Like Father, Like Son

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.

-- Isaiah 55:8

         

Admit it. 

You're probably one of those people who don't understand God. At least not all of the time. Or even a lot. And that's OK. In fact, you're in great company. It's called the human race.

That company is also better than you might think. For example, many of the Bible's greatest models of faith were sometimes discouraged by circumstances. Some even questioned why God allowed their trials. Jesus himself asked God--his own Father--if there were another way to complete his mission on Earth. There just had to be a better way to save humanity than by a painful and unjust death on a cross. It didn't make any sense. 

But there wasn't another way. At least not another perfect way.

As Christ-followers, one lesson that we eventually learn is that even the worst situations render some good in the end. The trouble is that we tend to see the situation through the cloudy lens of human experience. But God sees the vivid Big Picture and what's behind that bend in the road. It's when we finally mature enough in faith that God begins to show us glimpses of reality and eternity. And then we begin to see through new eyes.

Even when God shows us these wonderful truths, we're still spiritually nearsighted and unfocused. We finally understand that his thoughts really aren't our thoughts. And our ways fall far short of his. So if that's the case, how can we ever hope to know who God really is and what he's like?

God understood our limitations before we were ever born. So to fully reveal himself to his creation, he had to personally live out the human experience. It was the perfect plan--and one that was totally beyond our comprehension.

Now fast-forward several centuries to Israel, a dusty backwater outpost of the Roman Empire. Philip--one of Jesus' disciples-- told his Teacher about his hunger to know God. He wanted to see his Creator face-to-face. Little did Philip know that he had been doing just that over the previous 1,000 days!

"Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?" Jesus asked His earnest disciple. "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?"

It was a staggering revelation. But more than that, it was a simple answer to humanity's ultimate questions. If we want to know if God exists, who he is and what he's really like, we first must know his Son, Jesus. And we all have an open invitation to do just that:

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls," the Savior assures us. "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Who's #1?

Everything you were taught can be put into a few words:
 

Respect and obey God!
 

This is what life is all about. God will judge everything we do, even what is done in secret, whether good or bad.

-- Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 

         

The media have long recognized the public's love of lists. Check out the magazine racks in any supermarket and you'll see headlines for the Top 10 Muscle Cars, Best Ways to Renovate Your Home and the Year's Nastiest Celebrity Breakups. Websites have year-end posts about the nation's biggest political scandals and the most-costly business failures. And television embraces this popular genre through shows like the Top 100 Heavy Metal Videos of All Time, Best Caribbean Beach Resorts and the Greatest Engineering Disasters of the Century.

Then there are perhaps the most controversial lists of them all (at least in the minds of sports fans). They're the weekly Top 20 rankings of college football and basketball teams--often topics of heated discussion in office break-rooms across the country and over the Internet.

The fact is that everyone has opinions about what or who is number one in certain aspects of life. When it comes to entertainment and sports, we might have our favorite movie or forcefully defend our choice for the NFL's greatest quarterback. But what's your opinion about something a little more substantial:

Who (or what) is Number One in your life? Is it your family? Your career? Money, vacations...or perhaps the weekend? Or maybe the answer is as close as the nearest mirror. If it is, join the crowd.

Regardless of how you answered this important question, King Solomon--probably the wisest man who ever lived--could relate to your perspective. In the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, he writes that he tried every pleasure under the sun to find fulfillment in life. And unfortunately for him, his search in all the wrong places brought him emptiness and sorrow. But we can gain much from the lessons Solomon learned the hard way.

First, fulfillment in life comes about only when we live for the right person. And in our case, that means living for God by letting his son (Jesus Christ) live through us. Second, we can find fulfillment only when we live by God's standards. After all, what good does it do if we say we're a Christ-follower on Sundays but live quite differently on the other six?  And finally, we find fulfillment in life only when we live with the right focus. In other words, live your life with eternity in mind. Careers, money, vacations--and even sporting events--might seem important at the time. But they all pale in significance when it comes to what we do in life to help usher in God's Kingdom here on earth. Being Jesus' personal representative is in the job description of every Christ-follower.

Now's the time to look again in the mirror and decide who (or what) is really Number One in our lives. Let's consider Jesus' timeless advice on this matter to his first followers. In today's uncertain economic and political environment, you'll see that his words of wisdom are remarkably relevant and reassuring:

"Don't worry and ask yourselves, 'Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?' Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things," the Savior reminds them (and us). "Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well."

The Ultimate Question

"You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.'

-- Job 42:4

         

It's the ultimate question. And it's the one that's been asked by millions of people for thousands of years:

Does God really exist?

Let's settle this deep mystery once and for all. The answer is a resounding YES.

Since that's an easy claim to make, how do we know that God isn't a mere creation of our imagination? Simply put, the evidence is all around us. Look at the wonders and beauty of nature, the colors of the sunset and the overwhelming ingenuity of the human body--or for that matter any plant or animal. What are the odds that such things could magically spring to life and evolve from a random assortment of atoms and chemicals? They're probably about the same as a fully functioning 747 jet airliner assembling itself from the debris kicked up from a tornado ripping through a junkyard... and then repeating this miracle millions of times to account for every functioning organism on Earth!

One conclusion is obvious: Where there's creation, there must be a Creator. And according to the Apostle Paul, this Creator has long made his existence apparent:

"There are things about him that people cannot see--his eternal power and all the things that make him God," we read in the first chapter of Romans. "But since the beginning of the world those things have been easy to understand by what God has made. So people have no excuse for the bad things they do."

If there is a God, what's he like? The surprising and comforting answer is also revealed in the Bible. And it comes from someone with firsthand knowledge. Jesus, God's own son, tells us that the creator of the universe is like a loving, caring father. In fact, Christ outraged the religious authorities of his day by calling God Abba--a term that we translate as Daddy.

What an incredible concept! Instead of being some anonymous, non-caring entity, our God is someone who actually wants a personal relationship with His creation: you and me. And for those who claim this truth and let it bear fruit in their life, the world becomes a far better place: one full of hope, promise and wonder.

All For One

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

-- Ephesians 4:4-6

         

When it comes to relationships, do you believe that opposites attract? Or is it more your experience that birds of a feather flock together?

For those in a relationship with God through his Son, Jesus Christ, the answer really is both. For example, one of the most reassuring truths revealed in the Bible is that God wants to be in a personal, loving relationship with us regardless of gender, race or nationality. It doesn't matter who you are, where you've been or what you've done. Everyone is welcome to accept God's free gift of forgiveness and live a changed life as a Christ-follower. Our past failures no longer matter and can be forgiven and forgotten. We can become new creations who are born again.

Meanwhile, opposites do attract in this spiritual relationship, and you can see that in action in just about any Bible-believing church. For example, at Velocity Church in Richmond, VA, we worship among fellow believers of different ages, political viewpoints and nationalities. And we also see things differently when it comes to sports. Some of us love the Redskins while others root for the Cowboys. There's also a healthy mix of fans supporting Virginia Tech, UVA, James Madison and VCU. 

"For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body," we read in 1 Corinthians, "whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink."

Indeed, for all of their differences, Christ-followers at Velocity and around the globe share at least one thing that unifies them--and sets them apart from all creation. It's their common, fervent belief in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And it's this same distinction that helps us share the joys and overcome the struggles, disappointments and even tragedies that we all face along our unique faith-journeys.

As a diverse group of Christ-followers in a single, incredible relationship, we're by definition all for One. But what's more important is that we also know the One who's for us all.

Like Clockwork

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

-- 2 Corinthians 5:17

         

During the 1950's and 1960's more than half of the wristwatches sold in the United States were made by Timex. Officially known as U.S. Time, the company marketed its dependable timepieces in department stores and pharmacies from coast to coast. And it's no doubt that Timex's popular television commercials helped to drive sales. Sometimes appearing live and in prime time, the advertisements used extreme demonstrations to prove their product's toughness and reliability. Examples include a Timex watch strapped to a speedboat, abused by a wild gorilla, and run through a dishwasher. 

"It takes a licking and keeps on ticking!" proclaimed long-time spokesman John Cameron Swayze. And sure enough, Timex watches usually did just that. 

Those old commercials can teach us about a vital characteristic of true Christ-followers: dependability. After all, what good is a watch if you can't rely on it? We should ask the same about ourselves if we claim Jesus as Lord and Savior. 

Our troubles won't suddenly disappear the moment we start following Christ. And we can't expect our faith-journeys to be smooth drives down Easy Street. In fact, our daily struggles may actually intensify because the devil sees us as a threat. We should count on hitting bumps along the road: 

"In this world you will have trouble," Jesus promises us. "But take heart! I have overcome the world." 

Unfortunately, too many would-be Christ-followers give up and turn away when the troubles of everyday life get too big. Instead of relying on the unlimited resources they could access as a child of God, they wither from the heat of trials and circumstances.  

Do you keep on ticking after taking a licking? Like those dependable wristwatches in the commercials, Christ-followers must live lives demonstrating reliability and toughness. Ours is a permanent, 24/7 identity--not simply a role that we play for an hour or two on Sundays and at weekly Gel Groups. Instead, Jesus tells us to take up our rugged cross. And then follow him.

Freed and Forgiven

But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

-- Psalm 130:4

         

"I never thought I'd be wearing this striped suit," admitted the young man as he addressed the crowded Naples, FL, high school gymnasium. "I was 10 feet tall and bulletproof."

The speaker was Eric Smallridge. But for the last several years, he's been known as Inmate P22679.

In May 2002, Eric drove drunk, lost control of his vehicle and collided with another vehicle driven by 20-year-old Meagan Napier. Meagan and her passenger, Lisa Dickson, were killed instantly. Eric was convicted of DUI manslaughter and sentenced to 22 years in prison.

Renee Napier--Meagan's mother--was devastated by the tragedy that so radically changed her entire existence and outlook on life. She described her tortured emotional state as "the wailing and crying that comes from the depths of your soul." To render good from such a seemingly senseless incident, Renee founded The Meagan Napier Foundation, where she has so far educated more than 100,000 people about the dangers of drunk driving. Her audiences include high-schoolers, church groups, college students, military personnel...and DUI offenders.

Her presentations were riveting. But Renee still felt that something--or perhaps someone--was missing. And that someone was inmate Eric Smallridge.

"I knew from the beginning that if I could have Eric with me, that would be very powerful," she explained to ABC News. And in 2010, Eric was given permission to accompany Renee during her presentations. A stipulation was that he was required to wear his prison shackles and jumpsuit.

Now almost 15 years since the accident, Renee says she still can't forget the moment she heard the awful news about her child's death. But she's been able to forgive. In fact, she's grown to love Eric and his family. And she's even lobbied to have Eric's prison sentence cut in half to help prevent him from leaving his incarceration with a hardened soul and a criminal mind.

"I could be very angry, hateful and bitter," Renee told a reporter. "But I didn't want to live my life that way. There was no way I could move on and live a happy life without forgiving Eric."

Ironically, we're often the ones who can find ourselves in chains when we need to forgive those who've offended us. It's in Matthew's Gospel that we read Jesus' parable about a man who received forgiveness for his own large debt, but was still stuck in a prison of anger. His wounded soul could not heal...and he was unable to release another's relatively small debt to him. As Christ-followers, we've all been forgiven of a lifetime's-worth of sin and shortcomings. So when we're hurt by others, let's seek him for the power to move us toward the freedom found only through a forgiven--and forgiving--heart.

"Make it a point not to be this guy," said Inmate P22679, referring to himself. "Don't reduce your life to shackles and chains."

All Hands On Deck

He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers-all of them skilled workers and designers.

-- Exodus 35:35

         

One of the world's largest cruise ships, Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas, is 1,141 feet long and carries more than 4,900 guests. Its gourmet restaurants serve thousands of meals each day. And the ship's laundry cleans just as many towels, sheets and table linens.

Supporting this floating city are hundreds of talented, hard-working crew members--all dedicated to making their guests' vacations as fun and memorable as possible. The ship's complement includes an army of stewards, cooks, mechanics and even daycare attendants--and that's not to mention everyone assigned to navigate the ship. From captain to cabin boy, every crew member has a critical role in helping their vessel sail effortlessly through both calm seas and choppy waters.

Like a full-service cruise ship, the church also needs dedicated people who work together toward a common goal. That's because we're much more than just a group of folks who meet on Sundays to listen to the pastor and sing along with the band. 

The Bible tells us that God has given every Christ-follower certain gifts, talents and resources for advancing his kingdom on Earth. Some are obvious--like singers and musicians leading worship with the band. Others relate to behind-the-scenes applications like bookkeepers and office managers who help the church use its resources wisely and efficiently. For every gift, talent and resource in the secular world, there's a corresponding application for strengthening the body of believers known collectively as The Church.

The first Christ-followers were a diverse crew from many walks of life. Some were fishermen, one was a tax collector and Jesus himself had carpentry skills. And when we fast-forward 2,000 years, the Savior still seeks those who are willing to represent him in our community and serve others with their God-given gifts, talents and resources.

"Come, follow me," Jesus once told fishermen Peter and Andrew, "and I will make you fishers of men."

If we're willing to follow the example of the first disciples and open ourselves to the great possibilities ahead, Jesus will no doubt use us to lead and strengthen his Church. It's when we all work together with a unity of purpose that community occurs and amazing things happen. So it's now up to you and me to respond to His simple--yet radical--invitation to join his crew.

Are you onboard? The Captain's call is for all hands on deck.