south ridge blog

Michael: “Hey, Chris. How ya doing?”

Chris: “Pretty well, I suppose.”

Michael: “That’s good. Hey, just out of curiosity…I heard you’ve been attending that new church in town.  And I was just wondering…”

Chris: “Oh yeah. We love it there.”

Michael: “So you DO go to church?”

Chris: “Well yeah. Why?”

Michael: “Don’t take this the wrong way or anything…but why?  I mean, c’mon. Hasn’t our culture moved past this religious nonsense?”

Chris: “Ummmm…what ‘nonsense’ are you referring to?

Michael: “Well, we know by now that there is no God. I mean, how in the world can a ‘loving’ God allow so much suffering to go on in the world?  I just don’t buy it.  Not to mention people rising from the dead. Not to mention so many wars in the name of ‘God’. Not to mention…”

Chris: “Hey, just let me stop you there. I may not be able to answer all of your questions, but I believe God is loving. I believe He exists. I believe…”

Michael: “You believe it, huh?  But why?  Why do you believe it?”

Chris: “You know, if you have so many questions why don’t just ask my pastor. I’m sure he’d love to answer your questions.”

Michael: “You want me to talk with somebody else? C’mon, just tell me why you believe it?”

Chris: “I just do. Can we stop the 20 questions already?”

Michael: “Sure, I’ll stop. And I’m happy to hear your answer whenever you’re ready.”

Over the next couple of weeks, Chris does his best to avoid Michael around the office. But he occasionally thinks about Michael’s questions about God.  He knows he doesn’t really have a good answer, and in time he begins to question his own faith. He thinks about world poverty. Suffering. Some of the claims within the Bible. And he begins to doubt…remaining unsure of how to respond to such challenges.

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It’s one of the simplest questions anyone can be asked: “Why do you believe what you believe?”  And sadly, some of the most common answers are the worst ones to give. For example:

The Bible Says It, So I Believe It!

I know what you’re thinking. “Why is this a bad answer?”

Well, because you’ve just opened the door to a number of additional questions.

“Oh, so you believe slavery is a good idea?”

“You believe we should stone people?”

“You believe women should wear head coverings?”

“All these things are in your Bible, you know?”

And they’re right. They are. And there’s a good answer to every single one of these questions.  But the original question was, “Why do you believe what you believe?” And now you’re way off topic.

I’m Sure My Pastor Would Love to Answer Your Questions.

It’s true. I would. Any pastor would. But here’s what the Scriptures say:

Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. (1 Peter 3:15)

You have a responsibility to answer the questions of others. Pastors are happy to help, but you yourself have a responsibility to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

I’m Not Sure I Want to Talk About This Anymore.

This, too, is a poor response. But it is a popular one. Unfortunately, by giving this answer you’re essentially choosing to not share the joy and hope you hold so dear.

I’m planning to continue this series of posts for quite some time. But for now, feel free to leave a comment and let me know how you would respond to the question. Why do you believe what you believe? How should you respond to this question? If somebody asked you tomorrow, how would you respond?

Three weeks ago we began a new series titled, “The Scarlet Thread”. In my first post here on the blog, I mentioned that I was really looking forward to this series because…

I hurt.

I hurt because I’ve lost family members I love.

I hurt because I’ve lost relationships with people I love.

I hurt because I’ve seen marriages fail for countless reasons.

I hurt.

This past week my family lost yet another loved one. That’s three funerals in two months. Indeed the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.

But this series has reminded me of a very important truth. It’s so simple, but I know I sometimes forget. It’s so magnificent, but I know I sometimes don’t always see it as clearly as I should.  Here it is…

I cannot heal myself. Nor can I restore myself. I cannot rest in myself. Nor can I give myself hope.  Instead…

The Scarlet Thread shows us that healing comes from Jesus, and Jesus alone.

Restoration comes from Jesus, and Jesus alone.

Rest comes from Jesus, and Jesus alone.

Hope comes from Jesus, and Jesus alone.

Jesus came. Jesus gave. Jesus rescued.

But that’s not all. The scriptures say:

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NLT)

Because He came. Because He gave. Because He rescued, we now have an opportunity to be a part of His story. We’re not writing our own story anymore. We’re simply participating in His.

What’s most fascinating, however, is that we have an opportunity to begin participating in His story now. Right now. Today.

You see, far too often we read “eternal life” and we think to ourselves, “Oh great. When I die I’ll get to be with God and everything will be grand.” But that’s not what the Scriptures teach us. They don’t teach us that at all. Instead, the Scriptures teach that when we believe in Christ, we begin our eternal life immediately. Not later. Not when we die. Eternity starts immediately.

We can be with God and experience Him…every day.

We can live in hope and joy…every day.

We can truly love others…every day.

Perhaps you’ve taken the opportunity to profess faith in Jesus. But perhaps you, too, get caught up in day-to-day life and sometimes forget. You forget that you can’t heal yourself. You forget that you can’t rest in yourself. You forget that you can’t give yourself hope.

So, this week, I ask you to forget about forgetting.  Instead, take the opportunity to remember. Remember what it is He has done. Remember He desires to know you. Remember He desires to be with you.  Remember He desires to be your friend. Remember He desired to give His life. He desired to bear the cross. He desired to bear your shame. He desired to experience it so that you could experience eternal life…right now.

And maybe, just maybe, knowing that you are experiencing eternal life right now will lead you to think through these questions a little differently now that this series is coming to a close.

If indeed your eternity begins NOW…

1. Where is God asking you to go?
2. What is God asking you to give up to more fully follow Him?
3. Are you trusting God to use you?

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Questions or comments?  Feel free let me know by leaving a comment below.

Last week we began a new series called “The Scarlet Thread.”  What is “The Scarlet Thread” you ask?  Well…

It’s the story of how God has rescued us.

It’s the story of how God had a plan for us from the very beginning.

In other words, it’s THE story.  The story of God.

In the first message, Pastor Seth walked through the beginning of the Scarlet Thread in Genesis 3.  Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, and afterwards God Himself provided a sacrifice and provided clothing for Adam and Eve.

This Sunday I’m planning to walk through some other Old Testament passages to see how the Scarlet Thread continues throughout the Old Testament.  However, I know that there are some out there who are troubled by this.  There are some who would ask, “Hasn’t Science and History proven that the Bible is nothing but myths and legends?”  Short answer: no.  But for those who like to have more evidence, here are a few things discovered through archaeology affirming people and events throughout the Old Testament.

1. Hezekiah’s Tunnel (2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chronicles 29-32)

Hezekiah was king of Judah (Southern Israel) from about 715-687 B.C.  While Hezekiah was king, the Bible declares that he built a tunnel, a wall, among other achievements.  Well, Hezekiah’s tunnel was discovered back in the early 1900’s, and actually remains a popular tourist attraction in Jerusalem today.  We know it’s Hezekiah’s tunnel because there was a Hebrew text written on the walls describing how it was constructed.  Due to the text, the tunnel has been accurately dated to 701 B.C., the same year the Assyrian Empire attempted to overthrow Jerusalem.

We have more from Hezekiah’s reign, too, including texts from the Assyrian Empire which affirms the Biblical account.  Hezekiah’s story is no myth or legend, and we have massive evidence from his reign to prove it.

2. King David

For years a number of scholars believed that king David wasn’t real.  Archaeological digs from the late 1800’s onward had not found anything verifying he ever existed.  If king David didn’t exist, the entire lineage of Jesus goes up in smoke!

Then in the early 1980’s a text was discovered verifying the “house of David.”  And much more has been discovered since.  Today, you can visit the part of Jerusalem which was known long ago as the “City of David”.  King David was no myth or legend, giving additional credibility to the text of the Old Testament.

3. The Text Itself

One of the highest criticisms of the Old Testament is the text itself.  In fact, a number of secular scholars believed that there was no possible way any text of the Old Testament could have been written prior to the 400-500’s B.C.  Then in 1979, an archaeologist found a small piece of jewelry that contained a tiny silver scroll on the inside.  After carefully removing the scroll, they discovered it contained Biblical passages from four different books, including Exodus, Deuteronomy, Daniel and Nehemiah.  Not only that, but the text was easily dated to the 600’s B.C.  This tells us two things.  One is that the Old Testament was written earlier than some scholars presumed.  And second, the Old Testament was widely distributed, as it was inscribed and included in small pieces of jewelry.

4. The “Nation” of Israel

Another great criticism of the Old Testament is that there is no mention of the “nation” or “people” or Israel until more recent history.  However, the discovery of the Merneptah Stone shows this just isn’t the case.

This discovery in Egypt dates to the 1200’s B.C. and clearly mentions the “nation” or “people” of Israel, identifying them as their own ethnicity.

There’s a lot more out there…a lot more!  But it’s my hope this helps you to see that the Old Testament can easily be seen as a reliable source.  And if it’s reliable, we can then continue to see how the Scarlet Thread continues.

Over the past several weeks, we at SRC have been discussing the possibility of beginning a third service. I say possibility because the staff know that we can’t make this service happen on our own.  In fact, one of the core values of Great Commission Churches is Every member a minister.

Did you catch that?

Every. Member. A Minister.

I know what some of you may be thinking.  “Wait a minute!  I’m not a ‘minister’!”  Oh yes. Yes you are.

2 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.”

It’s right there.  Right there in the Bible.  You are a chosen people. You are royal priests.  Every member is a minister, indeed.

The question is, are you using the gifts God has given you to serve and minister to others?

I ask this question, because I’ve been challenged with this question myself recently.  Only I’ve been challenged with it in the form of leadership — how are you influencing others?

This is a challenging question for a pastor. I’ve thought about it for days.  And I’ve now come to realize that the question isn’t nearly as complex as I’ve made it to be.  The best way for me to influence others is simply to use the gifts God has given me.  That’s it.  It’s not hard.  It’s not complicated.  I simply have to understand how God has gifted me and put those gifts into action.  I simply need to recognize my role in the body of Christ and serve accordingly.  Here’s what the Apostle Paul writes about this:

Ephesians 4:11-13 – Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:14-22 – So the body is not one part but many. If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? Now there are many parts, yet one body.
So the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” But even more, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary.

I love that last verse.  “Those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary.”

You may feel you have little to nothing to provide. You may feel that others can do what you’re good at even better. But your service is essential.  You are a royal priesthood.  Every member is a minister.  And God has called you to minister to others, and has gifted you to do so.

There’s more I could write on this subject.  Much more.  But for now, simply consider the following questions:

1. Have you come to recognize how God has gifted you to serve?
2. If not, what steps will you take to begin to recognize the gifts God has provided you?
3. “You are a royal priest.”  In what ways does this change how you think about serving others?

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Questions or comments?  Feel free to let me know in the comment section below.