Jesus' Freak Show

My wife and I recently made a trip to Southern California. As if SoCal’s already not wacky enough, we spent a lot of time in the bizarro belly of the beast…the legendary Venice Beach Boardwalk. What a CRAZY place! I’m tellin’ you, it’s the greatest people watching on the planet. Hippies, surfers, skaters, mimes, musicians, jugglers, break dancers, fortune tellers, tattoo artists…even medical marijuana “clinics.” 

If Venice Beach sounds a freak show, you would be right. There is even a real carnival freak show there! 

This is gentleman who goes by the name of Morgue. And yes, he’s shoved a meat hook into his nose and out his mouth. I told it was a crazy place! 

But is it really different than the church? Because I have a sneaking suspicion this is pretty much how Jesus sees us at Hope Community Church. Not buying it? Then check out what Paul wrote to a church he planted in the city of Corinth…

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived:  Neither will the sexually immoral, nor idolators nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards, abusers nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1Cor 6:9-11 NIV).

Did you catch that? “And that is what some of you were!” The power of the Gospel radically changes the most jacked up, goofed up and messed up lives! You might think Paul is describing his trip to Venice Beach vacation. But he’s describing the Corinthian church! Before Jesus got His mitts on this crazy crew, they were and endless parade of sinners, goofballs and weirdos. While Christ comes to our rescue, He doesn’t make us “normal.” 

We’re still a freak show. We’re His freak show. Jesus’ freak show.

Ever think of your church as God’s freak show? If you hang out at Hope, there’s a darn good chance you’re spending time with a fair share of people on the list from 1st Corinthians. But then Jesus radically came to our rescue. 

He washed us. 

He sanctified us.

He justified us.

He didn’t make us any less weird. Christ specializes in doing God stuff through goofy people. Paul’s describing the crazy Corinthian church when he says, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise” (1Cor 1:17).

As members of First Impressions, we need to remember these are the people God is bringing through our doors today. As we say, we’re broken people serving broken people. Or better yet, weird people serving weird people. Freaky people serving freaky people. Our mission here at Hope is to love people where they are and encourage them grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. That includes the sinners, goofballs, and weirdos…just like you and me. 

We’re a freak show. His freak show. Jesus’ freak show.

100% God+100% Man=100% Savior!

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).

The One who spoke the entire universe into being made a decision to rough it.  As the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son was 100% God.  Then something absolutely crazy happened.  Somehow, someway, He added to 100% Godness.  He took on 100% humanity too!  That’s the new math.  The new DIVINE math.  

100% God+100% Man=100% Savior!

But the Son didn’t sit back and chill out after taking on His brand new humanity.  He was about to make a road trip.  He had mission.  The Son packed up and headed to earth.  He headed into the very creation He shaped and formed.  But when He left the lap of heaven’s luxury, He didn’t check into the Four Seasons or the Plaza.  He “dwelt among us.”  John tells us that the Son of God went camping.  The original text tells us us that He literally “tabernacled” (Gr. skeno’o) once He got to earth.  In other words, Jesus set up camp and pitched a tent.  The Message describes how Christ “moved into the neighborhood.”  For the Second Person of the Big Three, His accommodations were just a bit less posh than the glorious palace He enjoyed back home in heaven.  God went camping.  God was roughing it.  And if you have any doubts about all that, remember where Jesus made His arrival.  In a stinky old barn behind the Motel 6 in Bethlehem.  

At this point, John jumps into the story and tells us what he saw.  “We have seen His glory.”  Since we know Jesus’ buddy wasn’t hanging out with the shepherds when the angels lit up the sky in glory, that can’t be what he’s talking about.  The apostle could be talking about that crazy day Christ took him, his big brother Jim and their fishing buddy Pete mountain climbing.  Once they arrived at the summit, something wild happened.  Jesus started changing and glowing!  Their Leader pulled back the curtains of heaven to let them know just who He really was.  Or John could be describing Jesus’ appearance after His resurrection.  And their’s a chance that this is his way of summing up all of their experiences with the remarkable Rabbi/Carpenter from Galilean.  His teaching exposed God’s glory.  His miracles revealed God’s glory.  His love disclosed God’s glory.  John and the boys saw Jesus’ glory with their own eyes.  They didn’t get this crazy stuff second hand.

John and the rest of the posse realized Jesus was more than Mary and Joe’s kid from Nazareth.  He was the one and only Son of God.  While he was a great dad, Joe was His adoptive father.  He and his wife had other kids.  But Christ was an only Child.  His Dad in heaven just one Boy.  Jesus was someone special.  That’s the meaning behind the term we translate “only.”  This is monogenes, which means unique, one of a kind, one and only or the only one like it.  Jesus is unique.  He’s one of a kind.  He’s the one and only.  He’s the only one.  There was and is NOBODY like Him.  Ever.  It’s interesting to understand that the word “Son” isn’t there in the original Greek text.  You can actually write this phrase in English as “the unique of the Father.”  The First Person of the Trinity had only one Son.  There was and is no one else like Him in the history of the universe.  Jesus, the one and only.  

One of the things that made Christ unique was the fact that no one who was so overflowing in goodness spoke so bluntly.  Jesus was “full of grace and truth.”  Everywhere He went, He opened up the fire hose of God’s blessing.  Healing.  Teaching.  Loving.  Caring.  But Christ also pulled no punches when it came to telling the truth about sin.  Just ask the lady caught in adultery.  Or the woman sitting by the well in Sychar.  Or the religious bullies known as the Sanhedrin.  He told them the truth.  He made it perfectly clear that they needed a Savior.  One way to understand John’s wording is that Jesus made the Good News REALLY good because the bad news is REALLY bad.  

That’s what happens when you experience the one-of-a-kind Son of God. 

100% God+100% Man=100% Savior!

Job Insecurity

The headlines and evening news are chock full of downturns, bailouts and layoffs. Seems everyone is concerned about job security. 

But let's talk about "Job insecurity."   Not job, but Job.  You know...the guy in the Old Testament.  Yeah, THAT Job.  You see, Job had lost it all.  Not just his job, but also his health, his wealth and most of his family.

I sat down and read through this amazing book in one reading the other day.  What an incredible reminder to me about reading the Bible.  So often, I'll check out a verse or two here or a chapter there, but never see the B-I-G picture of an entire book.  Not this time.  Read Job in one sitting.

For 37 chapters, we read about this once proud man whose life is now nuked.  We hear the loving "advice and encouragement" of the three stooges: Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar.  We are right there when Elihu lovingly and firmly speaks some sense to this broken man.  We read Job demanding a hearing with Almighty God.     

And then God shows up.  Oh, does He ever show up!

God hits Job with an unending barrage of challenges that start with phrases like, "Have you ever..?" and "Can you..?" and "Do you know..?"  The Creator questions him on such topics as geology, astronomy, zoology, biology and philosophy.  Imagine the hardest blue book exam times a gazillion.  And Job had no idea this would be on the final.

Job is left there...stuttering and stammering.  "I am nothing--how could I ever find the answers?" (Job 40:3a NLT).  

"Job insecurity."

Interestingly, God never tells Job why he lost it all.  And Job is fine with that.  After experiencing first hand the awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping power of God, it just doesn't seem to matter.  And God drenches Job in His amazing grace by restoring him.  "So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning" (Job 42:12 NLT).

If you ever doubt the power, the majesty, the holiness or the knowledge of God, crack open your Bible to the book of Job.  Read it all the way through.  I think you'll experience "Job insecurity."  And that's a good thing.

In Christ,

Jay

Calling a Family Meeting

Time for a "family meeting."

Did your folks ever get "the fam" together in the den at the time of an important decision.   Where are we going on vacation?  Should we get a dog?  Sometimes the topic was less-than-pleasant.  Dad has a job offer in another city.  No matter the topic, it was something that impacted the entire family.  

It's time for a Freedom River "family meeting."

As most of you know, the leadership is recommending that the church dissolve.  We're asking the FRCC family, both members and attenders, to join us Sunday after church at Jay Izso  & Linda Craft's home.  We'll eat lunch together and then call the business meeting together at 1:30pm.

I can't stress enough the importance to be at the meeting.  Please do everything you can to be there, even if you can only be there for meeting.  Also it's imperative that we be in prayer for each other and for the decision to made at the meeting.

And since this is going to be a stressful enough situation for many of us, let's approach this in classic Freedom River fashion...dripping with grace for our brothers and sisters.

I also want to say that it has been an incredible honor to be your pastor during such a tender time.  You guys are the greatest.  Thanks for your prayers and support.

In Christ,

Jay

Will & Grace

Will and Grace.

No, not the "must see TV" sitcom. Not Will, Grace, Jack and Karen. But the Bible with Will, Grace, Paul and the Thessalonians. Thessalonians 5:12-28 to be exact.

We all want to know God's will for our life. But what we really need is God's grace. Yup, you got it: Will and Grace. In the closing verses of 1st Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul wraps up his letter by tying together God's wonderful will and His amazing grace.

In three quick, machine gun verses, Paul pulls the trigger on three rapid fire commands. We're to rejoice, to pray and give thanks. RPG. A US soldier may have rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), but the soldier of the Lord has a full clip of RPGs as well.
-Rejoice
-Pray
-Give Thanks

Interestingly, we're COMMANDED to do each three...and that includes rejoice. His point? That joy, like prayer and thankfulness, is a choice. These three are not based on circumstance or situation. Jesus' saving grace is SO much bigger and SO much deeper than anything that life throws my way. And we can be confident that "God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28)

Even more importantly, Paul states very bluntly that RPG is God's will for us in Jesus. In other words, what God wants us to do is rejoice in Him, pray to Him and give Him thanks. When we obey His commands to RPG, it deepens our relationship with Jesus. Author Philip Yancey said it best:

“I do not get to know God and then do His will. I get to know Him more deeply by doing His will.”

It would be easy to overlook the apostle's closing sentence to his letter. "May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you" (1Thess. 5:28). What you might read as "sincerely yours" is actually key to the entire letter. You see, "grace" appears twice in 1st Thessalonians. Once in the first verse. And again in the last.

Grace. We say the word so often that it seems to have lost its power, its awe, its mystery. Remember, as sinners, we deserve eternal judgment. But somehow, someway, God has granted not only mercy...but GRACE!!! We've not only escaped the damnation of Hell, but we're invited to the greatest party of all time...the wedding supper of the Lamb! And it's all because of grace.

Rather than ramble on and on and on about grace (and, believe me, I could), let me recommend some reading material. First of all, read the book of Romans. This book has bum-rushed even the most hard-hearted legalist into a life of amazing grace. And while not divinely inspired, three other modern-day authors have strongly influenced my thoughts on grace. "What's So Amazing about Grace?" by Philip Yancey, "In the Grip of Grace" by Max Lucado and "The Grace Awakening" by Chuck Swindoll would be my "triple crown of grace." Check'em out.

But more importantly, experience God's grace. It's His will for you. If you do, you can't help but RPG...Rejoice, Pray and Give thanks.

In Christ,

Jay

From a sermon at Freedom River CC on June 15, 2008.