Life Lessons #1

I am going to write a series of blogs chronicling my life experiences of the last 50 years.  Although I did not repent and believe the Gospel until I was 36 years old, I see God keeping His promise in Joel 2:25 "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,...."  Kelley & I notice all the time that God used life lessons to help me understand God, to contextualize the Gospel to sinners, to relate to narcissistic people, to love lost and hurting people, etc.  Some stories will be fun, some tragic, some awful, some funny, some downright scary, some without clarity, some not redeemable about a man lost in sin without Jesus, but all part of who I am when looked at through the lens of redemption.

In 1979, I was a nineteen year old kid, and my dad lost his mind and sent me to New York City into Manhattan to help supervise a crew that was doing the cost estimation on building the entire cable television system into the entire NY metro area (all the boroughs) - about a $1 billion project.  This was my summer job between my freshman and sophomore years in college.  He sent me with a whiskey drinking partner and his own car, stating that if I returned the car without dents after driving there for a month, there would be a bonus in it for me.

The stress was unbelievable.  I did not drink in high school at all as I was a really serious basketball, but when I did not play much at the beginning of my freshman year (too thin and couldn't guard a kitchen chair), I figured, "what the hell, might as well fit in with alcohol and weed, not getting to live out my sports idolatry anyway." My morals were not as a result of God transforming me; they were circumstantial. Desire to be a great athlete - all about me - no drugs or alcohol.  Really kinda homely and too skinny - no sex.  So, back to the story, as we drove off the island everyday into Queens, the Bronx, or Brooklyn and back, taking almost two hours to go ten miles and then seeing the insane things we saw trying to do the job (another blog later), when my partner suggested a lot of bourbon as we ate dinner in bars to calm each day, I was in.  Even though I thought I was a Christian AND had led my church youth group, it was easy to fit into a Greenwich Village lifestyle of relying on anything but Christ to handle getting the job done and the speed of the city -- the stress.  The speed of the city was just a 'little' different than House Springs and even St. Louis, where I had grown up. Same nation, different world.

Those were some blatant negatives.  Some apparent positives were that my self confidence soared, I realized that I was very capable and talented, and that I could handle a lot of responsibility.  I remember jumping on the subway to find a street basketball game in the Bronx. I handled the city AND the game (the brothers had never seen a white dude dunk quite like that), and my opinion of myself soared. I found that while the job was difficult that I had enough natural talent to get it done. My opinion of myself soared as a I never gave a second thought to God. One day right before we were to return to Missouri for a couple of days and while on Coney Island in Brooklyn, we saw boats come in full of lobsters.  We found coolers and negotiated with owners of boats bigger than Leadington for a cooler full of lobster to take home to family and friends (who does that?). And, we worked in neighborhoods that more resembled war-torn Beirut at the height of war there than an American city. We never prayed over that - we just became street savvy and capable, once again presenting the facade that I did not need the power of God. The world loved me, cheered for me, paid me well. This only heightened my idolatry of self and drove me farther from the Gospel.

There are funny stories about accidentally straying into gay bars, not noticing that there were all men in the place until we had talked to at least 3 or 4 dudes, and into 'Devil's Kitchen' after dark that reveal the providential protection of God's sovereignty. I should be dead. Not from the gay bar - that was actually just very interesting, but from some violent places. I "escaped from New York" with a great sense that I was pretty awesome, and no sense of any need for God in my life because of my awesomeness.

God has used a lot of the life experiences here now though as He has redeemed the time. The Gospel makes us fearless, and by His grace, I am given some opportunities to occasionally preach the Gospel to Muslims and Hindus on THEIR turf.  If I have a moment of fear about that or boarding an in-country plane in India (not real confident in their maintenance programs), God has fun reminding me that he took care of me the day that when I was playing on a court that no sane person would have been on.  He says, "I was taking care of you when you were paying no attention to me. Be bold -- The Gospel eliminates fear - I got you."

10 Places God's Money Goes From The Bridge

We give because Jesus gives. Jesus is the ultimate giver, so if we going to be like Him, we must give also. Jesus gave His very life upon a cross to give glory to the Father by giving a way of redemption. We give not to impress God or attain any righteousness -- Jesus gift handled all that -- but, we give in response to what has already been given. I believe that a believer is way on his way to the Gospel working out a new heart in him, when this open handed generosity with our financial means becomes a 'get to' instead of a 'have to.' So, why do we give? What do we give to? Why do more people need to give? Why do we need to become more sacrificial, generous, and cheerful? I noticed that Mars Hill this week kinda gave some general ideas of how our financial giving assists God in the Gospel "growing and bearing fruit all over the world." Colossians 1:6 So, here are our ten in no particular order. Here is where the money that is worshipfully given and collected at The Bridge goes:  

1. New Christians
One reason that we plant new campuses and help churches plant churches that plant churches is that more people come to know Christ in new efforts. Money creates MANY venues where people can hear the Gospel proclaimed from missional communities (cell families), air war Sunday celebrations at church plants, Bridge Kids events, and missionary trips and church planting all over the world. We must preach Christ crucified, the Gospel, the resurrection as the only hope to a dying world. Churches that we support have baptized new believers on 3 different continents, the Caribbean, and Central America. It takes money to get churches planted and the Gospel to people who have not heard it.  

2. Our Families
We have a real passion for young families with young children. We budget and staff as much as we can to provide the Gospel in Bridge Kids and training for parents to do the real work of teaching their children the Gospel, then discipling their children in the Gospel. We deeply desire young regeneration, not just moral behavior. This happens by presenting Jesus Christ as the change agent to a beautiful life and eternal life for our children.  

3. People Just Across the Street
We invest heavily in staff and training for our cell families (missional communities). People come to Jesus where the Gospel is proclaimed in homes. People are best discipled to make more disciples when they are LEARNERS of the Word, SERVANTS of each other and people in need, FAMILY with a smaller body of Christ, and MISSIONARIES to their missional target. It takes money to send high schoolers or college students on mission even down the street because they don't have any.

 4. People Across the Globe
We support the taking of the Gospel 'to the ends of the earth.' Acts 1:8 We invest heavily in India where there are many people groups that have never heard the Gospel. We fully fund two pastors there of church plants in states where it is illegal to proclaim the name of Jesus. They eat and have a place to sleep only because we send money in the name of that same glorious Jesus. We help plant churches and support an orphanage in Haiti (James 1:27). We help bring the Gospel to Project Chacoente in Nicaragua. And, we have big efforts in the African countries of Liberia and Cameroon. The big news is that we are working at planting campuses of The Bridge in Bangkok, Thailand in 2013. "For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:13-15 ESV)  

5. People Just up the Road  
'And, in Judea & Samaria.' Acts 1:8. We will continue to plant churches all over our region. Some of these will be campuses of The Bridge. Some will be like our assistance in helping to plant Journey Church in Herculaneum. But, we are going to plant churches that plant churches. This takes money. We will have partners on the endeavors, and the churches will eventually self sustain and start to plant churches themselves, but it takes faithful giving from established churches to get these started.  

6. The Music to Our Worshiping Ears
We have music that rivals the largest churches in American. The excellence (why would we do it any other way?) comes at a cost. We want to not only present excellent music that brings people into the presence of God, but we want to write and produce music that brings the listener - both the regenerated believer and the first time visitor that God has not redeemed - into that same presence.  

7. Technology That Takes Us to the World
Because we broadcast our celebrations live and then share them via social media, by the end of the year, thousands of folks have seen our broadcasts of the Gospel. We have accomplished this on a shoestring budget, but even though we have not overspent here, we have spent and will continue to spend. We will do just about anything short of sin to get the Gospel and the Glory of our Great God in front of people.

8. Teaching Church that Helps Other Churches
God has blessed us with excellent training in the Bible, so I think we teach it well. It was a joy to go and show pastors in India how the entire Bible is about Jesus and the entire Bible is God's story that He invites us into. Also, we are willing to do just about anything to help folks help folks meet Jesus. We can help guide a church plant. We can help a fledgling church in music and technology. We can help show what Gospel-centered and missional means. We can train about how cell families (missional communities) make disciples that make disciples. We have never charged any church for any training. We have a Kingdom view and so we joyfully give so that Jesus may be glorified in other churches. We want other churches to grow.  

9. Future Leaders Trained
The Bible is clear that God must have qualified leaders, and it is God's desire that all good churches have quality leadership. We are very intentional as we have invited men into elder track, women into discipleship training, cell family leaders into training, and folks from other churches into training in CA, missional community leader training, elder training, and church planting training that we are serious about doing this. We are very serious about planting churches, so we are using partnerships and many training venues to train up future church planters. Some churches try and make money off of these efforts. We give away all of training, so our generous giving makes this possible.  

10. Meeting Places and Spaces
We own some of our facility in Leadington (the bank owns the rest), and we rent facilities in Arnold so that the Gospel may be presented to as many people as possible. We are good stewards as all of our facilities are not showy, but are useful and simple.

Our Marching Orders - How are We Doing?

I have come to a stark realization. God has blessed the peoples of this great nation that we live in TO FULFILL HIS GREAT COMMISSION -- that is ONLY reason that He would ever make a people this prosperous if He is only into the business of making much of His Great Name throughout the nations. Think about it. The United States is the most prosperous nation in the history of civilization AND there is a church on every corner AND Jesus gave us our marching orders, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” When you put those things together, God has blessed the US with the resources to accomplish his marching orders which is to make disciples that reproduce disciples in ALL nations. It appears to me that we doing lots of other things with the resources. So, that begs the question, “How are we doing?”

Let me personalize this because if there is failure in this endeavor, it is due to bad leadership, so I need to seek my own failures to model this as a leader. I met a young man that does not attend The Bridge (the church that God has challenged me to lead) a few nights ago who was wanting to go to India to teach the Gospel to unreached people groups. So, if I am of God’s Kingdom, is it not a legitimate question to ask, “Is it acceptable for this young man (who is willing to risk his life to do what we have been commanded to do) to maybe have to turn down the opportunity due to lack of funds while I pay for cable tv and wireless internet in two different homes?” You can plug your own idolatry into that equation. First, this young man needs to dig deep into his own world of western materialism and fund as much of his trip sacrificially as he can, but then the richest nation needs to step in. What the western church has done in the past is force this young man to spend 18 months going around begging for money or throw 20 ‘chicken & dumpling dinners’ to raise money for HIS mission trip. Whose mission trip is it? Well, first it is God’s and then God charges you and me to understand that it is ours. God doesn’t directly fill this young man’s bank account with resources to go do what he has asked him to do. And, it is no more the responsibility of the local church that this disciple attends to send him than it is that of The Bridge. God asks ALL of His people to send this young man -- generously, cheerfully, and sacrificially. God says, “Get him there. People are dying and going to hell.”

The challenge to all local churches is this: “Are we developing the kind of disciples that will go short term, intermediate term (Platt calls this the Mormon-length mission of two months to two years), or long term to people who have not heard the Gospel, and are we, as the richest civilization in history, funding these folks?” I don’t want to seem dismal; there are great things going on out there. The sovereign God is working. I recently told The Bridge about bumping into a set of newlyweds who were on their way to plant churches in Iraq to spread the Gospel among the Islamic people. The young man, (24 years old and his beautiful 23 year old wife may die doing what God has asked them to do) said to me, “Your church sounds like the kind of place that is developing people that might join us,” and he gave me his card. I asked the folks of The Bridge, “Well, are we? Will we raise up people whose lives are so caught up in the glorious Gospel of Jesus that they will go and will the church properly fund them?” I don’t know about Iraq, but I think so; however, there are next steps to take. We have had many, many people now go short term. And, these accumulate and multiply over time. We had a family ready to go Mormon-length (trust me, that is just a term of mission length, the Mormons do not have the correct Gospel of Jesus Christ and we are sending folks who do) into Africa, but instead God directed them to move their family to the Arnold church plant to raise up more disciples for now. The Buckinghams show a nice balance between global and local missions. We raise up disciples locally to fund and send them globally. And yet, I bet they end up in Africa at some point. Also, we see Michael and Melissa Goldsmith now going to Haiti for two months this summer and bringing down short term teams to work in CHURCH PLANTING AND DISCIPLE-MAKING there AS they take care of widows and orphans as well. Who is next to go from short term to intermediate or from intermediate to life-long?

Here are a couple of facts from David Platt and, in closing, a couple of thoughts from me. The average church member in America supposedly gives 2.4% of his gross income to the local church. Besides the fact that that is the joke of all jokes and must grieve God, I believe the figure is probably more like 1.5%. Then, if you figure that the average local church only gives 1% of their budget to world missions, and probably only 1% of THAT goes to places where the Gospel has NOT been proclaimed, and then when you figure that 70% of THAT goes to administrative costs to the organizations that are supposed to get disciples on the ground, my rough math skills tell me that about 3-5 cents out of every $1000 that a Christian makes actually get missionaries face to face with unreached people groups. America may have missed its God-ordained call. Think about this - the fastest growing disciple-making in the world is going on in China. Is it coincidence that China is also one of the fastest growing economies in the world? This may clue you in. A huge contingent (HUGE) of Ugandan/Chinese Christian missionaries have landed in New York / Los Angeles / Boston in the last two years. Is it possible that things have shifted to where God considers the US to be the unreached people group?

Missional in One Minute

God is a sending God, and we are a sent people. Another way to think about IT is that if Jesus was sent by God as a missionary to redeem His people; then, if we are going to incarnate here on earth, be Jesus in the flesh, then we are going to have to be sent like He was. Basically, that all boils down to that every believer in Jesus Christ is a missionary, or is missional. That gives us a good definition of missional. It is any time that we incarnate as Jesus and act like the missionary that he was. Sometimes that is looking after the sick, the poor, the widow, and the orphan, so there is a lot of social justice to be missional like Jesus because He was definitely into social justice. But, Jesus was a missionary way beyond social justice. All of the good works were to point to the Gospel -- the good news that the Messiah has arrived to take away the sins of the world. So, we cannot be missional without being first Gospel-centered AND willing to share that Gospel in every missionary outpost that God sends us which includes everything from family reunions to our place of employment to school to ALL social settings. The question is how do we effectively share the Gospel in a world that apparently hostile to the Gospel and in cultures where everyone think they know all that there is to know about it (when actually they probably know nothing).

I have been training some folks that past couple of weeks -- missional cells in Arnold and membership classes at The Bridge -- something stolen from Pastor Ying Kai from China that we got to lay our eyes on at The Verge Conference in Austin -- on sharing the Gospel in a very simple non-threatening manner.

I hope I have your interest, but let me back up on two things that must be in place as we understand this. First, we do a nice job at The Bridge in creating landing places for not-yet-believers (folks who have not repented and believed the Gospel) to land in areas of community where they can hear what the Bible really says about Jesus and His incredible Gospel. These havens of team evangelism must be established where a not-yet-believer can sit around a dinner table and a group of people use their Spiritual gifts where some shower concern, others are hospitable, others are giving, and still others are to teach and preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. That way we are not out there on our own as the Holy Spirit works through us to regenerate a man or a woman.

Also, our correct theology frees us from the pressure of selling someone on the Gospel or talking them into praying a prayer of "God come into my heart." (Which is nowhere in Scripture by the way). God regenerates lost people and He brings them to repentance and belief. He is the Savior of lost souls. Romans 10 tells us that our role is to be the the missional means by which he does His thing - the Gospel public address system. He tells us to love people and the main way we do that is tell them about the Gospel.

Pastor Ying says that we should tell them the Gospel through our story (how God did heart surgery on us) in one minute. I think he may know something about mission as he is responsible for a missional movement that has brought MILLIONS to Christ in 150,000 church plants in just past few years. Let's learn from the best. He says we can do our job in one minute.

So, here is what I have been teaching folks to do.
1. Develop a one minute testimony of your life that matches the Gospel.
Goes something like this:
a. I once was....(selfish, addicted, immoral, etc. or all the above - haha)
B. But, God....Jesus redeemed me
C. Now I am....... (quickly list the changes)
D. BUT, I still struggle with....
Write it out and practice it. It is essential that the name of Jesus be used instead of generic statements like "I met God" or "I started going to this cool church." It is the name of Jesus and His Gospel that the Holy Spirit will use to move in a person's soul. "D" is optional, but shouldn't be. Not-yet-believers are put off by church and its pseudo-holiness. I think it is essential that they understand that we understand that we are only sinners saved by grace that still struggle with sin.
2. Tell this 1 to 1 and 1/2 minute Gospel/story to your friends and family. Then, watch God go to work. You have done your job.
3. Then, move out to co-workers, neighbors, the nurse at your doctor's office, etc - the people that you see all the time but are not close friends with. Talk about other interests and then throw in the 90 seconds, then move on. You do not have to seal the deal - that has already been done. You have given the Gospel in a story form and used the name of Jesus. That is what you have been called to do.
4. Then, watch for the opportunity to invite to one of the landing places that a team will enhance what you have started like missional community (cell) or church where all the other gifts come to play on this person (including psycho preacher Jesus freaks like me). All we will do is give them the same Gospel; there is only one.
5. The next step is what I call the "Corrie Ten Boom Step." When feeling empowered by the Holy Spirit, start giving it to the check out lady at Wal-Mart, to the Muslim cab driver, the person next to you on the bus or plane -- anybody that you have two minutes but may not see again. You may not know until you get to heaven what God has done with these encounters.

Last point - we can talk about every believer is a missionary, or we can really step up and do it. Jesus spent all of his time talking about Himself or taking care of needs. Let's incarnate - be Jesus in the flesh - and do the same.

In the next post, we will discuss being missional by being a blessing.

Letter from Jason

Dear Bridge Family,
First, I want to say thank you for how much you have invested in my life. You all have ministered to me and my wife and kids so much that words cannot express how much I love you all and appreciate you. We came to as damaged goods and you guys have become the most important people in our lives.
When Ben & Tim sat me down at PC and said you were going to set me outside and not help anymore (1 Cor. 5, Matt. 18) if I did not repent, I became panicked because I love you guys that much and cannot afford to lose you. You have shown what real church is and been so good to my wife & I.

Please forgive me for letting you all down with ministry. You guys invested so much in me and trusted me with so much that when it folded, I had so much shame that I couldn't deal with everything that was going on. My marriage was failing, my kids were not being parented correctly, and I lost a crucial ministry all at one time period and I was crushed. It was 7 years that looked like a total failure and waste of time. I turned to drugs instead of God and became caught in sin that almost killed me and your love has rescued me from this. I am eternally grateful.

This place (Teen Challenge) is tough, but intense. We do weekly group studies and my very first week was on "growing through failure." It was a God send for me to try again. I will spend 4 months here and 10 months in Cape (Lord willing). Within 4 months here, we will have done studies on the whole New Testament (every book!) and about 40 scripture memorization verses. We also do this amazing thing called "character qualities" where we memorize different definitions and related verses for each, such as meekness, wisdom, perseverance, gentleness, etc. It is helping me tremendously. We have to have 20 done in 4 months.

Please thank everyone there who has prayed for me or helped my family in any way. Thank you all and I love you very much.

Also, if anyone wants to write, please send it in a Bridge church address, so I can correspond. I will write again soon, and I am healing well. This week's study is on anger and personal rights -- TOUGH!

Love,
Jason

p.s. Please watch Cindy and the girls for me. Cindy has been through so much. I love her more than words can express.

Couple of Hours with Mark & Friends - 6

The past Saturday our board and staff had a retreat in Arnold mainly for the purpose of getting close to God, hearing from God. We were not doing much planning, even though there are a lot of plans to be made. You will hear more about it, but one real blessing of the time spent was that we were joined on Saturday by Mike & Lucinda Harrison. Mike is the pastor of Parkland Chapel and one of the great Bible students and teachers around. He took about 45 minutes and gave us a lesson on how to read the Bible and how to teach people to read the Bible themselves. He challenged us to read all the way through the Bible each year (takes 11.5 minutes a day, so this morning I took off and did 2 Corinthians and will read a bunch in Judges later today), AND to slow down and use some to slow down and really learn to read and study the Bible deeply (IBS, Inductive Bible Study) to really understand what the Bible is saying. This is really what we have been doing with our two hours with Mark, so I thought we might see how what he taught us can apply to our short read of Mark 2:13-17 this week. IBS is a three step process of observation, interpretation, and application. We teach around The Bridge to read, reflect, and respond - very similar.

1. Let’s start with observation. You are going to see very quickly that this process cannot be done with a large amount of Scripture. Mark 2:13-17 is the perfect size. Before you start, pray that the Holy Spirit (He is the teacher; I am just a mouth, and a big one at that) illuminate your mind. Remember, God wrote the book, so we need to ask the author for explanation. Pray with high expectations that God will minister to you and teach you. Then, as we read, we observe with these questions in mind:

A. Who wrote it? Who are the major players? Who is the author writing to?
We know this passage is written by John Mark. He is writing to primarily a Gentile audience, but many Jews (who would be targeted as the ‘religious folks’ in the story) would experience this book as well. The major players in this passage are Jesus, Levi, his scumbag friends, and the creeper Pharisees. If you are not familiar with those terms, go back and watch the sermon from Sunday at The Bridge -- http://vimeo.com/28293366.

B. What are the main events?
First, in vs. 13 Jesus walked out by the sea teaching. This seems insignificant at first glance, but you will notice that while Jesus does some teaching in the synagogue, He is always GOING OUT ON MISSION. As he acts as a missionary from heaven, as one sent, he goes OUT to the people. He does not sit and wait for them to come to him. What are the ramifications for us just if we are going to ‘incarnate’ our lives, as they become more like His? As we observe closely, we see that He is teaching the masses, not just the select few that He came train -- a public teacher for the crowds. Then, vs. 14 shows us that Jesus walked up, regenerated, saved, and called Levi in a moment, “Follow me.” The Greek word for follow here (akolouthein) leads one into a sense that he is requesting a lot and that it is the only possible response for faith (risk and cost). There was no dialogue to the call; Levi must respond solely to the authority of Jesus. Levi was sitting there doing what tax collectors do, jacking folks for their money. A study of these tax collectors shows that they were bad people, truly slimy as they betrayed the Kingdom and worked for the evil Romans. Levi would have been despised and hated. This man was not welcome in a Jewish home because his touch on that house would render it unclean.
So vs. 15-16 show us the reaction of the Jews to this apparently horrific act by Jesus. This was even more offensive than the touching of the leper because while the leper could not help his condition, the tax collector was ‘unclean’ by choice. We observe in vs. 16, that Jesus did not slow His offense, He actually metastasizes it by going to dinner at the ‘unclean home’ with more of the ‘unclean.’ An interesting observation for you at this point might be to look at the term ‘wicked’ that the Psalms allude to. These folks at Levi’s house being labeled ‘sinners’ by the religious lent itself far more to the term reprobate that we might use today. The wicked or reprobate don’t just occasionally violate the law, they LIVE AND EXIST OUTSIDE OF IT. A close observation of Jesus ‘reclining’ at the table and ‘eating and drinking.’ Jesus sent us a signal that He has solidarity with alienated, sick, and needy people. These, who are living and existing, outside the law are starving spiritually, and Jesus modeled bringing them relationship and the Gospel. We once again OBSERVE the offense taken by the religious folks to Jesus’ definition of the Kingdom. You might observe that the ‘sinners’ have invited Jesus to dinner (a party, a feast kind of like the one that the father threw for the lost younger son in Luke 15), and the Pharisees are horrified and will not join the feast (like the elder brother). Also, in observation, you might note that Jesus’ body positioning, the reclining, shows that he, not Levi, is the actual host of the party. You also might observe that while the teaching of REPENTANCE is never far from the minds of those who are listening closely to Jesus, it is not mentioned much in the book of Mark. Notice that Jesus establishes the relationship and His authority first in the minds and hearts of His followers, He build into them faith in Him, THEN, he will make sure they understand the obedient act of repentance in completely interwoven with the faith He has given. The scandal of this story to the ‘religious’ is that he does not demand moral repentance as a PRE-condition of his offer of grace, love, and acceptance. Rather, Jesus initiates eternal life changing relationship with these sinners as they currently existed. This is a fundamental observation, as the regenerated ones will not leave their life of iniquities (like Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10) to impress Jesus or gain his favor but rather in response because he loved them first. He told Zacchaeus, “I must stay at your house today” without invitation. He initiates the fellowship. What are the implications to our theology of salvation if that is the case? It scandalizes those who try and define the Gospel in terms of morality and causes people to think that they must ‘clean themselves up’ before a relationship with Jesus is possible. We can observe in this passage that he makes clean with His grace; then, we respond. We don’t know how many were made clean from the party because we do not see who has responded with repentance and belief, but what is important to observe is that Jesus has been the initiator of all relationship. This idea is summed up in verse 17. Notice the difference in the mission of Jesus and the mission of the scribes. They come to enlighten; He comes to redeem. Given that mission, it is as senseless for Jesus to shun the ‘sinners’ as it is for a doctor to refuse the sick. Discuss how the grace of God extends to all forms of human depravity and that in a way, the sick sinner may be more ready for Jesus to redeem than the religious zealot because the sinner are more aware of their need for the transforming grace of God. “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” (As I observed here, I did so with a commentary open from James Edwards. Sometimes to receive correct context of correct observation, a good outside source is necessary -- tg).

C. When was it written? Mark was probably written first of the four Gospels. Early 50’s AD. When was it received? Quickly, we believe that the other writers of Gospels had a copy of Mark as they put their works together, so John Mark recorded Simon Peter’s eye witness account and got it out quickly. When did it take place? This calling Levi in this this section happened very early in the public ministry of Jesus.

D. Why was it written? This particular passage is crucial because the selection by the Holy Spirit to have multiple authors record the selection of Levi shows us that it has significance.
Jesus is in the process of completely redefining the Kingdom of God by showing that we are to rub shoulders with the unclean (not be the unclean; we go to war with sin). This is a major theme of this section of all of the synoptic Gospels. JESUS IS FULFILLING THE LAW, not smashing it, but bringing it into focus and completing it. How has the Bible re-shaped your views in the difference between religion and the Gospel?

E. How is it done? How did it happen? How is the truth illustrated? Sometimes the answers to these questions force us to observe a parable, or a poem, or some figurative language. In our Mark 2 passage, we have straight narrative. Jesus was teaching the crowds. He regenerated and saved Levi. He called him to follow Him. Levi did. Then, the reformed thief becomes generous and throws a huge feast for his sleazy friends, so they can meet Jesus. In this case, we observe the events.

Observation includes attention to detail, so we might want to read in multiple translations. And, then re-read. We MUST focus on the immediate context. What happened before, in, and after the passage. There are items in the healing of the leper and the paralytic that affect over understanding of this account. Jesus will not allow His Kingdom to be defined by man. What about cross-references to use? We can even do a Greek or Hebrew word study which I did for you earlier.

Observation involves knowing the historical and cultural issues as well. We will discuss these in the discussion of the next passage as we finish chapter 2 and begin chapter 3. Also, observation involves meditation. “Blessed is the man whose delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on his law he MEDITATES day and night.” (Psalm 1:1) Therefore, we must have time to turn off electronic media, even put away commentaries, and reflect on the Word of God.

2. Interpretation
Interpretation is the science of discovering the author’s ORIGINAL meaning as he wrote the Scriptures under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
A. What did the passage mean to original audience? In our passage, the reaction would have been shock to the Jews and even some of the Gentiles.
B. How was this relevant to the original audience?
C. What are the key truths and/or principles?
D. Does your interpretation fit within the context of the passage?
E. Mike Harrison believes that there is only one correct interpretation, but many applications. I think I agree with him.

Does your interpretation harmonize with the whole of Scripture?
So, CORRELATION is using the whole of Scripture to illuminate, validate, confirm, and support an interpretation.
NEVER BASE DOCTRINE ON AN ISOLATED SCRIPTURE.

3. Application
This is embracing God’s truth and the “doing” of God’s Word.
A. How can you, or the church as a whole, apply to the original audience?
B. What are the similarities between them and us?
C. What are the theological principles of the passage?
APPLICATION MUST COME DIRECTLY FROM THE MEANING OF, OR PRINCIPLE(S) OF THE PASSAGE.
D. How can you, or the church as a whole, apply the scriptural truth to your life?
So, what applies to you from the calling of Levi??
-- Application is where the Spirit is most likely to do a personal work in you and through you and through you (impact others).
-- Without application, observation -- observation and interpretation are WORTHLESS.

"The List"

I have had a lot of requests for "the list" from yesterday's sermon.
Here ya go.

JESUS LOVES SINNERS.

Therefore, sinners you are welcome here at The Bridge:
So, here we go -- to the guys that want to be girls and the girls that want to be guys,
To the drunks and druggees, to the weirdos, the porn addicts, the prostitutes, the adulterers, to the sexually promiscuous racked with guilt, to the sexually promiscuous not racked with guilt, to the thieves, the liars, the angry dads, the hormonal moms, to those who make their kids idols, to those who view their kids as a curse, the gluttons, the obsessive fans of movies about werewolves or transvestites, to the men who are 28 and living in mom’s basement who don’t have a job but can smoke Madden NFL or Gears of War on the XBOX, to the idolatrous computer nerds, to the whackjobs, nutjobs, the losers, the freaks, the geeks, the rednecks who drink a case of Natural Light, spotlight, and kill deer, to Star Wars groupees, NASCAR groupees, chain smokers (cigs or weed), to women who get paid in $1 bills, to people who text and drive, to radical Democrats and Republicans, to Mormons and any other religious folks that wear strange underpants, to steroid-pumping body builders, to people who wear biking shorts, Speedos and/or thongs, to Yoga instructors, witch doctors, potheads, crackheads, methheads, meatheads, and deadheads, even to tree huggers and PETA members,


AND to religious people who are upset right now because these subjects were not on the the Waltons, Touched by an Angel, Little House on the Prairie, or in their Christian home school curriculum and don’t think that Jesus drank REAL WINE, I have good news for all of you.

YOU ARE ALL WELCOME AT THE BRIDGE!