How Do We Speak Belief and Believe? – 02.Believe, Speak, Do

Posted by Chris on April 22, 2012 under Front Page Posts, Sermons, Uncategorized

I believe that you should know that the West-Ark congregation was praised in a recent article on The City Wire.

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Core Belief – 01.Believe, Speak, Do

Posted by Chris on April 15, 2012 under Front Page Posts, Sermons

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Believe, Speak, Do!

Posted by Chris on April 11, 2012 under Front Page Announcements, Front Page Posts, Sermons

Have you ever heard any of these expressions?

“If you are going to talk the talk, then walk the walk!”

“Say what you mean and mean what you say!”

“Practice what you preach!”

“Actions speak louder than words!”

Of course you have heard these.  We recognize that a consistency among the ideas we cherish, the things we say, and the way we act is important.  We recognize this importance in virtues such as integrity, honesty, conviction, transparency.  Our maturity as followers of Jesus Christ increases when we notice the vital relationship of believing, speaking, and doing.

For three weeks in April, we will use 2 Corinthians 4:13-18 as our guide and explore how our belief in Christ’s teachings drives our words and actions.

April 15 – 01. Core Belief

April 22 – 02. How Do We Speak Belief and Believe?

April 29 [Friend’s Day] – 03.Friends of God

God of the Sun and the Son of God – 04.It’s All Greek

Posted by Chris on April 8, 2012 under Front Page Posts, Sermons, Uncategorized

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The Barnabas Challenge

Posted by Chris on April 2, 2012 under Front Page Posts, Lions for Christ, Sermons, Uncategorized

Sermon by Travis Campbell

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Lions for Christ, Campus Minister

Forget the Titans – 03.It’s All Greek

Posted by Chris on April 1, 2012 under Front Page Posts, Sermons

Greek Cosmology: The Three Storied Universe

Cosmology — It’s a Greek word that describes our view of the world.

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In the ancient Greek myths, the universe is made up of three important realms: the dome of the sky, the sea that surrounds earth, and the underworld, which is the realm of the dead.

According to the Greek creation myth, three brothers (sons of the Titan named Chronos) defeated their father and took over the world from the Titans and Monsters that ruled it.  They divvied up the spoils of their conquest and Zeus took the sky, Poseidon took the sea, and Hades took the underworld.

Wrath of the Titans

Is That Hades or Frank Zappa?

Poor Hades!  He’s often portrayed as an angry chap because he gets the worst end of the deal.  He’s the bad guy in Clash of Titans but gets a shot at redemption in Wrath of the Titans.

In the Percy Jackson movie, Hades resembles a Goth version of Frank Zappa.

Disney's Lord of the Underworld!

And who could ever forget the lovable Hades from Disney’s Hercules?  He’s slick and devious, but still charming.

The Greeks might not identify their Hades with any of these rogues.  In their cosmology, Hades is simply a manager of the realm of the dead.  He rules passively over the land of the death and is never interested in challenging others.  Instead he is part of a balance between life and death.  Zeus rules the sky and Hades is content to rule death – unless someone tries to cheat death or escape death.  Then he gets angry and we would not like him when he is angry.

"Helmet of Darkness - Can't see me, can you?"

For the Greeks, Hades is sort of a “Grim Reaper” personification of death.  His weapons even illustrate this.  Zeus has thunder, but Hades has the power of invisibility, he has a helmet of darkness, and this why one hardly ever sees death coming.

The underworld is given the name of its ruler, Hades.   That realm consisted of many “lands” and Hades ruled them all.  Greek “hell” is somewhat different than what we’ve commonly heard, especially if you have heard that hell is below and heaven is up high.  In fact, hell is really not the best term to use.  (We get that word from the Norse myths).  The Greek underworld is only a place for the dead, regardless of judgment or fate.  As the concept developed, different lands were invented.

• Asphodel Meadows is a place for those who were both good and bad in life.  It is a bland neutral place
• The Elysian Fields were a place for the good and noble.  That terms remains in our culture today.  It was still part of Hades’ dominion in Greek myth.
• Tartarus was the place of punishment in Greek myth.  This is where retribution continued after death, although Greek myths typically favored retribution and misfortune in life.
• There is an elaborate and metaphorical geography of the Greek underworld.  Five rivers run through it representing sorrow, weeping, fire or destruction, forgetfulness, and hate.

These Greek concepts influenced the culture of the second century before Christ.  Even the Jewish culture was influenced.  So much so that when Jewish scribes translated the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek, they used the Greek word Hades to translate the Hebrew word Sheol.  In Hebrew, Sheol was simply the pit, or grave; it was a place for the dead.  Hades was a good translation, but along with the word Hades came the other conceptual real estate that Sheol did not originally have.

Among these was Tartarus.  The punishments in Tartarus were creative.  A fellow named Sisyphus, who wasn’t a great guy in life, found himself rolling a rock up a hill for all eternity only to have it roll back down – and sometimes it rolled over him.  Worse still was the fate of a chap named Tantalus.  He was confined in a prison in which the water would fill up to his chin, but if he tried to lean down and get a drink it would recede away from him.  There was also fruit hanging above his head but if he tried to grab it, the fruit lurched up and away from him.  This is where we get the verb “to tantalize.”

The terms Hades and Tartarus are both used in the New Testament.  Hades refers to death (that’s quite obvious in Revelation).  And a verb form of Tartarus is used in 2 Peter 2 to speak of the judgment of rebellious angels who are “cast down to hell.”

The Greek concepts of Hades influence the depiction of hell and death in second century B.C. books such as 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra, and the Testament of the Patriarchs.  These books are often a blend of Jewish ideas and Greek culture.  In the New Testament however, Jesus and the NT writers never elaborate on the geography of hell or the nature of the punishments in hell.  (That comes along centuries later when Dante combines Greek myth with Christian doctrine to write the Inferno – not the best combination theologically, by the way).

Jesus is only concerned to teach us that death is real, and that sin and evil in this life can lead to dire consequences in the next life.  That is evident in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, as well as another teaching we will consider.  Now, Jesus’ concern is not to get us worked up over the details and he doesn’t find it necessary to get into hellfire and brimstone details.  He seems to think it is enough to urge us to live right and so avoid that which is damnable.

Hell is deplorable not because it lies within the earth or because it is hot and fiery, but because it is associated with the consequences of evil.  Thus the reality of hell involves more than a realm of the dead.  There is “hell on earth” when the things of earth are unredeemed and the consequences of sin and evil stand in rebellion to God’s purposes.  All of this urges us to consider one more fact about hell, and for this we will take a look at Matthew 16:13-20.

“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

1. Christ affirms Peter’s faith in him and his testimony that Christ is the Messiah, the son of God.  Even if he has some of the details wrong, Peter recognizes that Christ is a rescuer who will redeem creation.  Through this sort of faith and trust, and with the people who demonstrate it and live it out, Christ is going to build a church – not an empire or institution, but a people who embody a way of living that reflect God’s work.
2. This church will stand in contradiction to the way of death.  The gates of Hades, representing the whole dominion of death and sin, will not be able to touch this confessing church.
3. There is another image that Jesus brings into the teaching.  An image that is the opposite of a gate; that is a key.  Not just any key, but the key to the kingdom of heaven.  With this key, the church is empowered to bind and loose (or lock and unlock) and in doing so, they will be in synch with the authority of heaven.

It’s interesting that death and sin (Hades) is represented by a gate.  But heaven is represented by a key.  Gates are items that close and separate.  They shut people out and shut people in.  They create captives.  But a key has the power to open what is shut (this is seen a lot in Revelation).  A key can create freedom!

So what are the sum total of this teaching about the gates of Hades not prevailing and the church having the authority to set free?  We have heard the statement that “all hell is let loose on earth,” I believe that Jesus is suggesting that his church will not be overcome by Hades (death) because the church is able to unleash heaven on earth.  Now imagine what that means . . . “all heaven is let loose on earth.”  The doors are wide open!

This is very similar to the teaching in Hebrews 2:14-15 and 1 John 3:8 . . .

• by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
• The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work

The biblical teaching about Hades and hell, that is death and evil, is not like the Greek myth.  There is no peaceful balance between.  God is not working out a deal with the enemy as if he is an equal or a brother.  God has dominion over life and death.  Christ, through the resurrection, has overcome death and now has dominion.  You can forget all about that Titan stuff.

Yes, the New Testament teaches that hell and death are seriously real, that hell is associated with the consequences of evil, and also that hell is not just something that matters after death; but the work of evil is also experienced in a world that is under the curse of sin and death.  This is the final word: death and hell cannot overcome the rule of Christ!

The power of Hades – that is the power of death – rules over our world, not the underworld.  When people are afraid of death they become selfish, angry, violent, and protective.  We will give up nearly anything for health and security, which we can only prolong yet can never control.  We ignore our mortality and this fear and worry about death makes us captive to sin.

"Don't Open That Door!"

Christ destroys the work of the enemy.  He breaks the stranglehold of death.  He sets us free and calls us to abundant life.

At different times in our lives we need to hear the message emphasized in different ways:

1.  Some of us need to know that we are slaves to death and our actions are storing up the power of hell and there will be consequences for those actions.  God will eradicate all evil from this universe, so we do not want to be invested in the work of evil.

2.  Some of us need to know that hell and Satan are never more powerful than God and Christ.  Some of us need to know that God is not our enemy and he is not seeking to cast people into hell.  It is not something that he delights in or strives for (John 3:16-17 – He is not willing that anyone should perish).

So keep these two truths in mind . . .

1. Evil is not to be underestimated . . .

2. But NEITHER IS CHRIST!!

Into The Labyrinth – 02.It’s All Greek

Posted by Chris on March 26, 2012 under Front Page Posts, Sermons

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Our story begins with two kings.  Minos of the island of Crete and Aegeus of the city of Athens.  There are different accounts about the reason that these kings came into conflict.  Some say that Minos sent his son to Athens to participate in the pan-Hellenic games but his son was killed by his rivals.  As the host, Aegeus was responsible for the safety of all athletes.  The unjustified killing of the young man brought a burden down on Aegeus and Athens.  Minos demanded that Aegeus surrender the killers, but Aegeus could not.  Thus, Minos exacted his revenge on all of Athens.  To satisfy his wrath, he demanded that Aegeus send seven young men and seven young women to him each year (some sources say that it was every seven or fourteen years).

Minos would throw these Athenian youth into his own wicked game.  The fourteen youth, known as tributes, would enter into the Labyrinth – a great maze invented by the genius architect Daedelus.  Not only would the tributes get lost in the maze, but they would be destroyed by a monster kept in the Labyrinth , the Minotaur.  The Minotaur was a half human-half bull creature kept by Minos.  None of the young victims ever escaped the labyrinth.  No one ever survived the horrible minotaur.  Time after time, Aegeus and Athens continued to grieve as they would send their brightest and best as tributes to save their city.

Perhaps this old tale reminds some of you of a certain book that inspired a movie that opened this weekend, The Hunger Games.  The author of the book, Suzanne Collins, admits that she was inspired by the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.  Of course the similarity ends with the set up.  One criticism of the movie is that the horrific system of sacrifice continues with little justice.  But that’s only because there are two more movies to come.  The good ole Greeks don’t leave us hanging quite so long.  They very quickly give us a champion – a hero to end the horror.

He is named Theseus.  He turns out to be the son of Aegeus, who left a sword and armor beneath a rock near the home of the child’s mother.  When Theseus was strong enough to lift the rock he claimed his birthright and became a mighty hero whose fame spread to Athens.  Upon hearing of the horrific and unjust tribute given to Minos, Theseus presented himself to Aegeus and volunteered to go as a tribute to Crete.

When he arrived in Minos, Theseus won the heart of the king’s daughter Ariadne.  She persuaded Daedelus to help Theseus, so he gave Theseus a ball of twine to trace his path through the Labyrinth.

Being a hero, Theseus heads right into the heart of the maze and confronts the monster.  Though he is unarmed, Theseus beats the Minotaur to death his fists.  Next, he rescues all the captives and escapes the maze.  By risking himself, Theseus ends the threat of the Labyrinth and lifts the burden of Minos’ revenge on Athens.

The myth of Theseus, as well as the stories it has inspired such as The Hunger Games, points to virtues that speak to us.

1. Noble sacrifice is a heroic trait.  When one risks or sacrifices himself or herself for others who are weak or powerless, we recognize that as virtuous.
2. We should be stirred to grief and action in the face of injustice.  Both Theseus and The Hunger Games are calculated to upset us with a description of human sacrifices for the sake of revenge, bloodlust, and anger.  We are repulsed by the intent to destroy human life and prolong suffering to satisfy the power of the unjust.
3. Heroic deeds inspire others to be heroic.  He is the basis of heroes such as King Arthur and Superman.  Theseus inspires heroes that follow him.  His hero is Hercules – and he even saves Hercules’s life later in his career.  Theseus becomes a champion of the common man and he was the symbol for democracy in Athens.  The heroic qualities of the heroes of the Hunger Games find their root in Theseus.

Is There a Hero in The Gospel?

Stories of heroes appeal to us.  Every culture has stories about heroes that embody virtues and stand for what is right.  But what about the gospel?  Is there a place for a hero in the gospel?  A close reading of 1 Corinthians 15, among other texts, suggests that there is.  Christ triumphs over the powers of death to save others and to reclaim a broken and suffering world for his Father.

Without realizing it, the myth of Theseus and stories like the Hunger Games point toward the greater truth and virtue of the gospel.  It is as if stories of heroic sacrifice are like compass needles drawn to the magnetic north of Christ’s heroic sacrifice.  The gospel narrative resonates with heroic virtue.  For instance:

1. Sacrifice is a noble attribute that Jesus Christ embodies.  In Phil. 2:5-11, Paul calls it humility.  Christ surrenders himself to God and lowers himself for the sake of others.  His heroic actions are self-sacrifice and his triumph comes from God.
2. Heroes are saviors and rescuers.  Theseus saves captives.  Christ claims the words of the prophet Isaiah; the spirit of the Lord has empowered Christ as the one who will rescue captives and set them free. (Luke 4 and 1 Peter 3)
3. Christ’s heroism is rooted in the justice of God.  Our creator is the source of heroism and doing what is right for the sake of others.  Consider a text like Psalm 82; God champions the cause of the weak and the oppressed.  He calls his followers to be on his side.  God’s son embodies that call to do justice and leads us in that way.

Is Atonement a Game?

Every hero is tested by a challenge.  In all stories there is a system of injustice, a threat, or a fight that must take place.  What challenge could God or the son of God come across that would be a threat?  It is the ultimate threat to us all: the presence of evil and the corruption of sin that brings death to us all.  The problem is loaded with thorny dilemmas.  For, if the game of life is rigged, if the world as we know it is unjust, then who made it that way?  In the myths, the gods often set the rules unfairly.  However, that creates a true faith problem for us is we assume that God intends for the world to be the way it is.

If a sacrifice is demanded of Christ to satisfy justice or satisfy wrath, then whose wrath needs to be satisfied?  If we say God, then we may rightly begin to wonder what sort of God needs the sacrifice of his own son.  God should not be a bloodthirsty monster or an evil king.  That wouldn’t fit what we know about God.  Furthermore, if it takes the blood of Christ to redeem God, then what sort of God is he?

Some say that it is not God who is the problem; rather, it is Satan who has rigged the game.  He has taken us captive.  So God makes his son the bait on the hook that snares the devil.  But why play games with the devil?  If God is the greater power, then why doesn’t God just destroy Satan and save us all?

In our historical attempts to understand atonement we have developed theories to explain what happens.  If we are honest and not defensive, we recognize that many of the more popular theories leave us wondering why God does not take a stand and fight.  Why is God playing games with the devil?

But atonement is a multi-faceted reality and there are other ways of explaining what happens.  In fact, Scripture often indicates that Christ has indeed taken a stand and put up a fight.  These Scriptures also teach us that it is not God who needs to be redeemed or be satisfied – we do.  God is not playing a game against Satan; rather he is refusing to play Satan’s game although we have often jumped into it.

Quite often, the work of God to atone for the sins of humanity is compared to similar actions in the human arena.  The dominant view in our culture has been a legal comparison.  Christ is our advocate or he takes our place in the punishment we deserve.  There is truth to this, but one view or comparison can never explain the entire process.  In other words, the analogy is helpful but one cannot take it too far because it is just an analogy.

There are other analogies.  One of the lesser recognized though biblically based views is the view of Christ as triumphant hero.  In this understanding of atonement, Christ is never a victim.  He is not an unfortunate substitute or whipping boy for humanity.  Rather, he is disarming the powers of sin, arrogance, and self-righteousness by going to the cross.  Christ is fighting the good fight on God’s terms, not ours.

"Then the young hero (who was God almighty) Got ready, resolute and strong in heart. He climbed onto the lofty gallows-tree, Bold in the sight of many watching men, When He intended to redeem mankind." - Image courtesy of mrvisions.deviantart.com

This view is expressed creatively in a medieval poem, The Dream of the Rood.  The poem dates from an era when such a view was much more common that it is now.  The poet has a vision of the cross (called a rood)and  witnesses what Christ does.  Christ is not weak, but he is bold by going to the cross.  The cross was the ultimate expression of humankind’s oppressive power, but  Christ exposes humankind as unjust and cruel.  It isn’t God who needs adjusting through sacrifice; rather humanity needs to be more humane!  What is shared in the poem is expressed in Scripture:  “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15)

The strength of this view is that it reminds us that the system of sacrifice is not on-going.  Christ dismantles the injustice once and for all. (Hebrews 10:12-14).  By shaming us and startling us with this bold and fearless action, we may be forever changed as a people.

We are called to be heroic and stand with Christ.

1. Jesus does not participate in the games of sophisticated violence, revenge, and getting even.  Christ disarms our need to be more powerful and to “crucify” others in order to protect our own interests.
2. Christ shames the powers, the people, and the culture that self-righteously justifies our idolatry of power and comfort.  He shames our attempts to scape-goat others and yet call ourselves civilized.  Because Jesus will not fight back on our terms but instead trusts in God, we are exposed as the problem.  Jesus startles us out of our delusions of civility that tell us that the corrupt things we do are somehow acceptable and necessary.  We may try to wash our hands like Pilate, but the bloodstains remain.
3. We are called to leave the twisted labyrinths we have made and go out and join Jesus outside the city and its systems of power and self-justification (Hebrews  13:13)

This may seem like a lot to sacrifice, but what exactly are we trying to save?

Don’t Open That Box – 01.It’s All Greek

Posted by Chris on March 18, 2012 under Front Page Posts, Sermons, Uncategorized

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Must we really discuss mythology in church?  I don’t know if we must, but we probably should.  You see, the ancient myths of the Greeks never went away.  They took root in our western culture and have become the stories that we tell with gusto.

For example . . .

• Percy Jackson – Based squarely on Greek myth, this book rivaled Harry Potter in popularity and a movie was soon to follow
• Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins says that she was inspired by the Greek myth of Theseus and reality television.
• Wrath of the Titans – If you don’t have a book, just dust off the old tales and add in some great CGI!

"I Bring You Fire!"

Even the names of the old myths still evoke meaning.  Consider “Prometheus.”  His image was huge in the age of electricity and his statue was placed in Rockefeller Center in 1934.  Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo were our help in the space age.  These old stories haven’t gone away at all.

My goal in pointing this out is not for us to become a Christian Taliban and destroy anything that smacks of idolatry.  No, we need to understand the power of myth and when we are aware of it we might be able to discern when a myth points us to commonly accepted “truths” (which may be no truth at all) or when it points to the absolute truth.

Myth functions similarly to philosophy and faith.  It is a structure through which we explain ourselves and the world.  We can explain truth through story.  In actually, ancient myths may help us understand how we typically view the world and ourselves (for better or for worse).  Christian faith and the stories of the Bible give us the most truthful way to see ourselves and our world.  Ironically, it is because we do not understand this, that some are rejecting the Christian worldview as just another fairy tale or ancient myth. Read more of this article »

Knowing Christ-Part 9 “The Bread of Life and The True Vine”

Posted by Chris on March 15, 2012 under Front Page Posts, Sermons

Comments Before Serving the Bread:

We know Jesus through the images that he gave us (McGrath, Knowing Christ).  For instance, he tells us that he is the way, the truth, and the life.  He is not merely the guide but he is the way.  He is not merely a teacher of the truth, but he is the truth.  He is not simply a giver of life, but he is life.

Two images should come to mind as we gather at the

Lord’s Supper: Jesus says, “I am the Bread of Life,” and also “I am the True Vine.”

At the Lord’s Supper, our living Lord asks us to “remember” him.  Not simply a remembrance of an historical event (which none of us experienced first hand), but a remembrance that pays attention to his nearness.  If we wish to know Christ, then “do this in remembrance of me” means “do this with some regard to my presence . . . do not overlook me or ignore my company.”  And so he instructs his disciples to regard the bread and the wine as his body and his blood.  What does this mean?  How do we do this? Read more of this article »

Knowing Christ – Part 8 “In Jesus’ Name”

Posted by Chris on March 6, 2012 under Front Page Posts, Sermons