Category: Bruce’s Newsletter Articles

Immediately following his account of the start of the Church on the day of Pentecost, Luke wrote this description of the early church in Acts 2:44-47:

All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (NIV 1984)

Those who heard the Gospel and responded to it were not only forgiven of their sins, but they were transformed in their way of living. They didn’t simply meet together; they shared their lives with one another. Luke summarized this kind of living in Acts 2:42, telling us, “They devoted themselves… to the fellowship….”

Too often today we reduce “the fellowship” to simply gathering together. The furor over church buildings being closed throughout the viral outbreak reveals more dependence upon a building and a specific gathering time than a devotion to “the fellowship.” Part of our problem is language and tradition; we have “fellowship halls” in church buildings and refer to the times when we gather – outside of worship – as “fellowship.” However, the word translated “fellowship” in Acts 2:42 is used throughout the New Testament to focus on followers of Jesus growing together, participating and sharing in each others’ lives. Simply stated, disciples participate.

Participation is spiritual. It begins when we put our faith in Christ. Paul describes this participation in Philippians 3:10, 11, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (NIV 1984). When we join with Christ in baptism, we participate in his death, burial, and resurrection. We share this with our brothers and sisters in Christ, not only in our own baptism but also in our shared celebration of the Lord’s Supper, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:16, “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?” (NIV 1984).

Participation is practical. Yes, participation happens when we gather to worship, but it also happens when we weed the flowerbeds and when we collect an offering to support our ministries, our missionaries, and those who are in need (Romans 15:26; 2 Corinthians 8:4, 9:13). It’s our partnership, working together to preach and teach the Gospel and to make disciples (Philippians 1:3-5).

Participation is relational. It begins with our relationship with God (1 Corinthians 1:9; 2 Corinthians 13:14), and it grows in our relationships with each other (Galatians 2:9). In fact, John reminds us that this fellowship we have with each other comes from our fellowship with God, which comes through our response to the Gospel: “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ”(1 John 1:3, NIV 1984).

As important as it is for Christians to meet together (Hebrews 10:25), our participation as disciples of Jesus extends beyond Sunday morning. Let’s not give up meeting together, but let us also participate together in our everyday lives. Call, write, and visit one another. Be aware of each others’ needs and work together to meet those needs. Encourage each other through this time of separation and through other times of doubt and fear, so that we might help each other grow, as God makes us grow.

As I preach through Deuteronomy, I continually find myself amazed by how closely it resembles the story of the church today. The more I study and preach, the more I am convinced that God’s relationship with people has always been based upon God’s grace and not God’s law.

When I began the series, I explained that, despite the facts that the name of the book refers to a second giving of God’s law and that it is included among the books of the Old Testament that are grouped together as law, Deuteronomy consistently reveals God’s grace to Israel throughout its history. Moses explained it to Israel this way: “Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength” (Deuteronomy 4:37, NIV 1984). God revealed his love to Israel through his grace, by rescuing them from slavery in Egypt. God also gave them grace when he continuously led and fed and protected them throughout their travel in the wilderness – despite their lack of faith, despite their rebelliousness. God showed them grace when he did not destroy them when they made and worshiped the Golden Calf at the foot of Mt. Sinai. God showed them grace when he led them back to the Promised Land after 40 years.

Their relationship with God wasn’t based on their obedience; if it had been, God likely would have destroyed them right there at Mt. Sinai. Israel wasn’t God’s “chosen people” because of their righteousness or because of anything else they could have said or done. Moses told them as much:

For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:6-8, NIV 1984)

God chose them because he loved Abraham. He rescued them by his grace. He forgave them and led them into the Promised Land by his grace. They were allowed and enabled to follow God by his grace.

This is true for the church, as well. God’s people follow by God’s grace; Jesus’ disciples follow by God’s grace. Remember Jesus’ disciples: Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen, “unschooled, ordinary men” (Acts 4:13); Matthew was a collaborator with the Romans, a tax collector (Matthew 10:3); Simon was a rebel, a Zealot, and Judas would betray him (Matthew 10:4). There was nothing special about the men Jesus called to follow him, except that he called them. Jesus’ disciples followed because he called them; they followed by grace.

As we follow Jesus, we must understand that we follow by God’s grace. There is nothing special about us except that by God’s grace we have been forgiven because of our faith in Jesus. Paul told the church: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10, NIV 1984). Our salvation, our forgiveness of sins, our relationship with God is a gift from God that we receive through our faith. There’s nothing we can do to earn it, not by doing good works nor by obeying God’s law. But as we follow by God’s grace, let us reveal God’s grace in our obedience, by doing good works and obeying God’s law.

If you have ever had to monitor or even change what you eat or drink because of a dietary or medical concern, you are probably familiar with various imitations or alterations of your favorite foods and beverages, like diet sodas or low-sodium or low-fat versions of things you like to eat. You probably also know that most of those variations or outright imitations are different – if not outright bad – compared to the real thing. Despite the claims otherwise, “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” brand spread isn’t just like real butter, and no, turkey bacon is nothing like real bacon.

But we don’t switch to salt substitutes or sugar substitutes or – gasp – bacon substitutes simply because we don’t want the real thing, do we? We do it because we’re trying to alter our diets for the sake of being healthier. However, the simple fact remains: it helps if it tastes good. In fact, the more the imitations taste like what we’re replacing, the more likely we’re going to stick to it, and in the long run, the better the switch is for us.

Jesus calls us to make a switch, too. As Jesus called his first disciples, he told the, “Follow me.” Peter, Andrew, James, and John dropped their nets, and followed Jesus. Matthew got up and left behind his life of collecting taxes to follow Jesus. As the Twelve followed Jesus, he called them to be more like himself, to be imitators of himself, even to the point of death, saying, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23, NIV 1984).

Disciples of Jesus are imitators of Jesus. While the Twelve actually followed behind Jesus as he preached, taught, and healed, how do we become imitators of Jesus? Paul says by imitating those who imitate Jesus, such as himself; he wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (ESV). That was the model by which the apostles and the early church made disciples; read Paul’s words from 1 Thessalonians 1:4-7:

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. (NIV 1984)

Being disciples who make disciples isn’t just a matter of reading or hearing and knowing God’s Word; it’s a matter of imitation, following the example of those who follow Jesus. This is the pattern Paul described in Philippians 3:17: “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you” (NIV 1984). Certainly, we must know the Scriptures so that we might know Jesus better, so that we might be better imitators of Christ. As we grow, imitating others who imitate Christ, we become part of the pattern that others might follow, imitating us as we imitate Christ.

God’s faithful have always offered a challenge to the world around them simply to “Taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalms 34:8, NIV 1984). How might someone “taste” of God these days? By experiencing those who imitate Christ, by interacting with the Church. But they won’t want to follow Jesus if their experience with us leaves a bad taste in their mouth, will they? Let’s work together to make sure that each of us, all of us together are so much like Jesus that all they hear and see and experience from us is Jesus.

Persecution of the church is certainly a growing concern these days. While I personally believe the governmental restrictions of church gatherings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is not persecution, I also understand the concerns of many around me who believe that such closures could become abuses, if not outright persecution. What the Church is facing around the world is far more worrisome, especially in places like China, where even state-sanctioned churches (Three Self churches) have been closed and faith in Jesus is now explicitly prohibited. One Three Self church was closed in April after its members had done all that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had required of them; it was not enough, and the church was closed for good April 21. The church’s director said, “We’ve proven our patriotism, donated money to help curb coronavirus in Wuhan, as they had required. Still, the government says that our church grew too rapidly, and they fear that having many believers is unfavorable to them” (“Not Even State-Approved Churches Are Safe in China Now,” Jessica Mouser, ChurchLeaders.com, May 28, 2020).

As we watch this persecution of brothers and sisters in Christ increase, many of us become increasingly concerned about our own future ability to follow Christ openly. Many American Christians are afraid of losing our rights to worship freely, which is why many resist the idea, if not the practice, of restricting church services, even voluntarily. Within this worry we often find a question, “Why would God allow this to happen to the faithful?” It seems that there is an expectation of God to protect the faithful from opposition and persecution. Unfortunately, that expectation is unbiblical and not likely to be fulfilled.

Jesus expects his followers to experience the same kind of opposition and persecution that he experienced. When Jesus first sent out the Twelve, not only did he give them instructions, but he gave them a warning:

“A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!” (Matthew 10:24, 25, NIV 1984)

Simply stated, Christ followers shouldn’t expect to be admired or protected more than Jesus himself was. Disciples are like the teacher. Just as Jesus was mocked and opposed and eventually killed, Jesus’ followers shouldn’t expect to be treated any better.

Sure, we expect that when a government is openly opposed to Christianity, as is the case with China, but we don’t expect that in a nation whose culture and history has been formed largely and purposefully by Christians. And when those expectations are challenged, a tension forms: should we work to bend our culture and government to ensure our safety or work to conform ourselves more to Christ? Considering Jesus’ warning that his followers would be persecuted as he was, I am inclined to think our efforts ought to be focused on conforming ourselves to Christ, so that we will be like him no matter what happens.

How do we become more like Jesus? Jesus said, in a similar statement in Luke 6:40, “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher” (NIV 1984). In order for us to be like the teacher, we need to be fully trained. That means we need to know who Jesus is so that we might follow him more closely, saying what he said, doing what he did. That means getting into the Word and doing what we were called to do – love God, love others, and make disciples – whether we’re persecuted or not.

It’s spring – honest! Even though many of us have not been out and about as much as we would like or as much, perhaps, as we normally would this time of year, the days and weather are starting to line up better with the calendar. That means spring cleaning. While many of us who have been cooped up at home for several weeks might have gotten a head start, this is the time for some deep cleaning around the house.

Many of us probably have the same thoughts about the church, especially since we have been out of our building for several weeks. I know that there are folks who are anticipating doing some intense cleaning in the building, beyond the seasonal sprucing up. I know that there are several who are ready to take on the flower beds and other tasks that have been waiting through the winter months and through the stay-at-home order. But before we all start rolling up our sleeves and getting busy with the building, let’s make sure that we’re focused where we need to be.

As I sit here writing, we’re not yet through the stay-at-home order, which is anticipated to end by May 1. There is a lot more talk about easing the restrictions on businesses and gatherings, although it seems to be a foregone conclusion that our everyday interactions will remain cautious for the next several months, if not a year or longer. While I know that many of us are looking forward to the day when we are able to gather together in our building, I hope that we all understand that things are not going to be the same, and I hope that we will not put any effort into forcing things “back to normal.” While that doesn’t mean that I expect or plan everything – or even anything – to change dramatically, it does mean we should approach our return to “normal” with a focus on where we are going and not where we were.

We should take note of Israel’s return to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon. As we read through the historical and prophetic books of the Bible written after the exile – Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi – we can see the dangers of getting back to normal. If we lay out the timeline of Israel’s return from these accounts, we find Israel, again, struggling with their faithfulness to God.

Initially, the first wave of people who returned to Jerusalem went to rebuild the temple, but they soon lost their focus and stopped building the temple and started building their own homes. God was not pleased, telling the people in Haggai 1:4, “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” They were more focused on getting back to normal than getting back to God.

As we anticipate returning to normal, let’s make sure that we’re focused on keeping up God’s temple and not a building. Let’s remember a key difference between Israel and the Church: their temple was a building; we are God’s temple. While the people of Israel rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem, God is building us into his temple on Jesus as our foundation, as Paul writes in Ephesians 2:21, 22: “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that each Christian is God’s temple and that all of us together are God’s temple in 1 Corinthians 3:16. Certainly, our building and property could use some spring cleaning, but let’s make sure we’re keeping up the temple by taking Paul’s advice from 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

As I write this, Ohio’s “stay-at-home order” has been in effect for two days. While the official mandate to isolate ourselves from others in order to combat the new coronavirus and its sickness (COVID-19) is new, many have been trying to separate themselves from others for several weeks. Throughout this crisis, we have seen a wide variety of responses, from fear to indifference to defiance. At the extremes of the responses, we have seen panic and hoarding in grocery stores; we have seen willful disregard of health guidelines and official mandates.

However, as we try to live between the extremes, we see a remarkable paradox in which people are finding themselves banding together as they work to keep themselves separate from one another. In focusing on individual goals of staying safe and healthy, many people are developing closer ties to people they cannot be near, even to people they don’t know well.

This is a phenomenon that the Church has experienced from its foundation. On the day of Pentecost, the founding of the Church, thousands from all over the world were brought together by the Holy Spirit, joined by the Gospel and in baptism, and then sent back out into the world. We know that the early church, separated by distance and culture, cared for one another as a united body, as made evident through the offering collected from among the churches in Asia Minor and Greece for the church in Jerusalem (Acts 24; Romans 15; 1 Corinthians 16; 2 Corinthians 8, 9). We know this was Paul’s mindset, as we read his letters when he reminds the churches he is with them in spirit (1 Corinthians 5; Colossians 2). We are separate but together.

This is not only an attitude or mindset but an important spiritual reality, a foundational truth about the Church, the Body of Christ. Paul describes it this way:

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:4, 5, NIV 1984)

Each individual Christian is part of the Body of Christ, serving different functions within the Body but belonging to all the others. We are all different; we are all connected. We are separate but together.

Because of this foundational truth, we must live in a way that reveals that truth. We cannot go to one extreme or the other. We cannot focus on our differences and separateness to the exclusion of our togetherness. We cannot insist on being united together while ignoring our differences and separateness. We are separate but together.

Our example in this is Jesus. Paul reminds the church in Philippians 2:3-8:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! (NIV 1984)

Even though Jesus was fully God, he became fully human, like us and yet unlike us. He did this with a purpose, to restore a relationship between God and all people. We were separated from God, but through Jesus, we can be brought together – with God and with each other. Because of Jesus, we are separate but together.

So we ought to live as Jesus lived, with Jesus’ attitude. As government mandates and personal choices keep us separate from others, we need to make sure that we hold together. In order to look to the interests of others, some might have to give up our own wants, needs, even rights. In order to look to the interests of others, some might have to risk our own health, safety. As we are separated, we must work to stay together, for each other’s sake, for the sake of the Body.

Sometimes children just get it, while adults seem to miss the point. When kids play games, they just play. Ever play “Follow the Leader”? It’s very simple: you just do what the leader does. Don’t overthink it!

So when we see Jesus call his first disciples – Peter, Andrew, James, John – saying to them, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19), why do we over-complicate things? The Bible tells us that these new disciples dropped what they were doing, left everything and everyone behind, and followed Jesus for about three years. As they followed him, the disciples learned from Jesus’ teaching and example; they heard what Jesus said, saw what Jesus did, and were transformed. While the life was certainly not easy, the model was very simple: follow Jesus.

Yet many Christians throughout history and today have made following Jesus far more complicated than it ought to be. Again, following Jesus isn’t always easy, considering his words like we find in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (NIV 1984), but it is simple.

This is the model Paul describes in his letter to the Christians in Philippi:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8, NIV 1984)

Following Jesus means following the example of his attitude. It’s an attitude that recognizes our proper place in regard to God. It’s an attitude that leads us to obey and serve God and his plan. It’s an attitude that leads us to follow the example of Jesus, even to the point of death. That is, while we might find ourselves experiencing persecution to the point of physical death, each of us must follow Christ to the point of our own spiritual death. That means dying to our own sinful desires, to sin itself, as Paul described it in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

That seems pretty clear, but it seems that the church doesn’t necessarily get it. Does Jesus really expect us to die? Yes. Jesus absolutely expects his followers to follow his example by dying with him, being buried with him, and being raised with him as an expression of our faith and in response to God’s plan. That’s what Jesus said in Matthew 16, and it’s what Paul explains in Romans 6:1-8.

So, what does it mean for us to die with Christ? It means being a servant, giving up your own rights, needs, wants, preferences – everything – for the sake of others, for the sake of God’s plan to save people from their sins. That’s not easy, but it’s necessary.

The simple truth remains: Jesus died so that we might live. He gave us, the Church, the responsibility to follow his example. If we’re going to fulfill God’s purpose for the Church, we must follow Jesus’ example. That begins with each of us changing our own attitude to be more like Christ’s, and it continues with each of us taking up our own cross and dying with Christ so that others might live. As we share the Gospel message, we’re going to call people of the world to die to themselves in faith so that they might find life in Christ; if we aren’t willing to follow Christ’s example, how can we expect them to follow?

Have you truly died to your own self for the sake of others? Are you holding on to your own rights and needs for your own satisfaction? Are you even willing to give up what you prefer so that others might find in Christ? It’s not easy, but it’s necessary. Let’s work at it together.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20, NIV 1984)

Among the many things that Jesus did throughout his ministry, teaching seems to be the most widely recognized. Even among those who do not believe Jesus to be the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world, most people recognize Jesus as being a great teacher. Jesus taught crowds of people, but perhaps more importantly, Jesus taught a few disciples whom he commanded to teach others in order to make disciples, who in turn were to teach others to make disciples, and so on.

It’s very simple: disciples of Jesus are learners who teach others. With “all authority in heaven and on earth,” Jesus tells his followers to make disciples who make disciples. There is no question that this is an important task for the church, if not the most important task. How should we, the church, accomplish our task? Again, Jesus told his followers: “Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

The plan is pretty simple. If we are to teach everything Jesus commanded, we must learn what Jesus commanded. It fits perfectly with the process of making disciples that I outlined in my last article and in the first several sermons of the new year: know God; follow Jesus; change the world. How do we get to know God? Listen and learn. How do we follow Jesus? Listen, learn, and practice. How do we change the world? Listen, learn, practice, and teach.

What are we listening to? What are we learning? What are we practicing? What are we teaching? The answer to each begins in the Bible. The starting point of our faith is hearing God’s Word: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17, NIV 1984). The rest of our growth and fulfillment of our task as learners, practicers, and teachers is found in the Bible: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17, NIV 1984).

Having discussed this with many preachers, church leaders, and church members, I can say with confidence that the primary reason why many Christians don’t make disciples is because they don’t believe they know enough. And yet, the number of Christians who participate in any kind of Bible study (personal reading, meditation, Sunday school, small group studies, etc.) is staggeringly low. A 2012 study found only 19 percent of “churchgoers” read the Bible daily (14 percent, weekly; 26 percent, a few times per week; 18 percent, rarely). It’s no wonder so many Christians struggle with discipleship; few are active learners, fewer still teachers.

Let me offer a challenge: commit yourself to learning more Bible for two months. If you commit to reading the Bible daily for two months and/or participating in a weekly group Bible study for two months, you will find that not only do you know more but have more desire to share what you have learned with others. To help you develop the habit of being a learner so that you can also be a teacher, we have made available a daily Bible reading plan.

We also have several Bible study groups that meet each week (Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday; ask for details). We also have one home-based Bible study that meets monthly. If none of those options meet your needs, let me know and we will figure it out together. As we learn together, we will know God better, follow Jesus more closely, and change the world!

Since being diagnosed as diabetic, I have had to get a vision check each year. The doctor examines my vision, just like any other annual checkup, but then they do a series of tests that check for specific issues that could be caused by my blood-sugar levels. While it’s normal to experience some sort of deterioration of vision because of age, extended times of high blood sugar can cause other problems or speed up the natural occurrence of poor eyesight. The issues regarding diabetes increases my concerns about my eyesight.

It’s one thing to try to deal with natural progression; it’s another to deal with problems that I am causing. To be honest, the solution is fairly simple: get the vision check, figure out the necessary changes, make those changes, and repeat. The process is simple, though not necessarily easy. It’s often very easy to check your vision, but identifying the next steps and taking them aren’t quite as easy as we would like.

It’s time for a vision check, Church. How are we doing? Fortunately, we don’t have to push our faces up against that big device with all the lenses. But look around. Better or worse? Let’s change the lens: Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). Better or worse? Let’s fine tune that: Jesus also said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19, 20). What about now? Better or worse? A quick exam like that should help us see that some change is necessary.

Now, for a deeper check. Ever had your eyes dilated with those drops? You know it’s coming, and suddenly – PLOP! Then your eyes water and the light gets brighter, even painful. 3… 2… 1… After six years, going from about 90 in weekly attendance to about 50 in weekly attendance and having had only six baptisms in that time (four of which I had done), we must conclude that things are worse. (Frankly, if you’re thinking, “About the same,” you have gotten used to the deterioration, and you’re probably going to be just as surprised as when I had to have eye surgery the summer after I graduated high school.) The big question: is the problem natural deterioration or something worse? The bigger question: what are we going to do about it?

Here’s the prescription: we’re going to work toward a 2020 vision for discipleship. That is, in 2020 we’re going to refocus on discipleship – what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and what it takes to make disciples of Jesus. To be honest, some of the changes we need to make may be as subtle as the differences in lenses at the optometrist’s office, but even subtle changes can cause dramatic improvement. On the other hand, some changes might feel awkward – like when I had to stick prisms on my glasses to try to correct my double vision in high school.

Here’s the caution: don’t freak out. I know that mentioning change causes some fear. I know that change brings some discomfort. I just ask that you look at the past six years and trust me when I say that I am not one for making abrupt changes for the sake of making changes. I’ve been trying to shore up our foundation for the past three years, focusing on the Bible (2017), focusing on Jesus (2018), focusing on the Church as a community (2019). With this foundation, I believe we can start making subtle, yet significant, changes by refocusing on discipleship.

To that end, we will adopt this vision of discipleship: we exist to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ who help others to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ. In order to fulfill this vision, we will work to reveal Christ from the Bible, in our lives, and through our service. In everything we say and do, we will value biblical teaching, godly transformation, and merciful living. That shouldn’t seem foreign; it ought to be part of our DNA. At any rate, through preaching, teaching, writing, and serving, I will do my best through 2020 to help us to be the healthy Church God wants us to be. Will you join me?

You’ve probably seen those photos or videos of pregnancy announcements in which an only child is wearing a new t-shirt that reads “Future Big Brother” or “I’m the Big Sister” or maybe “Mom” receives a personalized item – a t-shirt, mug, plaque, for example – that says “Grandma.” As the announcement breaks, as the baby is born, everyone discovers they have a new identity. Husband and wife become Dad and Mom. A child becomes a brother or sister. Moms and Dads are promoted to grandparents – Nanas and Papas or Grandmas and Grandpas or Grammies and PopPops.

Not only does everyone get a new name, but they get a new role with new expectations, responsibilities, maybe even privileges. Grandparents who used to have strict rules for bed times and snacks between meals when they were parents often loosen the reins (and then send the sugar-soaked darlings home). Parents – who used to rebel against “Because I said so” as children – now use the phrase as if they invented it. The child who becomes an older sibling gains the responsibility of being an example to younger siblings (whether they want to or not), but they also get to stay up later!

Sure, not all families are alike, but the fact remains: new birth means change. Change in identity. Change in responsibility. Change in routines. Change in relationships.

That all certainly happened when Jesus was born. In his letter to the church in Galatia, Paul explains these changes that came about because of Jesus:

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. (Galatians 4:4-7, NIV 1984)

Paul reminds us, the Church, that everything we are – redeemed, God’s children, heirs of God – began with the birth of Christ. It’s true for each individual Christian, and it’s true for us as a body. Through Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection we have been transformed from sinful individuals into a new community, the family of God, the body of Christ, the Church. We are no longer strangers but family, brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul emphasizes this transformation and describes how it builds community in his letter to the Christians in Ephesus:

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22, NIV 1984)

Because of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection, God has created a new community, and we are now citizens of that community by our new birth in Christ. And we are more than an organization; we’re family.

Together we are brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are brothers and sisters with Christ because God has adopted us as his children through our faith in Christ, which Paul explains in Romans 8:16, 17:

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (NIV 1984)

This means we have more than a new home; we have new relationships, new roles, new responsibilities. As we celebrate the birth of Christ, may we celebrate the birth of community – our common identity and unity in Christ. Merry Christmas!