The Christmas Road

The Road

This Thanksgiving week we had a wonderful family adventure and headed down to Colorado Springs for a few days. We went to the North Pole on Pike’s Peak, drove and hiked through Garden of the Gods (that’s some beautiful country), a night at the Great Wolf Lodge, then headed back up Wednesday night to start cooking for Thanksgiving.

I don’t think much of it landed up here, but a storm rolled over Colorado Springs all Wednesday afternoon and evening, so by the time we got on the road things were pretty nasty. Nothing really sticking, but everything slick and awful, traffic moving 5-10 mph, cars sliding all over the place.

Those long downhills coming down to Denver are a bit terrifying. For most of the time we have the illusion of control. Cars in an orderly line, moving on down, but one tiny thing goes wrong. Maybe the car ahead brakes unexpectedly. The guy in the right lane decides to swing across into my lane directly in front of me without signalling.

And you gently apply the brakes thinking that you’re in control...

And your car starts stuttering and shuddering, the traction control is scrambling through all the tires looking for something that isn’t sliding and you are a sled for two terrifying seconds...

and then things swing back into place. And you put on a smile and reassure the family that everything’s probably fine.

Meanwhile cars are scattered on the sides of the road. Trucks are doing occasional 360s. This is fine.

I just want to get home safely. And praise God, we did, had a beautiful and wonderful Thanksgiving feast on Thursday.

Extra extra thankful this Thanksgiving to be home safe and sound.

40 and Thankful

This week we reflect on Thankfulness. Thanksgiving. For family, for friends, for blessings, for home and health, for all the many many things that God has given us.

And today I celebrate the very last day of my 40th year.

For some, my kids will testify, that seems crazy old.

For some of you I’m still a punk kid. Maybe that’s why they call it “middle age.” But this is the oldest I’ve ever been :D.

They say 40 is “over the hill”, and if its just over the hill, doesn’t that mean I am currently on top of the hill?

Stretched out behind me is the road God has had me on.

Some of it, I’d say most of it, has been beautiful weather, full of blessings uncounted. I have been so abundantly blessed with parents and siblings and kids. Blessed in marriage, blessed with church family, with mentors and brothers and sisters in Christ who love me… blessed in ministry, blessed to be able and called to serve.

And I see the moments like the road at night from Colorado Springs… where the illusion of control and order disappears, where I tap the brakes and the car keeps moving or starts sliding. Where life gets messy and ugly and out of control. My sin and stupid and other people’s sin and stupid all crashing together to create a mess.

That is the nature of the world. Our world. We have the beauty and the blessings around us to give us a glimpse of the goodness of God, Creator, a glimpse of how things are supposed to be. And that’s how we think of it deep down. This is how things are “supposed to be.” This is “right.”

And we see the brokenness and sin, that beauty defaced by destruction and death.

Not just in an abstract way. My own life had been damaged and defaced by sin and stupid.

So in addition to all the things I am so thankful for in this time of Thanksgiving… I have been reflecting on this a great deal:

I am thankful that God knows I’m a mess. That you all know I’m a mess.

I am thankful that God saves me anyways.

I am thankful that God uses me anyways

Recap God on Mission Series

The incredible scope of God’s mission - from Genesis to Revelation. His mission, from the beginning, to reach and rescue all the lost, every tongue and every tribe singing “Glory to God.”

What incredible blessings He has given us… blessings and talents and time to be used for His glory. God always gets the glory… we are invited to be part of it.

… and therefore, in everything we do, to “hasten the day” of Jesus’ return. Holding everything we “own” with an open hand, ready to be used by God here in our neighborhoods and across the world. Ready with eager anticipation that God is actually going to use us to reach the lost, unreached people groups here and around the world. It’s just a question of how. Not when. How now. And maybe a different “how” tomorrow, but always faithfully and boldly on mission.

What is that mission? The Bible says it 100 different ways, but it’s all the same.

It is to proclaim God’s glory, it is to proclaim the gospel, the good news, it is to boldly witness who God is and what He has done. It is Jesus, his life, death and resurrection.

So we are poised for the next month between this call to God’s Mission… and Advent, where we remember and celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, the incarnation of God Himself, a profound moment in God’s Rescue Mission.

And we are called to go on this mission. To be bold witnesses for Jesus Christ.

So we are going to walk a different road together today. A simple presentation of the gospel through verses written to the Romans. Sometimes called the “Roman Road”… or since it’s the season we could call it the “Christmas Road” because it leads to Christ.

For you who may be seeking, I don’t want to assume where you are with Jesus. Hear Him calling.

For you who already know Jesus, this is the gospel in a nutshell and a great way to present it to your friends and family.

The Roman Road - the Christmas Road

The Problem

There is a great problem shared by every human being ever. It is this:

Romans 3:10 ESV

as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

Romans 3:23 ESV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

I am thankful that I don’t have to pretend that I am perfect. I am very much not.

I am thankful for community where I can be honest about my failings. That isn’t always easy… and I can tell myself that people won’t understand.

But my actual experience when confessing my sinful or stupid mistakes? Love and forgiveness, support and restoration, healing and hope.

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Solution

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

That’s that free gift from Jesus to you and me.

He didn’t wait for us to get right. He didn’t wait for us to get clean. He didn’t wait for us to even improve. While we were still actively hurting him and others… Christ died for us.

The Response

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

This is how we are “saved”. That simple. Confess with your mouth face. Believe in your heart. You can fool me with your mouth, you can’t fool God with your heart. And if you truly believe with your heart, well it can’t help but come out your mouth, “for out of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Romans 10:13 ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Everyone? Everyone everyone?

What about the child who doesn’t understand it all? Or the adult who doesn’t understand it all? Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

“But you don’t know how bad I messed up!”

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

The Result

Romans 5:1–2 ESV

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Peace with God. The alternative is being at war with God. A war for the throne of our lives and the throne of the cosmos with an infinite and omnipotent being.

No thanks, I’ll choose peace. I choose grace. I rejoice in the hope of glory.

Romans 8:1 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

No condemnation.

That means no one EVER points the finger at you again. Not in a way that matters, that really matters.

No more guilt. No more shame. No more fear for the future.

When the enemy accuses you… because that’s what He does… you can call him a liar.

I am in Christ Jesus, you can’t condemn me because you can’t condemn him.

God, I know that I am a sinner and that the wages of sin is death. I believe that you sent your son, Jesus Christ, as a payment for my punishment. I declare that Jesus is my Lord and profess my faith for salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Thank you for your grace, forgiveness, peace, and gift of eternal life. Amen!"

Advent

Christmas is coming. Not in a “hurry up and get your shopping done because of international shipping delays” kind of way.

Christmas is coming… we spend time learning, marveling, worshipping at Immanuel - God with us.

I am excited for this Advent season. We will dive into the prophecies of our Savior. We will see the cosmic Christmas - dragon slaying baby Jesus - and the messy human moment in a manger.

All this to admire our Savior.

We are humble… but we are blessed.

We need saving… and we have a Savior.

We sing the song of Mary.

Luke 1:46–55 ESV

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”