The Gospel

And he said, "There was a man who had two sons.  And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them.  Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.  And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.  So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.  And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.  "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."'  And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.  And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'  But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.  And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate.  "Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.  And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.'  But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,  but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!'  And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.  It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"- Luke 15:11‭-‬32 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

In the coming weeks, we will be doing a series on the core values of Renewal church. We typically cover chapters of books, but we will be taking this time to visit this topic. This is not only to inform newcomers. It is also to remind and help those who have been here for awhile what it is that we desire. And not only intellectual agreement, but to assess whether we follow through with our actions, time, and resources.

Today, we will be covering the Gospel. We could have chosen many different passages. But I think the story of the prodigal son fits well. This story summarizes the two alternatives to the Gospel: religious and irreligious living. In this case, religious living refers to belief systems & moral frameworks other than following Jesus.

The sons

The younger son represents irreligious living. He asks his father for his portion of the inheritance. This is the equivalent of wishing his father was dead. This is utterly shocking. But the father gives the younger son what he wants. And the son takes this and goes to a far off country to squander everything in wild living. Prodigal does not mean lost. It means wild and excessive expenditure. And how does it end? The son runs out of money and becomes a servant. Not just any servant, but one that feeds pigs. For a Jewish boy, feeding and wishing to eat the food of pigs is absolute rock bottom.

This son represents those who want nothing to do with God. They want good things without a heavenly father. But it only ends in enslavement. They desire these earthly created things above all, but these things cannot fulfill. So they work and work and work, but still cannot find satisfaction. We were created to worship and we will worship even if we run from God. The son is dehumanized. He's living like an animal.

The older son has been working at home this entire time. Hospitality is a big deal. For the older son to not come in is utterly shameful. The older son is angry. He says that "all these years" he has worked hard for the father. This is not anger of the moment. This is a festering resentment. This son did not go to some far off country and squander his inheritance. This son was always so close to the father, but his heart was so very far.

The accusation leveled by the older son is this: "Father, you are stingy towards me. You are not fair!" The fattened calf is like a steak and the goat is like a hamburger. The older son thinks of his relationship with the father in a transactional manner. He is bitter at God. This is how outwardly religious people are like. They appear to love God, but when you peel away the layers they only love themselves. God is only a means to an end. They count their righteous deeds carefully. It inflates their view if their own goodness. This makes them critical of those who do not measure up. Their actions make them seem right with God, but their hearts are so far away from God.

How God treats his sons...

For the younger son, his actions would have shamed both his family and the community. He was planning to ask for his father to make him a servant. The son's actions would have required restitution in this society of shame. The father called for a ring, a robe, and shoes. The ring and robe was symbolic of status and authority. This was no servant. Slaves went barefoot. This is no slave. The father is saying that the younger son was restored to family in every way.

For the older son, the father speaks words of reassurance. The older son may have wondered about his own inheritance. Was the father playing favorites? No, the father said that the older son's place was secure. The older son has the love of his father.

The third son

There is no third son in this story. The third son is the one telling the story. He does what the older son did not. He goes to the younger son in a pig sty and tells him to come home. He takes in the sins of both of the brothers and takes their punishment. Jesus is the righteous son, the older brother in the kingdom. He shares the father's inheritance with those two brothers.

The sons cannot pay the father back. Christians do not act out of fear or for wages/blessings. They serve because they have the love of the heavenly Father through Jesus.

Leaders day '18

What are Renewal Core Values? (And do we embody them?)

. Gospel
. Gospel Worship
. Gospel Transformation
. Gospel Community
. Gospel Spreading
. Gospel Mercy and Justice

Churches can fall into the trap of being gospel centered in name, but not in action. It may appear on the website, but the church isn't driven by the gospel. What we are seeking is a Gospel centered culture. And who drives culture? Leaders.

Gospel-centered Leadership

. Humble Confidence

Confidence without humility is oppressive to those not leading. The leader knows everything and imply there is only one way to do it. Humility by itself is always focused on their own failings. They are always listening to others. But gospel leaders are called to walk a middle ground with both confidence in Christ and humility in their personal abilities (1 Cor 15:9-10).

. Invites Critique

As we pour out in ministry, the last thing we want to hear is criticism. But we are sinners with blindspots, so should welcome critique. Leaders should be quick to listen. And not only that, but even badly given critiques should be humbly considered. We should not discard it based purely on the packaging.

. No "Game Face"

With positions and titles in the church, there are those who will serve but don't want the title. We don't want the expectations. There are standards for these positions. There is always a gap between the standard and our lives. This gap will always exist. The problem does not lie in the gap, but in our comfort with this gap. We become comfortable with the gap between our personal lives and the responsibility of our position. This is spiritually perilous.

What does this peril look like? We don't shared our weaknesses or struggles. We only share "safe" things. The leaders teach those under them to hide their sin.

So what should it look like? We should share our failures. We don't minimize the sin. But we don't hide it. We put a spotlight on it and ask for prayer. When we do this, we highlight the greatness of Jesus. We don't glorify ourselves, but our God.

. Restfully Ambitious

We aren't always busy working. But we also don't want to completely lose any ambition for God's kingdom. We need both motivating and moderating grace. We need grace to fire us up and also grace to cool us down. We need to both serve and rest in the church.

What does it look like when it goes wrong? We start to get our sense of identity from what we do. We are workaholics in ministry or some other area of our life. We can't rest properly. Or we can't say no to people who ask for help. We may have savior complex. (Psalm 127:1-2)

One possible application may be to take a media fast daily. Don't use your phone first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. Bring your fears to God. Find a quiet time for God.

. They marinate in the Gospel

When fears come up, they preach the gospel to themselves. When self centeredness comes up, they consider what God is concerned with. When we peel back the layers, people should find the gospel. Regardless of the ministry, when people encounter us, they should find the gospel at the very heart of those who lead. It should be found in our speech, our actions, in our personal lives.

Paul's Mission

I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, "Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand." This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. - Romans 15:14‭-‬33 ESV

Rev. Won Ho Kim

The passage before from Romans 12-14 was Paul telling Christians how we should live. This passage turns personal and introspective.

Paul's Aim: Full of goodness and knowledge

Paul wanted the gentiles Christians to be full of goodness, godliness, and wisdom. He wanted them to be able to instruct and admonish each other. Is there anything harder than confronting feeling believers in love? This is spiritual maturity. Paul is not only seeking out conversion and evangelism. He wanted the sanctification of believers as a pleasing sacrifice to God.

God desires more than just to convert. He wants us to be full of wisdom, goodness and love.

Paul's Ambition: Foundation laying

Paul is saying he's fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ in these regions. He has no more room to work in this region. What does that mean? There are plenty who have not heard the gospel.

Here's one interpretation: Paul has planted a church in each of the key city centers in the region. Paul had finished evangelising to the region. The areas between these regions was not the responsibility of Paul but of these churches.

This is the foundational concept for frontier missions. For planting believers and churches where there are none. They bring light where there are none. But this is different from church development. We each must play our part.

Paul's Attitude: Fearless

Paul's ambition was so strong that he wanted to go to Spain. Why? In those days, Spain may have been considered the end of the world. It would have been a massive undertaking. There are no cars, no planes. He wanted to stop at Rome and then go to Spain. But instead, he was sent to Rome in chains to appeal to Caesar. Most scholars believe he never made it to Spain. But it's that really the most important thing? God knew what was in Paul's heart. No great strides in the kingdom can happen without great dreams for God. This isn't just frontier missions, but even in loving our neighbors, serving the church, evangelising our family, friends, & neighbors. It is necessary for us to have these dreams whether they come to fulfillment or not. God can use us as we come to serve God.

Paul's Aids: Funds and Fellowship

We often think of Paul as this lone missionary going off to preach throughout the gentiles. But Paul often traveled with others. He had a home church in Antioch. He looked to the church in Rome for support. Food, money, and companionship were all under the idea of support. He was looking to enjoy the company of fellow believers for awhile. Paul was not on mission alone. He was one member of a team; one member of a church.

Diversity, differences, and the Gospel

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.- Romans 14:1‭-‬23 ESV

Mr. Travis Drake

The conflict

This is two groups of Christians. It is likely a racial divide, but Paul does not use that wording. He refers to them as those of strong and weaker faith. The Jewish observances of the Sabbath and abstaining from certain food are noted as examples. And not as good examples but rather something that Jews were mocked for. Paul refers to these things and tells Christians not to mock them for these things.

These are not doctrinal differences, but rather everyday practice. For our day and age, it would look like this. Do we wear suits or jeans to church service? Do you have drums and guitars or organs during worship? Do we only sing hymns or Psalms? What is the "right" way? But this is too one-dimensional. Faith allows for diverse practice. This is not a core Gospel issue. These are ethnically contextualized ways of practicing faith. We are taking what is a secondary concern and making it primary.

Are we trying to tell people how to live their lives? The strong are to welcome the weak and vice versa. God treats both with love, do we do the same? Do we treat our brothers and sisters in Christ with love? We need to be gentle and loving with those who are different from us. God accepts those differences; they are not sin. We should not elevate personal preferences to the importance of sin. God does not flatten our diversity. He uses it for His glory. Heaven is not a melting pot; it is a mosaic. The uniformity that God demands is that we act for the glory of God. The ethnic diversity will still exist in heaven.

The solution

We should not use our personal convictions to break down the protections around our weaker brethren. A weak faith well protected is better than a strong faith unprotected. The commands are directed at the strong. The strong are called to abstain from things to protect the weak. We should be ready to sacrifice for those who are not like us. We should be willing to be inconvenienced for others in the body of Christ. There's a personal cost. It is difficult. This is the nature of the Christian life.

How do we do this?

We are not given options here. We are called to love in diversity. This is not impossible. So how do we do this? If we feel like we are dying to ourselves, we are dying for the Lord. We can die. God can call us to death, but Jesus is Lord of the dead. Even if we need to die, Jesus is Lord still over our lives. He is our salvation and life. In Christ, we are dead, resurrected, and restored. We are already these things. God is calling us to what we already are. The spirit of God lives in us.  Our faithful life in diversity with our brothers and sisters in faith is what we are. So be it.

Learn, discern, and pray.

Learn to give things up. Become comfortable with being inconvenienced for small things. Do this at smaller things so that when it comes to a Gospel matter, we are ready. We need to read and learn about the cultures around us. Not to judge, but to understand.

Discern what is the impact of our actions on our neighbors, family, friends, and church. Are we curious about those who are not like us? Do we ask hard questions so that we can love those around us?

We need to pray for those around us. Pray for humility and for us to change. Ask God for the hard things. Pray for racial reconciliation. Pray that we could find someone in the next six months who is not like you and to befriend and learn more about them.