Pastor Jody's Friday Email
2/17/2012
Friday Greetings… 2-17-2012
Those of us who live in Moses Lake understand a thing or two about the challenges involved with getting from one place to another without the use of a bridge. The lake meanders throughout our community, and we are left with very few options when trying to cross over. We either have to get on Interstate 90, or go around to the north, cutting off a little bit of time by crossing over “the fill”. For all intents and purposes, there is only one way to get across the lake when traveling east and west. It’s the highway…or no way but the long way.
The very same thing is true regarding the “chasm” that separates us from God. There’s only one way across. Jesus told us in John 14:6, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” That’s because each and every one of us have a problem that we can’t fix on our own. We’re sinners. Our imperfection and sin makes it impossible for us to stand before a holy God. But Jesus came and lived an absolutely perfect and sinless life. He offered Himself up on the cross as a sin offering on our behalf. He didn’t have to do this. He chose to do it because of His great love for us. His life is the bridge that makes it possible for all who accept this gift of grace and put their complete trust in the blood that He shed to cross over into His heavenly kingdom.
There is absolutely no mistaking this truth when reading the Bible. It’s the gospel that saves us. Paul stated this plainly in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” We’re not given the choice of finding another way to heaven. There is no other gospel. There is no other way. To state this plainly is not to be unkind, or unloving, or “intolerant”. It is simply affirming the truth of the Word of God. If you want to get from one side of the lake to the other, you have to cross the bridge. The kindest thing anyone could do for you would be to direct you to the bridge, and warn you not to waste your life trying to find another way across. There is no other way.
The sad reality is, there are many kind and sincere people who haven’t yet accepted the gift of God’s grace that is through faith in Christ. They either 1) ignore it, choosing to do life completely on their own and “take their chances that hell ain’t so bad”; or 2) look for hope in false religions that lead us to believe that we can somehow earn our way to heaven…or nirvana…or reincarnation…or even eventual godhood. The first choice requires that we ignore the Bible altogether, and the second choice looks to books other than the Bible as the revelation of absolute truth. The first choice ignores Jesus, and the second choice minimizes or recreates Him. Both choices, the Bible makes clear, end in destruction.
When we read the thirteen letters of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, he is basically pleading with us to humble ourselves and put our trust in Christ. He went so far as to wish that he “…was cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race.” (Romans 9:4) He couldn’t bear the thought of people going to hell if there was anything he could do about it. He was willing to confront false and unbiblical teaching. Of course he was. He knew that it was only by grace that we are saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9)…and to believe anything else would be to ignore the only bridge across the chasm.
Should we be any different? My goodness, no. We are called to share the Biblical Jesus with those in our world. And why wouldn’t we. He is the way, the truth and the life. We must be a church that seeks to set people free from the hopelessness of sin. We must be a church that preaches the cross, and celebrates the grace and mercy of God. And we must be a church that is willing to speak the truth in love when it comes to unbiblical teaching. And we must be a church that is committed to reaching children and families with the message of hope and forgiveness.
One of the ways that we are committed to doing this is through the Living, Reaching, Growing campaign. I hope that you’ve circled Sunday, March 25 on your calendar…and are saving the date. We will be worshiping all together in one service that Sunday morning out at the high school gymnasium. The theme of the morning will be “Lift High Your Hopes”, and will be a morning of celebration as we end our church-wide fast as well as announce what has been pledged up to that point in advanced commitments towards the campaign. You’ll be hearing much more in the coming weeks regarding specific details. Shannon Giuntoli has asked that if you would be interested in helping her with decorations for the event, to please give her a call at (509) 860-0122.
Another of the many ways that we share Christ is through a class that we offer periodically called “Bringing the Biblical Jesus to the LDS”. I’m glad to announce that a 9-week class (running through the first Tuesday in May) will be starting up on Tuesday, February 28th, at 6:30pm in the high school room. The class is taught by Marilyn Scroggins, who was involved in the Mormon church until her early forties. She understands Mormonism from the inside out, and does a very good job explaining what the LDS church teaches…and ways that we can offer those in the LDS church the hope that is found in the Biblical Jesus. There will be a sign up for this class at a table in the foyer for the next two weeks. I encourage you to attend.
Lastly, our Lead Team wanted me to remind you all that minutes for all of our Lead Team monthly business meetings are posted on the bulletin board just outside the office door in the foyer. We also provide a summary of the minutes in bullet form each month in our church newsletter.
God Bless you…and I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as I continue in my sermon series entitled “All Out Faith”.
Pastor Jody