Test! What Test?!

Everyone is headed back to school and we’re excited! (Well, some are more excited than others.) School is about learning and growing; it’s about personal development and stretching the limits of one’s potential. Unfortunately, that process includes tests. Not everyone is concerned about tests while others suffer from “exam anxiety.” I once knew someone who decided to go to college, enrolled in a class and did very well, for two weeks – until the first exam – and then the vision for higher education was set aside. What is it about tests that is so scary for some, and why do we need them anyway?

If you don’t like tests you won’t like me pointing out that they occupy a prominent place in Scripture. Abraham is “the father of all those who believe,” the model of faith, but Abe’s faith only grew as a result of a series of tests (not all of which he passed):

1.   Abraham is called to leave his country and travel to a land God would show him – test passed (Genesis 12:4).

2.   There was a famine in the land and rather than trust God, Abraham “went down to Egypt” – test failed (Genesis 12:10).

3.   While in Egypt, when questioned about Sarah Abraham said, “you are my sister” – test failed (Genesis 12:12-15).

4.   After a conflict with his nephew Lot Abraham trusted the Lord with his inheritance – test passed (Genesis 13:8-9).

5.   When Lot was taken captive Abraham obeyed the Lord and rescued him – test passed (Genesis 14:14-16).

6.   When the King of Sodom sought to honor Abraham, he refused the honor and gave glory to God – test passed (Genesis 14:21-24).

7.   After the Lord promised Abraham a son, he sought to fulfill the promise with Hagar – test failed (Genesis 16:3-5).

8.   When Abraham was challenged by the Philistines, to protect himself he once again said, “She is my sister” – test failed (Genesis 20:1-3).

9.   When Abraham was instructed to offer his son Isaac to the Lord, he trusted God who provided a lamb for the sacrifice – test passed (Genesis 22:8-14).

The fact is, Abraham’s faith would not have grown apart from a series of tests.

That’s why the New Testament speaks so often about the value of tests. “It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work” (1 Corinthians 3:13). “And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test” (2 Corinthians 13:6). “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3). On our faith journey, God, who is our Father and Teacher, will lead us through a series of tests. God is not testing us to make our lives miserable. Tests have two important purposes: (1) To demonstrate the authenticity of our faith, and (2) to provide an opportunity for our faith to grow to the next level by stretching its limits. “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7). As someone has said, “You can’t have a testimony without a test.”

However, not all tests are learning/growing experiences sent to us from the Lord. Scripture also tells us to test ourselves (Romans 12:2; Galatians 6:4) and to not test God (Matthew 4:7; 1 Corinthians 10:9). In fact, some experiences are not tests but are rather “temptations.” A temptation may look and feel like a test but its intent is very different. Instead of being a growth opportunity, a temptation is a trap, often in the form of deception or discouragement, designed to weaken your faith. The apostle James discussed the difference between a test and a temptation: “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed” (James 1:12-14). Discerning the nature and purpose of a test is essential. Knowing how to respond to a test will determine its growth potential.

When the apostle Paul was traveling back to Jerusalem, he received a variety of confirmations that prison awaited him there. The disciples in Tyre, “through the Spirit…urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem” (Acts 21:4). In Caesarea, a prophet named Agabus indicated that Paul would be jailed in Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-11). As a result, “we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem” (Acts 21:12). This was a classic test of Paul’s faith. God was leading him to go to Jerusalem, and now he found out that obeying God would result in a prison sentence. Did he trust God to get it right, to know what God was doing? While these prophetic insights would prove to be true, would they lead Paul to disobey God? “Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus’” (Acts 21:13). With his confidence in God and his commitment to submit to the Lord of the Harvest, Paul refused to bow or bend, forcing everyone to conclude, “The Lord’s will be done” (Acts 21:14). Test passed!

Leaders! Who Needs 'em?!

“Leadership” is one of those subjects everyone either loves or hates or loves to hate. We know we need leaders but we tend to do whatever we can to make their work ineffective by resisting their leadership. The bigger issue behind leadership is “authority.” The questions are: What is authority? Where does authority come from? How should authority operate? What is the purpose of authority and what are the desired results?

“Authority” simply involves specific authorization to function as a leader in a specific situation. In the Gospels the crowds noticed that Jesus taught “as one who had authority” (Matthew 7:29). He healed sickness as a demonstration of his “authority on earth to forgive sins” (Matthew 9:6). Jesus then gave authority to his twelve disciples “to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness” (Matthew 10:1). Jesus also instructed his disciples to exercise authority as servants, not as lords. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:25-26). Before returning to the Father Jesus declared, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). He then authorized his followers to represent him on earth.

The apostle Paul taught the believers to understand and respect authority – no matter who has been authorized, they had received their authority from God. “The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against God” (Romans 13:1-2). That included his own authority: “This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down” (2 Corinthians 13:10). The writer to the Hebrews added this word of advice: “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you” (Hebrews 13:17). The apostle Peter instructed believers to “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority” (1 Peter 2:13), and he warned about “those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority” (2 Peter 2:10).

So that raises the issue about leadership, what some would call “the Leadership Principle.” We know that all authority originates in God and that all human authority is delegated by God. But does God actually delegate specific leadership authority to specific individuals? Does the Body of Christ need leaders, or has leadership been replaced by the community at large? Did the church in the book of Acts recognize leadership and leaders after the Day of Pentecost?

The Council at Jerusalem recognized those “who were leaders among the believers” (Acts 15:22). Paul reported about his meeting “with those esteemed as leaders” in the church (Galatians 2:2). In fact, the Bible commands us to “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). Specifically, “Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:11-12). Not only do we acknowledge our need to honor those God has appointed to be leaders, we also understand the need to multiply leaders from generation to generation. “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). The things we have learned about God and the Kingdom of God are to be passed on to others. But not only that, we are to equip those who will be “qualified to teach others.” In other words, we are train and release leaders who will in turn train and release leaders, etc., etc. An ongoing, dynamic leadership development and multiplication process is an essential element of a Book of Acts Church.

A healthy local church will have a clear understanding of and appreciation for godly, spiritual, servant leadership. That in turn will produce a culture of leadership development. If the leaders are the skeletal structure of the local church, the church’s strength and effectiveness will depend on this developmental process. However, as we seek to establish a culture of leadership development, let us never forget the real and present dangers involved with it. Because we are still human with a tendency to be self-centered (aka “sinful”), we can never stop being on guard against: (1) the desire to gain authority in order to exercise control rather than serve, and (2) the compulsion to resist the exercise of authority in someone else (these are really two sides of the same coin). Submitting to the authority of Jesus and learning to imitate his servant style will empower his delegated leaders to lead and feed and guard his precious people. “Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). 

"Culturally Relevant"

It’s not uncommon today for churches to place a high priority on being “culturally relevant,” without defining what that really means. At New Community Church our #1 Core Value speaks to this priority: “We must be culturally relevant in method without compromising the mission and message of the gospel.” So what is cultural relevance? It begins by recognizing the importance of “culture.” Every people group has a unique perspective, a unique set of values and customs; the members of that group function normally and unconsciously from within that culture. It’s impossible to be culturally relevant without being very intentional about culture. It’s frankly hard work (but very rewarding) to learn another perspective and gain the sensitivity to communicate and relate across a cultural divide. At the very least, cultural relevance involves building meaningful and compassionate bridges to other cultures. (NOTE: There is no such thing as a “Christian” or “Kingdom” culture; culture is an aspect of human personality. There are aspects of every culture that co-exist comfortable with Christian faith and others that seem to contradict the faith. Claims to represent a “Kingdom culture” is usually ways of saying, “Our culture is superior to yours.”)

A culturally relevant church is a “missionary church.” If you’ve ever known a missionary you’re aware of their preparation for building cultural bridges for the sake of the Gospel. They have to take time to learn the values and viewpoints of the people they are preparing to go to, understanding that the values of another culture are not inferior, they’re just different. They need to be able to see the world through the eyes of the “other” people so they can effectively communicate the Good News of Jesus into their world. The same is true for any local church wanting to be culturally relevant. Building cultural bridges requires cultural intelligence. We have to be honest about our own culture and recognize that it’s not better, it’s just different. We have to then identify which culture we want to build a bridge to, understanding that culture varies from region to region, community to community, generation to generation, ethnic group to ethnic group. In fact, economic “classes” also have unique and distinctive cultures. If we want to “cross over” with the Gospel, we must take the time to explore and experience the values and customs and perspectives that define each culture.

The apostle Paul is perhaps the best example of someone who valued cultural relevance and was willing to work hard at the communication and relationship skills needed to accomplish his mission. Before he began his mission Paul was the quintessential “Jew.” When writing to the Philippians he testified, “If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless” (Philippians 3:4-6). He was so convinced that his way (the way of the cultural values of Judaism) was the correct way, the right way, the good way, the best way, he was willing to imprison and execute anyone who posed any kind of threat to that “way of life.” Then he encountered the risen Christ, and was challenged to see the world and all the people in it from the perspective of Christ. “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7). His ability to see from the viewpoint of another people and to even speak as a representative from that new viewpoint earned him any number of enemies, those who now considered Paul a threat to their way of life. But because Paul was on a mission with Jesus, he was prepared to give it all up for the sake of the Gospel. He tried to explain his position to the Corinthian believers: “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Paul’s commitment included more than normal (but challenging) cross-cultural issues and skills; he had to develop multicultural skills; in order for the church to truly represent God’s Kingdom, there had to be room for multiple cultures, for all the “nations.” The needed skills would take more than cultural sensitivity and competence, they would require special wisdom and grace from the Holy Spirit.

When a local church commits itself to cultural diversity, the need for cultural relevance goes to a whole new level. To once again use New Community Church as an example, our vision statement is this: “To be a loving community of diverse people in growing relationships with God, each other, and those who don’t know Jesus.” A commitment to “multiculturalism” for the sake of the Gospel of the Kingdom will take compassion, patience, commitment, and hard work. But it is all worth it when we see that, as a result, we are having a little bit of heaven on the way to heaven. After all, remember how the apostle John described heaven: “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb’” (Revelation 7:9-10). 

"Grace to You"

Believe it or not, the idea of “grace” is one of the most unique and most controversial subjects within Christian faith. A story is told of a group of Oxford dons discussing philosophy and theology around a pint at their favorite pub. Their question was this: What is the most unique of all the Christian doctrines? Some suggested the doctrine of the Trinity? Others the idea of a Savior who died and came back to life again. Supposedly C. S. Lewis entered the discussion at this point and reviewed how other religions had similar ideas. They then agreed on an answer: The most unique idea in Christian faith is grace. All other religions propose some kind of moral balance with moral consequences – good is rewarded and evil is punished. Only Christian faith suggests that forgiveness from sin and punishment is freely offered.

In first-century Greek culture “grace” was a common idea. It simply referred to an open, welcoming response to others, and was a common greeting. Paul addressed some of his letters in a typical Greek way with, “Grace to you” (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; etc.). The Old Testament used the idea of “grace” to refer specifically to Divine favor. The Lord looked with “favor” on Abel and his offering (Genesis 4:4). Noah found “favor” in the eye of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). God anointed his chosen ones with “grace” (Psalm 45:2). “Grace” was also connected to the ideas of beauty and blessedness (see Proverbs 1:9). The prophets spoke of a time when God would visit his people and pour out a “spirit of grace” (Zechariah 12:10).

When it comes to the unique doctrine of grace, the New Testament adds two important truths: (1) It is impossible to earn grace/favor from the Lord, it must be given freely, with no strings attached; and (2) Grace is possible only because of the work of Jesus in his death, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of the Father. In the prologue to his gospel John laid the foundation for our Christian understanding of grace: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:14, 16-17). Jesus came “full of grace,” overflowing with Divine, unearned, unmerited favor. Everything comes to the Jesus follower as a result of grace; everything is a free gift. Paul testified that his apostleship was a grace (Romans 1:5). Forgiveness and salvation are pure grace (Romans 3:24; 5:15). “And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:6). All our spiritual gifts are simply the various ways God packages grace in our lives (Romans 12:6).

But grace is not just Divine favor, it is also Divine enablement. Grace is the presence and power of God working in and through a life, making some things possible that would otherwise be impossible. For grace to be grace, it must be effective and not be “in vain.” Paul refers to grace “reigning through righteousness” (Romans 5:21). For some, claiming “grace” is just an excuse to live a self-centered lifestyle without consequences. However, it is grace that empowers us to overcome sin (Romans 6:14). The freely given grace of God transforms our lives and enables us to be and do all God has purposed for us. “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect” (1 Corinthians 15:10). That’s why God could say to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). When God’s grace accomplishes the supernatural in our lives, it results in all the glory and honor going to God alone, “in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 1:7-9).

From the earliest days of the church in the book of Acts, “grace” was controversial, difficult to understand, and even harder to consistently apply. The church in Jerusalem understood that “God’s grace was powerfully at work in them” (Acts 4:33). The leaders of the church were known for being “full of God’s grace” (Acts 6:8). The apostles were able to observe the effects of “what the grace of God had done” in the lives of people (Acts 11:23). The preaching of Paul was described as “the message of grace” (Acts 14:3). That’s why the council at Jerusalem in chapter 15 was so important to the further growth and extension of the church. It had become clear that the Gentiles (non-Jews) had received God’s grace, but didn’t the favor of God come as a result of participation in the old covenant? Wasn’t it necessary to keep the Law? And didn’t that include circumcision and “kosher” dietary laws? Peter summarized what they had all come to understand: “We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved” (Acts 15:11). While the new covenant and the Gospel of the Kingdom was built on the foundation of the old, it was also a new beginning of faith to be offered freely to everyone everywhere, and not dependent on participation in the old. The new Gentile believers were not accountable to the old traditions but were free to follow Jesus based on their personal faith in him. It was that decision that allowed the church to grow and expand across all cultural barriers. We are now the beneficiaries of that decision. And so, to quote the apostle, “Grace to you!”