MYTH #17-Jesus wants us to change the world?

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

This is a myth that penetrates ministry efforts around the world. There is a constant man-made effort to organize the message of Jesus into a standardized methodology. So, over the years many methods have been created and promoted to be the best ways, and sometimes the only ways, ministry is done. Examples of these methods are gospel tracts, such as the "Four Spiritual Laws", altar calls at the end of the church service, conversion tactics on the mission field or use of a certain bible translation. These methods are employed to do what we think Jesus wants us to do-to change the world.
The damage is fourfold: FIRST-If you think you must change the world, you will create an agenda for every person you approach. If a person is from a different religious persuasion, then your agenda is to talk them out of their religion and into yours. If a person believes in evolution, then your agenda is to argue with him about creation. If a person is doing something you want him to change, then your agenda is to figure out a way to change him. There are so many noble causes in our society that have become major agendas that get in the way of really changing the world-like fighting over the homosexual agenda or fighting abortion or fighting over family value issues or arguing over politics.

SECOND-If you think you must change the world, you believe you are "right" and disrespect all others from different backgrounds.

THIRD-If you think you must change the world, then you may not include the only one who can change those in your world of influence-Jesus.

FOURTH-If you think you must change the world, then you tend to think you are in charge of the results and actually making the changes happen.

To debunk this myth we need only observe the life and methodology of Jesus. Jesus always worked with the needs of the person He encountered. In other words, Jesus allowed the needs of the person to dictate His approach.
Therefore, Jesus never approached two people in the same way. His relationship with each person is so unique.

No matter what the need was that Jesus encountered, He was always the answer. There may be a physical or mental healing, but He, personally, was the solution to everyone's problem. I love the theoretical conversation that goes like this: Man: I have a problem; it's me! Jesus: I have the answer; it's Me!

Jesus doesn't want us to change the world. That's a myth. Jesus is the only one who is able to change a person's heart and therefore the only one who can change the world. All we can do is to introduce Jesus into the situation with the world around us. We must become convinced that our primary and only effective role is to advance the conversation of Jesus in our world.

Congressman Mark Siljander has summarized the approach he has used in international negotiations with some of the most difficult situations in our world. It is a strategy for introducing Jesus-the universal change-agent-into most any encounter. (Siljander's new book, A Deadly Misunderstanding which contains the essence of this approach.) The four phases of Siljander's approach are the following. First, he says if you want to see real change, it's important to begin with no agenda whatsoever. If you have an agenda, you will trigger a variety of defenses and will face major resistance. Don't approach someone with what's on your mind, but seek what's on his or her mind.

Secondly, he says if you want to see real change, you must incorporate unconditional love. When you show genuine love to someone, you will respect them and their differing positions they hold. You don't have to agree with them; just love them in the spirit and specificity of I Corinthians 13.

Thirdly, he says if you want to see real change, you must introduce Jesus without religious baggage. It's in the spirit of Jesus that you can truly love someone unconditionally. The power of Jesus' name introduces a dynamic into the equation that is immeasurable. At the name of Jesus, something good and supernatural happens.

Fourthly, he says if you want to see real change, you must count on the Spirit of Jesus to make the changes in the person's heart. In other words, you continue to get out of the way, once you've introduced Jesus, and watch Him work. Leave the results to Him.

This strategy works, not only in the toughest of international negotiations, but in your family, in your community and in your business. Jesus doesn't want us to change anyone anywhere. He wants us to touch people He brings to us with no agenda and unconditional love as we introduce Jesus into the mix and count on His Spirit to make the changes. You and I aren't going to change anybody, but Jesus can make that change in everyone you encounter in His time and in His way.

MYTH #16-Jesus can only be truly revealed through the Bible

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

As a kid, a minister told me that only the King James was genuinely effective in sharing the Good News of Jesus. He even shared with us that no matter what passage you share with others, the only passages to actually effect salvation were these. And then, he handed out a card with a series of King James passages and he made it clear that no other passages and no other version would "work". Later a joke we shared with one another while in graduate school was, "If the King James was good enough for Jesus, then it is good enough for me!" Naturally, the joke was that the King James was not even created until nearly 1600 years after Jesus.
This myth is a serious one of control. We just want to think that we own the only way to Jesus and that is our favorite version of the bible. The damage is twofold: FIRST-This myth can lead you into a position that you might shut the door of the Kingdom to those with whom God is working.

SECOND-This myth puts God in a box and will not allow Him to work in any other way than your particular version of the bible or the bible itself.

To debunk this myth I'd like to offer several examples. First-The only bible or scriptures available at the time of Jesus' ministry was the Hebrew Torah, historical books, the wisdom literature and the prophets. So, how was Jesus revealed?

Second-Jesus was revealed through the teachings of the Hebrew and Aramaic Scriptures. Remember, Jesus, after His resurrection, revealed Himself by sharing with the two disciples walking to Emmaus. He revealed Himself by explaining the portrait of the Messiah throughout the then known Scriptures.
In the 24th chapter of Luke, after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples. Let's listen in: He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. I long to revisit the Old Testament Scriptures with this in mind that I might see Jesus more clearly-that my mind by be opened for a fuller understanding.

Third-Jesus is revealed by your life of following Him. Jesus says in Matthew 5 that people can see God and respond positively to Him through your good works. He says, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Paul writes to the followers of Jesus in Corinth and challenges them with the same kind of thinking on how Jesus is seen: You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (II Corinthians 3)

Fourth-Jesus is revealed by fulfilling the Law and traditions. Jesus makes it clear that He has not come to abolish the Law in any way, but to fulfill it. This literally means to make it full or to fill it up. I envision the Law of Moses as an empty container with a certain structure to it and Jesus fills it full. He is the fulfillment of it! I believe Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of every religious structure that is filled with the various laws, values and dreams. Jesus can fill up any empty container in the same way.

 I heard this from a friend: All roads don't lead to Jesus, but Jesus leads to all roads. And, He fulfills every desire and longing within the hearts of every culture of the world. In Ecclesiastes 3 it says, He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. God has already set the longing for eternity in the heart of man.

Fifth-Jesus is revealed by the use of pagan and other religious writings as well as supernatural experiences. In Acts 17 Paul quotes a local poet who wrote for the religious ceremonies of worship for Zeus and Mollech, yet Paul uses it to reveal Jesus to the crowd in Athens. We are finding Jesus revealed in the ancient writings of the Muslim Koran, the Hindu Vedas, and within the early writings of Buddhism and the religious thinking of the Polynesian people regarding their Creator-God. People in some of the remote parts of the world are seeing Jesus in dreams and visions. Hey, I don't even pretend to understand it all, but I know people by the millions are coming into a personal relationship with Jesus and following Him.

Sixth-Jesus is revealed by the spoken word of God. This is not the logos word of God, but the rhema word of God. In Romans 10:17 it says, Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the spoken (rhema) word of God. Think about it! When the massive movement of Jesus in China multiplied into the millions without bibles, how was Jesus revealed? He was revealed by the spoken word of God about the Good News of Jesus. Even in the early movement of Jesus, He is primarily revealed by word of mouth-by the personal testimonies of those who had already encountered Him.

Seventh-Jesus is revealed by the two natural lights-conscience on the inside and creation on the outside. We see this in Romans 1: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. NOTE people tend to suppress the truth and that truth is known to mankind first by what God made evident within them. This might be called conscience or God-consciousness; these are the moral motions that are already in every person's heart-knowing what is right and wrong. God revealed this to us in our hearts.

God also made it evident to them to know about Him and His plan for them in the creation: For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

So, it's a myth that only the bible is the place that Jesus is revealed. The way I see it is that the Creator-God of the universe is relentless and will do whatever He can to reveal Jesus to everyone who has ears to hear and eyes to see. Are you listening and watching?

MYTH #14-God dwells in holy buildings today!

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

I have mentioned this myth before from a different angle. This myth is repeatedly taught in two ways. The first comes through the constant referrals about the auditorium within a church building, calling that large assembly room the sanctuary. The second way it is taught is the signage at most church campuses. You will find the term "sanctuary", pointing out where the church will assemble.
Essentially this myth is saying that when you go to your religious house of worship, God actually dwells there. The building is His sanctuary or dwelling place. In many Christian "sanctuaries" the actual place of dwelling is thought to be up at the altar. Therefore, congregants are encouraged to go forward to take communion, to meet the Lord in prayer, to receive salvation, to be healed or rededicate your life.

So, people today are expected to believe that God dwells in holy buildings-Churches, Mosques, Temples and Synagogues. But Jesus and a special teaching from Paul in Athens debunk this myth soundly.

FIRST-Jesus' conversation with the woman at the well debunks this myth (John 4): "Woman," Jesus replied, "believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus declared, "I, the one speaking to you-I am he." Jesus, the Christ-the Messiah, has shown up and if you will watch and listen, you will come to understand that Jesus has explained everything to us. Here with the woman at the well, Jesus has made it clear that certain holy locations like mountains or buildings will not be sufficient to be the dwelling place of God, because God dwells in the invisibility of spirit and truth.

SECOND-In Athens Paul speaks to a non-Jewish audience and explains the nature of God and where He doesn't dwell. This is recorded by Luke in Acts 17: While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean." (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
 
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship-and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
 
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
 
"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone-an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead." The God of heaven and earth cannot be limited to dwell in buildings or idols.

THIRD-Jesus' teachings debunk this myth, when He teaches about sending His Spirit to His disciples (John 14): "If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever-the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
 
Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home (our dwelling place) with them."

So, when you go into a holy building, that is not the dwelling place of God on earth today as it once was with the great Temple in Jerusalem. God, through the Spirit of Jesus, now dwells in you. You are the sanctuary of God-His dwelling place on earth. The challenge? To walk like it, talk like it and act like it.

MYTH #13-Jesus teaches hate for family members!

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

One of the most offensive attacks leveled at Christians and Christianity is this myth-"JESUS TEACHES HATE." Even Christian clergy and other Christians yield to this attack. When I was speaking at a major event for the Dalai Lama, there were several hundred clerics in attendance. When one of the American Buddhist committee members called me to ask if I would be willing to speak at this event, I quickly accepted. But before I did, this event organizer said they were looking for someone to represent Christianity and thought I would do a good job. I explained to him that I don't represent Christianity very well. He then said, "Well, what would you represent?" I said, "I am just a stubborn follower of Jesus."
Of the fourteen speakers on the platform, most were Buddhist, Muslim, a Hindu nun, a Jewish rabbi, a famous religion historian, two Christian clerics (an Episcopalian and a Catholic priest) and a follower of Jesus. What was so disappointing to me were the remarks made by the two Christian clerics. One disappointment was that neither of them even mentioned the name of Jesus-not once. The other was that one of them apologized in his speech to the other clerics for the teaching of hate in the New Testament and quoted what Jesus said in Luke 14: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, even life itself-such a person cannot be my disciple."

If Jesus is identified with this statement calling for hate in the sense we know hate, then the damage is great as people hear this and are considering this Jesus. Hate taught by Jesus makes Him no better than the ugly hate and condemnation of the many religious factions in our world. Christians certainly own that judgmental attitude in the USA.

For years I have taught this as a Hebrew idiom that is an expression of comparison. I have always said it means: "By comparison, your relationship with Jesus is so outstanding that all other relationships look like hate." That seemed to work for those who were listening, however something just didn't set well in my gut. I still didn't like the One Who is known for the greatest expressions of love ever being associated with that term, "hate".

Recently, I've been introduced to a concept I've completely overlooked. My friend, Congressman Mark Siljander, a student of many languages, has shown me through his studies in Aramaic what Jesus most likely said. You know, Jesus spoke in Aramaic and there is a written Aramaic version of the Gospels. In the Aramaic "hate" is not the word. What Jesus actually said was: "If anyone comes to me and does not set aside all other relationships, such a person cannot be my disciple." In other words, it's not "hate", but "set aside" that Jesus says. This is so much more pleasing and consistent with the loving Jesus I know. It makes more sense, yet still a very strong requirement for counting yourself as a disciple of Jesus. (By the way, Mark's book, A Deadly Misunderstanding, has been released and I heartily recommend it.)

Let's go through all three requirements Jesus offers to be a disciple. Luke 14 has the entire context. FIRST-This is the priority requirement. You must set aside all other relationships and make them subordinate to your relationship with Jesus. He must be the preeminent one-the priority of your life. Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not set aside father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, even life itself-such a person cannot be my disciple."
Note that there were lots of people following Jesus at this time-crowds! He wanted each of them to not just go along with the crowds, but to make Him the definite priority of their lives. He didn't say that if you don't do this, you cannot be my good disciple, but you cannot be my disciple at all.

SECOND-This is the perseverance requirement. You will follow after Jesus as your priority NO MATTER WHAT. Jesus says, "And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." No matter what happens, Jesus is number one for you. He uses the image of carrying your cross. The cross of Jesus was the greatest expression of sacrificial love ever. To be a disciple of Jesus you must carry your cross of sacrificial love with you wherever you go-persistently. That is one our primary reasons for being.

THIRD-This is the possessions requirement. Jesus says, "In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples." Jesus is not saying that you are to give over all your possessions, but to give them up. I see this as renouncing the ownership of all you have. You really don't own what you have. You are a manager or steward of what God has allowed you to collect. Jesus wants you to realize this and be willing to give up all you have for Jesus and the Kingdom.

It's even more than this. You are not just to give up everything you have, but all you are as well-your very existence. He owns it all-you and all of your stuff! It's learning to wear the cloak of materialism loosely and to live your life as one who is owned and directed by Jesus.

So, Jesus isn't into hate. He doesn't require you or want you to hate at all. That's a nasty and unfortunate myth. But Jesus does present some very tough requirements to be a disciple who is a follower of Him.

Jesus ends these requirements with a familiar saying of His. He says, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear." You might even say that the very first requirement Jesus is looking for before anything else is: ARE YOU INTERESTED-interested enough to listen-to have ears to hear and eyes to see? Are you interested?

MYTH #12-Jesus mostly taught about the Church!

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

It just seems to be a logical thing. If you've grown up in Church or outside of Church, you certainly would not be surprised at or balk at the statement, "Jesus mostly taught about the Church." But that statement is a myth; it is not a true statement. Jesus only mentioned the church three times in two passages. Matthew 16:18-And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 18:17-If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

The damage is threefold: FIRST-By believing this myth you will find yourself with an emphasis Jesus never intended or embraced. The term "church" is not a special, holy word. I was taught in my first Greek class that it was created as a highly charged, powerful term, meaning "called-out ones". It was presented to us as a spiritual term-a Christian term, but in actuality it wasn't. However, it was used for any gathering-a city council or gathering for any specific purpose.

SECOND-By believing this myth you might begin to believe that being a member of a Church and identifying with a Church are at the core of what is at the heart of Jesus.

Why do you think we emphasize the church & minimize the Kingdom? I think there is a sense that one or a few can control the organized Church, but only God is in control of the Kingdom. Also, the Church is visible and easier to relate to; the Kingdom is invisible and therefore difficult to get your arms around. Since the Kingdom is Jesus' major theme throughout His ministry and since we want to walk, think, love and talk like Jesus, then our theme is best viewed as JESUS and the KINGDOM.

The Kingdom is the rule of God on planet earth both personally and in community. The church is a simple gathering together in the name of Jesus. It is simply a gathering of followers of Jesus. This simple gathering of followers of Jesus on any day and at any location is a church. These gatherings revolve around four ingredients-fellowship, food, prayer and the apostles' teachings. The only one of these ingredients that might throw you a bit might be the apostles' teachings. We see this as what had been passed on through the early disciples about Jesus and the Kingdom. So, since the Kingdom is the rule and presence of God on planet earth, you could also think of it as wherever the King is, there is the Kingdom. The King and the Kingdom are inseparable. Therefore a good way to view the Kingdom is Christ-likeness universalized.

The Kingdom is universal and everywhere. The church is a local gathering of followers of Jesus who are seeking, sharing in and spreading the gospel of Jesus and the Kingdom. The church is not everywhere, but localized and limited to those who choose to gather together. The Kingdom is everywhere and unlimited in its impact on society. The Kingdom is not waiting for a local gathering to be established in order to have its effect. The Kingdom is already there in every country and in every culture.

By the way, this triggers a lot of implications on the prevalent thinking of "planting churches". The message of Jesus and the Kingdom is spreading like a mustard seed, starting as small little groups and growing. It's also spreading like leaven in a lump of dough, growing irreversibly in our world. Wherever you see Jesus and the Kingdom breaking out in a culture or neighborhood or group of people, get there as soon as possible and encourage them.

Our theme then is the theme of Jesus-it's the person of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Note this theme throughout the book of the Acts of Jesus.
1. In Acts 1, it says, After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. Jesus was concerned to present Himself to His disciples personally and then He spent these last few days teaching them about the Kingdom. He felt it was that important.

2. In Acts 8, Philip was teaching in the area of Samaria and it says, But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus the Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Note again, the theme is the name of Jesus and the Kingdom of God.

3. In Acts 28, when Paul was under house-arrest in rented quarters in Rome, many came to meet with him. Note what he felt was most important: He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. Later in the same chapter it says, For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus the Christ-with all boldness and without hindrance!

Note that none of these men-Jesus, Philip and Paul-felt it was important to teach anyone about the Church. It was all about Jesus and the Kingdom. So, why do we spend most of our time and energy discussing and teaching the many themes of the Church, when Jesus didn't? Why do we do that?