Imagine if we could truly comprehend the magnificence of these words.
Colossians 1:15-20
(ESV)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
(The Message)
We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.
He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.
I can’t wait to explore this marvelous passage with my friends at Project Church on Easter Sunday!
At Project Church, we hold a monthly event called Beer & Bible. In short, it’s a casual conversation where folks inside and outside our church can connect and discuss current hot topics and theology around a frosty beverage.
I’ve received a number of emails from people wanting to do something similar where they live and I’m often asked what this time looks like.
Here is a simple guide to help those wanting to start a Beer & Bible in their cities.
Plan Choose a regularly time and location. Visit pubs and bars and see which is in the best location and is best suited for discussion. If possible, get tables near the entrance so people can find you.
Invite
Invite your friends and encourage them to invite their friends. Social networking works great to get the word out.
Guidelines
We have just a few groundrules to guide our time.
1) Keep it real (Honesty reigns)
2) Keep it cordial (Respect one another’s opinions / Don’t be a jerk)
3) Control your drinking (Don’t get hammered)
Format
Here’s what our typical time looks like:
Open in prayer
Have one big question to explore related to culture, theology, whatever.
Allow anyone and everyone to give their take on that topic. This might go on for a bit.
After everyone’s given their thoughts on the topic, we have one passage of scripture that relates to the topic at hand.
Someone reads it outloud.
Then we ask this question: In light of what this passage says, how would you answer the one big question?
Allow time for robust dialogue and questions.
Let the conversation flow and people to have natural conversations as you end your time.
If the group gets too big, just split them up. We tend to keep it to 6-12 people per discussion group.
Why Do This?
The idea is to allow people to think through life, culture, theology, etc. through a biblical lens. Sometimes people will answer the one big question with opinions. Then, as we look at the scriptures, we sometimes see that the Bible contradicts us (that’s a good thing), and we learn to live in light of what the scriptures say.
Also, understand that people are coming from different places. Some don’t believe. Some are exploring. Some are trying to live out what they believe. Let this be a safe zone to doubt and ask questions.
Resources
To help you out, here is a graphic I created for Beer & Bible in png format. Below is an example of how we use it.
Recently, I had the opportunity to pray at center ice of a local pro hockey game in front of 4500 people.
It was a sweet moment.
As I was waiting by the penalty box listening to the National Anthem, I thought, “Why me?”
With the chill of the ice beneath my feet and the chill of the goosebumps on my arms as the young gal sang, “of the land and of the freeeeee” I was dumbfounded how I got to this point.
How did I go from sitting on the sidelines of life watching others live their dreams to playing in the game and living mine?
Why me?
I’m just an ordinary guy.
Just five years ago I was content to have a good job, take care of my family, go to church, try to be a decent person, and live a comfortable life.
Until God disturbed me.
He filled me with a passion to help people live free.
And I know the only path to true freedom is the gospel.
The gospel produces community who are on a mission to make disciples.
Followers of Jesus who love God, love people, & live free.
“A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God’s truth is attacked and yet would remain silent.” John Calvin
As Paul writes to the churches of Galatia he is livid.
He had invested time with them in preaching the gospel and as a result, new churches were birthed. He left to continue that mission elsewhere when news got back to him that the Galatians were being seduced to believe a false gospel. Paul is not one to quarrel over secondary matters but this is no secondary matter; this is a matter of first importance; a cause worth fighting for: The centrality of gospel. And it must be defended!
In our day, there are false teachings that have crept into our churches, Christian bookstores, and imaginations and once again, the centrality of the gospel must be defended!
Spotting false teaching is easy. Just follow the glory. False gospels always diminish Christ and elevate someone or something else. It’s Christianity without Christ which is nothing but crap.
What are these false teachings that are seducing us today?
There are three major ones and we will illustrate them as three characters: The Taskmaster, The Game Show Host, and The Mad Chef.
The Taskmaster
His message is moralism. The idea is to make sinners better behaved. In following the taskmaster, we not only earn our salvation, but we earn the keeping of it by following rules (or principles as they’re called today). Any blessings from God is directly in proportion to our production, nothing more, nothing less. “Try harder” is our mantra.
When we do good, we feel really good. Over time, we climb the ladder of spiritual superiority and work our way up to middle management with a critical eye on the performance of others. We feel very proud of our accomplishments.
When we do bad, we feel really bad. Over time, we just give up. What’s the use in trying when all we do is fail? The Taskmaster cracks a whip to motivate us on but when you’ve been beaten your whole life, you form scar tissues, and lose all feeling. Hopelessness and complacency sets in and you often go from believing a false gospel to believing in nothing. It’s the only way you can live with yourself.
This is not the gospel.
The Game Show Host
His message is prosperity driven. God is a genie in the bottle and if you do these seven things you will have the good life. God is a pinata and is here to supply you with what you really want: Happy relationships, wealth, position, possessions, good health, you name it, you claim it, it’s yours. After all, it’s all about you.
The Game Show Host, with his fancy suit and pearly whites sparkling through his smile, points you to believe in a better future and it will be yours. In this game, you are like god and the one, true God is a means to your end: to give you the desires of your heart. After all, it’s right there in the Bible, so it must be true. Believe in God and you will get your gods.
There’s only one problem. The storms of life still come. When they do, we will cling to something to make it through. That which we cling to is what we actually place our trust in. The winds blow, the rain beats down, and in the prosperity gospel we are left holding onto pillars of sand.
This is not the gospel.
The Mad Chef
His message is a religion made your way. A stew of spirituality created with a little bit of Bible (only with verses we like which are out-of-context), our own life experiences, a slice of philosophy, a pinch of pop culture, a dose of our family tradition, a song lyrics to two. Combine that with our fears, anxieties, and personal preferences, a little bit from other religions, add in some love to make it seem reasonable and VOILA!, a spirituality customized just for us.
The beauty of this one is it can never contradict us and never tell us when we’re wrong because all we have to do is change the ingredients to fit our taste.
Then again, we’ve all been wrong about many things before. In fact, most of us can’t even figure out how to change the oil in our car yet we’ve somehow unlocked the meaning of life? No man has fully understood a woman yet somehow we fully understand the Divine? Something seems amiss.
The Mad Chef lets us create whatever self-help stew of spirituality we want yet all it leaves us with are stomach aches. We keep tweaking with the ingredients but end up with the same result. Our lives still have problems, our soul is still restless, and we’re still left holding a bottle of Pepto blaming God.
“I say to you, this morning, that if you have never found something so dear and precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren’t fit to live.
You may be 38 years old, as I happen to be, and one day, some great opportunity stands before you and calls upon you to stand for some great principle, some great issue, some great cause. And you refuse to do it because you are afraid.
You refuse to do it because you want to live longer. You’re afraid that you will lose your job, or you are afraid that you will be criticized or that you will lose your popularity, or you’re afraid that somebody will stab or shoot or bomb your house. So you refuse to take a stand.
Well, you may go on and live until you are ninety, but you are just as dead at 38 as you would be at ninety.
And the cessation of breathing in your life is but the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit.
You died when you refused to stand up for right.
You died when you refused to stand up for truth.
You died when you refused to stand up for justice.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
From the sermon “But, If Not” delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church on November 5, 1967.
A couple of years ago, my daughter asked to go for a walk. We went outside, I reached down my hand to her, and she reached up her hand to mine. As I glanced down I was struck by this image. I thought, “What a picture of God and us!”
I pondered this image more and began to see how it was also a beautiful illustration of prayer. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 to pray to Our Father. His hand is always there reaching down to us and all we need to do is reach our hand up to him…and walk.
I love what Dallas Willard said in his great book, The Divine Conspiracy. “I believe the most adequate description of prayer is simply, Talking to God about what we are doing together. That immediately focuses the activity where are but at the same time drives the egotism out of it. Requests will naturally be made in the sharing with God my concerns about what he too is concerned about in my life. And of course he is concerned about my concerns and, in particular, that my concerns should coincide with his. This is our walk together. Out of it I pray.”
The scriptures say, “pray continuously.” In the rhythm of our life, as we go, all the time. Taking hold of our Father’s strong, yet loving hand, and walking, talking, asking, confessing, venting, and listening. A divine conversation so to speak.
Let me encourage you to take hold of your Father’s waiting hand and walk (pray).
At Project Church, we also value the ancient roots of our faith as found in the orthodox creeds.
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic [universal] Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Below is a transcript of a recent message I gave at Project Church. I hope it encourages you.
I love the television show Deadliest Catch.
The allure of a show like this is the possibility, no probability, of danger and excitement. If the show was about fishermen on quiet waters, trust me, there would be no show. Each episode features rugged crab fishermen who are battling a furious sea in the hopes of scoring a boatload of crabs. There’s drama, tension, humor, adventure, action, and heartache. It makes for good television because it reflects real life.
We can relate because our life is like a ship a sea. Some of us stay close to the marina and others of us crank it up and head full blast into the unknown waters. There are days where the sun shines bright, the breeze kisses our skin, and the waters are gentle. Then there are times when the storms hit causing colossal waves to crash into our ship and often wrecking our lives.
I know for a fact that right now, many of you are here feeling the sting of the storm. Some of you feel lost at sea. You sense that all hope is lost. You’re out of work, your relationships are strained or falling apart at the seams, there’s more bills than money, you or a loved ones health has taken a turn for the worse, or your own messiness has finally caught up with you and now you’re dealing with the consequences.
Others of you are picking up the pieces after the storm with one eye on the reconstruction of your lives and one eyes on the clouds. But for now, you’re enjoying life and everything is cool.
Then there are the rest of you who never left the shore. (We’ll get to you in a bit).
Your life is like a ship.
Some days are smooth sailing.
But inevitably, a storm will hit.
What will you do then?
How will you make it through?
Jesus is no stranger to the storms of life as we will discover in this scene from Matthew 14.
Prior to this scene Jesus and his disciples had experienced two dramatic events. One was the beheading of John the Baptizer. He was a cousin of Jesus and a prophet who had a unique role in preparing the way for Jesus.
Shortly after Jesus heard the news he got in a boat (it seems) to have some time alone. Remember, Jesus at this time was fully human and fully God. Meaning, he experienced the pain of loss and the storms of life. Eventually, the crowds (a size of a sports stadium) caught up to him and we’re told he had compassion on them and healed them. It’s during this moment that he turned the fives loaves of bread and two fish and fed over 5,000 men plus the women and children. It was a miracle of biblical proportions. The disciples and the crowd just witnessed something unexplainable- unless of course, Jesus was the Son of God.
The scene then cuts to the perhaps the most infamous moment in the life of Jesus outside his crucifixion and resurrection. Let’s pick it up in verse 22 and look at the whole passage and then walk back through it together.
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Wow! That’s a powerful story. Yes, Jesus walked on water! But there’s so much more for us. Let’s look at the beginning of this scene.
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.
Notice who put the disciples into the boat. It was Jesus! He sent them into danger. It’s early evening and Jesus goes with the disciples and puts them in a boat doesn’t get in with them. I wonder what they were thinking? “So, are we just supposed to hang out in the boat?” “Anyone bring a deck of cards?”
Jesus went to pray until their ship was about 3-4 miles away. This was not by accident and something we can learn from.
First, this is a picture of what Jesus does for his people in Heaven. He is our mediator with God (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus knows the best teacher is experience and these 12 young men are about to experience something dramatic.
What Jesus wanted to teach them wasn’t on the safety of the shore but in the danger of the unknown waters.
He does the same with you and I. Have you ever felt like you were a ship a long way off from shore. Ever wondered if God was there? Ever felt alone? Hopeless? Confused? Ever think that perhaps God wants you to feel like that? To get to the end of yourself? To find yourself in situations that are uncomfortable and unsure?
Like the wind which was against the disciples, so it seems like everything is against you. Can you feel it? Fear creeps into the bottom of your gut and worry and anxiety fill your mind. WHERE IS JESUS NOW?!!!
I’ve been here. I’ve been here so many times in my life and I’ve shed angry tears wondering where God was. Whether it was the death of good friends or the heartbreak of love lost or the helpless feeling of being out of work. I have been there!
Storms are a great teacher and God uses them to teach us and to grow us. He’s like a parent who seeks to develop us into the people we’re meant to be. Sometimes, the storms are discipline, consequences of our actions. Other times, they are teachable moments in life that shape us. We often pray for God to get us around the storms but really he wants to get us through them. Growth comes by going through the storm, not by avoiding it.
Have you been there? Are you there right now? Do you feel like a small ship overwhelmed by a giant raging sea?
In moments like this, our view of Jesus is critical. If he is merely a good teacher or a prophet of old, then what good is he right now? The teacher and prophet is up in the safety of a mountain, probably under shelter, away from the fury of the storm.
But if you believe Jesus is who says he is. God become man who loves you and promises to never leave you. If you can hear his voice in Isaiah 43:1-2 where he says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, YOU ARE MINE. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”
Is this your Jesus? Only this Jesus, the real Jesus, can rescue you and I. Not just from the circumstances of our life but from the depravity of our own soul. Jesus cares about both your life and eternity. Without Jesus, your heart is a ship at sea and it will tip over and wreck unless you believe that Jesus indeed is God who came to rescue you from your sins. The good news is Jesus has come like a rescue-diver to save us. He never lets go. Check out this clip from the film, “The Guardian.”
Can you see Jesus in that? I hope so.
Jesus has left the comfort of heaven to the messiness of earth to save you. He is the Great Rescuer.
Let’s continue.
And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
The fourth watch is between 3am-6am. This storm has come at the darkest time of the night and the disciples have spent about 9 hours battling this storm. At sea, that feels like forever. But Jesus walks on water to them and he rose from death for us. He does the impossible and THIS IS FREAKY to the disciples in the boat!
The disciples try to use their limited human description to describe the indescribable. How would you feel if you saw what they’re seeing? Their fear has kicked into high gear and Jesus calms the sea of their heart by saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
As the storms rage in our lives, he says the same thing to us. “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” He’s calling you to a furious faith.
And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
Don’t you think Peter is being foolish here? Jesus is calling him to a furious faith. A faith so explosive it sees not the storms, but Jesus. Peter is walking on water! The same dude who will later deny Jesus three times when it mattered most. God has a habit of calling unlikely people to do unlikely things. This is one of them. Imagine the thrill.
For a moment in time, Peter experience something none of us will. He walked on water. To do that, he had to leave the boat of safety. What’s your boat? What’s your source for safety and security besides God? If you don’t know just look at what you’re afraid of. Your fears will tell you what your boat is.
The story takes a turn.
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Peter saw the wind. To see the wind he had to take his eyes off Jesus. Peter doesn’t sink and become afraid. He becomes afraid and then sinks. There’s a big difference.
We could focus on Peter’s failure but perhaps there are 11 bigger failures sitting in the boat. Peter’s the only one with the guts to get out of the boat.
Some of you are sitting in the boat but Jesus is calling you outto him. Peter didn’t ask for a guarantee, just a chance. A chance to come after Jesus and get a taste for the life in full. God’s calling is not to survive- it’s to be faithful.
This is why some of us don’t even leave the shore. We’re scared.
Fear prevents many of us from doing what God has called us to do. I’ve heard it said that fear and faith cannot reside in the same heart. it’s true. We must choose to trust God or see the wind.
Is there anything in your life that you’re doing that you could not do without God? If not, dream bigger. God calls his people out of the boat.
Faith calls us into some crazy places I know. The Spirit of God leads us beyond what is normal. A raging storm in the middle of the night. Living on less so you can give more to those in need. Taking a new job. Staying where you’re at. Teaching in a dangerous place. Beginning a new business. Going back to school. Starting a church.
Why not put your faith in the one who can make the winds cease. The one who is not only above all, but in all. He’s right there with us calling us to a better story. Hope got Peter out of the boat and hope is calling you out too.
This is why he gave us the church. We need each other because together we’re called to do something far greater than any one of us can do alone. To bring good news and be good news to this world.
Churches are not called to safety, they are called to be far from shore. For churches, storms are not unusual, but expected. Jesus commands his church to leave the boat of safety and walk on water to him. He’s on a rescue mission in this world and has called us to join him in a journey of faith, hope, and love.
Are you a part of a church community? If not, let encourage you to connect with one that’s centered on Jesus, guided by scripture, driven by the gospel, and rooted in love.
Finally, if you’re in the midst of a storm, let me leave you with this: God’s love for you is more furious than the storm. He has promised to be with you. Nothing is beyond him. He is greater than we can ever imagine, better than we realize, and bigger than your storms.
For the record, the thoughts expressed here do not necessarily represent my family, my friends, my church, my employer, my dog, or the human race in general.
Thank you
