whole life, significance (identity) upon Him, you will experience the joy of being changed into His image. You will become more and more a disciple, applying the Gospel to every area of your life.

Where does this come from?

(Source on many of the following thoughts: thanks to a discussion by Jim Belcher in Deep Church, ch. 5, “Deep Evangelism,” specifically pp. 98-99.)

In fact, if you read the Gospels, you’ll see a pattern. Matthew, Mark and Luke can be broken up in three main parts:

1. The first chronicles Jesus’ ministry with the disciples in Galilee and the north – rural (Matt. 1:1-16:12; Mark 1:1-8:26; Luke 1:1-9:17)
2. Second part narrates Jesus’ travels with His disciples south to Jerusalem – the city (Matt. 16:21-20:34; Mark 9:2-10:52; Luke 9:51-19:10)
3. The third/final section shows us Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem, the scene of His sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection (Matt. 21:1-28:20; Mark 11:1-16:8; Luke 19:11-24:53)

In these three movements Jesus shows them (and us) WHO He is, WHY He came, and what it means to FOLLOW HIM. His Identity, His Mission, His Call.

First, He wants His disciples to know exactly WHO He is. Through His teaching, miracles, and actions He’s answering their questions about His identity. Every miracle is deliberate, to reveal His character. They ask Him lots of questions, and He freely receives them. They learn this Man is talking about a whole new way to be human.

This is what sets Jesus apart from all other religious teachers and philosophers. He’s adamant that He’s like no one else before or since. He’s God. It’s all designed to draw you in to see Jesus. The writers want to convince you that Jesus is the promised Savior, God’s anointed King, who can rescue the whole world.

We first met these “tax collectors” and “sinners” in this section. They are part of His community; they’re “outsiders” yet strangely “insiders.” They like to be around Jesus … and He welcomes them. What’s more: it’s clear none of them did anything to deserve this VIP status. He let them belong.

Then, there is hinge point, a moment of decision between sections one and two in all three Gospels organized this way. [See it in the text: Matthew 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:21]

What’s that moment of decision? …

He transitions from answering their questions to ASKING them one big question: “Who do you say that I am?” If you want to belong in my family, to know God, this is the key question to everything: Who do you say that I am?

He was not seeking good people. He was seeking those who realize they are not good, and yet desire to know God. They drew close to Him (so welcoming!), trusted in Him, and became His disciples. Their lives were changes from the inside-out.

• (Listen to the rest here)