Sin Confusion
Feb 17, 2022.
A theologian once said, “Modernism has not been particularly kind to Christianity.” Themes like the mystery of God has been forced into rational and logical constructs, which has not fit well. Another theme that has been underserved in this Reformation Era has been the nature of sin.
#JesusStories: In Mark 7 the religious leaders became frustrated because the disciples did not wash their hands rightly. When they confronted Jesus about it he excoriated them: “You are nothing but show-offs! You are good at rejecting God’s commands so that you can follow your own teachings!” (CEV). He went on to point out how they were actually teaching people to ignore caring for their elderly parents and instead divert those funds to the support of the temple. Wow! That was a beatdown I wish I could have witnessed. The pattern for life and worship God gave them had ballooned into 613 made-made laws by the time Jesus arrived on the scene, and these leaders were laboring under a burden of sin confusion, and Jesus would have none of it.
We humans are pretty good at turning wonderful downloads from heaven into rules and regulations. We do this so we can categorize and control our spirituality; we’d rather grab God than trust the God to grab us. It is a control thing. In recent centuries, we have done similar things as the Pharisee’s did. And we too are laboring under some sin confusion. Present practices have reduced sin and salvation to a choice. Now, I know Adam and Eve chose to eat from the forbidden tree, but does explain the full nature of sin? I am intrigued by what happened to Israel in the Negev desert when the snakes came out and bit the grumbling and faithless people. And then when Moses made an image of a snake and put it on a pole as God had directed. Anyone who looked at that image would be healed. This was a difficult day for the people of God. Yet, it was a divine metaphor that revealed how sin was like poison. Further, it revealed what the antidote would look like when it comes, which the world witnessed when Jesus was lifted upon the cross. On that day he became the antidote to rid the most elemental problem affecting this world – soul poison. Greed, lust, selfishness, fear, and dominating others are just a few of the poisons that destroys our lives, families, neighborhoods, cities, governments, and the world around us. However, the very mention of the name of Jesus releases the antidote to the poison that courses through the human soul. Amazing! To turn something as wondrous as that into a belief-system? No! To suggest that everyone must make a choice for Jesus before it goes to work in their lives? No! In fact, it is in our hands to dispense the antidote and start the process of recovery. People who are delirious in their soul-poison are not in much of a position to make these spiritual choices, are they?
A man in our family was bitten by a rattle snake 70 years ago. He laid in a field for over an hour in 90 degree heat, and by the time people found him he was in and out of consciousness. He was in no place to decide about antidote options and doses; the poison had rendered him incoherent. If a doctor had been there, seen his delirious state, he would have simply taken charge and administered the antidote. This is the nature of sin – it poisons us. This then, must be the nature of the Church – to freely dispense the antidote. Every time we speak of Jesus and tell his stories, the antidote goes to work. There might be a day when a sin-poisoned person starts to heal and can chose to welcome Jesus’ interventions, but before then it’s up to the Church to administer the antidote, and let Jesus go to work. To this we are called. The Church today needs a fresh vision of the poisonous and debilitating nature of sin. And then, we need a fresh vision of the powerful antidote that is in our hands – the Jesus Stories.
#DinnerChurchQuotes: The First Christians did not conquer Rome with swords and spears, but with tables. (Michael Frost) To which I would add: The first Christians did not conquer Rome with swords and spears, but the Jesus Stories at Jesus Tables.
#PracticalStuff: Is it time for you to set your team down and remind them of the power of the Jesus Stories? Just using the ‘Name of Jesus’ and telling his stories starts a work of redemption and healing in people you are eating beside. Press that truth into the hearts of your core team. Without it you are just a feed! With it you are the answer to the worst problems in your neighbors lives.
Blessings & Boldness,
Verlon
Dr. Verlon and Melodee Fosner have led a multi-site Assemblies of God Dinner Church in Seattle, Washington since 1999 (www.CommunityDinners.com). In this decade when more churches in the U.S. are declining than thriving, and when ninety-six churches a week are closing, Verlon and Melodee sensed that a different way of doing church was needed for their 97-year old Seattle congregation. It soon became obvious that they were not the only ones in need of a different path. They joined the FX team in 2016 and founded the Dinner Church Collective. And then in 2019 founded the Dinner Church School of Leadership. There is a lot to be gained when church leaders begin to see open doors in the American landscape that they had previously overlooked. Therein lies the journey for those who will forge a new future for the American Church.
Categories: Uncategorized
02.18.22
By: Nathan Shipley
The scriptures give us everything we need to implement change. Unfortunately some churches and organization are trapped in the 50’s. Going back to the “Apostolic Era” shows us the true power of the church of Jesus. We need power and demonstration! We need Jesus!
02.18.22
By: Kristina Meece
That’s interesting that you say “most churches are stuck in the 50s” Nathan. We live in a postmodernism/deconstructionalistic movement with our younger generation. What is worse? To expect everyone coming through the doors to conform or to be willy nilly where what you believe to be right must be right? I like to say, “Keep the main thing the main thing.” Most proclamation churches are stuck in either preaching a “wrong/right” Gospel or a “all ways lead will lead you to heaven” Prosperity Gospel. We need to go back to the “grace/grace” Gospel. We all sin, but Jesus has come to rescue us all.
02.18.22
By: Anthony Johnson
I think we’re often so focused on determining who/what is right or wrong that we forget to boldly proclaim the love of Jesus that saves. I have been guilty of trying to move people from one side of the line to the other that I have neglected the work of the Holy Spirit that does the moving of hearts and minds.
02.18.22
By: Jorge Hernandez
This blog hits home for me!
John 1:14 says that the Son, who came from the Father, was full of grace and truth. Growing up in church, I encountered many people who lived on either the extreme side of grace, or the extreme side of truth.
Those believers who were all about truth and no grace, often were so mean, out of touch, and judgemental. They had an extremely critical mindset that was only focused on people’s flaws. They were legalistic, with no empathy, no understanding, no love, and no grace. The natural response of people around them was to reject, and sometimes even rebel against them. It’s almost impossible to connect with someone when you are all about rules and religion without relationship.
The other group, was all about grace but no truth. Their attitude towards everything was noncritical, nonthreatening, and inconsequential. They projected the idea that it didn’t really matter what you did, since God is so loving and unforgiving, he will just look the other way and not condemn you. The huge problem with grace without truth is that basically anything goes. Even though there’s a feeling of love and acceptance, there is no definitive standard to live by or healthy expectations to uphold, which arise from our genuine relationship with Jesus.
I believe Jesus modeled grace and truth, perfectly. Jesus would lead with grace as he welcomed sinners, loved the outcast, befriend prostitutes, and would touch the lepers. We should always lead our relationships with grace first and then proclaim truth. No one is expected to change their life first and then follow Jesus, on the contrary, Jesus says to follow him just as you are and he will transform you and give you life, as you learn his truth.
02.18.22
By: Brad Andres
“We’d rather grab God than trust God to grab us” – Such a good picture of our attempts at control in our lives. We trust that we’re strong enough to hold on – rather than trusting the Lord to catch us when we fall. The glorious grace of Jesus comes in, even after we’ve tried and failed at holding on, He still nonetheless is willing to catch us! Such beauty in that!
Also, the picture of a poisoned person not being in a state of coherence to begin asking for a remedy is potent. May we increase in pouring out the Gospel at our tables and through our lives, administering the antidote of Jesus’ presence, leading people further into wholeness in the Kingdom of God.
02.18.22
By: Debbie Wilkerson
I love the idea of Jesus being the antidote to the “soul poison” the world is affected with. Sometimes we act surprised when lost people actually show “symptoms” of this poison. We carry the perfect antidote with us, but then we maybe expect people to show us they are somehow worthy of that antidote before we give it to them. I pray that I remember your statement, “…it’s up to the Church to administer the antidote, and let Jesus go to work.”
02.19.22
By: Larry Bogenrief
I too loved the imagery of sin as “soul poison”, as it reminds me of the scriptures that says we will handle snakes but they will not harm us.
The dangerous effects of sin have been minimized in our culture. Those who live a poisoned life are the norm and those who have taken the antidote are treated as conspiracy theorist. Trying to help people who don’t believe that anything is wrong is very challenging especially when it truly is a life and dead situation.
Handling snakes (demonic realities) and dealing with the poisoned can be so distracting from the real task at hand and that is to connect people with the antidote which changes everything for those who are dealing with snakes and poison.
02.19.22
By: Megan Monterrosa
This is a great point and an excellent illustration of the snake bitten man. He was delirious, and in such a state, telling him he’d been bitten, explaining to him the ways in which he might avoid being bitten, or judging him for his choices which led to his being bitten could have all resulted in his death by delaying or totally preventing the delivery of the antidote. The only thing to do to save him was to urgently give him the antidote- and I love Verlon’s message that this is what we do at dinner church every time we tell a Jesus story. It means by focusing on Jesus stories were faithfully stewarding the gospel, letting God do His work and that the Lord is ministering to the people in the room suffering from the effects of poison and the enemy’s work in their lives. Even if it takes time, at the table each week as people open up and experience God’s grace and love and hear about Jesus we can rejoice knowing God is working.
I also think it’s important to remember that I need to be careful not become pharisee-like- it’s easy to get there without realizing it when we live and work in church world and know how to lead spiritual lives.
We’re having an upcoming training for our team on the Jesus Stories and I can’t wait to help our existing team as well as new people understand the power of telling them and help them learn how they can do so both at dinner church as well as in their lives and relationships. I hope that the training will encourage people to not only know how to tell a Jesus story, but also to be motivated to see ways and opportunities they have to share Jesus with secular and people without Christ around them and they will be inspired to lead more missional lives.
02.21.22
By: Julie
I echo the love of your metaphor of poison. Those dead to their sin need a savior. We can be His liaison everwhere we go, what a privilege and important role He trusts us with!
02.22.22
By: Jeremy Veninga
It’s great to know that we are not the antidote and neither are our programs or bible studies or outreaches as good as they may be. We have the answer of Jesus through telling others about Him and allowing Him to step into there lives. He is the answer to every problem known to man and just like He work on us through that prevenient grace we have to allow Him to work on those we are reaching.
02.28.22
By: Angel Porubsky
“This then, must be the nature of the Church – to freely dispense the antidote.” What a great reminder of life-saving power we have in the Jesus stories. We must remember the poison of sin and boldly profess the antidote.
03.2.22
By: David A. Brakke
I find the statement “humans are pretty good at turning wonderful downloads from heaven into rules and regulations. We do this so we can categorize and control our spirituality; we’d rather grab God than trust the God to grab us” to be very interesting. This is a very real and prevalent theme in my life. I also think we often make this mistake with good intentions. We don’t like the idea of people falling through the cracks of discipleship so we create cookie cutter models for the masses. We strive to see the poison of sin expelled from our lives we so broad brush personal convictions to be wide spread rules for entire groups of people. Reminds me of how desperately we need the Holy Spirit to lead us.
04.30.22
By: daryl miller
Jesus stories around Jesus tables do conquer the most formidable foes. the poison is just like herrod’s yeast. it’s consuming and turns hearts away from christ. yet, I’ve seen the most “burnt” toast, come to life in Jesus’ name in dinner church formats!