Fearing Bravely: Live Like Legends

The New International Version (Mark 12:28-31)

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Introduction

I love church history.

10 years of learning. (Didn’t know)

we have:

written records (besides the Bible)

ancient art, and artifacts

from 1, 2, 3, 4 century, and so on (and even from before that)

Started out with condensed histories.

Many mentioned Eusebius

Eusebius (260/65 AD - 339 AD - During Constantine)

one of the earliest historians of Christianity.

Greek Syrian-Palestinian, lived is Cessarea

Saw Christianity go from a hated religion(persecution) in Roman Empire to a favored status

Edict of Milan 313

Edict of Thessalonica 390

Within 50 years of his death - Christianity the only officially endorsed religion of the state (may seem good - No - Corruption —Rome Fell.)

So, we can learn a lot about how the early Christians behaved from Eusebius & Roman history

Foxe’s Book of Martyr’s (1563) is a survey of Christian martyrs throughout history.

the most widely read book in English during the reign of Elizabeth I

Drew from Eusebius, and others.

We have enough credible documentation to know the early Christians were legendary. True heroes of the faith

Main Ideas: The early church put Roman religions to shame and caused a revolution

—mainly because they were radical about loving their neighbors.

FEARING BRAVELY: Means finding courage to love like Jesus from our respect for God.

That includes taking big risks to love neighbors, strangers, and enemies, as Jesus commanded.

This week, we'll see that God doesn't just call us to live out this great command as individuals. We are the "called out ones," the fellowship of the rescued - learning to be a very friendly family.”

Summary: Living out God's second-greatest command takes:

uncompromising commitment

tremendous courage

incredibly hard work

But, God is with us. Together, we can do it.

Uncompromising Commitment

To Live Like the Legends, we just understand that Authentic Christianity requires uncompromising commitment.

We must be loyal in our love for God and each other.

Beyond lip service - especially when times are hard.

Early Christians weren’t patting themselves on the back if they managed to show up to church a couple times a month.

They were offering up their lives - through Christian service, public confession, and through persecution & death.

The Jews took these commandments literally and wore portions of Scripture3 in little containers called phylacteries on their forehead and left arm. They also attached a small container of Scripture, called a mezuzah, to the front door and on every door in the house. Each occupant touched the mezuzah reverently each time he or she passed through a door. It was a sign that the house was to be a sanctuary for the Lord and a place where the Word was loved, obeyed, and taught. - Warren W. Wiersbe

Love for God & Love for Neighbor

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul shows us practical examples of what Christian love is meant to look like. (How to conduct ourselves in life and at church). This a passage describing what a community of love looks like. It becomes clear that living a life of God’s love is not something happens primarily in our feelings but in our actions.

13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.w 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres……

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.l But the greatest of these is love.

Fear is not explicitly mentioned here

but - the root causes of our fears

—and the fruit of our fears

—are showcased in this chapter. 

If we have no… envy, boasting, pride, anger, records of wrongs, dishonor toward others, or delight in evil

And are filled with patience, kindness, rejoicing in truth, protecting, trusting, hoping, persevering

What room would be left for fear?

And while we likely give this teaching a head nod before continuing on in our way

We should stop and pay attention.

Paul says - Even if we are magnificent in other ways (prophetic, speak in tongues, generous, really insightful, willing to be a martyr - but do not live this love, then we are nothing.

To live this out —— we must connect with each other & our community

Theresa of Avila (Spain 1500s)

There are only two duties required of us—the love of God and the love of our neighbor, and the surest sign of discovering whether we observe these duties is the love of our neighbor. - Saint Teresa of Ávila

Tremendous Courage

Authentic Christianity Produces & Requires Tremendous Courage

Last week…learned “Perfect love casts out all fear.”

Americans in general were growing in the level of fear and anxiety they reported even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unfortunately, Christians are leading this culture shift, not pushing against it as Jesus taught. 

According to Catherine McNiel’s research, many American Christians are known for fearfulness

—a fear that quickly disintegrates into hatred (or selfishness)

Poll after poll suggests that white American evangelicals (like most of us) are twice as likely to believe our safety is threatened by those around us; far more likely to claim long-debunked hoaxes as truth; and out of all Americans, most likely to be viewed by our neighbors as hateful. …

The Christian community exists to declare and demonstrate God’s love, even in difficult, dangerous circumstances. But instead, it seems many of us have been nurtured through fear into hatred, and from hatred to neglect” (Catherine McNiel, Fearing Bravely: Risking Love for Our Neighbors, Strangers, and Enemies 12–13).

Application

Following Jesus means becoming a community of Christ followers

learning day by day how to take our eyes off our fear

and put them on Jesus.

Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to follow me, they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24)

Following Jesus means we must keep our eyes on Him.

Only then will we have the courage

to step into the world God made:

and engage,

overcoming fears and evil with active love.

John Calvin:

“Nothing is plainer than this rule: that we should use our freedom if it results in the edification of our neighbor, but if it does not help our neighbor, then we should forgo it.” - John Calvin

Incredibly Hard Work

Real love is selfless and hands-on.

What if we created a new policy? What if we decided we wouldn’t tell anyone in serious need that we would pray for them if we didn’t do something to actually help them, too.

James 2:14–17 NIV

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

22. Emperor Julian to Arsacius, High-priest of Galatia [362, on his way to Antioch in June?]

The Hellenic religion does not yet prosper as I desire, and it is the fault of those who profess it; for the worship of the gods is on a splendid and magnificent scale, surpassing every prayer and every hope. May Adrasteia 2 pardon my words, for indeed no one, a little while ago, would have ventured even to pray for a change of such a sort or so complete within so short a time. Why, then, do we think that this is enough, why do we not observe that it is their benevolence to strangers, their care for the graves of the dead and the pretended holiness of their lives that have done most to increase atheism?1 I believe that we ought really and truly to practise every one of these virtues.2 And it is not enough for you alone to practise them, but so must all the priests in Galatia, without exception. Either shame or persuade them into righteousness or else remove them from their priestly office, if they do not, together with their wives, children and servants, attend the worship of the gods but allow their servants or sons or wives to show impiety towards the gods and honour atheism more than piety. In the second place, admonish them that no priest may enter a theatre or drink in a tavern or control any craft or trade that is base and not respectable. Honour those who obey you, but those who disobey, expel from office. In every city establish frequent hostels in order that strangers may profit by our benevolence; I do not mean for our own people only, but for others also who are in need of money. I have but now made a plan by which you may be well provided for this; for I have given directions that 30,000 modii of corn shall be assigned every year for the whole of Galatia, and 60,000 pints 3 of wine. I order that one-fifth of this be used for the poor who serve the priests, and the remainder be distributed by us to strangers and beggars. For it is disgraceful that, when no Jew ever has to beg, and the impious Galilaeans support not only their own poor but ours as well, all men see that our people lack aid from us.1 Teach those of the Hellenic faith to contribute to public service of this sort,

But God is With Us!

Why God Responds to Faith

Houston pastor John Bisango describes a time when his daughter Melodye Jan, age five, came to him and asked for a doll house. John promptly nodded and promised to build her one, then he went back to reading his book. Soon he glanced out the study window and saw her arms filled with dishes, toys, and dolls, making trip after trip until she had a great pile of playthings in the yard. He asked his wife what Melodye Jan was doing.

“Oh, you promised to build her a doll house, and she believes you. She’s just getting ready for it.”

“You would have thought I’d been hit by an atom bomb,” John later said. “I threw aside that book, raced to the lumber yard for supplies, and quickly built that little girl a doll house. Now why did I respond? Because I wanted to? No. Because she deserved it? No. Her daddy had given his word, and she believed it and acted upon it. When I saw her faith, nothing could keep me from carrying out my word.”*

Application:

Let’s work on building lives of faith that can stand the tests of authentic Christianity.

Don’t forget the two greatest commands.

Loving God and loving neighbors as self require

commitment

courage

hard work

giving time talent, treasure

not just words, thoughts, or even prayers

As we are hard at work building lives of faith - we’ll build /repair/ rebuild a legendary church - full of modern heroes of the faith