The cross centers our life and the resurrection gives us hope. The cross without the resurrection is a l
esson in tragic hopelessness. This is something that Paul confronted the believers with in Corinth.
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:12-19 ESV)
Paul saw that underneath all the dismaying problems of the Corinthians lay one massive theological falsehood: they denied the resurrection of the dead. And by doing that, they denied the importance of the world that God created. They denied that these flawed bodies of ours are loved by God and we will be redeemed.
Notice the "if's" in the above passage, they are piled up and by doing this Paul is raising the stakes higher and higher. He ties Christ's resurrection in with our resurrection. Paul's point is simple: if the Corinthian position on the resurrection prevails then we have no past and no future! That is, if we have believed in Christ's resurrection as giving us hope for the future when there is no hope for the future, then we are truly the most miserable people on the planet.
But the resurrection is true and therefore our hope is real. And hope changes everything. Join us this Sunday as we focus on the resurrection of our great Shepherd, Jesus.
Grace & Peace,
Scott
I remember the first time I told Barb "I love you." I remember our first kiss. I remember the first time I held each of our children. I remember the first church I pastored. I remember the first time I preached at Calvary (Easter, 2006). There are some things you remember forever; you just never get over them, and you don't want to, and you shouldn't.
Do you remember the first time you realized God's love for you was so great that He sacrificed His own Son? Have you gotten over it? Do you remember when you made the decision to follow Him and trust Him with your life? Salvation is something that is rooted in the event of the cross. That event took place over two thousand years ago and it still never loses its power to transform a life! The cross is central to our faith and it changes everything we do. It changes the way we love; it changes the way we worship; it changes the way we raise kids; it changes the way we spend money; it changes the way we live.
Oh, so many have come to the cross and accepted its sacrifice only to turn their back on the One who paid the supreme price to secure everlasting life. They came enamored by the transformation it produces; they stayed in love long enough to fervently read the Bible and learn how to live above the confusion and noise of a world gone mad; and they have followed hard after Jesus...for a time. Then suddenly, or maybe subtly, they drifted and "fell out of love" with the cross. No, they would never admit that, but their actions speak of a betrayal that mirrors Judas. They simply got over the cross and it is no longer central to their life. But this shouldn't be.
Never get over the cross!
Grace & Peace,
Scott
Shortages create panic and when panic sets in people have a tendency to hoard. Have you ever tried to buy water after a severe weather announcement? Try going to WalMart when there is a threat of a snow and the possibility of Spartanburg County being shut down for three days looms in everyone's mind. What happens? County-wide panic! We get in our cars, head down to the nearest WalMart, BiLo, Ingles, or whatever and buy enough water to drown a pregnant cow. We also buy enough batteries to light the town of Chesnee for three months! We hoard all these things to produce some sense of security. Now, I'm all for a moderate emergency plan, but come on...really?
I believe this same thing happens when it comes to the gifts God has given us (i.e., money, time, giftedness, a message). For example: we are facing a current financial crisis. This is no mystery, but what have we done as believers in response to this crisis? Some have looked at the economy and panicked. They have begun to worry about what is going to happen tomorrow and so they run to the "WalMart" (i.e., the bank) to stockpile what they don't think they'll have in the near future (i.e., money). This is hoarding and hoarding is foolish. Taking our eyes off of the Provider always produces panic.
When Jesus was illustrating the truth about being careful with greed and that life does not consist in the things we have (Luke 12:15), He told the story of the rich guy who looked at his stuff and said, "Boy, I've got a lot of stuff. What should I do? I know, I'll demolish my two-car garage and build a four-car garage." Jesus calls him a fool because he is making decisions without thinking about God, and those decisions will carry with him after he died. Jesus ends by saying, "So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God" (v. 21).
The problem with hoarding is trust. This "rich fool" wouldn't trust God because his "stuff" got in the way. God provides for us not so that we can keep it all to ourselves, but so that we can get it out into Kingdom work. God never intended that we keep all we have and store it for a rainy day. We have to trust Him and under His leadership give away what we have (Luke 6:38).
Grace & Peace,
Scott
I don't have a racist bone in my body (at least that is what I think). In fact I tell people that the first time I remember being south of the Mason-Dixon line was when I was probably 10 years old. I was born in Alaska so I didn't have much of a chance to interact with other races except Eskimos. I abhor racism and derogatory remarks made toward anybody. God created us in His image, and when He created Adam and Eve He created in them all future races. Why should we disparage any race when that God doesn't. Having said that let me share something with you...
I teach a non-denominational Bible study once a week to a group of wonderful senior citizens. Out of the 35 that come week-after-week only about 5 are white. I have been doing this for 2 years now and love it immensely! I have talked to them about race and God's view of the issue. In particular when teaching through Ephesians we came across the passage:
For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. (2:14-16)
I'm just saying that one of the purposes of the cross is to create one new race. It is not a black race or white race or red race or any other race. This is a new race in Christ! It is the cross that brings about reconciliation.
Grace & Peace,
Scott
We make a monumental mistake when we play the game "that's mine!" God has graciously given us all things to enjoy. Fundamental to this is our understanding that God is the Creator and Owner of everything. Everything we are and everything we have is His. When we grasp this truth then we begin to understand that if we don't own anything, then we must be stewards of God's creation. True stewardship is built upon the foundational understanding that it all belongs to God. The believers in Macedonia understood this fact clearly and devoted themselves completely to the Lord. The result was that any gift they gave to the ministry was a consequence of this devotion.
And the did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. (2 Corinthians 8:5)
One of the hindrances to stewardship in the disciple's life is falling in love with money and what we foolishly think money can buy (i.e., security, satisfaction, popularity [after all its usually the rich who get elected], happiness, etc.). Having a love affair with money is a dangerous relationship that will leave us abandoned one day. James presents several common sins associated with the love of money:
- Placing trust in the temporary (James 5:1-3).
- Hoarding wealth, rather than using it for good (James 5:3).
- Using dishonest means to get rich (James 5:4).
- Living in self-indulgent luxury (James 5:5).
When God calls us to do something He gives us what is necessary to carry out that calling. He never envisioned that we would fall in love with the provision and not the Provider. All of His resources are available to get the job done. How are we using what God has given us?
Grace & Peace,
Scott
The cross centers our life and the resurrection gives us hope. The cross without the resurrection is a lesson in tragic hopelessness. This is something that Paul confronted the believers with in Corinth.
