Faithful and Just

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When forgiveness happens at the expense of justice the effect is to diminish both the forgiveness and the integrity of the one offering it.

This is the kind of problem that Chris Arnade decribes in a recent article in the Guardian. He spent much of his life as a Wall Street trader, but left that to document the lives of street people and drug addicts. The title of his article tells it all, “The wealthy 'make mistakes', the poor go to jail.”  It seems we have a justice system that is not very just. It is one that is quick to show “mercy” and leniency to people with money, and just as quick to inflict the full weight of justice on those with nothing.

If you are a rich person and you commit the same crime as a poor person, but you are “pardoned” while they go to jail, you may be happy that you escaped justice. But deep down you know the system has failed. You are not more worthy to walk free than the other person. And you might wonder if a system so unjust might not catch up with you. If the judge broke his oath to the law, he can break his word to you. Under the right circumstances you could be sold to a higher bidder.  At some point in the future you could end up in jail anyway. That is not a very secure pardon.  The statement, “there but for the grace of God go I” is not fitting in your case, because it wasn’t God’s grace that spared you but a system that understands neither justice nor mercy.

That is why I John 1:9 is such a comforting promise.  “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  God’s forgiveness is not something offered as a back room favor to a privileged few at the expense of justice. God’s forgiveness is offered to all without discrimination because Jesus paid the full price for our sins. We committed the capital crime and he went to death row. We destroyed valuable treasures, he repaid the bill at the cross. And he has promised to forgive all who come to him in faith and repentance. That is a great comfort.

God recognizes the full weight of my sin. When my conscience tells me that I have done awful things, God does not disagree. In fact, in the eyes of justice, we are worse than we realize. But he knows it, and still sent Christ to pay our debt. Our consciences can rest in the work of Jesus. He is faithful and just to forgive us!

3 Practical Ways Jesus Talks About the Judgment Day

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When you read the New Testament, at some point you will encounter Jesus talking about the judgment day. And if you keep reading, you will run into it again and again.  It is easy to think that Americans “like Jesus, but don’t like the church.”  But I suspect that when most people say they like Jesus they aren't thinking about his teachings on sex or the judgment day.  A God that is holy and just isn't customizable. We don't like a God that punishes people for their transgressions. Accordingly, the world mocks this, and sadly many Christians retreat or apologize to avoid embarrassment.

But in the New Testament gospels, Jesus talks about the judgment day. He talks about it a lot. Really.  And when he talks about it, it is vivid, bold, and surprisingly very practical. At Free Grace Church are in the middle of a series of sermons on the book of Luke. While studying chapter 12, I noticed three ways that Jesus talks about the judgment day and what effect it should have on us.

First, Jesus uses the judgment day as an antidote to hypocrisy.

A hypocrite is a person who wears a mask. They pretend to be what they are not.  Jesus famously compares the hypocrites of his day to people who clean the outside of the cup but leave the inside filthy (11:39).  Hypocrites work hard on branding. They have to parade their good deeds, and hide their corruption.  In order to be a successful hypocrite you have to keep a lot of secrets.

Jesus reminds his disciples, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” (Luke 12:1-3)  The coming judgment day will be a day of exposure. And everything that we hoped would stay hidden will be plastered on the front page news. God already knows the secret things, but one day everyone will know them. If we remembered this, we could never hope to maintain a life of secret corruption.  Since we know that our sins will be revealed at some point, we should expose them ourselves through confession and repentance.

Second, Jesus also uses the judgment day in order to put persecution and suffering in perspective. 

 Our fear of death and pain is almost universal. And Jesus tells us that we should not be controlled by this fear, because dying is not the worst thing that could happen to us.  “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”   (Luke 12:4-5)  Jesus invites us to face the “worst case scenario” head on. Death and the torture of the body is NOT our greatest enemy. The destruction of the soul is far worse.  In his perfect Justice God will bring every person to account for their sins.  

Following this warning, Jesus also reminds us that when we fear God, we don’t need to fear anything because he cares for us. “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”   When we live in fear of people who threaten us with death, we become their slaves. They own us, and we will never completely escape from this fear.  But when we come to God in holy fear and faith, he promises to care for us.   It is only when we fear him that we hear the words “fear not.”  After all, Jesus faced death for us that we might live forever.

Third, Jesus uses the future judgment as a prescription for greed and covetousness.

A man asked Jesus to help him settle a financial dispute within his family. Jesus rebukes him and then tells the parable of the rich fool.  The man in the parable had tunnel vision. He only thought about his money, and he only thought about this mortal life. He didn’t think about his soul, or about eternity. The sober truth is that one day all of our possessions will be taken away from us.  We can only live for “stuff” if we believe it is safe and secure.  But money is the most insecure thing in the world.  Jesus instead encourages us to be rich toward God.  (Luke 12:16-21) He tells us that “life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions.”

What does that mean?

Elsewhere the apostle Paul would write, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus… 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Phil 3:13-21)

There is something more permanent, more satisfying, and more secure than money. And that is a relationship with Christ.  And that relationship is one that is full of hope rather than fear.  And Jesus reminds us of a coming judgment to help us put it all in perspective.

 

 

God and Football Part 2: Diagnosing and Treating our Obsession

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By Pastor Matt Troupe

In a previous post, I talked about how football (a good thing), has become a bad thing for many through our obsession with it.  I really enjoy football, so I don't write this as some kind of sports-hater. But I write it as a man who has seen what happens when football comes before God and family. I have see the #footballwidow effect. And to be fair, these problems can just as easily be caused by NASCAR, soccer, fishing, etc.

 

How can you know if football is a false idol in your life? Here is the big idea, if you are giving to football what belongs to God, it is an idol. If you are giving to football what belongs to other priorities (like your family), it is an idol. In the next post I will offer some diagnostic questions and give some direction on what to do.

Here is the big idea, if you are giving to football what belongs to God, it is an idol.

If you will change your schedule, take days off of work, and sacrifice other committments to watch football, but you don't make time to gather with God's people for worship and fellowship, football is an idol. If you will take 4 hours to watch a football game, but you won't take 40 minutes for an important conversation with your wife, one that will cultivate your marriage and build her up, then football has become an idol.

If you will spend piles of money, and even go into debt in order to buy game tickets, large-screen TVs, or play fantasy football, but you don't give generously to the poor and the church in order to advance the kingdom, then football is an idol. Where your money is there your heart will also be.

If you will spend hours talking to your friends about football, reading blogs and listening to commentary, but you don't have time to have a real conversation with your children about the important things in their lives, then football is an idol.

If you are more emotionally, and mentally invested in football because your team is doing well than you are about the glory of God, football is an idol. If you're more upset when your team loses than you are about the very real evil and injustice in the world, then the idol of football has metastasized into your affections.

If you are serious about figuring this out, you won’t be able to do it on your own.  You you need help. Don’t trust yourself. Idolatry is always creates blind spots. Don’t ask an alcoholic if he has a problem. He either doesn’t see it or will lie to cover it up.  You need other people to help you discern this.  What would your wife say if you asked her? AND what would she say if you told her you wouldn’t punish her for telling you the truth?  What would your kids say?

I can tell you as a former idolater (and one that is locked in an ongoing battle against it) that there is hope. And the good news is that a life of love and service to Jesus is not only the right thing to do, it is much better. 

If you find that any of this is true, the first thing you need to do is agree with God and confess that your heart is in the wrong place. You need to say the “s” word- SIN. Ask for forgiveness. Idolatry is a big deal.  God’s mercy is great, even for fools who worship sports.  Confess your struggles to someone else. A good friend, or your pastor.

Then start doing what you know is right. This is the other side of repentance. Come back to Christ.  This means going to church as a priority, loving your family, etc.

I took an 18 year break from watching football when my kids were growing up. There wasn’t time to worship, work, and be the kind of husband and father I needed to be. The NFL doesn’t like to share.  Now I have more time, but looking back I don’t regret it at all. Is possible to enjoy football in moderation? Yes, but that depends on what is enthroned in the heart.

I would love to hear more about your experience.

God And Football Part I: Facing Our Obsession

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By Pastor Matt Troupe

Football is a lot of fun. I am writing this on a fall Saturday, and I plan on watching some college football today. Last night I attended a high school football game with my son. He is in the marching band and I was one of the chaperones for the game. I love hearing the fight songs and cheering the team. In the past couple of weeks I attended 2 Fresno State home games. I really like football. So I am going to speak up about being obsessed with football not as an angry critic but as a lover of the game. Please hear me out.

Is it possible to love something too much? Is it possible to love even a good thing too much?  Clearly the answer is yes. As an example, money is a good thing, and you can do a lot of important things with money, such as paying your bills, feeding your kids, being generous to the poor, etc. But is it possible to love money (a good thing) so much that it becomes a bad thing? Yes, if your efforts to earn or keep money come before your love of God (or even your family), then you have managed to turn it into a god-substitute.  And this is a serious problem. Though often misquoted, this passage is still true, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” (I Tim 6:10, ESV)  It is a short step from the love of money to the dark side. People that serve money are often willing to lie, cheat, steal, and even kill for it. What we love will always shape our lives, and in this, the love of football can be like the love of money. Though it may not lead to murder, (though it has lead some fans to assault on several occasions, see here, and here for recent examples) it can lead to other evils.

 

Tomorrow is Sunday, and the whole day will be full of NFL games. TV, Internet, radio, and social media will buzz with the headlines and highlights. For many men (and some women) this love affair with football will come at a cost. Their devotion to the sport can only be maintained by making sacrifices to other areas in their life. The world is full of good things. But there are only a few great things. There are only a few matters of ultimate importance (Luke 10:41-42).  And it should be clear that football, as good as it can be, is NOT one of them. 

For many men (and some women) this love affair with football will come at a cost.

I started thinking about this recently when a friend made a Facebook post referring to her husband’s love of the game. She called herself a #FootballWidow.  She was only joking, but many others have said it seriously. In fact, a side industry has blossomed around this reality. It seems that when fall arrives, football casts a spell on souls of men. It hijacks their capacity to think, care, or even understand what is important.

 

John Maxwell tells the following story in his book Today Matters:

‘A man went to the Super Bowl and climbed to the top row in the end zone section of the stadium to reach his seat.  After the game started, he spotted an empty seat at the 50 yard line. After working his way down to it he asked the man in the next seat, “excuse me, but is anyone sitting here?”

“No,” replied the man. “Actually the seat belongs to me. I was supposed to come with my wife, but she died. This is the first Super Bowl we haven’t been together since we got married in 1967.”

“That’s very sad. But still, could you find anyone else to take a seat – a relative a close friend?”

“No,” replied the man. “They are all at the funeral.”’

That is funny. But not really.

Its strange how many time-strapped families that can’t find time to come to church on Sundays from February through August, suddenly have 8 extra hours every Sunday for watching football.  Many folks don’t even attempt to hide this reality.  Human nature is predictable, we always make time for what we value. “Football is a religion.”  These words are spoken often. They are true, but they are not happy. Football may be good, but it is not God.

Football may be good, but it is not God.

And my point in taking up this topic is not because I feel like I have to compete with football as a pastor. No, I have seen the sad impact on marriages, children, and the souls of men who worship sports. I want the best for people, and this is not the best. Idols never keep their promises.

Nicholas Frankovich recently wrote in National Review,

“The NFL is more popular than organized religion by two measures: the number of us who make time for it in our lives, and the amount of time we make for it. Consider that 34 percent of men and 18 percent of women spend six or more hours a week watching professional football (to say nothing of college games), according to an Adweek/Harris poll in 2011. Six hours is a lot. The typical church service lasts only about one hour, and the best estimates based on headcounts — not, as in Gallup, on self-reporting — are that less than 20 percent of American adults put in any pew time at all on the Christian Sabbath." (emphasis added)

Church attendance dips during football season. While this phenomenon varies by region, and by poll, the sad truth is many people choose football before Christ. A 2015 Lifeway study said, “About 1 in 4 church-going men (22 percent) say they’d skip church to watch football. That drops to 1 in 10 for women churchgoers. Catholic football fans (20 percent) are more willing to skip church than evangelicals (12 percent)."

If our traditional American obsession with football weren’t bad enough, it has been weaponized by fantasy football.  The revenue from fantasy football is now expected to be more than the revenue of the NFL itself. In the workplace, researchers suggest that businesses are loosing 1 billion dollars a week as employees spend on average 2 hours of their boss’ time working on their fantasy teams.  The average fantasy football player is spending 3 hours per week managing their team, and another 9 hours reading or watching content related to fantasy sports (see this article for more info). According to Mashable, the average person playing fantasy football is spending $467 per year to play. 

Here’s the point: All of this time and money has to come from someplace else. And when you take money from something important to give it to something else that you value more, we call it sacrifice. And sacrifice is the business of worship.  For a growing number of men, football is a religion. Football is their sacred devotion. And while football is a great sport, it makes a horrible God. And sadly, some churches instead of seeing this for what it is, are willing to accommodate this affair of the heart.  Instead of confronting men about the danger of childish obsessions, churches play along so as not to offend. But here is the truth: If football is better to you than Jesus, you don’t know the real Jesus. You either need a new heart or a new church. Maybe both.

This church bulletin board applies to soccer, the other sports obsession around the world. But you can see our priorities

This church bulletin board applies to soccer, the other sports obsession around the world. But you can see our priorities

 

If football is better to you than Jesus, you don’t know the real Jesus.

It is instructive to see how often Jesus addressed common problems in terms of ultimate priorities. For instance, he once spoke about anxiety like this: “22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.” (Luke 12:22-23) If you believe that the meaning of life consists in your basic bodily necessities, you will be driven to anxiety if there is even a chance that those needs may not be met. Jesus doesn’t just say, “don’t be anxious, its bad for you.”  Or “I will provide for you, so don't worry.” Indeed he does say both. But he doesn’t leave it there. He gets to the root of the problem. Our anxiety comes from a lie, and we need to stop believing that lie. We need to stop believing that life is all about what we eat and what we wear.  The NFL has a series of videos called a “football life,” and that title suggests where they want to position their sport in your thinking. Incidentally, you should remember that the NFL machine is a business. And like any good drug dealer, they want your whole life to revolve around their product. Thank God, Jesus can save you from that mindset. Is not life more than football, and the body more than your fantasy team?

Our hearts have a limited capacity. They can only love and focus on one thing. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matt 5:24)

Why would Jesus say that no one CAN serve two masters?  Because almost everyone tries to do this at some point. “I can serve Jesus and money…”  We believe that by our will and wisdom we can manage this.  But Jesus tells the truth.  When the claims of 2 competing god’s want the same time slot, you will end up loving one and hating the other.   The sad truth is that lots of men claim to love Jesus and football. But the truth is… they love football. And you can always tell this by looking at the scoreboard.  Who is winning the battle of claims on the heart, wallet, and calendar?

How can you know if football is a false idol in your life? Here is the big idea, and I will try to expand on it in another post. If you are giving to football what belongs to God it is an idol. If you are giving to football what belongs to other priorities (like your family), it is an idol. In the next post I will offer some diagnostic questions and give some direction on what to do.

How To Be A Missionary To Your City

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While few of us are full-time, vocational "missionaries" as the Apostle Paul was, we are all emissaries of Jesus and "sent" (that is the source word where we get the term missionary) to live for him in a hostile world. Every believer is salt and light (Matt 5:16) and we are to bring the grace of Jesus to our neighborhood, workplace, and family.  

But how do you do that? There is much to say on this, but years ago I read a book on Church planting that mentioned these 5 things that I think encapsulated the big ideas of how the ordinary Christian functions as a missionary to their community. For a long time I had this printed on a sheet of paper above my desk.

In order to function as a missionary, you should enter your community as....

1.  An Intercessor, praying for the City.

2.  As a Learner, studying the city’s culture and history.

3.  As a Servant to bring blessing and meet practical needs

4.  As a Friend to make contacts and develop relationships.

5.  As a Storyteller to share the gospel.

Join Us To Pray To End Abortion On Sept 27th

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We will be having our 3rd community prayer meeting on Sunday night 9.27.15 at 7pm at our facility.  We had 60 people from the community come last time, we are hoping for more. The continued release of videos (including one linked below) is opening a door to conversation on this issue like never before. Join us to pray.

We have a Facebook event page set up, RSVP here and share with others

Below is a brief commercial for the event, please share this on social media.

Here is the most recent video released by CMP documenting what Planned Parenthood has been doing.