Core Community Church of Omaha

This past Sunday, we began a series of message on Philemon by considering what happened to Philemon and Onesimus to prompt the letter: they were both converted to Christ!  My goal in the message was the bring clarity to what happens in our conversion to Christ and plead with people to be converted to Christ.  The thrust of the message was less chronological and more theological.  Or, in other words, we didn’t focus on how conversion is experienced over the course of time.  We approached conversion from a 30,000-foot view instead of a street-level view.

But the Bible does give clarity on the street-level experience of conversion over time.  How do most people experience conversion over time?  And how do we know if that is indeed true conversion?  Stephen Smallman, an assistant pastor for New Life Presbyterian Church has written an excellent short booklet on this very topic.

Smallman lets human experience collide with God’s sovereignty.  It is clear in his writing that God is the initiater, the worker, the achiever in the process of conversion to Christ, but it is also clear that we are involved.  In short, Smallman outlines the process of conversion this way:

1. We are called by the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 1 Peter 1:1-2).  God, through His Spirit, begins to woo us.  This might include meeting friends who are Christians or actually being willing to listen to friends who are Christians.  It might include a growing interest in the person and work of Christ – something you had never considered relevant, even if you had been in the church for years.  However it might happen, when God calls and woos those he has chosen to save, that call is effective (Romans 1:6-7; Romans 8:30; 1 Corinthians 1:23-24, 26; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Galatians 1:6, 15-16; Ephesians 2:4-6), which leads to the next step.
2. We are regenerated (Ephesians 2:1-6).  Regeneration is unseen and can easily go unnoticed if we do not pause to consider the Scriptures.  In a person’s experience it is hard to nail down when it happened.  But it happened.  It certainly happened.  It was God’s working to change the person’s heart from death to life, from darkness to light, from blindness to sight, from being interested in Christ (due to the Spirit’s call) to actually seeing Christ for all He is.
3. Faith in Christ and repentance of sin (Ephesians 2:8-10; Acts 2:38-39).  These two are complementary, as Smallman points out.  Faith is a gift from God, independent of works.  But the faith God gives produces the work of repentance.  Repentance is turning from sin to Christ.  For many people’s experience, this can be a very powerful moment.  For my friend Andy it was triggered through the loving embrace of a friend; for me it happened on the top bunk in a campground cabin back in Texas.  The realization that I am a sinner who cannot save myself (in fact, I now hate those sins which I once loved!), is a life-changing experience.  Nothing is quite the same after this.  For most people, it is this moment where they would say they were “converted to Christ.”  And, indeed, they were!
4. Loved by God the Father (Romans 8:15-17; John 1:10-14).  Now, based upon the work of God through the Spirit and the Son (i.e,. calling and conversion), we live life as adopted sons of God.  He is our loving, faithful, delightful, strong, tender Father.  And in being adopted by God the Father through the calling of the Spirit and the converting of the Son, we are also welcomed into the family of God.

All of this is signified and expressed in baptism. In conversion we come into the waters (think: calling), we are immersed and brought back out (think: conversion), and we are forever welcomed into the family of God, His church (think: loved by the Father).

I would strongly suggest Stephen Smallman’s booklet to any Christian.  And even more so, any Christian should pick up a couple copies to share with their friends who are becoming interested in Christ or wondering if they have been converted to Christ.  May God inspire gratitude and awe and worship in light of the wonderful work of conversion He has done for us!

NOTE: This is a guest post from Jeremy Solomon, a member of Core. We hope his work is as beneficial to you as it is to us.

“It’s not about feelings.  It’s about obedience!”

For myself, this chorus line has sung in my head for years, with me being its author.  Often it’s happened with worship music, whether in church or a song coming to mind in life.  Sometimes it has come upon a prophetic message (both my giving and receiving one) that couldn’t be random or pre-conceived.  And a few times it has come when neighbors become new believers, knowing that I had a role to play in each story.  In such times, my focus is on the Lord, and something brews inside: joy.  Whether by actions or my simple presence, I know that I am a part of God’s Kingdom, and the building of it here on Earth.

When reminded of such humbling truths, I rejoice inside, but oddly enough I am also afraid of the satisfaction that stirs.  After all, my purpose, along with the whole of creation, is to glorify God, right?  Would I not be selfish to seek joy for my heart?  “I’m here for God’s glory!  He’s not here for my happiness!” I rebuke myself.  At best, I’ll think of these feelings as a by-product of Christian living, but they’re never to be pursued.  So I instinctively ignore the joy, thereby squelching it, removing it from the days to come.

A reserved, unemotional response to faith is common, but fortunately for each of us, this is not a biblical perspective.  As John Piper writes in The Dangerous Duty of Delight: The Glorified God and The Satisfied Soul, our pursuit of God and His work is not a jail cell of ineffectual living.  In fact, not only do we have an invitation to seek joy in the Lord, but it is a duty of our being.  As Piper says, “Maximum happiness [in the Lord], both qualitatively and quantitatively, is precisely what we are duty-bound to pursue.”

Think of this for a moment.  Does it not leap out at you as controversial, if not frightening?  Piper refers to it as Christian Hedonism, and while we may want to strive for obedience, the author explains our duty to pursue joy.  And in doing this, we accomplish both.

Read the full review and synopsis (available as pdf).

NOTE: This is a guest post from Jeremy Solomon, a member of Core. We hope his work is as beneficial to you as it is to us.  In particular, this book, CrossTalk has already influenced a handful of leaders in Core.  An extended review is available.

We’ve all been there: A loved one, friend, or stranger bravely opens up to share their trials and sins.  For you, maybe it just happened at a Home Community meeting or a one-on-one over coffee.  Any of a thousand issues can be shared: a sin of idols, a troubled marriage, or an unforgiving heart, to name a few.  With a loss of how to go forward, they may even wonder where God is. (Heck, maybe you do, too.)  Or maybe the road is simply weary as trouble and confusion surround their life.  Helplessness can set in as we grow compassion for their plight, yet struggle for words of impact.  You know the Bible is God’s Word, able to direct us in all things, but you feel unequipped to wield this sword in bringing them to a right path.  While trying to avoid simple Christian clichés (e.g. “Don’t worry, God has a plan.”), your mind races through what you know of the Scriptures, while awkwardness may fill the still air of silence in the conversation.

CrossTalk: Where Life and Scripture Meet can be a solid starting point in our growth to be of benefit to the open.  Michael R. Emlet, a practicing Christian counselor of many years, intentionally does not dive so deep as to give us a degree in counseling.  Instead, he instructs us in basic tools to dig deeper into both the Bible and the confessor’s life, with the hope of bridging the two to speak into the lives of others.  Recognizing that these skills are a life-long development within ourselves, Emlet provides a firm foundation from which we can go forward in guiding others to repentance and healing.

Now think back to the person who recently revealed their sins or problems.  Emlet stresses that the saint who opened up to you did not appear from thin air.  Since birth he/she has had a life-long story, with past chapters leading to what is now.  Every trial, success, and circumstance brings them to today, and the author’s hope is for us to understand their story, revealing critical themes.

• “What is he really looking for?”
• “How have the sins of others brought her to now?”
• “Where does their pain come from?”

Through such questions, pivotal roots can be discovered, and just as a life is one story of interconnected events, so is the Bible.  Emlet aims to bridge the two, paralleling our stories with Scripture in a Spirit-moving fashion.  In this we contextualize seemingly hackneyed verses, while wielding the less used ones, bringing even the most of obscure of passages to their true identity as God’s living, active Word.  In the latter half of his book, Emlet powerfully illustrates this in using the Bible’s book of Haggai to speak into the lives of two individuals seeking counsel (and we can’t get much more “obscure” than Haggai!).  Each person has very different stories and concerns, but Haggai, in light of the context of God’s Redemption, speaks to both, being a guide of direction and hope.

Emlet recognizes that his approaches may feel overwhelming or mechanical.  You may envision yourself needing countless hours of study and prodding into someone’s life before any progress is made.  But Emlet puts us at ease as he charts a productive, gradual course in our learning, recognizing that even the smallest of efforts can bring fruit in what may be critical times for the one who shares.  Also, his instruction is steadfast in the belief that God will guide us all forward in using His Word; that whether by spiritual gift or connecting verses to their story, He will be bigger than our shortfalls, and work through our submission.

If you want to learn more, but don’t have time to read the whole thing, check out Jeremy’s brief synopsis of the book.  The 6 pages are well worth your time.

NOTE: This is a guest post from Jeremy Solomon, a member of Core.  Jeremy serves Core by reading books selected by the pastors of Core and producing reviews of those books.  We hope you find his writing helpful.

When you think of the poor and what is needed to help, what comes to mind?  Likely you picture a soup kitchen, a donation of food or clothes, or writing checks to a ministry.  Our answers can take different forms, but most of them are probably material in nature.  This is understandable, given the perspective of us North American Christians.  It is (hopefully) needless to say that we have an extremely unique existence in the world, enjoying more resources and comforts than most would ever dream.  While we can be thankful, our material living clouds our judgment of what the less fortunate truly need to bring a better quality of life.  This sets the stage for the insights of When Helping Hurts, as Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert reshape our thoughts of how to fulfill the hope of the Great Commandment.

Ask yourself the question: “What is poverty?”  As simple as this sounds, your answers will likely contrast sharply with those people who are actually in poverty.  Often those not in poverty focus on the lack of materials (food, housing, equipment, medicine, etc.), but the poor will not look so much to this, but rather speak of the mental and relational turmoil: loneliness, shame for their plight, and an utter lack of confidence, with no hope for the future.  Though we are all in a poverty of relationships, poverty of this kind entraps people in this despair 10-fold.  This continues the absence of material needs, becoming a permenant reality for much of the world.

Corbett and Fikkert break down Americans’ traditional ways of solving poverty, how they fall short, and how, in fact, they can do more harm than good.  While the authors embrace the more liberal passions and efforts to this very biblical topic, we are given a conservative mindset in thinking through our tactics.  Our instincts as Westerners call for a high-speed, Superman-like sweep into third-world situations (even if they are right here in our city!), being saviors and providers to the unfortunate.  The authors discuss how this creates a state of paternalism, where the poor will always look to Western help as dependent children, and not to God, themselves, or each other.  With the impressions of the “superior” rich taking care of the “inferior” poor, the poor continue to dwell in the lack of hope.

The alternative thinking of the book focuses, instead, on efforts to create relationships for the poor: relationship with God, self, others in community, and with creation. Certainly financial giving is necessary, but we hope, for example, to give while having a local church be the instrument of provision and healing in community.  Or, to have the poor take an active part in our pursuit to provide a better tomorrow.  Immediate aid is indeed called for in dire, emergency times, when the poor can in no way help themselves, but very often this is not the case, and the building of relationships with God and community will bring about the change we all hope for the poor in spirit.

If you want to be part of the solution by building relationships with the poor in our city, we encourage you to connected with inCommon Community Development.  Jeremy and his Home Community are spending Monday evening with inCommon sharing a meal with friends in poverty.  You (and your Home Community) can connect, too.

We continue talking through the book Death By Love.  This week we focus on the truth the Jesus is our vicotry over sin, death, and Satan.  The phrase that theologians use to describe this is Christus Victor.

In this video Doug and Matthew address the following questions

1. When God is doing good things, what might be some unexpected dangers?
2. Particularly for Core leaders, what could this look like?
3. How can I begin to notice if the cross is not central in my thinking and feeling?
4. This all sounds great, but what does it look like?

We encourage you to buy the book and follow along.  More to come next week!

Doug and Matthew introduce the book Death by Love in this video blog.  Find the book here.

The word theology can bring up all sorts of ideas in your mind.  Men with long beards stuck in an ivory tower with books about God.  Puffed-up religious people who think they know it all.  Thick books full of facts about an unknown deity.  So how could something like theology be relevant to you?  Great question.

NOTE: We asked Jude McCoy, a young man in Core, to write up his response to a resource we are increasingly recommending to those in Core.  Instead of us doing all the recommending, here is Jude’s take on it.

Christian Beliefs is a short, soft cover book on theology. It has inside of its one-hundred-fifty pages “twenty basic beliefs every christian should know.”  It starts with the question “What is the Bible?” and ends with the question, “What is Heaven?”. Each question is less than ten pages each, with three questions for reflection at the end of each chapter. The length of the book and the simplicity of the writing allows the book to be read quickly if one desires to do so.

The questions go in a sort of chronological order starting with the Bible, God, and his creation; then exploring who Christ is before starting a series of questions regarding a Christian’s road to maturity, beginning with election and ending with death; finally the last question discusses God’s plan for his children to spend eternity with him in Heaven.

This book, though small and somewhat simple to understand, has sentences that hold mysteries that could be pondered upon for hours. Or, like I found myself doing, smashing the book against my forehead, cursing, crying, and singing praises to Jesus in between long and short periods of procrastination, guilt, and joy. This book was my first taste of theology and I cannot say that it hardened my faith in any way but took the truth that is found in the Bible – double-edged sword and all – and pierced all of my intentions and thoughts, then renewed them with living quotes of the living Word itself.

In closing, the book did help me find a better foundation for my faith, that God is God and all of his ways are good and all good things are from him. Through reading the book I was reminded many times that my nature is sinful and that the cross is my only hope, and that any hope I do receive comes from the cross. This has helped me to look at people and good things from a different perspective. It has humbled me just like Scriptures do with my faith, knowledge, and sense of self-righteousness.

NOTE: If anyone is interested in reading the book, we would recommend the helpful guide that Scott Thomas, Director of Acts 29, put together for it.  Could spur some great husband-wife discussions or HC-member to HC-member discussions.

The letter of 1 Corinthians surprisingly has a lot to say about the Holy Spirit.  Paul mentions the Spirit or spiritual gifts often (1:7; 2:4, 10-15; 3:16; 6:11, 19; 7:40; dozens of times in chapters 12 and 14).  Paul’s particular approach to ministry in Corinth relied heavily on demonstrations of the Holy Spirit.  In light of Paul’s approach to ministry in Corinth and an upcoming journey through 1 Corinthians 12-14, I was thrilled to start reading again about the Holy Spirit.  First book: The Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit, by Francis Chan.

Chan, an increasingly influential leader in evangelicalism today, is honest from the very beginning by telling us that he isn’t hoping to increase our knowledge about the Holy Spirit.  He assumes his audience are Christians who have a basic grasp of the Bible.  So instead of doing teaching, he repeatedly appeals to our wills.  It seemed like half of the book were questions strung together that surgically inserted application into all parts of life.

For me, personally, I felt like I was reading my wife’s book.  Chan’s style of writing and tone of writing almost mirrors my wife’s passion for Jesus, for the Holy Spirit, and for telling stories of God’s works.  In this way, the book was delightfully refreshing, especially to read out loud with Whitney.  Story after story.  Question after question.  Appeal after appeal.  And it all lead back to the heart.  This is what I needed early on in the reconnecting journey with the Holy Spirit.  Maybe it is what you need, too.

Chan carefully, yet passionately addresses the stigma of the Spirit – that part that makes some Christians afraid of being labeled as loopy charismaniacs and makes some loopy charismaniacs scared of being labeled conservative.  His way of balancing this stigma is simply by staying in the Scriptures.  It was simple, but brilliant.  By doing this, he seemingly jumped over some of the major theological hurdles to address the heart of the issue: fear.  I found this penetrating to my own soul, and I found it helpful in counseling friends along the way.

At the risk of boring you, I feel that a few quotes will sum up the book better than any intellectual synopsis.  By reading these quotes, you can get a taste for the rest of the book:

On comfort and the Holy Spirit: From my own experience I have felt closest to God when nearness to Him was a necessity.  The Bible says that the Spirit comes through in situations where we would normally be afraid (Luke 12:11-12).  …Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the “Helper” or “Comforter.”  Let me ask you a simple question: Why would we need to experience the Comforter if our lives are already comfortable? Page 106-107.  That one question proved to be the most powerful to me and Whitney.  There are many others like it throughout the book.  Chan goes on to tell the story of a Korean missionary who was held hostage by the Taliban in 2007.  After release and return to the comforts of Korea, this missionary told Chan that several other missionaries on the team had asked him, “Don’t you wish we were still there?”

On the volume of life and the Holy Spirit: For some of you, reading this book could be a form of noise that keeps you from Him.  Maybe you already hear lots of sermons and read plenty of books.  What you need it direct communion with Him – to hear directly from Him and to speak directly to Him.  Rather than reading my words, listen to His. Page 109.  And thus we did.

On a balanced life and the Holy Spirit: Nowhere in Scripture do I see a “balanced life with a little bit of God added in” as an ideal for us to emulate.  Yet when I look at our churches, this is exactly what I see: a lot of people who have added Jesus to their lives.  People who have, in a sense, asked Him to join them on their life journey, to follow them wherever they feel they should go.  …The Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is not someone we can just call on when we want a little extra power in our lives.  Jesus Christ did not die in order to follow us.  He died and rose again so that we could forget everything else and follow Him to the cross, to true Life. Pages 121-122.

And, finally, the opening quote, which Chan borrowed from A.W. Tozer: We may as well face it: the whole level of spirituality among us is low.  We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone.  …[We] have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost. Page 27.

In summary, the book was immensely helpful in drawing my heart and will to engage with the Holy Spirit.  As Chan said, there is little theological knowledge in the book, but for many of us that is fine.  What we need is to taste the delights of God instead of reading the menu one more time.