Knocking Holes in the Darkness

Basic Material: Chapter 5 of When Christians Get It Wrong, by Adam Hamilton

Focus: Dealing with homosexuality and other issues that have traditionally been tough issues for Christians.

Discussion Points:

Adam Hamilton tells a story in his final chapter about Robert Lewis Stephenson. Apparently, once in his youth he was sitting on the porch one night, looking off in the distance at a man lighting gas lamps along a dark street.  Someone saw him there and asked him what he was doing. Stephenson replied, “I’m watching that man out there knock holes in the darkness.” This is the essence of our mission as Christians. God is love, and His love is our light. We knock holes in the darkness by spreading God’s love.

Amazingly, until Jesus came to show us that our interpretation of God’s plan was a little off course, our faith in God was wrapped up primarily in laws, and our worship of God had become a religion of exclusion. This is why Jesus was ridiculed by spiritual leaders of his time (and sometimes even questioned by his disciples), because they saw his actions with sinners as completely foreign to their way of thinking. In many instances, from their perspective, Jesus was making himself unclean through his interactions with other people. Even John the Baptist, after hearing some things that he thought were quite strange, sent a group of men to ask Jesus whether he was truly the Son of God (see Matthew 11:1-19).

We have to remember that during Jesus’ time, things were much different. For example, a Jew would never enter the house of a gentile, or have any contact with them. There were also many foods that Jews would not eat. Then there were the 600+ laws that Jewish people were trying to live by. Christians are not bound by these laws, and thankfully so. We are no longer bound by ritualistic sacrifice of animals. We are no longer bound by laws that urge us to kill our daughters if they enter in prostitution. We are no take the Sabbath as the last day of the week, and we certainly work and shop on the Sabbath. We do not ask women to be silent in the church, or refrain from wearing jewelry and fancy dresses. I doubt that any of us believes God would ask us to slaughter innocent women and children. There were also many religious leaders at the time who did not believe in the possibility of resurrection (e.g. the Sadducees). Yet, all of these things are in the Bible.

What gives Christians the right to observe one set of scriptures, and ignore others? Even more importantly, what gives Christians the right to use scripture to condemn people to Hell? Rob Bell gives an interesting quote in his book The Velvet Elvis, where he says, “To grab a few lines of Jesus and drop them down on someone 2,000 years later without first entering into the world in which they first appeared is lethal to the life and vitality and truth of the Bible.” I believe this is important for Christians to keep in mind when they are quoting scripture and making strong statements about others’ life styles.

We also have to keep in mind that there are many things that we simply do not know, and even more that we would still be ignorant of if they had not been recorded. For example, suppose Jesus never had the conversation in Mark 12:18-25, or suppose that like many things Jesus said (over 3 years with his disciples), the conversation was never recorded. For your reference –

Mark 12:18-25 - Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too.  At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?” Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

How many other things were said that were never recorded? Let’s suppose that the thief next to Jesus on the cross had such a quiet conversation with Jesus that no one else heard. Then we would all assume the thief went to Hell, and we would be wrong.

We know that many of the religious leaders (including Christians and Jews) in the first century believed that Peter’s vision of the great sheet (recorded in Acts 10:9-16) was incorrectly interpreted, and that Peter was sinning against God by interacting with gentiles. Peter and other Christians stepped out in faith to believe that none are unclean, and all our worthy of God’s love.

Acts 10:9-28 - About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.”

Further Discussion:

1. Homosexuality is a difficult issue for the Church. There are some who proclaim homosexuality to be a sin that automatically damns a person to Hell. What are your thoughts?
2. Are Christians who are focused on the Hell and judgment missing the forest for the trees?

When Bad Things Happen

Basic Material: Chapter 4 of When Christians Get It Wrong, by Adam Hamilton

Focus: Reconciling pain, disappointment, and a loving God.

Discussion Points:

·         Is the suffering of others always a test from God, a judgment from God, or the will of God?

o   Things people sometimes say when we are suffering: “God is making you suffer for a good reason.” “You will be very happy when you see how God uses this.” “Everything happens for a reason.”

o   Who should take responsibility when bad things happen?

o   The confusion that sometimes stems from Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

o   Paul’s advice: Romans 12:15 - Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

·         Can Faith Fix Everything?

o   The origins of the Greek word for “faith”. Faith, Belief, and Trust are translated from one Greek root word. In the end, “faith” is all about “obedience”, and “faith without acts is useless.”

o   Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. James 2:19-22 - You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that —and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

o   Read all of Hebrews 11, particularly Hebrews 11:39 -  These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

o   Sometimes our hopeful thinking is more about faith in faith than faith in God.

·         Is there ever a connection between sin and suffering?

o   Does forgiving require forgetting?

o   Recall the story of David and Bathsheba - 2 Samuel 12:1-20.

o   Free will is a Beast!

·         Does raising children in a Godly home guarantee their future?

o   Confusion about Proverbs 22:6 - Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

o   Definition: Proverb - A short pithy saying in general use, stating a general truth or piece of advice.

o   Potential confusion from the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).

o   See Psalm 51:5 - Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Ezekiel 18:20 - … The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them. (Just heed the warning in Mark 9:42 – “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.”)

o   The Evolution of Larry Osborne’s sermons as his children grew: “Ten Rules for Raising Godly Kids”, “Ten Guidelines for Raising Good Kids”, “Five Principles for Raising Kids”, “Three Suggestions for Surviving Parenthood”.

o   Living in a Godly environment does not guarantee anyone’s future: Adam and Eve.  Peter and the other disciples.

·         Does God sometimes protect his people?

o   Your stories… My stories.

o   Stories in the Bible – Daniel and the lions’ den, Joseph and his brothers, Shadrach, Meshach and Abendnego (and King Nebuchadnezzar), 

Further Discussion:

1. Can faith and doubt coexist? – See Acts 12.
2. What kind of faith does God want from us? – See Daniel 3:18 - But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

Further Reading: 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe, Larry Osborne

Christianity and Other Religions

Basic Material: Chapter 3 of When Christians Get It Wrong, by Adam Hamilton

Focus: Interactions of Christians with people of other religions, and God’s relationships with people of other religions.

Problem: Christians have sometimes dealt with people of other religions through a combination of arrogance, ignorance and fear.

Arrogance: Let me describe a scenario that you may have seen played out over and over again. Christian X meets non-Christian Y, and X shares the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. For a variety of reasons, Y is not converted by X, and afterwards X either informs Y that they are going to hell, or they tell others that Y is going to hell. Sometimes, X might even tell Y while sharing the “good news” that they will go to hell and be tormented for all eternity if they do not accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

There is one fundamental problem with this approach. First, Jesus commands us to love everyone (as we love ourselves). No doubt some Christians would tell me that they acted in love, and part of loving them was being honest with them. But the messenger might want to consider a different approach.

“Pressure to accept Christ seldom leads to desire to become a Christian. No one enjoys a high-pressure sales job.” – Adam Hamilton, WCGW

This message is also communicated by Jesus in Matthew 10:16 –  “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” We might do well to follow the teachings in following scriptures: Acts 17:22-34, 1 Peter 2:12, 1 Peter 2:17, 1 Peter 5:5, and 1 Peter 3:15.

In addition, in Luke 11, Mark 3, Matthew 16 and John 3 we see that religious leaders and men who have spent time with Jesus struggle with his teachings. You might have also found this in your own life, as I know I have. As a result, as Christians, we cannot expect someone outside the Christian faith to immediately accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, when the presence of Jesus himself was sometimes not enough. Again, read Matthew 10:16.

I believe a person’s salvation is a matter between them and God. As stated in Job 11:7-9 - “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?  They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave—what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.”

Naturally, a Christian might answer with John 14:6 where Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” But there could be multiple interpretations of this scripture, and we will discuss this in more depth.

Adam Hamilton says, “Not all Christians throughout history have held the view that non-Christians would spend eternity in hell.” 

Furthermore, when dealing with people of other religious faiths, do not forget that they have children and their children can be affected by our judgmental attitudes. We should head Jesus’ warning in Mark 9:42 – “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.”

Surely some Christians struggled with this idea when they agreed upon the idea behind the age of accountability. However, there is some troubling logic that comes with this idea. After all, of we believe that not all will enter the Kingdom of God, then wouldn’t it be more loving to kill our children before they reach the age of accountability so that they will enter God’s Kingdom, rather than take the chance that they might spend all of eternity in agonizing torment?

Many Christians throughout history have believed that we will face Jesus at our death, and he alone will decide. This is captured beautifully in C.S. Lewis’ The Last Battle, when “we find what many interpret as a mythical portrayal of Judgment Day. Jesus is portrayed as the lion, Aslan. A man is being brought before him for judgment. The man, Emeth, has spent his entire life following the false god, Tash. He was raised by his parents to worship and serve Tash. As Emeth sees Aslan the Lion, he suddenly realizes that Tash was not god. He falls to his face, preparing for his own destruction. Here is how Emeth describes what happens next: He touched my forehead … and said, Son, thou art welcome. But I said, Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash. He answered, Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me.” … Then I said, “Lord, is it then true … that thou and Tash are one?” The Lion growled…. “It is false.” I said, … “I have been seeking Tash all my days.” “Beloved,” said the Glorious One, “unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek.” – Adam Hamilton, WCGW.

Of course, this leaves us with an important question. Namely, why should anyone bother to follow Jesus if we can simply wait until our death to make our peace with Him? For me the answer is simple. Aside from my belief that Jesus is the Son of God, and our salvation comes through our belief in his death and resurrection, I believe that the way of Jesus is the best way to live our lives. Jesus teaches us how to become the person God intends us to be.

“I tell others about Jesus, not because I’m afraid God will eternally torment them in hell if I don’t, but because I believe that in him we see God.” – Adam Hamilton, WCGW

Ignorance: Christians have struggled long and hard with the question of eternal damnation for non-Christians. I believe this struggle is born of ignorance and the unfortunate need humans have to say things like

“I have something you don’t have.”
“I am better than you.”
“I am in and you are out.”
“I have it right and you have it wrong.”
“Did you see our new car and pool, and did you hear that our son got into Harvard? It’s really a shame you can’t afford these things and your children aren’t as good as ours.”
“I’m going to Heaven and you are going to hell!”

God loves all human beings. He formed us in the womb, and he sent his Son to die for our sins. Amazingly, God has sent people outside his faith to spread his good news. Consider the story of the wise men (or magi). Adam Hamilton tells this well in his book Christianity and World Religions,  where he reminds us that “Western churches, on Epiphany, celebrate the remarkable story of the wise men being called by God from the East to pay homage to the baby Jesus.” It’s remarkable that few people ask questions about the wise men (or the magi). These men were Zoroastrian priests. According to Adam Hamilton, “Zoroastrianism is a faith that shares with Judaism a belief in one God, a belief in a devil, and a belief in what we would call angels and demons. Zoroastrians believe in many of the same moral teachings that Judaism teaches, although they hold to a number of beliefs that are contrary to Judaism. These magi apparently were astrologers; they looked for signs from God in the heavens.” These men were not Jews, and they were not living under the law. Yet God singled them out and communicated with them.

God also has a history of giving human beings many chances. Consider the story in Jonah. Most people recall the part about Jonah being swallowed by that large fish, but do they grasp the struggle that is taking place between Jonah and God? You might want to do some historic reading about the relationship between the Jews and the people of Nineveh. The Jews had been treated horribly by these Assyrians, whose empire was extremely powerful. Their goddess was Ishtar, and they took great pride in the strength of their army and their violent conquests of others. Jonah wanted God to punish the people of Nineveh, but God asked Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach so that they would turn from their evil ways. After resisting God (the fish part), Jonah finally agrees to go, and afterwards the people of Nineveh (at least temporarily) repent of their ways and give sacrifices to God. Because of this, God spares them the punishment Jonah wanted them to receive, and because of this, Jonah goes on a tirade against God. Like Jonah, we are often more into punishment than love.

The bottom line is that we do understand the depth of our God. We receive his grace, not because we are worthy or because we have performed great acts, but because our God loves us unconditionally. Our lives are a miraculous gift from God, as is the grace we receive from God.

Fear: Many people are afraid of other religions out of fear that they or other Christians might be persuaded that these other religions are better than Christianity. I believe we should take the time to learn more about the Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. I agree with Adam Hamilton when he says that this knowledge can only strengthen our faith and help us when we have dialog with people of other Religions. Furthermore, we need to be especially aware that Islam and Judaism share our God of Christianity.

In the case of Judaism, there has also been an unfortunate underlying feeling that the Jewish people were responsible for the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is far from the truth. The crowd that gathered to yell “Crucify Him” could not have been very large. Recall that this took place very early in the morning after Passover. Furthermore, Jesus’ own disciples abandoned him, and yet we do not blame them.

There have also been many unfortunate statements from Christian leaders. For example, the renowned Martin Luther wrote in 1543 “What shall we Christians do with this damned rejected race of Jews? First, their synagogues should be set on fire, secondly, their homes should likewise be broken down . . . thirdly, they should be deprived of their prayer books and Talmud.” 

As Adam Hamilton recalls in Christianity and World Religions, “Hundreds of thousands of Jews were put to death over the centuries, long before Hitler launched his "final solution." They were blamed for the Black Plague in Europe, and whole communities of Jews were murdered. They were segregated into ghettos. They were forced to convert to Christianity or leave countries like Spain. They were prevented from entering certain occupations. They actually were treated much better under Muslim authority during those centuries than under Christian rule.”

Discussion:

1. What do you know about the Muslim religion (Islam)? What do you know about the Hindu and Buddhist religions?
2. How can we apply Matthew 10:16 – “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” when dealing with people of other religions?
3. What are some possible interpretations of John 14:6?
4. How do you feel about people of other religions attending our worship services over a long period of time? It might help us to read the story in Adam Hamilton’s WCGW concerning a married couple who attended his church, where the wife was a Christian and the husband was a Muslim.

Supporting Material:

When Christians Get It Wrong, Adam Hamilton
Christianity and World Religions, Adam Hamilton
Counterfeit Gods, Timothy Keller
Christianity on Trial, Vincent Carroll and David Shiflett

Christians and Politics

Based Upon a Survey of nearly 1,300 young adults who are current or former churchgoers, 75% felt Christians were too political. … CHRISTIANS GET it wrong in the area of politics when they too closely associate their faith with a political party, or engage in slander and mean-spirited partisan attacks. … WHEN IT comes to politics, some Christians say and do things in the name of God that are the antithesis of the gospel. – Adam Hamilton, When Christians Get It Wrong

Question: How often have you received or helped forward slanderous email, or otherwise spread gossip?

Ephesians 4:29-32 - Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another.

Question: Does government have a purpose, and does God have a role for Government in our lives?

Romans 13:1-7 - Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the following fundamental magnificent statement: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” We also have the The Pledge of Allegiance – “I pledge allegiance to the flag… and liberty and justice for all.”

Question: What is the proper role of government in the pursuit of liberty for all?

Question: What is the proper role of government in the pursuit of justice for all?

Genesis 1:26-28 - Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground. ”

Justice consists of God’s creation acting in his image. It begins with us loving everyone, but it also includes measures to deal with the those who do wrong.

Question: Why do the existence of “liberty for all” and “justice for all” sometimes lead to confusion and conflict?

Question: In what ways do the 10 commandments assimilate and differ from the laws in the US?

Question: What is an essential feature of the first amendment to our constitution, and how does this affect Christians positively and negatively?

Question: Is it right to respond negatively if a political official you oppose is elected?

“… so many people now respond to U.S. political trends in such an extreme way. When either party wins an election, a certain percentage of the losing side talks openly about leaving the country. They become agitated and fearful for the future. They have put the kind of hope in their political leaders and policies that once was reserved for God and the work of the gospel. When their political leaders are out of power, they experience a death. They believe that if their policies and people are not in power, everything will fall apart. They refuse to admit how much agreement they actually have with the other party, and instead focus on the points of disagreement. The points of contention overshadow everything else, and a poisonous environment is created.” – Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex and Power…

1 Timothy 2:1-2 - I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

The Riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:23-32) - About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: “Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.” When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater. Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater. The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.

Discussion: Look at the last sentence again, and ask yourselves how often you have observed people acting similarly, or been one of these people, in political discourse.

“Do … politicians admit the limitations of what they can accomplish, or do they make “messianic” claims? There should be a chastened humility about how much any public policy or technological advance can do to solve the problems of the human race.” – Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters

Discussion: There are numerous difficult questions that rear their heads in life and politics. Some of these include:

How do we handle health care? How do we deal with abortion? How do we deal with same-sex marriage? How do we deal with immigration? How do we deal with terrorism? How do we deal with the environment? How do we deal with the rising debt?

How can our faith help us deal with these issues, and how does the church sometimes fail when it deals with these issues?

Food for Thought: “Jesus did not change all of history by upending the Roman government and rewriting the laws of the land. He changed all of history by upending the lives of men and women and rewriting the laws that God had written across our hearts by fulfilling them.” – Dave Burchett, When Bad Christians Happen to Good People