FAIRNESS vs. GRACE ---- We win!

Matthew 20:1-16  is titled, in my Bible, "The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard."   I think it should be called something like, "The Parable of the Gracious Landowner."   As Caz pointed out Sunday, to the workers the issue was fairness:  when the guys who had only worked part of the day got paid the same as the ones that started in the morning, the ones who had worked all day cried "foul"--  "They began to grumble against the landowner."   But the landowner (who represents the Kingdom of heaven-- the "world as it should be") was demonstrating GRACE.

GRACE is a concept that's pretty foreign to this world's system.  Some people are even offended by it-- they think it means someone is "getting away with something"-- or getting something they don't deserve.  And actually, that is the whole point of grace:   we all are "eligible"  to receive something we don't deserve.   The Father-God is willing to let us "get away with" not paying for our sins... His Son took care of that for us. 

 Interestingly, children are especially concerned about fairness.  That's why grade-school kids love board games:  there are rules, and if you follow the rules, you might win.  But not  following the rules is "not fair!"  It seems like a lot of adults are stuck at this child-level of maturity-- more concerned about their perceived idea of "fairness" than about grace.  I have to admit, grace is messy-- it gets doled out to everyone, whether we think that person deserves it or not.  Because I tend to be naturally a little rigid and judgmental in my thinking, I've often struggled with the "unfairness" of what someone else seemed to be getting away with.   That's not fair....

But what I've discovered for myself is that there is a deeper issue behind this need for "fairness."  And that is...  fear.  I think people (like me) who have stubbornly held onto their need for fairness are fear-based.  And a fear-based system is founded on the belief that there is only so much to go around:  Only so many fudge brownies.   Only so much love.   Only so much freedom.  And if you get 55%, then there's only 45% left for me...  and that's not fair!  I need all I can get!  (of whatever it is.)  In this parable, Jesus was trying to show that in God's world, in the Kingdom of Heaven, there is plenty to go around.   No one gets left out.   No one gets shorted.   And.... no one gets what they "deserve"--    we all get a lot more!   There is more love, and grace, and freedom waiting for us all than we can probably imagine.  So... let go of your need for "fairness"... and step into the Kingdom world of extravagant GRACE.

~Papa Rick  (aka Beth's Dad)

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Follow, Believe and Obey

I enjoyed getting to hear from Jimmy Cazin (I hope that is the correct spelling) last week. He talked about how Jesus invited others to follow Him. With his disciples, he did not tell them to get their act together first.  Our church needs to be a place for people who are ready to follow Jesus. I think we would all be uncomfortable if someone walked into the service reeking of alcohol or seeming somehow unchurchy. A generation ago people went to church because it was what you did, whether you really believed or not. That doesn’t happen now.  So anyone who walks in is willing to be there, and we need to be ready to love that person without reservation. Because that’s how Jesus loves us.

            Pastor Cazin said that the next step after following is believing, and that the last step is obeying. Pastor Cazin pointed out that believing is easy, because it doesn’t require any change. Obeying is what turns the world upside down. The early Christians radically changed their world. They overthrew the government and changed society. They were not afraid of death. What could we do if we were not afraid? What could we do if we didn’t stay in the warm fuzziness of belief and Sunday morning worship?   

            Let’s Go!

Beth

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Guest blog: Kristin Messegee

I was not raised in the church. My conversion was later in life and the hows and whys of that still don't fully make sense to me. Even though I've experienced true grace and forgiveness, I'm still a doubter, questioner and stubborn follower. One of my biggest issues as a new convert was the idea that "apart from God we can do nothing", or something like that. You hear things like that in Christian circles. It drove me NUTS. We are created in His image, right? People, even non-Christians, GASP, do great things for other people every day, so what was this NONSENSE?! I found it very offensive. Over time, however, I came to understand statements like that is in two ways:

1) Compared to what God can do, even our best is pretty insignificant. Compared to what He's capable of, we are capable of nothing. Even if we give every single day our very best, it's not much compared to creating the heavens and earth and little things like that. 

2) When we PARTNER with God or bring Him into our lives, that is where the real magic can happen. Things we cannot achieve or bring about alone, we can when He is involved. Not that we get to control that or know what it's going to look like.  

Caz's sermon last Sunday reminded me of that gap between what I can do and what He can do. It reminded me of the power of grace and forgiveness and whereas I struggle with those things, it's given freely to me...no matter what I do. The way I love is human. The way he loves is divine. If I'm honest, I can't truly take that in, but because I choose to walk with Him I've seen it and felt it in my own life. I'm grateful for glimpses and reminders that His love is perfect and beyond my comprehension. As I grow, I'm learning to rest in that...at least occasionally. 

Kristin

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FATHER'S DAY & RECONCILIATION

FATHER'S DAY:  What a great day to talk about reconciliation!  Our relationship with our fathers is probably the most significant relationship we will have, at least in terms of early influence, molding and shaping personality.   A father's influence (for good or bad) is huge.   And when there's a rift in that relationship, it can be huge.  And painful.  Fortunately for us, we have a Father-God who values relationships, understands pain and separation from His children, and has the answer to reconciliation at the deepest level.

This was a really special Father's Day for me, because for the first time in a long time I got to celebrate it with my daughter Beth (and as a bonus, I got to hold my new granddaughter Emma during worship!)    During the service, I was thanking God that there is no rift existing between me and either of my children.  I am really, really blessed that way.  I also thought about my own father, who died several years ago.  We had a difficult relationship, but at the end of his life, God gave us an opportunity for reconciliation.    We reached that reconciliation because (1) God gave me the grace to offer forgiveness to my dad, and (2)  God gave me the courage to make the first move.  (Something I seem to remember Caz talking about....)

Caz said something Sunday that I thought was really important:  to achieve reconciliation in a relationship, you need to first reconcile any rifts in your relationship with God, and then approach reconciliation with the other person.  He mentioned that the order of doing that is important.  That makes a lot of sense to me.  In my life, it's only been because of my relationship with God, the perfect Father, that I had the grace and love in my heart to reach out to others who had hurt me.  That order is also important because, as you probably know, attempts at reconciliation don't always work.  You can do everything "right" and still not be received well by the other person.  Once again, we have to remind ourselves that our only responsibility in such cases is to be obedient to what God has asked us to do, and then leave the results up to Him.   Otherwise, we may hold on to hurt and resentment, which has terrible consequences on our life  Don't think that person deserves your forgiveness?  Or that that hurt is too big to let go of?  Consider this thought that I read recently:

The only One who is absolutely pure, who has the absolute right not to forgive, chose to forgive you.   

God desires restoration and reconciliation-- and letting go of any bitterness you might have in your  heart towards another person--- because He wants what's best for you.   And because He is the one perfect Father, we can trust Him to be everything we need to fill in the gaps left in our lives by others.

Pastor Rick

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there's no feelings in a flood!

Relationship Rifts Part 2

I love how Caz’s sermons are always so focused on what our real life is like, and this series is no exception. His explanation of different traits and how they manifest themselves hit home.  That very day I saw some of the traits come out in Ben, and some in myself. For those that weren’t there, Caz described how there was a flood in the house (I’m not sure if it was real or hypothetical) and he was giving directions and Camie said “Can you say please?” Caz described his surprise and said “There’s no feelings in a flood!”

            What a clear picture of the differences between people. How much stronger would our relationships be if we had a better understanding of others, and their strengths? There are always floods, and there are always feelings. There is a time to just grab towels or an oar and not ask questions. And of course there are always feelings, despite the inconvenience. If feelings are bulldozed, there is a slow leak that can over time lead to a flood much harder to escape.

            I encourage everyone to review Romans 12 and think of it in light of our own strengths as individuals. It is freeing to realize that we don’t need to try to be someone we are not.  And even when it causes conflict, it is good to realize when we are drawn to someone with strengths we do not have. Romans 12 offers such a comprehensive approach for dealing with conflict, and how to keep ourselves in check.  Caz talked about how we need to try to get revenge. I think this applies to not just really obvious measures like gossip or deflating someone’s tire. But how tempting is it to get revenge by sulking and pointing out when we are right? How does this strengthen a relationship? It is so incredibly hard to let go of the need to be right. Who are we to even the score? We so easily forget our own sins. God has given us so much grace. Let’s give grace to each other as we navigate our relationships and our lives.

Beth Kropf

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Healing relationship rifts

HEALING RELATIONSHIP RIFTS

CONFLICT is something I think most of us like to avoid.  I do.  Especially when I come home-- I want everything quiet and peaceful and serene.  And for the most part, it is-- I'm blessed in that way.   But there are still conflicts to face.  I'm always finding people that don't understand that it's all about me...  so we have conflict.

Seriously, isn't most conflict between people because one of you isn't getting what you want?  Or because you need to be right and win the argument?    And when you became a believer, did all of that stuff go away?  Maybe not as much as you thought it would.  As Caz pointed out Sunday, conflict is real and sometimes unavoidable.  If you believe that conflict among Christians can be avoided, you need to go back and start reading the New Testament more carefully.  There was a lot of conflict in the early Church.  And of course, Jesus was often in conflict with the religious authorities of his time.  So since we can't avoid conflict, we need to figure out how to handle it in a way that both honors God, and brings out the best in ourselves so that we can be the person we want to be.   One of my goals in handling a situation the way I think Jesus would want me to is that I know that's how I'll feel best about myself.   I never want my anger to make me act like someone I don't like.    Caz mentioned a couple of really good, simple guidelines in dealing with conflict that bear repeating:

1.  Handle conflict directly.  That's the biblical model.  It's also what works best.  Think how often situations have escalated (in a family or a work environment)  because the person feeling wronged or wounded talked to everyone except the person they feel wronged by.  Go to the person and explain how you feel about what happened-- not what they did wrong.  Give them a chance to talk about what they feel and how they saw the situation.

2.  Give up your need to be right.   This is key.  Especially in marriage!   I can be pretty stubborn sometimes.  I think if I keep talking, I can convince someone that I'm right.  I've had to learn to ask myself:  What do you really want-- to be right?  or to heal the relationship?   When we realize that our standing with Jesus is based entirely on GRACE, that we live continually in grace and love, it should help us let go of our need to be right.   

And if you don't need to be right, it'll be easier for you to take the other step that Caz mentioned:  to be the one to make the first move towards healing.  Jesus made the first move towards you.  Let's try acting more like Him the next time conflict comes up.

Pastor Rick

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PSALM 73:  "IF I'M DOING THE RIGHT THING, HOW COME I'M NOT WINNING?"

Psalm 73 is really interesting. As usual, the writer is really honest about where he's at:

 "But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold."  

And then he goes on to explain how he got off-course:  he started looking at people around him who weren't even trying to be righteous or godly, and he didn't seem to be ahead.   I think we've all been there:  We're doing our best to be obedient to God's plan, and everything seems like a struggle, while meanwhile... people who don't give a rip about God seem to be doing just fine.  It's easy to want to say, "Hey!  What's wrong with this picture?"

Caz mentioned that there are two ways we can get off-track:  either with distorted truths (the most effective lies have an element of truth in them); or false promises.  When I think of a distorted truth, I think of what happens when our faith in God becomes a RELIGION.  Because religion is all about following the rules (and getting rewarded for it), and when that doesn't happen, then we get bitter and resentful.  "For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." 

False promises are just what they sound like: it's when the enemy tries to get us to believe a lie.  In my life, those lies have come down to variations of three themes:

          "God is not enough to meet your needs"

          "God cannot be trusted"

          "God doesn't like you anymore (you've messed up too many times.")

It can be helpful to recognize which kind of lie you're most susceptible to.  For me, it's usually a variation of the third one:  I've made too many mistakes, and God's not happy with me anymore, and I can't get it right (so give up.)  When that happens, I need to go back to the Father and admit to Him that I've been taken in by a lie and ask Him to set me straight.  Bill Johnson says in his book, Experience the Impossible, that "repentance is seeing from God's perspective... Either I see from God's perspective, or I need to repent."  

Before he had gotten to the end of his song, the psalmist had repented of his messed-up thinking and had plugged back into the truth:

 "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion 

  forever."

And just as Jesus told us, the TRUTH will set us free.  Believe God.  He loves you.  Be free.

~Pastor Rick

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