MYTH #22-JESUS SENT PAUL PRIMARILY TO THE GENTILES

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This myth is so common and is so easily debunked that it becomes a tester for whether or not we are really paying attention to the words of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel writings. How is it possible to have the words of Jesus clearly written, not requiring any linguistic or cultural interpretation, to be so misunderstood and mis-taught? Yet we are finding these kinds of myths all around us.

The greatest damage comes when those who are freshly searching out the teachings and principles of Jesus discover that the traditional teachings don't match up with what Jesus actually did and said. In fact, there is such an undercurrent of concern within Christianity right now over losing the youth. This has been called the last Christian generation and I think there is great reason for this concern. It's because of teaching and holding to the many man-made traditions and teachings that just cannot be established by a simple reading of the life of Jesus. What's lacking is authenticity. This is why we continue to work our way through the many myths that have developed over the years.

This myth has a couple of dimensions. The first dimension is the traditional division that says Peter was sent to the Jews and Paul was sent to the gentiles. That's even the way I was taught how to divide the book of Acts. Acts 1-8 was about Peter and 9-28 was all about Paul.

Again, we just pass on what we've heard and don't take the time to actually read what really happened. In chapter 9 of Acts Paul is on his way to Damascus and Jesus apprehends him there. Let's look in on it: As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."

But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

NOTE who Jesus describes as the focus for Saul's new mission for Jesus-the gentiles, their kings and the people of Israel. It is not just to the gentiles; it's wider than that. Also note what His responsibility is to be. Many miss this! Saul is to proclaim or carry the name of Jesus to the gentiles, their kings and the house of Israel. He is not to take a doctrinal system, but the name of Jesus.

The second dimension of this myth is that there was a Jewish man named Saul who became a Christian and his name was changed to Paul. I remember this being taught in Sunday school as a child. Saul, the Jew, became a Christian and now is called Paul, his Christian name. This simply is not true. Paul is called Saul 13 additional times in Acts. Saul is his name in Hebrew and he was known as Paul among the Romans and Greeks. There is no Christian conversion of a Jew to Christianity implied here at all.

Think about something with me. As I have spent many days in the Acts of Jesus I am seeing Paul in a little different way. In the classic sense of the word, Paul was what we call a Christian today-a follower of the Christ. He was devoted to the Christ-the Messiah, so much so that he was really ticked off with the people of the Way about their views of the Messiah. He was so devoted to the Christ that he was willing to persecute and stop all others who claimed to be followers of the Christ, especially those who disagreed with his view. So here is Paul, a Christian-a follower of the Christ, and as he was acting out his Christian beliefs, Jesus apprehended him on the road to Damascus. I love this! This is what has happened to me. After being educated beyond my intelligence in theology and Bible, Jesus apprehended my life and I hope I never recover from it.

Now, I am a stubborn follower of Jesus to proclaim or bear the name of Jesus in every way I can. Whereas I used to defend Christianity; now I all I want to do is advance the conversation about Jesus. How about you? What are you arguing about or advancing in your relationships?

MYTH #21-JESUS' MESSAGE IS SPREAD BEST BY TALKING

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This myth has become universal in its impact and yet more and more people are understanding its limitations. By believing that the best way to spread the Good News message of Jesus is by talking, you are very limited in your perspective and probably not that effective.

We have called this method of talking the Gospel-witnessing. Many classes and seminars have been given to help believers know how to talk more effectively and yet most people carry a lot of guilt because they are unable to get their mouths to work when it comes to witnessing.

The damage here is, at least, fourfold: FIRST-You limit yourself to getting people to hear your pastor or teacher. Getting people into the church service becomes the most important thing you can do to spread the message of Jesus.

SECOND-You become a preacher. It's been my experience that people don't respond well to you breaking out into preaching. If they wanted to hear you preach, they would ask you to start a church.

THIRD-You become deductive-telling others what and how to believe. This takes away from the heart of the Good News. The Good News message is entirely relational. But if you think talking is the best way to spread the message, you will be spreading a system of beliefs rather than a simple and dynamic relationship with Jesus.

FOURTH-You tend to think in terms of finding out what the best argument is for a given group or flavor of people, so you can approach them more effectively. This focuses you on what your differences are with those who are not your particular flavor and not what you might have in common.

To debunk this myth I want to share only from the words of Jesus as to how to spread His message. The four ways Jesus teaches may not be exhaustive, but they are powerful.

FIRST-Jesus says that your lifestyle will be a light to those who are looking on. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16) NOTE the message of Jesus will be spread through your lifestyle of good works and people will notice in a positive way. Also, note that there is no talking here emphasized.

SECOND-Jesus says that your love for one another will spread His message. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35) Note there is no talking emphasized here either.

THIRD-Jesus reveals another way that will have a most definite impact in the world that demonstrates the heart of Jesus. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25) Here the sacrificial love message of Jesus is spread by being aware of Jesus' heart and that Jesus can be found in those in need in our world-the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick, and those in prison. Jesus also spoke directly to those who didn't notice Jesus in the midst of the needy. "He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' When we are aware of the poor and needy around us, we are demonstrating the heart of Jesus in our world. Jesus always sought them out and so should we. And when we do, the attractiveness of the sacrificial love of Jesus shines through. Again, there is no talking here.

FOURTH-Jesus sends His twelve disciples out on a mission. Note what He sends them to do: Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.

Jesus goes on to say that there will be certain divine appointments that they are going to have and doesn't want them to worry about what they will say. He says, "Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."

FINALLY, Jesus encourages them to say something. He says three things about talking. 1. He will give His disciples authority and power to go spread the message. 2. He gave them the primary theme of their message. It was the message of the presence of the Kingdom. 3. Don't worry about what you will say when you are in a divine appointment, because Jesus promises you that you will be given the appropriate things to say.

So, quit talking so much and start embracing Jesus as a lifestyle, learn how to love one another and take on the heart of Jesus for those in need, then He will give you what to say when you need it. St. Francis of Assisi put this myth in perspective with his famous statement: "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words."

MYTH #20-JESUS TAKES A STAND AGAINST SINNERS

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This can be a subtle, deceptive myth. It's popular within much of Christianity to "take a stand" against sin and sinners. Therefore Christianity is known for its stands-political stands, values stands, stands against homosexuality, against same-sex marriage, against abortion and on and on and on.

There are three damages here: FIRST-When your emphasis is to "take a stand against" something or someone, you become known for your gloom and doom attitude and turn off those who are looking on.

SECOND-Even though you may have great intentions to fight against corruption, you will find yourself standing against the same people you want to share the good news with. It's very difficult to have it both ways, as we've discussed in an earlier myth.

THIRD-The greatest damage is that by following this myth, you will most certainly miss the example of Jesus and His Good News message.

To debunk this myth I want to share a few observations. FIRST-Jesus didn't take a stand against sinners. There were two kinds of people in the days of Jesus-the religious and the sinners. Jesus didn't seem to have any difficulty with the sinners at all, but His constant struggles and battles were against the religious.

SECOND-Jesus didn't take a stand against sinners; He stood side by side with them.

THIRD-Jesus didn't take a stand against sinners; He even sought them out to hang out with them.

Let's check out a few illustrations of Jesus standing side by side and even hanging out with sinners. When Matthew, a tax-collector, was called by Jesus, there is an interesting scene at dinner in Mark 2: Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

In Matthew 11:19 it is recorded: The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' That's how He was identified with respect to sinners-as their friend.

In Luke 7 Jesus has another interesting encounter with sinners: When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is-that she is a sinner." Jesus allowing sinners to be near Him and touch Him really stirred up the religious leaders.

Then in Luke 15: Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." And again Luke records in chapter 19: All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner."

Jesus didn't stand against sinners, so why should we? Jesus identified with them, loved them and sought them out, so why don't we? Jesus went to the sinners instead of inviting them to come to an event He was leading. This is precisely where I believe we have gone wrong for so many years. We seem to think the most effective way to reach out to people in need of God is to invite them to come to us rather than going to them. By the way, the early Jesus movement did not grow through promoting large events and building large facilities, inviting the world to come and join them. The spontaneous expansion of the church of Jesus spread by contagious followers of Jesus touching other individuals and families with the Good News of the love of Jesus.

One more thing is important here. The modern day Jesus movement is spreading spontaneously and massively throughout the world by taking Jesus into the marketplace. The Jesus movement is all about standing with the sinners-the non-religious-hanging out with them in their world. It's not about standing against the sinners and pointing them out, but about standing with them and pointing them to Jesus.

MYTH #19-'JESUS PLUS NOTHING' IS SIMPLER AND EASIER TO LIVE

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My favorite verse that Paul penned is in the second letter he wrote to the followers of Jesus in the city of Corinth. He said, "I am afraid as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, that your minds might be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to the Christ."

Over the last 6 years we have come to understand what it means to embrace the message of "Jesus plus nothing". To embrace this is to embark on a diligent process of removing the man-made add-ons that have been attached to Jesus. When you start out in this process, it is easy to get caught up in the simplicity and purity of devotion to Jesus. At first, it's easy to drop off many of these add-ons. I mean, many of them are so obviously in the way and a distraction from Jesus.

Here's where the myth emerges. I hear it more often than I'd like. I hear people say: "I've never found anything so easy in all my life. It's easy to follow Jesus." This is it! If you feel this way, then I'm not sure you quite "get it" yet. On a certain level, this might be understandable in that you don't have to stuff your mind and life with all of the legalistic add-on stuff. But there is a myth here just the same.

I am returning to the decision I made when Jesus apprehended my life in a fresh way a few years ago. I said then and mean it more today: "I'm trying to do the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life-to follow the teachings and principles of Jesus."

"Jesus plus nothing" is simple and easy to understand, however living this kind of lifestyle is not so simple and easy. This is clearly seen in a few of the interactions with Jesus. It's much easier to just operate your life with a checklist, and then check them off as you do them. "Jesus plus nothing" is not a system of do's and don'ts-a system of beliefs or a checklist. It's a relationship-a day-in-day-out relationship with Jesus.

One of these interactions with Jesus is found in the Gospel of John (John 6): Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

So they asked him, "What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." "Sir," they said, "always give us this bread." Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which people may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God."

Here you have a very difficult time among the many disciples. When Jesus made Himself out to be the bread of life-the new manna in town, He invited them into a personal, intimate relationship with Him. It's like eating of the bread-taking me into your lives in such a way that you ingest me. Because of this difficult challenge by Jesus to come into a dynamic relationship with Him and learn to trust Him, many left Him.

Where did they go? I think they went back to the simple and easy life of going to Synagogue each week and dropped out of the Jesus movement. It was just too difficult to struggle through cultivating a relationship with Jesus.

It's the same today. The "Jesus plus nothing" lifestyle is not simpler and easier. If you believe that, you are mything out! I am committed to being a stubborn follower of Jesus and this is the most difficult thing I've ever tried to do in my life. The internal struggles are tough, but so worth it. How do you do the works of God? Get caught up into obeying, waiting and trusting Jesus for everything, then you'll have the satisfaction of doing the work of God.

MYTH #18-JESUS WANTS YOU TO BE HOOOLY

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Now before you get too upset with me and this myth, it's not so much how it is spelled, but how it is said: HOOOLY has a super-spiritual connotation to it. But Jesus doesn't want you to be a super-saint or a super-spiritual person. That's a myth.

The damage is threefold: FIRST-To be HOOOLY sets up a level of spirituality that is unattainable and intimidating.

SECOND-To be HOOOLY sets up a 1st class Christianity versus those who are 2nd class or coach. Talk about shutting the door of the Kingdom on people!

THIRD-To be HOOOLY is to operate under a gross misunderstanding of what "holy" really means. It's usually half-understood. Literally, "holy" means to be separated unto God for His mission. However, where I grew up to be "holy" was shortened to mean "be separated". The way it was applied to me was that we are to be separated-different-from the rest of the world. It was definitely a "We four and no more kind of lifestyle!" We were an established holy huddle in our community. We were different because we didn't do certain things-attend movies, drink any alcohol, dance or even skate to secular music. We were different all right and successfully turned people away from the attractive, irresistible Jesus.

To be HOOOLY is just the opposite of what Jesus intended. He mostly used the term "holy" to describe the Holy Spirit, holy angels, and the Holy Place-the Temple. As I said earlier the term "holy" means to be separated or set apart unto God for His mission. The Spirit is holy. The angels are holy. Even the Temple was holy-separated unto God for His mission.

Jesus was most upset and angry with those who continually acted HOOOLY and missed out on true holiness. He rebuked those super-spiritual, nit-picker, hair-splitting, feather-plucking, hyper-critical leaders who set themselves up as the religious examples of righteousness. They majored in the minors and minored in the majors. They professed righteousness without possessing it and they did it by carefully following their traditions, man-made commandments and religious causes. This kept them set apart and separated from the rest of the world. As they worked hard to keep the 613 laws-248 commandments and 365 prohibitions-they just kept drawing the condemnation of men on the righteous acts before God.

The Scriptures taught holiness, but the meaning of it was not to just be set apart and be different, gathering yourselves into a holy huddle.

In the Hebrew Scriptures it is clear that God wants those who claim to be related to Him to be holy. In Leviticus 11:44-45 it says: I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. Later in Leviticus 20:26 it says: You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. Paul and Peter in the New Testament speak of being "called to be holy" and "make every effort to live in peace with all men and be holy". Peter says in his first letter: But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.

Even though Jesus doesn't command His followers to be holy, in the spirit of what is understood by the references in Leviticus and by the few references to be holy by a few of Jesus' disciples, Jesus does actually teach holiness-to be set apart unto God for His mission. I think Jesus is all about teaching those who want to be His disciples how to be holy. He does this by His two most revolutionary words: FOLLOW ME! In contrast to the super-spiritual community of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, Jesus invited the people who were interested in following Him to: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Do you see it? They were into being HOOOLY and were actually a holy huddle who missed out on the second part of the definition of holiness-to be separated unto God for His mission. To be holy is to be set apart for God's use and purposes. Jesus invites us to follow Him-to be aligned with Him in such a way that we are on the mission He has planned for us-to walk, talk, think and love like Jesus.

Jesus puts it in a simple way when He says, "If you hear my words and practice them, you will be like a wise man who builds his house on a rock and no matter what beats against your house, it will stand firm."

Jesus doesn't want us to be HOOOLY, but holy-set apart to follow Him.

MYTH #17-JESUS WANTS US TO CHANGE THE WORLD

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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, is to be released on October 7th, 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 TRULY BE REVEALED THROUGH THE BIBLE

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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 #15-"GOING TO CHURCH" IS JESUS' IDEA

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This myth flows out of the last one-GOD DWELLS IN HOLY BUILDINGS TODAY. The myth here lies in the terminology of "going to church". This was never the intent of the Jesus movement. If God truly is dwelling in a building where the organized Church gathers, then we must get over there right away.

The myth emerges out of a frequently quoted passage in Hebrews (10:25): and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. This has become the Christian mantra for making sure everyone goes to Church whenever the doors are open.

Years ago there was a man on my staff who wanted to have each of our fellowship fill out a card to register their attendance and then call those who didn't show up to sort of discipline them toward getting their act together to not miss church any more. There is definitely something to staying in communication with those in your fellowship in a personal sort of way, but not to badger them to get into line to go to church.

The damage of this myth is threefold: FIRST-The idea of going to church limits God and His presence to a location.

SECOND-The idea of going to church misses the concept and practice of the presence of the Kingdom.

THIRD-The idea of going to church leads to building monuments rather than joining a movement.

I want to debunk this myth in the following ways: FIRST-The myth distracts you away from the most miraculous thing that has ever happened to mankind-GOD DWELLS IN YOU. So, your walk with Jesus and with others is not that you are to "go to church", but to be the church of Jesus. The Kingdom-the presence of the King-is already among you all, therefore practice it-live it out in your life-live out the King's presence in your life together. You are the church of Jesus as you gather together anywhere in His name.

SECOND-Going to church as a location rather than a movement takes away the active, revolutionary nature of what Jesus intended for those who gather in His name. In Matthew 16 Jesus makes an incredible declaration. He says, "I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it or prevail against it." This sounds like the gates of Hades will not be able to bring it down. Now, if Jesus is talking about a church location or local organization, then He was mistaken. You see, many churches are brought down, defeated and closed down every week in the USA. The Message by Eugene Peterson nails the meaning of this passage and captures the essence of the original word "overcome" when it says, "This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out."

Do the see the difference? It is not that the gates of Hades will be powerful enough to overcome the church, but that the gates of Hades will not be able to withstand or keep it out or stop the powerful thrust and energy of the Jesus movement. The powerful thrust of the church of Jesus gathering together as a movement is due to spiritual transformation through the power of Jesus in each follower's life. This is why the church cannot be viewed as a distribution center for religious aspirin and other consumer goods. The church of Jesus cannot become a place where people only go to baptisms, marriages and funerals-only to be hatched, matched and dispatched.

We live in the age of the hungry spirit. We may not be a human being having a spiritual experience, but a spiritual being having a human experience. People are searching for authenticity. Jesus is the authentic way, truth and the life. Following Jesus is not a belief system; it's all about a Person and how to follow Him. What is needed is a spiritual revolution-a revolution that gets us back to the simplicity and purity of devotion to Jesus. The 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 or the discussions around the teachings of Jesus and the Kingdom.

So if we who are followers of Jesus are the church of Jesus-the gathering of Jesus, and it isn't about "going to church" but "being the church", what does Jesus want us to do with the organized Church today? Reading through the 5 gospels (Matthew-Mark-Luke-John-Acts) it is clear what Jesus and the disciples did with the "organized Church". Let's view the synagogue as the organized Church. There are three observations that seem most relevant to us:

1. You don't find Jesus or the disciples bashing the Synagogue (Church). 2. You don't find Jesus or the disciples starting new Synagogues (Churches), because of inadequate teaching or worship. 3. You find Jesus and the disciples using the Synagogues (Churches) to worship together, to enjoy the reading of the word and then orbiting around them.

Several years ago I read a book, ORBITING THE GIANT HAIRBALL, A Corporate Fool's Guide To Surviving With Grace by Gordon MacKenzie. MacKenzie worked at Hallmark Greeting Cards for 30 years in the creative department. He found that he was unable to be very creative, if he had to spend his time in corporate meetings. So he learned to orbit around the corporate bureaucracy and not be entangled in it, freeing him to create. He also makes it clear that the hairball was absolutely necessary. Without it there was nothing to power the orbit and the hairball paid the bills.

This is exactly what the early fellowships of Jesus did. They participated in the Synagogue, yet they were in orbit around their Synagogue, their communities and around the marketplace. They went to Synagogue (Church) every Sabbath, yet they were there for a higher purpose-a Kingdom purpose. They were there to introduce more and more people to the preeminence of Jesus. When interest was expressed, they invited them to eat together and practice the presence of the Kingdom.

Many of the mega Churches today realize how important it is to move their members into a smaller gathering, so they put a lot of energy into small groups. Some of these small groups practice the preeminence of Jesus and the presence of the Kingdom and some don't. If the groups gather in the name of Jesus and become more like family, Jesus shows up and great things happen. Small groups that are study groups tend to learn about Jesus and not get to know Him and His Kingdom community sitting around the room.

Here's the bottom-line. Don't spend your time, treasure and energies building the church; that's Jesus job. He said He will build His church. Don't build the church or go to church, revolving your life around a monument. That monument may someday be empty as the cathedrals of Europe. BE THE CHURCH OF JESUS! Now that's a powerful movement that cannot be stopped and will always be filled with the love and power of Jesus and His Kingdom.

MYTH #14-GOD DWELLS IN HOLD BUILDINGS TODAY

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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

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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

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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?

MYTH #11-YOU CAN FIND ETERNAL LIFE IN THE SCRIPTURES

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From the very beginning there was a human tendency to organize, identify and label the early movement of Jesus' followers. These followers were called the "people of the Way" and "Christians". Later on, the followers of Jesus were organized around the early leadership-elders, bishops and priests. The bishops and the priests were the educated ones and when the Church was organized under Constantine, the priestly hierarchy prevailed.

These hierarchies of priests were naturally placed in positions of authority, because they were the only ones who knew and who could discuss the scriptures. The hierarchy was so highly developed that the position of the Pope emerged as the highest of all authorities. When the Reformation occurred, Luther challenged this system of authority by raising up the scriptures as the ultimate authority, even higher than the religious hierarchy.

But, in my opinion, the Reformation didn't go far enough. The Reformation movement was monumental, but didn't go far enough. The Pope was replaced by the Scriptures and put into the hands of many little popes in authority. In other words, the hierarchy remained in place, though altered a bit and the Scriptures became the ultimate authority.

At that point we re-entered the same perspective and stance of the Pharisees of Jesus' time. They were deeply into the study and memorization of Scripture. Even today, the modern-day Pharisees spend their lives studying the Scriptures.

Within Christianity the Scriptures were first authoritative, then infallible and then they were viewed as inerrant. Each time the Scriptures were being lifted up to a higher and still higher level of authority. The myth here is that the authority and power of the Scriptures can somehow bring a person into eternal life. I believe the Scriptures are highly important and God-breathed, therefore I diligently study them. But there is a great difference in how I see the Scriptures, since Jesus apprehended my life several years ago in a fresh way. The Scriptures are no longer my measuring stick, but Jesus is. Now, I know this is very difficult for many to handle, because we want to have everything written down in order to have something tangible to rely upon. But maybe you have gone a little too far in lifting up the Scriptures to a higher level than Jesus ever intended. Hear me out.

The damage that emerges out of this myth is threefold: FIRST-The Scriptures are so highly lifted up that there is a tendency to worship the written Word of God. This is called Bibliolatry. I just heard of a pastor who made the inerrant word of God (in the way he interpreted it) the primary rule of his church and that "doctrine will lead our church experience" he says. That's just wrong! The written word is not the head of the body of the church of Jesus-Jesus is.

SECOND-When you lift up the Scriptures too high, you tend to believe that the right understanding of Scriptures is most important for a person's eternal future. Without the right understanding of the Scriptures you may be left behind at the end of time. This has proven to be the most divisive methodology ever-I'm right and you're wrong. And, this divisiveness is most ugly and does not traffic in the love of Jesus.

THIRD-When you lift up the Scriptures too high, you tend to think that our youth today who are leaving Christianity can be won back by teaching them the Scriptures in a more effective way. It's teaching, teaching, teaching more of the right doctrine.

FOURTH-When you lift up the Scriptures too high, you tend to miss the only way to possess eternal life-the person of Jesus. The tendency is to equate the Gospel with a set of beliefs or a system of doctrines and to miss out on the dynamic of a personal, faith, followship kind of relationship with Jesus.

To debunk this myth, I want to use the exact words of Jesus as He addressed the Pharisees on this subject. In John 5:39, Jesus says, "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." This is why Paul explains how faith comes to us. He says, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the spoken word of Christ." Faith comes not by studying and memorizing bible texts, but only to those who seek after Jesus and listen to what He says.

The Scriptures cannot give you eternal life-not at all! The study of the Scriptures is important, but only as they give you Jesus. By the way, the Scriptures Jesus was referring to here are the only Scriptures that they had at that time-the Old Testament. Luke relates the story of Jesus walking with a couple of disciples after the resurrection on the road to Emmaus: And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. And later Luke says, Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

Remember, in the 1st chapter of the Gospel of John: In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. It doesn't say "IT was in the beginning with God, but HE-JESUS-was in the beginning with God." Then, a few verses later, John says, "And He (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us."

Searching for eternal life in the Scriptures will prove to be futile. Yet, many find it easier than seeking after Jesus personally. It's so much easier to follow a list of do's and don'ts; it's very difficult to relate to Jesus.

It's all about Jesus-always was, is and always will be. The Good News or the Gospel is Jesus. The Kingdom is Jesus. And, only Jesus can give you eternal life. In fact, Jesus is eternal life. Follow Jesus and you can enjoy that life beginning right now.