The World As We Know It

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

The world as we know it is a troubling place. We have just celebrated Independence Day in these United States, and we are grateful for the freedom we enjoy in our nation, as well as the greater freedom we have in Jesus Christ. But the world as we know it is filled with division, crime and violence, human trafficking, poverty, homelessness, abortion, all kinds of sexual brokenness, materialism, and so much more.

Today at Grace Church, where I am privileged to serve as pastor, we begin a new worship series based on Jon Thompson's book, Convergence. Thompson contends that in this troubled world the Church of Jesus Christ must affirm both truth and grace. He gives us the image of standing between two massive movements, two gorillas: On the one hand there is the militant, secular sexual revolution that considers us haters and bigots. On the other hand is the world-wide rise of a religious fundamentalism that calls us compromised, untruthful and secular.

How can we be the Church in such a time as this? I believe Thompson is right, and we must hold both faithfulness to the Biblical understanding of sexuality and marriage and we must love people no matter what their broken lives look like. We must be like Jesus, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). We must say no to legalism, hate and violence. And we must at the same time say no to ungodly, licentious living.

Jesus was completely realistic about the mission He was leaving His disciples. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble." God has always used the Church in the worst of times and circumstances. When the plague ravaged through Rome in the fourth century, Christians remained in Rome and cared for the sick - many of them giving up their own lives in compassionate service. All through the centuries the Church has founded hospitals and universities to bring healing and education to this broken world. And in that witness, millions of people have seen the love and compassion of Christ and chosen to follow Him.

We are called to be the real church in our day and time. That means more than simply being nice, religious people. It means more than church attendance without transformation in our lives. We are called to be witnesses to the world that Jesus is alive. We are called to live as exhibit A evidence that He can change a life. We are called to bring the hope of the Good News of Jesus Christ to this broken, fallen world. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus is our Savior. He paid the penalty for our sin so we can be forgiven by His grace. He rose from the grave so we can be free from sin and death. Jesus is our Lord. We have surrendered our lives to Him and we are growing to be more and more Christlike and our character and in our actions. In Convergence, Jon Thompson emphasizes Jesus must also be our Model. We must pattern our lives after Him. And being Christlike means living in the power and giftedness of the Holy Spirit.

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12 NIV)

We do the same and greater works that Jesus did only by the same power Jesus had: the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus used the spiritual gift of healing to touch the eyes of the blind and heal the lame, the Body of Christ today has those who have the gift of healing to pray for people and release supernatural power for their healing. Just as Jesus took authority over demonic powers some have the gift of miracles to cast out demons today.

We are gifted by the Holy Spirit in ways we often do not understand or even realize. Every believer in Jesus Christ has at least one gift of the Holy Spirit given to us in our lives. No one has all the gifts, because they are given to the whole Church and Jesus' ministry is only complete as the whole Body of Christ ministers in their own specific gift of the Spirit.

Convergence means living in the fullness of spiritual disciplines, spiritual gifts and spiritual experiences. Where these three converge, we live full lives in the Holy Spirit. The spiritual disciplines - studying Scripture, prayer, worship, service, Holy Communion, fasting - open the door for the filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives and the working of grace for transformation. Spiritual gifts make it possible for us to do the works Jesus did and in far greater measure as the ministry of Jesus moves from being localized only in His ministry in Israel 2,000 years ago to the ministry of His Body, the Church, spread across time and place. And Spiritual experiences of the palpable Presence of God in our lives as we worship and serve together transform us from convert to disciple, from the objects of God's ministry to ministers of His grace.

I pray each of us in our church and any who read this live with Jesus as our Savior, Lord and Model. I hope for the Church in our day and time to take heart, because Jesus has overcome this broken world. The world as we know it needs a Biblically grounded, Holy Spirit filled, completely committed Church to point to Jesus. I'm in! Are you?