Tag Archives: Jesus

G*d’s Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity, Messiah, Savior

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on September 3, 2015
Tags: Jesus,   

The Division that Divides — Rev. David J. Schreffler

image      September 3, 2015

“Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.” Mark 11:8-11

“So Jesus came into Jerusalem. He came at once as an Intruder and a King. There were men along the streets who owed to Him the straightness of their limbs, the sight of their eyes, the clear, sane reason of their brains. They made the old streets ring with shouts of welcome. There were other men who He had disappointed and defeated. He had trampled on their traditions, contradicted their doctrines, spoiled their trade. With muttered curses they saw Him go by in His triumph. What a confusion! The city was divided against itself. But through it all Jesus…went on His way, claiming it all for His own. And so He claims our hearts.” Sermons For The Principal Festivals and Fasts Of The Church Year, 1895 Phillips Brooks (1835 – 1893) “For All The Saints” volume II (p. 478-479)

We must remember that, for as much as the triumphal entry for Jesus was a victory, of sorts, it was also a defeat for many. His triumphal entry into Jerusalem marks the beginning of the end of his earthly ministry. And, it also marks the beginning of more trouble for the Jews of Jerusalem, and the surrounding territories. It is the beginning of the great division: those “for” Jesus against those who are “against” him, and “hate” him; those “comforted” by Jesus against those “angered” by him; the women who followed and stayed by his side, and the men who followed him but abandoned and escaped into hiding; and finally the Temple Curtain, which was torn in two when he died on the cross.

And yet, Jesus rode through the town as the people divided themselves — some on one side of the street, some on the other — some on one side of the issue, some on the other. Nothing would stop Jesus on the way to the cross.

People still divide themselves when it comes to faith, Jesus, and the bible. Some say the bible is the “inerrant” word of G*d, others say it is the “inspired” word of G*d. Some say Jesus was the long expected Messiah, others say he was just a prophet and are awaiting the true Messiah. Some say faith is “being doers of the word”, others say faith means “we do not have to do anything to earn G*d’s grace”. My suggestion is we stop dividing ourselves and remember that Jesus rode into Jerusalem for all of the people — those who shouted “Hosanna” and those who shouted “Crucify Him”.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on August 29, 2015
Tags: Jesus, , Secular Culture   

Reflecting Biblical Principles in the Middle of Secular Culture — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

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August 29, 2015

“The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true. He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath.”    John 3:31-36

“When Jesus talks about the presence of the kingdom of G*d, he uses ordinary secular stories or parables. We think of them now, unfortunately, as religious stories. But originally they were not. He takes an ordinary, nonreligious situation: a woman loses a dime; a man gets mugged on a highway; a business man hires workers at union wages; a young man wants to leave home and strike out for himself…He uses stories that have nothing to do with religion and says the kingdom of G*d is like that. But we have so spiritualized it, it has completely lost the secular taste and flavor it had at first…

It’s the story of living, sweating, rejoicing, struggling, dying men and women just like you, just like me. And the story tells of a G*d not apart from their daily, ordinary lives, but smack in the middle of them.” Edmund A. Steimle (1907 – 1988) From Death to Birth   “For All The Saints” volume II (p. 446 – 447)

Here is part of an article I read recently from “Relevant Magazine”  by Cara Joyner titled:  Christians Shouldn’t Be Culture’s Morality Police:  We aren’t called to demand that secular culture reflect biblical principles.

“The values of our culture are often in conflict with the values of our faith, but this isn’t new. Many practices of the ancient world would be considered wholly unacceptable by society today. We are neither the first to live in an environment that challenges our beliefs, nor are we the first to disagree on theology. However, we are the first with a hot and ready platform for serving quick, permanently recorded indictments, with minimal responsibility over what happens next. These instant splices are not used to reach the lost. They are only used to reinforce religious persons’ sense that they have chosen the “right” team and that their people agree with them.

When Paul addresses important issues related to sexuality in his letters to the Corinthians, he is speaking to the Church and seems unconcerned with society as a whole:

“I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral … In that case you would have to leave this world … what business is it of mine to judge those outside the Church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked person from among you’” (1 Corinthians 5:9. 12-13).

 

image     We were never commissioned to demand that secular culture reflect biblical principles. We were commissioned to reflect biblical principles in the middle of secular culture, pointing to God’s redemptive story. So how do we walk the line of conviction and intention, engaging with culture in a way that is meaningful, without crossing over into a role to which we were never called? Let’s begin with what we know about Jesus. Jesus Kept Moving. Rather than huddling up and making camp in a town surrounded by His own people, Jesus knew what was at stake and He kept moving. His goal was healing and restoring the broken, not circling around those who were already following.

I like her thoughts on being commissioned to reflect biblical principles in the middle of secular culture, not being commissioned to demand that secular culture reflect biblical principles. Christian teachings have usually been at odds with secular culture. Our job as Christians is to be counter-cultural — and as such we are called to live differently. As Paul says: “what business is it of mine to judge those outside the Church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside.” (1 Corin. 5:9ff) These certainly are words worth contemplating today.

Pastor Dave