We probably should not tackle this one right now, but just to get you thinking (head stuff - it only gets you so far, which is not very).
Before we talk about doing, we need to dismiss a couple of "concerns" that frequently come up in evangelical circles (that would be us, churches like Grace) when we talk about doing. The first is what is called legalism. It basically is following a prescribed set of rules - doing so makes you good and not doing so makes you bad. I am sure you have received lots of teaching on this (right?). The second is the "social gospel" - basically, "like those Methodists" who seemingly neglect other important aspects of the gospel and a relationship with God and just want to do good deeds. I am guessing you probably have not heard as much about this approach.
When I talk about doing, I am not talking about either of those approaches. They are bad, let's not do them. Also, I am not into the whole overly cautious, "slippery slope" mentality here (do you know what I mean here?).
Let's go right to what Jesus said. Check out the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has just started his ministry. Remember the first thing he preached? Then he goes into a teaching about kingdom living. This is one of only a few major discources of Jesus, so we would be good to get a handle on it. But for now, check out the end of the sermon. Jesus gives a warning. He gives the same warning in four different ways (metaphors!). What is he saying? Then, just for fun, go over to James. Jesus' brother had a few things to say about doing.
Then post a few comments/questions.
7 comments:
No, that is still part of the sermon. He closed the sermon with four stories, each with the same message. Go back and read them. What is the message?
James: How does he define faith?
I am curious about your statement: "if only it was as easy done as it was as easy to read it."
Was this a flippant statement or does it reveal some underlying philosophy on your part?
Mat 7:13-14: The narrow gate (it is so narrow, few find it!)
15-20 A tree and its fruits: Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
21-23 The Posers
Not everyone who says "Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven, be he who DOES the will of my father...
Interesting: how would you describe the Lord, Lord people?
24-27: The Two Foundations
...everyone who hears these words and ACTS on them...
He wanted to drive the point home, so he gave them four warnings about the same thing: If it is just in your head and you don't do it, you got nothin'.
They follow his sermon about living in the kingdom now (very important stuff!)
You know who James is, don't you? He is Jesus' brother. He grew up with Jesus. He knew a LOT about what Jesus was teaching. He didn't quite get it at first, but he did later. We should listen to him.
You got it. Faith without doing is meaningless. You can talk all you want, you can profess and do lots of churchy things all you want(say "Lord, Lord"), you can even believe in God and Jesus (James 2:19) - all this is just head stuff - but without doing, you got nothin'!
We are just scratching the surface of the doing thing. How does this relate to discipleship?
I recognize an implicit approach that you have. It has come out in several of your comments. We will have to deal with this later.
Slippery Slope:
Don't do anything that even remotely sounds like something "not right" or else you might start sliding down a slippery slope into some "wrong" position. Example: Meditation. Those new-agers and Indian types do that. We won't or we might slip down the slippery slope and become like them.
Another: The Methodists have gone liberal and practice lots of good deeds because they have adopted a social gospel and neglected the real gospel. We know better and stick to the real gospel. We do not need to attend to the huge social needs in our community and world because we are busy giving people the "real" gospel. If we get too much into helping others, we might start sliding down the slippery slope and become like those Methodists!
As you can see, I don't buy it. You saw what James said was real religion.
What? Were you thinking that the Kingdom of God (or Heavens) only meant that place where we go when we die? Is that what Jesus preached? "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is when you die."
Is calling us to follow him so that when we die we will go to heaven (although that, in and of itself, is certainly good news)?
Put this on the list of things you need to learn more about: What is the kingdom of heaven?
Good! I think the KOH is a heart thing, at least in how we enter it.
Great job working out the discipleship thing in your previous comment!
You are right that our spiritual fitness requires all three: knowing, being, and doing. One is not "better" than another. But, being underdeveloped in one or more areas makes us not fit or worse (James called faith without works dead; Jesus equated it with a house built on a foundation of sand, a tree without fruit, the wide road that leads to destruction, and a person he doesn't know).
We will be putting this doing thing to the test in youth this year. The plan for the year is for the youth to build bunk beds for poor kids. Doing it right will require us to know enough about the heart of God, a heart that can generate compassion, and doing the things that we need to do to get the job done. It will give us a chance to practice discipleship. Can we learn to be like Jesus? to do what Jesus would do if he were living our lives?
Will anyone get it?
Remember, this is not that hard to understand. His yoke is easy!
Some kids in our community are living in poverty and don't have a bed to sleep in (an injustice). We know that God is a just God. If we drop from our heads to our hearts and ponder the situation we will have compassion for these kids (this comes from God). We have the capacity to build them a bed. So we do it (obediance).
This is not hard. We do not need a degree in theology to get it.
A week from this Sunday at 6:00 PM.
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