Campus Impact » Spiritual Growth http://www.blog.campusimpact.org Know the King...Build His Kingdom! Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:26:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 More on Go’el – Jesus as our Kinsman Redeemer – Inheritance! http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/2011/09/27/more-on-goel-jesus-as-our-kinsman-redeemer-inheritance/ http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/2011/09/27/more-on-goel-jesus-as-our-kinsman-redeemer-inheritance/#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:09:37 +0000 mattmeyer http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/?p=287 I mentioned in my message (click here to listen) in College Worship Hour this past Sunday that I would be posting more information about how Jesus is pictured as our Go’el or Kinsman-Redeemer in a few more places in the New Testament. Here is the first of 3 posts on that subject.

First a little background, on Sunday Renee’ gave us a quick overview of the book of Ruth, which I think is the best succinct picture of a kinsman-redeemer in the Bible. Here’s what we learn about the concept of kinsman-redeemer from the story of Ruth.
1. Boaz is a relative of Naomi – He is a kinsman and thus under the law in Israel, he has the right and responsibility to “redeem” Naomi.
2. Redeeming Naomi means:

  • Boaz will buy back the land that was Elimelech’s (Naomi’s dead husband).
  • He will marry Ruth and take both Naomi and Ruth into his household (bet’ ab).
  • He will also father a child with Ruth so that Mahlon (Ruth’s dead husband/Elimelech’s son) will have an heir.

3. Redeeming Naomi is costly. In chapter 4 of Ruth we learn that there is a closer relative who actually has the right of redemption prior to Boaz and he tells Boaz to go ahead and redeem Naomi because for him to do so would jeopardize his own inheritance.

In ancient Israel, one of the main reasons for the kinsman-redeemer concept revolved around INHERITANCE.

In the New Testament we are pictured as having been purchased back (redeemed) by Christ (our kinsman – Phil 2:5-8) and so claimed as his inheritance. Acts 20:28 (NASB) is specific on this, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. Here are a few other passages that refer to this idea: Revelation 5:9, Revelation 14:3-4, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23, 2 Peter 2:1.

In Ephesians 1:18 we are specifically referred to as Christ’s inheritance. Christ has made us His inheritance by purchasing us with His blood. Now here’s where the picture gets really beautiful. In the New Testament we are also pictured as having an inheritance:

Acts 20:32 (NASB) “And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

Ephesians 1:11 (NASB) “also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,”

Colossians 1:12 (NASB) “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

Also, see Acts 26:14-18, Ephesians 1:14, Ephesians 5:5, Colossians 3:24, Hebrews 9:15, 1 Peter 1:4.

Christ came as our kinsman-redeemer to “buy us back” (redeem) us! He has provided for us and given us an inheritance. He has made us His inheritance and we are given Christ for our inheritance!

What do you think of this idea? Are there other verses I’ve missed related to Christ purchasing us?

Keep Seeking Jesus,

Matt

]]> http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/2011/09/27/more-on-goel-jesus-as-our-kinsman-redeemer-inheritance/feed/ 0 “Guardrails” summary so far! http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/2011/07/28/guardrails-summary-so-far/ http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/2011/07/28/guardrails-summary-so-far/#comments Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:17:56 +0000 LydiaJ http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/?p=284 During this second half of the summer we’ve begun a new video series by Andy Stanley, a Bible teacher from Texas. If you read the first summer communique, you know that we concluded a series called “Your Move”, which was all about four major questions you should ask yourself when making a decision: “Am I being honest with myself?” or “Why am I doing this, really?”, “What story do I want to tell?”, “Is there a tension that needs my attention?”, and “What would be most glorifying to God?” We’ve now moved into another video series which complements the concepts from “Your Move” well. It’s called “Guardrails”, and it’s all about what it looks like to have appropriate boundaries in several areas of our lives—friendships, relationships, finances, time, etc.  The concept Andy works with is that a guardrail, literally, is a system designed to keep vehicles from straying to unsafe areas. They are located within a safe area of the road, leaving margin for error so that if you bump them you’re still safe rather than bumping them and immediately being in an unsafe situation. In a more personal sense, a guardrail is a personal standard of behavior —not one that you impose on others—that informs your conscience when you’re nearing a danger zone so you can give yourself a warning to stay away from a bigger possible mistake.

Ephesians 5:15-18 was written by Paul to a very corrupt culture, and can offer helpful insight into how to maintain healthy boundaries in an unhealthily boundary-less culture. From that chunk of scripture we can learn to be wise, to be intentional with our time, to be honest with ourselves of what we know will happen if we don’t stay within healthy guardrails, to set guardrails for ourselves in areas where we have a tendency to lose control, and to be sensitive and obedient to the direction of the Holy Spirit in our lives. God wants to protect us from bad things. It’s not that we want to mess up, but we don’t plan not to mess up.  We can do this by setting guardrails for ourselves.

Proverbs 13:20 says that if we walk with the wise we become wise, but if we walk with fools—people who knowingly do things that can harm themselves and those around them—will eventually be harmed by the outcome of that fool’s behavior. The reality is that if you spend time with people who don’t care about how their actions effect themselves, they’re not going to care about how they effect you.

Your conscience should light up when…

  • It dawns on you that your core group of friends is not going in the same direction as you are.
  • You catch yourself pretending to be someone other than who you really are.
  • You feel pressure to compromise and consider behavior you’ve always considered off limits.
  • You hear yourself saying, “I’ll go with, I just won’t participate.”
  • You can’t tell the people you care about most or who care about you most where you’ve been or who you’ve been with.

Don’t confuse the ideas of compassion and wisdom! Be friends with non-Christians, but the best thing you can do is be on the safe side of the guardrail so when they crash you are able to be the healthy and safe person who can help them and show them tons  of compassion.

I don’t know about you guys but my testimony is that I have hit the ditch more times than I care to admit and it hurts. Praise God that He’s always reached in and placed my feet on solid ground again! I want to live wisely and have guardrails that will protect me and those around me from the pain of not having healthy boundaries!

]]> http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/2011/07/28/guardrails-summary-so-far/feed/ 0 It’s Your Move — a summary of the Andy Stanley series http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/2011/06/23/its-your-move-a-summary-of-the-andy-stanley-series/ http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/2011/06/23/its-your-move-a-summary-of-the-andy-stanley-series/#comments Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:56:55 +0000 LydiaJ http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/?p=282 This summer we have been gathering at the Campus Life House on 68th and Pine Lake every Thursday night at 7 pm. We start with either a meal or some worship, watch a video of Andy Stanley, and then break into small groups for a discussion. We are about to wrap up a series called “Your Move”, which is about learning how to make wise decisions by asking yourself four questions.

The first is “Am I being honest with myself?” or, “Why am I doing this… really?” “We don’t often ask ourselves this because it’s convicting and uncomfortable. There are times we don’t really want to know why we’re making a certain choice.” Andy makes the case that most of us aren’t on a truth quest, we’re on a happiness quest, and that because “our hearts are deceitful above all else” (Jer 17:9), we will talk ourselves into unwise decisions. It can be terrifying, but identifying the motivation behind a decision—insecurity, laziness, selfishness, pride—can be the “truth that sets you free” (John 8:32) if you let it.

The next question to ask yourself is, “What story do I want to tell?” Andy says, “In every transition and every decision-making environment, we’re writing the script for [our] story.” When making decisions he suggests it’s incredibly important to stop and ask which choice best fits your story so far and what God has done in your life so far. He points to Joseph’s life—how Joseph (see Genesis 37-50) took responsibility in each situation, facing each dilemma and making tough choices that were consistent with his life of God-centered integrity and faithfulness. He also points to Joseph’s brothers, who had to lie for years to cover up the poor choice they made. “Write your story well—and live your story well—because in the future you want to be able to tell the whole story. What you do now really does matter.”

The third question to ask is “Is there a tension that needs my attention?” We call this tension a “red flag” or a “twinge of conscience.” It’s tempting to ignore the tension, “but instead of taking that risk—and especially since we can never really know the future—we need to entrust our lives to the only One who does know the future.” The final question to ask ourselves is, “What would be most honoring to God?” We all live to glorify someone and it’s tempting to make that someone us, but living for our own glory makes us insignificant.

Live for God’s glory! What freedom is found there! Live a life that others celebrate!

]]> http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/2011/06/23/its-your-move-a-summary-of-the-andy-stanley-series/feed/ 0 Couch-O-RAMA 2011!!! http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/2011/06/01/couch-o-rama-2011/ http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/2011/06/01/couch-o-rama-2011/#comments Wed, 01 Jun 2011 23:29:50 +0000 LydiaJ http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/?p=262 For a kick-off to the summer events, we did Couch-O-RAMA. For those of you who don’t know what it is, allow me to explain: Matt makes a super secret list of locations/monuments around Lincoln and assigns points to each one. Everyone is divided into teams of about 20 people per team and each team has a pick-up truck and a couch. They have two hours to drive around Lincoln and take as many pictures of their team sitting on their couch at each location. Whoever has the most points worth of photos at the end of two hours wins.

This year, it ended up pouring rain the whole game, which made for some muddy people and trashed couches, but it was still SO MUCH FUN :)  And the “Lazy Boys & Girls” were the winners with 890 points! Way to go, guys :)

We’re so excited to see what the rest of the summer hold :-D

Take off!

It's a little blurry, but it captures the craziness of the scene after Matt says "go"!

Take off!

On their way out the door...

Preparing to go

Some people discussing preparations while teams are loading up their trucks and others are already on their way!

On their way

"The Lazy Boys & Girls" team about to leave the lot.

Chase Loungers

"The Chase Loungers" in front of Jimmy Johns for 40 points!

Love Seats

"The Love Seats" in front of the 'Lincoln Airpark' sign for 100 points!!

"The Lazy Boys & Girls" unpacking their couch at Pioneers Park... look at their determination!

"The Chase Loungers" on the pillars at Pioneers Park--200 points!!!!!

"Lazy Boys & Girls" team on train tracks for 90 points!

"The Love Seats" on top of a skate park ramp for 30 points!

"The Lazy Boys & Girls" in front of the Legacy fountain! 50 points!

The last team bringing sprinting with their couch back to the church... with 2 minutes to spare!

That's whatcha get for running around in the mud with a couch!

Hanging out and warming up afterwards :)

]]> http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/2011/06/01/couch-o-rama-2011/feed/ 0 John 15 – The Vine & the branches http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/2011/05/25/john-15-the-vine-the-branches/ http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/2011/05/25/john-15-the-vine-the-branches/#comments Wed, 25 May 2011 19:27:05 +0000 mattmeyer http://www.blog.campusimpact.org/?p=255 John 15 has been a favorite passage of mine for many years. This past semester I had the privilege of teaching it in CWH and my understanding of this passage was revolutionized because for the first time I was studying it within the context of studying the entire book of John. Below are some thoughts excerpted from my message specifically on why we can be assured of God’s love for us despite some challenging verses in John 15.

In verses 2 and 6 of this chapter we are faced with an the image of branches being cut off or taken away if they do not bear fruit. How should we understand these verses? First we have to understand that when Jesus used the image of the Vine and the branches, He wasn’t just using a word picture. He was speaking of a reality that existed then and continues to exist today. Jesus is the vine and we are in Him. Jesus was replacing Israel as God’s true vine. As the vine, Jesus came to give us His life—the very life that He shares with the Father.

The fruit-bearing in these verses is a sign that we are experiencing the life of the Father/Son. But the fruit is not the evidence by which we demonstrate that we belong in the vineyard. We are in the vineyard because God has placed us in the vineyard. That would have made complete sense to the disciples – that was how Israel viewed themselves. If you were an Israelite, then you were in the vine. Jesus is saying if you are a human, in fact, if you are anything created – you are bound up in Me (See Colossians 1).

Many people over the years have thought this passage is about salvation and the branches that are cut off and burned are about people who lose their salvation. When I look at this passage I don’t see how that can be true when you take into account several contexts. The overall context of the book of John would tell us that John doesn’t think that way about salvation. John’s view of salvation is that it is a finished work,that was accomplished by the Father/Son. In John 10:29 Jesus says, that those whom He is giving eternal life are given to Him by His Father and that his Father is greater than all; and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand. The immediate context of John 15 which is sandwiched in between 2 chapters on the Unearthly Assurance brought by the Holy Spirit, also points towards this passage not being about salvation. The rest of the John 15 also points this direction. The second half of John 15 is about the persecution the disciples will face from the world. The context of Jesus audience also pushes us away from this being about salvation. Jesus is speaking to His 11 disciples. Is Jesus really worried that one of his disciples is going to lose their salvation?

So to ask questions about eternal security from this passage is really trying to force it to answer questions that John never intended to answer with this passage. Those questions aren’t even in the ballpark. I don’t think they ever entered John’s mind.

So then, what does Jesus mean by the branches that get cut off and burned? I’m not completely sure, but here’s what I think. In verse 2 – when it says the Father takes a branch away or cuts it off, I think it is referring to the way the Father tended the vine of Israel in the Old Testament. If Israel was not bearing fruit, God would in a sense cut them off from Himself. He would cut them off from His protection and allow another nation to come in and rule over them. Eventually, Israel would turn back towards God and God would rescue them. But through all of that they were still His chosen nation – His vine. I think verse 6 is a continuation of this view. Jesus is saying, if you refuse my life, the life of the vine, you’ll be like a branch that is thrown away. If you refuse my life, if you refuse the very source of life, you’ll start to dry up. If you refuse my life, you’ll be moving towards destruction. Not destruction in the eternal sense, nowhere in this passage are we talking about our experience beyond this world. Jesus is speaking specifically about our experience in this world.

What does he mean by destruction or being burned? I think the burning is referring specifically to what they did to actual branches. I think this is just like the reference in John 12:37-43 about the hardening of hearts. In Dan’s message on that passage he talked about how God honors our choices. He honors the choices of people who choose not to believe that Jesus was the Father’s Son. He honors the choices of people who choose not to walk in the light that Jesus brings and instead stay in their darkness. He honors your choices. If you choose not to partake in His life, then you’ll start to dry up and wither away in your life on this earth. Jesus knows this and He really doesn’t want that to happen to his followers. He doesn’t want that experience for them and He doesn’t want it for other people either. He knows what is coming that’s why He wants us to abide in His life. In the second half of John 15 Jesus tells His followers to expect persecution from the world. The world is going to hate them because they are experiencing Jesus life. The world is going to hate them because the world has chosen not to believe. Jesus knows that the world will do whatever it can to separate them from His life. They will cast them out of the synagogues and even kill them. The worst thing that could happen after Jesus leaves would be for the disciples to renounce their faith. Now understand what I mean by that, if they renounce their faith, it doesn’t change anything about their salvation. Salvation is a finished work accomplished by Jesus & the Father on the cross. What renouncing their faith means is that they move back into darkness – the darkness of what the world thinks about God.

The danger is the same for us today. The world will do everything it can to separate us from Jesus and His Father and their life. Satan and the world will tell us lies:

  • That God doesn’t love us…
  • That salvation isn’t a finished work…
  • That the circumstances in your life prove God doesn’t love you…
  • That you have to be obedient for God to love you…
  • That you have to accept Jesus for God to love you…
  • That life is better without God…
  • That you have to stop sinning for God to love you…
  • That you have to spend almost every morning reading your Bible to have a relationship with God…

Remember, each of the bulleted statements above is a LIE!

The only thing that can keep you from experiencing Jesus love and life this very moment is your own decision to refuse it. Right now, at this very moment the Father loves you, He is crazy about you, He rejoices over you with singing, He is jumping up and down He is so excited to be with you!

Romans 8:31-39 (NASB)
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;
34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus words to you right now are the same words he gave to his closest followers…ABIDE IN ME! ABIDE IN MY LOVE!

Keep Seeking Jesus…Matt

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