eTidings July 2009

HOW TO FIND PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE IN YOUR LIFE

A LADDER TOWARD SIGNIFICANCE
(Continued from June 2009)
Read John 3:1-18

STEP FOUR – I BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND REALITY

How can I find purpose and significance if I don't understand the reality of life? In the desert country in which I grew up there was a physical phenomenon of illusion called a mirage. The mirage is an illusion that seems to indicate a source of water in the distance. As one comes closer to the "water," the "water" disappears. This phenomenon is caused by a combination of the surface temperature of the earth, the quantity and intensity of solar rays, and the angle of the reflection of the light rays. Many desert travelers have been fooled into traveling toward these illusions of life saving water until they have worn themselves out moving toward a false reality. However, when one knows the mirage is an illusion, it ceases to have an attraction to us. We seek, rather, the reality of actual sources of water.

Nicodemus represents for us the seeker of the mirage. He sought wealth, but wealth was an illusion that could not provide life, purpose, or significance. He sought prestige, but prestige could not supply life saving sustenance. He sought positions of religious leadership, but found an emptiness that could not satisfy the longing of his life. He sought eternal life from Jesus, but did not understand the words of the teacher, "You must be born again."

So Jesus explained further. "You are Israel's teacher and yet you do not understand these things. If you cannot believe about earthly things, how will you believe in heavenly things?" Jesus was saying to Nicodemus that all he had sought and all in which he had place his faith was a mirage, and he was telling him that it is time to come to the reality of the heavenly, the spiritual, the God things in life. Jesus was saying to Nicodemus just as he says to us, life in Jesus Christ is the only reality of the earth. Jesus Christ is reality.

He tells us this because we must begin to understand that a life of purpose and significance is a life of personal fellowship with a person, the man, Jesus Christ. The Christian's life is not adherence to a creed. It is an alliance with a person, Jesus Christ, who gave his life to free us from sin, misdirection, and insignificance. He came to provide abundant life and eternal life, a life of perfect reality through his shed blood. Jesus Christ is no mirage, no illusion. Jesus Christ is the only reality of life.

STEP FIVE – I BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND BELIEF

The people in the desert wilderness had disobeyed God. They disregarded his clear command to worship no other gods, and had in the temporary absence of their spiritual guide and leader, built an idol of gold. While their leader had gone to the mountain to receive the word of the Lord, the people grew weary of waiting. They grumbled against the leader and against God. They talked the second in command into making a god of gold. They fashioned molten gold into the shape of a calf and worshiped it in a dance of wanton sexual perversion. When the leader came down from the mountain with the Law of God, he found the people of God committing a great sin.

God in his justice and wrath threatened to destroy those "stiff-necked people," but relented when his leader, interceded for the people. He did, however, strike the people who had rebelled with a deadly plague of venomous snakes. The snakes bit the people and the ones that were bitten died. So the people came to the leader in repentance and asked him to ask God to remove the plague. God told his leader to make a bronze snake and attach it to a pole. Anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and live. Moses was the leader. The people were Israel. The bronze snake was a symbol of the sacrifice for sin that Jesus Christ would provide to bring life. (See Exodus 32:1-35; Numbers 21:6-9)

Jesus tells Nicodemus that faith in the power of the provision for forgiveness of sin brings life. Just as belief in the power of the bronze snake in the wilderness would bring physical life to the people bitten, so belief in the Son of Man lifted up on the cross will bring eternal life to people who had sinned. And now I can begin to understand what it means to believe.

This biblical belief is not a matter of acknowledgement in my mind, but a firm conviction that looking to and believing in the crucified and resurrected Jesus will bring forgiveness and cleansing and eternal life. This biblical belief brings a new birth, a new life, and makes me a new creation. This biblical belief is a transforming belief that changes me from a person lost in sin and shame, into a Christ follower saved from sin and transformed into a child of God.

STEP SIX – I BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND GOD'S LOVE

None of us may be able to completely understand God's love. Since we are by nature alienated from God, we are not in our natural condition able to comprehend a love that is completely focused on the best good of others. The Lord God, in his effort to help us begin to understand his love, gives us his word. In today's scripture focus, God tells us of his love in perhaps the most powerful and succinct version of the Gospel.

THE FACT – "God so loved the world" is a statement of the depth and breadth and height and length of God's love. God's justice and wrath is counter balanced by his mercy and love. While his holiness and justice demands the full payment for sin—the death of the sinner, his mercy and love requires that he provide a way out—the death of a Savior. "8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Romans 5:6-10 NIV)

THE ACT – "that he gave his one and only Son" shows the extent of God's love. This act is the definition of grace. God gave and keeps on giving. While we are still his enemies, he gives even though we do not deserve his mercy. God gives even though we have not earned his kindness. God gives even though we cannot pay for his favor. GRACE – God's Resources At Christ's Expense. God's love is demonstrated by God's grace. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the proof of God's love and grace.

THE PACT – "that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" is the agreement that God makes with us. God honors our act of faith, believing in Christ for salvation, by adopting us as his children. He treats us as if we have never sinned. He provides a changed heart and life. It is a covenant relationship that originates with God, is provided by the death of Jesus, and gives us eternal life. Our part is to believe in Christ for eternal life and receive a changed heart and a transformed life. Sounds like a pretty good deal, don't you think?

STEP SEVEN – I BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND SALVATION

The Son of God did not come into the world to condemn us, but to save us from condemnation. And that is just what we need. Almost all of us have lived with condemnation our entire lives. From our earliest memories we can recall many statements piled upon declarations of criticism and disapproval. We have had parents, teachers, and pastors who have told us things that have shaped our lives with an inner sense of worthlessness. I have a friend who told me that his father would tell him, "You are a stupid, stupid boy. You will never amount to anything." I know a woman whose elementary teacher suggested that she was too dumb to learn and as soon as possible should drop out of school. I know persons who no longer attend worship services because of the constant criticism of a well-meaning, but misguided pastor.

Christ did not come to condemn us in our sins, but to save us from our sins. He came to give us great possibilities in life. He came to give us purpose—serving the Lord God in righteousness and holiness all the days of our lives. He came to give us victory over Satan, victory over Hell, victory over sin, and power to live with Christlikeness as our predominant character trait. Christ came to give us significance that we find in becoming passionate followers of Jesus.

So I begin to understand this salvation, freely given through Jesus Christ. It is for my good. It is to lift me above the negative influences in my life. It is to raise me above the sins that bring guilt and shame. It is to elevate my life above the critical voice of my memory and give me a sense of personal esteem that I find only in Christ.

I believe in a positive understanding of salvation. So I can say and do affirm that I am a Christian, a passionate follower of Jesus Christ, a redeemed child of the living God, a justified, sanctified disciple of my Savior, Jesus the Christ. "I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see." (John Newton, Amazing Grace) I am beginning to understand that I am saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ. "8 For it is by grace [I] have been saved, through faith--and this not from [myself], it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that [I cannot] boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV) [Words in brackets have been changed to first person.] Make this verse your own.

I pray that you will begin to find the purpose and significance that is found in being a passionate follower of Jesus Christ. Two questions: Who is discipling you? And Whom are you discipling?

Gary A. Slusher, Chairman

THANK YOU TO ALL PASTORS WHO REPORT ON TIME EACH MONTH
Here are the June 2009 SDMI Reporting Results

Here are the church June stats to go with Pastor Gary Slusher's info:

1st Zone to fully report: Detroit West Zone
2nd Zone to fully report: Lakes Zone
3rd Zone to fully report: Detroit East Zone
4th Zone to fully report: Ann Arbor Zone

1st church to report in by:

Email: Cornerstone
Phone: Colling
Online: Lapeer

PrimeTime News

Prime Time Willow Valley - October 6-9, 2009
Plan now to join other Prime Time Nazarenes in Lancaster, PA. Sessions and housing will be at Willow Valley Resort and Conference Center. Special speaker will be Dr. Nina Gunter. More information will be available within a month. Watch the eTidings and Website.

If you have any questions regarding PrimeTime Ministries in the Eastern Michigan District, please contact:
Richard and Carolyn Dilts at 734-844-0052 or rcdilts@sbcglobal.net

Child and Worker Protection Policy

It is very important in the life of your church that you protect the children and teens in your church from sexual predators and to protect your workers from false accusations or seductive or tempting situations. To that end the EMD SDMI Council has made the following recommendation: That each church on the Eastern Michigan District adopt and implement a Child and Worker Protection Policy, which is designed to reduce child sexual abuse in the church. This is an essential policy concern that has powerfully negative consequences for churches that seek to reach children and teens but do not have a plan to protect them from sexual predators.

I have included on our EMD web site a sample policy that you can use in your church. You can adapt it as needed. However, remember some essential elements of an effective Child and Worker Protection Policy: 1) Training – all workers must be trained, both initially and annually; 2) Screening – all workers must go through the screening process; 3) Supervision – a policy without implementation is not policy at all; 4) Reporting – you must have and follow a plan for reporting any incidents of child sexual abuse in your church or any accusations that have been made.

I urge each congregation on the Eastern Michigan District to adopt and implement a Child and Worker Protection Policy immediately. You need one for three reasons:

1) To protect the children – I do not want any child to lose their innocence while attending Sunday School or church activities. This is preventable; 2) To protect the workers – create an environment where no adult worker puts themselves at risk of being accused of sexual abuse; and 3) To protect your church – one incident of child sexual abuse in your church could spell the end of your ministry to children and teens, and financially could be the end of your church.

Follow the link below to access a version of a Child and Worker Protection Policy. If you have any questions, jot me an email note at scnnazpastorgary@charterinternet.com or call me at 734-395-9157.

God is growing a great church in Eastern Michigan. We are blessed to be a part of his great kingdom work!

Child and Worker Protection packet
Download this packet as 6 Microsoft Word Documents in a Single ZIP file