Touching Base! Part 75

Two Side Of A Coin
(This article can also we found on our website at
http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called “Blog”)

This touching base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God’s Word needs to be discussed in community.

All of us have experiences in life where we can remember exactly where we were when we heard the news of a particular event. Think of some major events and share with the group where you were (if you were born at the time).

Where were you when...
… JFK was assassinated?
… Elvis died?
… the Challenger exploded?
… Princess Diana died?
… 9/11?

Make it a little more personal. Where were you when you heard the news of a close family member dying?

On Sunday we looked at Jesus’ very memorable words in the synagogue, in the town He grew up in (Luke 4:14-21). This was an event such that people would definitely remember where they were when it occurred. Jesus was declaring Himself to be the Messiah, the one they had been waiting for. Synagogues were scattered across the Galilean countryside, and were a means of keeping hope alive that the Messiah would come.

As Theophilus (the recipient of this letter - Luke 1:1-4) read v. 18-19 in the context of the entire letter, he would note that there were two sides of a coin.

Poverty - while being physical and visible, this also referred to a poverty of righteousness seen in the many scenes of Luke. Note what John said to the tax collectors and soldiers (3:12, 14); note what he says to Herod (3:19,20); Note what Luke points out about the religious leaders and the crowds – Luke 6:11, Luke 6:24-26,
Luke 22:1-6

Prisoners - Every Jew knew what prison felt like. From heavy taxation to a Roman population of 1.2 million where 50% were slaves, they lived it every day. Yet Theophilus would discover two sides of a coin. Luke 24:45-47, Romans 6:22, 23, Gal. 3:22 - What do these verses reveal about the other side of the coin?

Blind - While there were many physically blind people, the other side of the coin demonstrated a more severe kind of blindness. Acts 26:15-18, 2 Cor. 4:4

Oppressed - This is a word that refers to those that are bruised, like broken pottery that is shattered and scattered. Again Theophilus would see Jesus ministering in the context of broken pottery. However, the other side of the coin showed that Christ Himself was bruised and beaten (See Luke’s reference to crucifixion). But the difference between our suffering and His was that His made forgiveness, healing, hope, and rescue possible and dealt with the root cause of so much pain and suffering - sin. Luke 24:45-47.


Talk about this image below and how it illustrates the four highlighted words above.


To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour - This is where Jesus stops in quoting Isaiah 61. Read the article below that helps us understand why Jesus stopped where he did:

“And a day of vengeance of our God” (Isa. 61:2b). Jesus had not come to condemn, but to save. Our Lord understood that His role as Messiah was to come twice, the first time to reveal God to men, and to provide a way of salvation. The second coming was to bring God’s judgment to the earth and to destroy His enemies. Our Lord’s use of this text in Isaiah reflects this distinction between His first coming as Messiah, and His second.”

In quoting Isaiah 61, Jesus clearly demonstrated that his agenda (and consequently the Church’s agenda) is to deal with both sides of the coin. We must engage with the physical realities that demonstrate the brokenness of our world, but we must also aim higher in dealing with the spiritual side - the good news of Christ’s redeeming work on the cross.

Talk about what happens when we ignore one side of the coin as a church or as individual believers. What are the consequences of an unbalanced message? Note the positive contributions of Christianity to alleviate human suffering and inequality throughout the centuries. What might you add?

• Hospitals, which essentially began during the Middle Ages
• Universities, which also began during the Middle Ages. In addition, most of the world’s greatest universities were started by Christians for Christian purposes
• Literacy and education for the masses
• Representative government
• Civil liberties
• The abolition of slavery, both in antiquity and in more modern times
• Modern science
• The elevation of women
• Benevolence of charity; the “good Samaritan” ethic
• Higher standard of justice
• High regard for human life
• The codifying and setting to writing of many of the world’s languages
• Greater development of art and music. The inspiration for the greatest works of art.

(Resource: What If Jesus Had Never Been Born, D. James Kennedy, pp. 15,16)

Discuss the following statements

“Efforts at social improvement that neglect this great goal will be looked back on by poor people in hell as a horrible form of ecclesiastical malpractice.” John Piper

“Yet without a social conscience and attention given by the Church to the physical needs that surround us, our audience may never be willing to listen to the other side of the coin.” Yours Truly.

Prayer

Pray for each other that as you move through your world that you would know what side of the coin to emphasize. Pray that Bethel would boldly live out both sides.

“This was the work of Jesus himself: to heal the sick, feed the hungry, give sight to the blind, care for the poor; give righteousness to the scandalous and scandalize the self-righteous; give hope to the hopeless and love to the loveless. And he's not done yet.” John Ortberg

Mark

Touching Base! Part 74

“Odds and Ends”
(This article can also we found on our website at
http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called “Blog”)

When I think of “odds and ends” I think of my tool kit that has an odd assortment of stuff in it as well as some tools. I think of my mom’s sewing room in the house in which I grew up. You could be guaranteed that there were odds and ends of fabric lying around that were the cast-offs of the latest sewing project. I think of that famous drawer in most homes that when you open it up you have difficulty shutting it again... clutter, clutter clutter. It is where you place stuff that doesn’t have a zip code but is valuable, at least to you! Every house has such a drawer or room.

Well this Touching Base is about Odds and Ends. No real order or theme but just stuff that is important and good for you to know.

• We had a great elders retreat last weekend (Feb 6th). This was our second half-day retreat in the last 5 weeks. We are working hard on identifying what our vision is as a church, and we are now in a position to take this dialogue to the church. We want everyone who desires it, to be in on the conversation. All are valuable contributors. We are prayerfully anticipating having a clear sense of vision by June. The following are some ways we define vision.

1. What is our greatest opportunity to have an impact on the kingdom?
2. It is our organizational sweet spot.
3. It is our picture of a preferred future.
4. Our purpose (Loving God passionately and Serving Others Significantly) is what we do, vision is where we are going.

• Next Sunday afternoon, following the second service, many of us are driving to IAWAH for an afternoon of food, fellowship and winter fun. Carmen tells me there is still room for about 25-30 people so see her between the services on the 14th and sign up!

• We are going to have a combined Newcomers and Membership potluck luncheon on March 7th after the second service. We have a lot of new people in the church and we find that eating together is a great way to help people connect. People who are interested in checking out membership are also invited to this luncheon. We will have a special focus for them as well seeing that their questions are sometimes different.

• We had a lot of positive feedback on our Congregational Meeting (Celebration of Ministry) in January. We ate together then spent the remaining time praying for the ministries of Bethel and the city. Many of our elders helped lead in this focused time of prayer.

• God has blessed Bethel in many ways: we have much unity, we are growing, financially we ended 2009 on a strong note, we have great teams ministering, people are seeking to make an impact in the city etc. BUT, we are not seeing the numbers we desire in the area of people coming to faith in Christ. This is an area of prayer and concern.

• Our Youth Ministry and Family Ministries are strong and increasingly thinking strategically. The youth just had a great retreat at IAWAH called “Toque” and our Family Ministry is testing the waters to see if doing a March break camp for kids is viable.

• We continue to value our partnership with IAWAH. We believe that this camping ministry is key in helping make disciples. Fred, our Youth Director works for IAWAH about 10 weeks per year. I have recently joined the board.

• We are currently beginning our search for Bethel’s new secretary. Tara (Queen’s student) has been filling the position for the last 2 years. She is graduating and moving this summer so if being Bethel’s secretary is something that would interest you, please watch upcoming bulletins for details on how to apply.

• We continue to see people entering into deeper community by joining small groups at Bethel. We now have 12 small groups running with plans of starting others in the near future. We are delighted to be in partnership with Queen’s, and Cafe church in running Alpha.

• We are talking about doing a third service. We are toying with the idea of experimenting with a ”videocast” into the new gym this fall. What this means is that at our 9 am service we would provide a live feed into the new gym for people to participate in the service as they watch it on the big screen. This would give us 200 more seats. On most Sundays we are at least 80% full in both services. To any newcomer to Bethel, the sight of the sanctuary being that full can translate as “There is no room here for me.” This is an opportunity we need to address.

• Our intern Joanna Moon has done a terrific job this year. We are currently looking for another intern for this Fall.

• We continue to develop the idea of “team teaching”. While I speak the majority of the time, Bethel is blessed to hear from different voices. I would get sick of me if it was me all the time! In the month of January during our Hot Topics we heard from Scott Forbes with International Justice Mission, Warren Reeve regarding depression and my wife taught with me as we addressed forgiveness. This March 7th former interim pastor Lew Worrad will be speaking. Some renamed the Old Testament the “Lew Testament” in his honour.

• In the last few weeks, we have resurrected the need to P.I.E. a face every Sunday. Pursue, Include, Engage. We are all responsible to make Bethel a place where people can connect. If we are a cold and unfriendly church, it’s because not enough of us are realizing it takes all of us, not just some of us, to help get the job done. We need everyone to help raise the relational temperature at Bethel.

• One of our values at Bethel is that the leadership is open to your suggestions, directions and reflections. Please engage the leadership with your questions and input. I have learned a lot and continue to learn a lot from the many of you who share what is on your heart. It is hard for leadership to see every issue.

• Our Adopt-a-Student ministry continues to run and we are hearing many good reports. It has been a concern that not all the families that have been hooked up with a student have connected. Fred who leads this ministry is working on those glitches.

Mark

Touching Base! Part 73

The Spoons
(This article can also we found on our website at
http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called “Blog”)

This touching base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God’s Word needs to be discussed in community.

This morning we are starting a teaching series in the book of Luke. Specifically, we are going to be looking at Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, which takes place from chapter 4 through chapter 9. Some might ask: why Luke and why now? One answer is that Luke does a thorough job in detailing many of the events of Jesus’ life, and he primarily has Gentiles (you and me) in mind. This is timely because one of the greatest gifts we can give people is a clear portrait of who Jesus Christ is. We want people to encounter Christ and to reflect back to the world His image and character as they are empowered by the Holy Spirit. As Christ followers, we need a clear picture of the One we follow.

On Sunday the big idea was- Jesus Christ is an outside/inside Saviour. He takes those who are on the outside and brings them inside. Luke demonstrates this clearly throughout the book. Much of this book has the outsider in view as the person to whom Jesus reached out.

• Luke wrote from a Gentile/outsider standpoint in the best Greek for the broad Greek-speaking world.
• Luke explained Jewish commonplaces to his Gentile/outsider readers, e.g., that Nazareth was in Galilee (1:26) and that the feast of Unleavened Bread was called the Passover (22:1).
• Luke shows how the genealogy of Jesus goes back to Adam (3:38). He is not just King of the Jews (Matt 2:2).
• Luke says that the good tidings are for all people (2:10), even outsiders.
• Luke shows how prophecies are emphasized that include all flesh (3:5, 6) and illustrations are given of God’s ancient concern for Gentiles (4:25-30). Throughout the gospel, the Gentiles are part of God’s plan of redemption and one of Jesus’ concerns.
• Luke’s Gospel has been called “the Gospel of the outcast, of the Samaritan, the publican, the harlot, and the prodigal” and “the Gospel of tolerance.”
• “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost/outsiders” (19:10).
• He presents Jesus Christ as the compassionate Son of man, who came to live among sinners, to love them, help them, and die for them.
  

The text we looked at was Luke 1:1-4. Luke was an outsider (Gentile) writing to an outsider (Theophilus). No doubt both men knew what it was like to be on the outside looking in. They knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of racial discrimination. Many Jews had a hard time (to say the least) with the idea that the Messiah would come and extend His ministry to Gentiles. Many Jews were hostile to the idea of Paul going to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21, 22).

Take some time to talk about circumstances in your life when you felt like an outsider, times where you felt like you didn’t fit in or didn’t belong. Note: There are times when we should not feel like we belong nor should we want to belong.

What (wrong) things do we Christ followers sometimes do and say and even impose on people that make them feel like they don’t fit in? For a biblical example read Acts 15 and discuss what unrealistic expectations the Jews were making of the Gentile Christians.

In terms of one’s relationship to God, is there ever a time when feeling like an outsider is healthy and productive?

Look at the text we discussed on Sunday (Luke 1:1-4)

Who may have been some of the eyewitnesses Luke interviewed? What would have been some of the more interesting interviews?

What do we know about Luke? (From the immediate text, and from Colossians 4:10-14?)

One thing I appreciate about Luke is that he took the time to investigate things “from the beginning” because outsiders mattered to God. He not only had Theophilus in mind but all those who would struggle with being accepted and loved by God.

Each and every day we are surrounded by people who struggle with feeling like outsiders for a number of reasons. Think of the following scenarios and discuss how you can help people overcome being an outsider.
Scenario #1 - For some, the “Church gathered” on Sunday morning can be a time where people don’t feel like they fit in. Bethel can be very intimidating to some. Big crowd, awkward traffic flow, and diversity. How can your words and actions extend grace and help build a bridge? What can you specifically do?

Scenario #2 - Our homes - some of us have children that really struggle with feelings of being an outsider. They don’t fit in, measure up or keep pace with the crowd. As a parent or spiritual aunt or uncle what truth about God can help them overcome? What action on your part would extend grace? What Luke did was write a letter, a very long letter.

Scenario #3 - Some of us may be building a relationship with someone far from God. They may feel like the Gentiles felt in the first century around some Christian Jews. What issues in their own lives might they feel disqualify them from God’s love? How can your words and actions (like Luke) bring truth and healing into that situation?

Scenario #4 - Got another one?

As a group, think of the imagery used on Sunday (see below) to communicate the feelings associated with being an outsider. Take some time to pray for those outsiders. This may be in relationship to their current status with Christ, or have to do with other areas of their lives such as various social settings.




Mark

Touching Base! Part 72

Hot Topics Part 4 – Strength In Depression
(This article can also we found on our website at
http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called “Blog”)

This touching base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God’s Word needs to be discussed in community.

On Sunday January 31st I was invited to share my story at Bethel. I focused on the unique opportunity we are given as Christians to exchange our weakness for His strength. We all have weaknesses. The real issue is that too often we silently attempt to muscle our way through the challenges of life as weaklings. It is so ironic! Jesus is in us, around us, over us and under us and right beside us and yet we so easily default to a kind of “me, myself and I” mentality that blocks the strength Jesus longs to exchange for our weakness. What is it with us? Will we ever learn?

How can depression be a hot topic? Why are depression and related emotional challenges such a common issue in a town filled with intellects and upwardly mobile people? What does it mean for you to exchange your weakness for His strength? What would it look like if you did exchange your weakness for His strength? How can you help someone that trusts you sojourn through a season of depression?

There were twelve lessons I shared with you from my personal journey. Which of the following did you connect with the most and why? What specific paradigm shift do you desire and intend to switch from and to?

Grace Grace is to rest in His arms. Grace is to let God initiate. Grace is to hear the voice of God. Grace says “God will handle it.” Grace is God guiding the journey. Grace says God uses anyone. Grace is unpredictable. Grace is without agenda. Grace is the fear of God. Grace is relationship. Grace is God’s type. Grace comes from God.

Performance Performance is to work my arms. Performance is to self start. Performance is to control/manipulate. Performance says “I can do it.” Performance says “Go and get it.” Performance says “We are the team.” Performance is strategic. Performance is agenda-driven. Performance is the fear of man. Performance is production. Performance is type A. Performance comes from me.

If you were to add your own lesson that moved you from performance to grace, what would it be?

What words would you substitute for grace and performance to make the exercise of exchange more personalized?

Do you really want the strength of God? How much weakness must you endure before you are driven to your knees begging for the strength of Jesus?

God bless you in your journey toward emotional wholeness and spiritual health.

Warren Reeve

Touching Base! Part 71

Hot Topics Part 3 – The Gift!
(This article can also we found on our website at
http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called “Blog”)

This touching base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God’s Word needs to be discussed in community.

On Sunday January 24th, Rhonda and I talked about the issue of forgiveness -- our forgiveness towards those that sin against us. We focused in on how forgiveness is a “gift” God has placed in our hands to have a healthy soul, and healthy relationships.

How can forgiveness be a “hot topic”? Why is this not an easy topic for some? How have you misused it? How have you seen others misuse it?

There were three points we developed to show how forgiveness is a great gift.

A. Forgiveness is key in maintaining a healthy heart in a life that can, at times, beat you up.
I don’t think anyone would disagree that life can beat a person up. Life has a way of wounding us all and bouncing us around. If we are to maintain, or work towards, a healthy core (heart) we must make sure we use the gift God has given to us. Read through Matthew 18:15-35 and take special note of the radical statement Jesus makes in verse 22.

Notice the first scenario v. 15-20.

We talked on Sunday how the victim seeking reconciliation (where possible) has already entered into the forgiveness process. How would this reconciliation process be hindered if the victim seeking to reconcile was not working through forgiveness? Imagine them seeking reconciliation with a toxic, jaded attitude.

Notice the second scenario that sandwiches the radical statement, v.23-35.

Where can an unforgiving heart lead a person? Note v.32 – “wicked” can mean diseased and sick.
Now note the radical statement in v. 22. How does this statement influence our understanding of the two scenarios?

Here are some of the points about forgiveness that come out of this text and which we made on Sunday. Discuss, develop and add your own.

Jesus’ command for us to forgive was typical of all His commands, which were meant for our protection and health and the good of the extended Body of Christ. Many studies have been done which prove that bitterness and unforgiveness literally poison the body and that conversely, forgiveness and extending of grace is life-giving and disease-inhibiting.

• Jesus asks us to forgive 70 x7 because He knows there will be an infinite number of times we will be beat up in this life. Every offense needs to be addressed with a forgiving heart.
• Forgiveness does not mean convincing yourself that the offence of the other person was okay (v.15-20 illustrates that). There is accountability.
• Forgiveness is a choice. It is a choice we will need to make 70 x7 times. Jesus didn’t say we will feel like it 70 x 7 times.
• Forgiveness is choosing to let God be the one who exacts justice. There is a biblical way of dealing with offenses (15-20) But sometimes this process is impossible to follow and we must trust God with justice. We may not see it in this life.

B. Forgiveness is key to contributing to healthy relationships
Paul said to exercise forgiveness in relationships because he knew that “stuff” would come between people that would pollute and distort the human heart and compromise the relationship. (Col 3:13, Eph 4:32) The term “forgiveness” literally means to send away, remove, to cover.

Forgiveness in human relationships, while not on the same grand scale as God’s forgiveness, still has the same effect of sending something away. What are the various toxins that need to be “sent away” in human relationships? How does forgiveness facilitate that process?

Read Leviticus 16:21-22- This is great imagery in the Day of Atonement for how sin is sent away. What would you need to put on that goat that is damaging a current relationship?

Discuss these two statements.
“Forgiveness involves choosing to let go of bitterness, revenge, anger and judgment. This is the stuff disease is made of. If God is real and powerful, then surely He has the ability to take these toxic emotions from our hearts and replace it with peace, love and grace if we ask Him.”

“Forgiveness sometimes involves forgiving ourselves and applying the same principles to ourselves as we do for others.”


C. Forgiveness is essential in maintaining a healthy walk with God
Check out Matthew 6:14-15. This serves as an appendage to the Lord’s Prayer. On Sunday we talked about how this is not talking about losing ones salvation. God is clearly referred to as our Father and if you read the larger context it is very clear that these people are considered children of God. This has more to do with God’s discipline of His children. These verses are essentially saying that we cannot carry on business as usual with unforgiveness in our hearts. When we withhold forgiveness, we hinder our relationship with God. God, in
His love for us and wisdom, does not let us get away with it. He withholds forgiveness until we wake up to the grim realities of withholding forgiveness toward others.

Note: Only God has the right to withhold forgiveness. We are never instructed in Scripture to withhold forgiveness to teach those we love a lesson, or to withhold forgiveness until there is repentance.
Do you think God is setting a double standard?

Thought to ponder: If we withhold forgiveness until someone repents, then we are letting that person shape and determine the health of our relationship with God.

How much of one’s spiritual stagnation may have to do with unforgiveness issues?

Rhonda and I strongly believe that forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts God has placed in our hands to use. It is our prayer that you will use it 70 x 7! Stay healthy!

Mark

Touching Base! Part 70

Update on the Elders and Staff Team
(This article can also we found on our website at
http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called “Blog”)

I wanted to update you on what two key teams have been up to lately at Bethel. As you may know, Bethel operates on the premise that ministry is a team challenge. We go farther and think smarter as a team. Team helps us stay in ”accountable” relationships, and allows us to complement or balance one another, since no one person has the total gift package.

The Elders’ Team

This past Saturday (January 9th) the elders’ team met for a half day (1-5pm) to think, pray and discuss the issue of Bethel’s vision. As a Church we have identified our purpose statement (which answers the “what” question) - Loving God Passionately and Serving Others Significantly. This is rooted in the Great Commission, Matthew 28:19, 20.

We also have developed our 3g’s which help us define and measure success in keeping with the Great Commission (Growing in intimacy with God, Growing in intimacy with others, Growing in acts of service). If you think about it, every church that seeks to honour Christ as the Head, should have a purpose statement that is derived from the Great Commission. They should also seek to develop ministries in keeping with that purpose.

Vision is different. Vision, or as some might call it, “the Kingdom Concept”, answers questions like “What is our greatest opportunity to have an impact on the kingdom?” and “What is it that God has uniquely gifted us for that will extend His Kingdom?” and “What kind of future are we pursuing?”

Three issues that affect vision are resources, context and history. Every church has different resources and capabilities. Many churches are surrounded by unique needs and opportunities. In addition, every Church has a unique history of why it was established in a particular area. You will remember that Bethel was planted in 1874 as a new church on the outskirts of town, to reach people in that area. In the 70’s and 80’s there was a renewed commitment not to move out to suburbia, but to stay in the downtown core.

As your elders, we take seriously our responsibility to identify, with absolute clarity, the vision that God has for Bethel. We want a clear and concise statement so that we can strategically build a ministry with that vision
in sight. We believe that God has a unique work for Bethel. The team will be meeting again on Saturday February 6th for another half-day retreat. We then will be taking the conversation to small groups, leadership teams and other groupings of people in the church. It is our prayerful desire to have a clear and compelling statement identified by June of this year. All are welcome to engage in the process.

Please pray for your elders’ team as we provide important oversight to the Body of Christ.

1 Peter 5:2
Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—
not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be;
not greedy for money, but eager to serve;

Your elders are Roy Chan, Stephen Dickey, Eric Prost, Doug Boyd, Doug Brown, Ewen Mackenzie, Scott Wylie, and Mark Kotchapaw.

The Staff Team
Last Tuesday (January 12th) the staff team (Carmen, Fred, Jamie and myself) got away for a whole day retreat at IAWAH. The staff team is responsible to provide leadership in particular areas of ministry where the purpose and 3g’s are developed. We work under the authority of the elders’ team who are accountable to the congregation. At Bethel we believe that every person is gifted and wired for ministry, so it is not our goal to keep ministry all to ourselves but get as many into the “game” as possible. This is in keeping with Ephesians 4.

We took the first part of the day to discuss how each of us is growing in the 3g’s. We believe that having healthy staff members leads to having healthy ministries. When the leadership is sick, the whole organization can be sick. It is our job as staff to keep each other accountable in our walk with God, in our walk with others and in the development of our skills and resources God has given us.

The second part of our day was spent in looking at various ministries that come under our 3g’s and are ministry initiatives that we share. For example our Winter Fun Day (Feb 21st), Membership Class (March 7th), a volunteer appreciation initiative in April. We also discussed the need for a new secretary once Tara leaves us this spring. This will go to the Personnel Team for them to provide leadership in the hiring process.

We concluded our day with a discussion in general terms of important dates and ministry initiatives from June to December. Before we jumped in our cars and headed back to town we went for a walk in the woods, something that not all of us enjoyed. Guess who doesn’t like walking in the winter wonderland?

As I have said before, for many decades now Bethel is a Church that has been meeting unique needs in the downtown core. Each generation of leadership is responsible to build on much of what the previous generation has started and to understand the current times and to keep in step with the Holy Spirit.

Don’t just pray for the two teams I have mentioned but for the many teams at Bethel. Without Spirit-led teams, we won’t be the Church God wants us to be.

Mark

Touching Base! Part 69

Hot Topics Part 1 - God Said… What?!
(This article can also we found on our website at
http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called “Blog”)

This touching base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community. God’s Word needs to be discussed in community.

Every person has a few “hot topics” in their life. Think about some hot topics in your own life: what makes them hotter than others? Have you ever found yourself in a group discussion where the topic was hot? Was that an uncomfortable experience? How do people often relate to hot topics? How did (or does) your family handle hot topics?

On Sunday we looked specifically at Deuteronomy 7:1-2 and 20:16-17 (please read the surrounding verses to understand the context.) What makes these verses hot? What makes you uncomfortable? What are the reasons given for the destruction of these nations? Does the reason that is given satisfy your discomfort? Can you imagine how a seeker would respond?

Comment on the following statements:

“When I introduce the Bible to my friends outside the church, these passages jump out at them, and they wonder how a nice guy like me could be so excited about what seems to them a barbaric book.” (McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy)

“...regardless of your best answers you are still left with something that makes us uncomfortable, something we wish God had done another way.” (Wright, The God I Don’t Understand)

On Sunday I gave the scenario of talking to a friend at a party and having her ask the question about how a loving God could order the execution of the Canaanite nations. Discuss the following responses.

1. Our response needs to reveal our own personal discomfort with these kinds of texts (I am assuming you are uncomfortable about these issues like myself)

1. What harm can we do if we don’t allow people to wrestle with the mystery of these kinds of texts?
2. Can you give examples of where Christ followers try to make excuses for God’s actions rather than just allow the text to speak and accept some of the mystery?

2. The Bigger Conversation
On Sunday I drew a round circle on an easel representing a table. I said that in order to gain greater clarity on the character of God and His conduct, we need to engage in the bigger conversation of Scripture. We need to invite others to the table. As a group (or an individual) draw that circle and review what I said about:

1. Rahab (Joshua 2:9-11) This story of salvation is so important that it is mentioned three times in the New Testament. Rahab enters into the genealogy of the Messiah (Matt1:5), she is included among the models of faith (Heb. 11:31) and she is held up as an example of proving faith by action (James 2:25)
2. David (David was not allowed to build the Temple because the blood of war was on his hands)
3. Paul (Romans 15:7-12)

What does the bigger conversation reveal about God’s character and conduct?
Who else from Scripture would you invite to the table?

“No single story, not even Jesus’ story, can tell the whole Story. We need them all.”
(McKnight, The Blue Parakeet)

The Bible illustrates that there is a bigger conversation going on.

The point I was attempting to make on Sunday was that if we just listen to one section of Scripture, we will not see the bigger picture of who God is and what He does. By engaging with the bigger picture we get a balanced perspective. This leads into a problem for many Christ followers. They don’t read the whole counsel of Scripture. They have their favourite books or sections (Old Testament versus New Testament) and by not reading the whole they get a distorted picture.

On a personal note, who (biblical writer or name of biblical book) do you need to be engaging with more? (i.e. when was the last time you read Habakkuk or Job?)

3. God’s Sovereign Justice
When we engage with the bigger conversation we realize that God did not shoot first and ask questions later.

Discuss how these difficult texts are not examples of genocide but justice?

“The action of Israel against the Canaanites is never placed in the category of oppression but of divine punishment operating through human agency.” (Wright, The God I Don’t Understand)

When we read and understand the context of Genesis 15:16 we realize that God waited 400 years before acting? Does this represent God’s anger or patience? Would you have waited longer?

Discuss the following:

“I think in these kinds of situations God can’t win at the poll of public opinion. If He doesn’t act in judgment, we accuse Him of indifference. In how many situations around the world today do we wish God would act in divine judgment? But, when He does act we criticize Him for being unfair… an ‘angry God, some bloodthirsty bully’, to use Richard Dawkins’ own words.”

So, how would you answer the person at the party that night? I think I might add one more person to the bigger conversation - Christ. If in fact He is God in the flesh, then the bigger conversation tells me this: while I may be uncomfortable with God’s judgment of the sin of the nations in the Old Testament, I must equally wrestle with a Holy God who is willing to come in flesh and take onto Himself all forms of human sin - of which He was not guilty – so that I might live! Where is the justice in that? The innocent suffering for the guilty, and the guilty potentially walking free while the Innocent One suffers!

The response God asks of me to this scene of injustice, the cross, is not to earn what God did for me but to repent of my sin so that I may truly live. The cross represents what has been in abundance from Genesis to Revelation - Grace!

Please pass along any questions your group has on this issue. We may take time at the end of the series to respond to a few of them.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (.)
1 Peter 3:15, NIV

Mark

*Please note that Bethel Church does not necessarily endorse all of the author’s opinions in this book.