Grace for the Race

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)

This week, I want to encourage you with three things that should be on every “believer’s bucket list” . . . and they would be if God was writing your bucket list for you. In case you’re not familiar with the phrase, a bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you “kick the bucket” . . . a Christian would say “before you pass into glory.” The term grew exponentially in popularity after the 2007 release of the charming movie The Bucket List, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Here are a few examples of bucket list items: swimming with dolphins; running a marathon; jumping out of a perfectly good airplane (with a parachute, of course); seeing the northern lights; going zip lining; climbing a mountain. Some of the most popular bucket list items involve travel.

There are many things God would put on your bucket list, and I am quite sure they don’t include parachuting or zip lining! I encourage you to take some time to prayerfully consider what some of those things might be. This week we will consider three of them, all related to the Word of God.  

Item #1 – Read The Whole Bible

If you have ever read through the whole Bible, you have already checked this off your list, and you are probably reading it through over and over again. However, if you have not done this yet, let me encourage you to make this a bucket list priority.

Years ago, the church I was attending offered a new Daily Walk Bible to anyone who would make the commitment to read through it during the next year. I accepted the challenge, and on January 1^st, 1999, I began the journey. I would love to tell you that I read each daily portion every day; I would like to say that, but I didn’t do it. What did happen, however, was that I read far more of the Bible that year than I ever had before. Eventually I was able to make it through the entire Bible in a year, and I have been doing it ever since.  

Christian, never forget that the goal God has set before us is progress, not perfection. If you set a goal of reading through the entire Bible, you will definitely read more than you would have without that goal on your list. And why would you not want to do this? The Bible is, in fact, God’s love letter to you.

We’ll take a look at a second bucket list item on Wednesday.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. (James 1:2)

Because joy is an “inside job,” given to us by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, we can face trials of any kind and still have the deep and abiding joy that only comes from above. When we face circumstances in life that we don’t enjoy, God has promised us a joy that rises above the circumstances . . . and that joy’s name is Jesus.

When we keep our eyes on Jesus, we find the joy of the Lord that is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10), even when waves of challenge are crashing over us. And please note that if/when we choose not to find joy in our difficult circumstances, we will have less joy . . . but still the same amount of difficult circumstances!

Perhaps no one demonstrated this better than the apostle Paul. In spite of being beaten with rods, receiving lashes from a whip five times, and being stoned, shipwrecked, persecuted, and put in prison, he actually wrote: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).

When we spend less time grumbling about our circumstances and more time glorying in who Jesus and what He has done, we will experience the joy of the Lord. The Bible makes it clear that a joyless Christian is an oxymoron (that is, a contradiction in terms) because one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22).

The next time you find yourself in circumstances you don’t enjoy — and that may be right now as you are reading this — remember that you can still have joy if you keep your focus on Jesus. Remember, no matter what you are facing or will face in the future, you never face it alone. Jesus is with you, Jesus is for you, and Jesus is in you. Let that truth set you free to experience the joy of the Lord, which is your strength.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Has someone ever said something about you that hurt you deeply — even cut you to the core? Have you ever felt that you were unworthy of God’s love because of something you’ve done?

Can we talk? Even after becoming a Christian, we all deal with varying degrees of feeling inferior, insecure, and inadequate. So regardless of what others may say or what you have done, remember that your identity rests secure in who God says you are, not in what others say or even in the results of what you do. Period!

Here are just a few things God has to say about you that will provide eternal encouragement, no matter where this message finds you:

• “You are dearly loved.”
• “You are Mine.”
• “You are holy.”
• “You are blameless.”
• “You are forgiven.”
• “You are precious in My sight.”
• “You are unique.”
• “You are chosen.”
• “You are never alone.”

God chose you in Him before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). And He has chosen to see you only as He sees His beloved Son. You have been cleansed by His blood. You are clothed in His righteous robes. Remember, God the Father sent God the Son to die on a cross in order to have an intimate, personal, eternal relationship with you. The next time the devil begins to whisper another lie in your ear about who you are . . . or what someone said . . . or some stupid, sinful act you committed in the past . . . remember this wonderful truth: God sees you only through the eyes of love.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

After his suffering, he showed himself to [the apostles] and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3)

Last week, as we were leading up to Easter Sunday, we took a brief look at some of the proofs for the Resurrection that are impossible for even the most hardened unbeliever to argue away. Today, on the day after we celebrated that the One who had undoubtedly died walked out of His grave alive and well, we will add one final point of proof under the heading, “No April Fooling!”

The Resurrection is the most important event in history, and it is the foundation upon which Christianity rests. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, conquering death, our last enemy, our faith would be as powerless as it would be pointless. But the disciples clearly believed that Jesus was and is alive, and they gave up their lives for the message of the Resurrection.

Remember, the disciples were not expecting a Savior who would come and die for their sins; they were looking for a Messiah who would come and destroy the enemies of Israel, reestablish the throne of David, and fully restore the nation of Israel to its former power and glory. When they witnessed the arrest of Jesus, culminating in His terrible death on a cross, what they had believed in died.

The disciples were there! They heard the hammers driving the nine-inch nails through the hands and feet of Jesus. They saw Him stop breathing, and they watched the spear pierce His lifeless body. They knew His dead body had been wrapped and placed in a tomb. They ran and hid, fearing they would meet the same fate. Yet something happened to cause this cowering band of disciples to begin courageously proclaiming the name of Jesus and to give up their lives for what they believed.

The followers of Jesus did not die for a religion; they died for the Redeemer, who walked out of His grave on that first Easter morning and showed Himself to hundreds of witnesses for the next forty days before He ascended to heaven.

These disciples preached the truth of a resurrected Jesus; as we saw last week, they did not die for a lie. They died for a truth that they witnessed firsthand, and they did so knowing what would happen when they took their last breath: They would be ushered into the presence of their resurrected King (2 Corinthians 5:8).

So on this day when many people will play some kind of “April Fool’s Joke,” remember that the Resurrection is not one of them. It is a literal, historical fact that you can depend on and trust in. And I have learned during my years as a pastor that if Jesus can walk out of a sealed tomb, He can walk into the most hardened, tightly sealed heart and raise it from death to life. May this be the confession of your life, and may it be the message you joyfully share with others.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

“If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” (1 Corinthians 15:14)

We have been looking at reasons to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ that do not include the divinely inspired testimony of the Scriptures. If an unbeliever says to you, “You’re saying that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead because you read it in the Bible, but I don’t believe the Bible,” you can offer up these three pieces of “uninspired” evidence. On Monday we looked at the “embarrassing evidence” of the testimony of the women who came to the empty tomb, and on Wednesday we unpacked the “enemy evidence” provided by the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. Today we will look at the Pharisee Saul, another bitter enemy of Jesus.

Saul of Tarsus

For more than two thousand years, no skeptic has been able to offer any kind of plausible explanation for Saul, the bitter persecutor of the church, becoming Paul, the beloved pastor, preacher, and disciple of Jesus who penned much of the New Testament.

Saul of Tarsus was feared among the first-century church. He was relentless in his persecution of the followers of Jesus; he frankly confessed his “zeal [in] persecuting the church” (Philippians 3:5), and he testified to that truth in several of his epistles (1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13; 1 Timothy 1:13). The book of Acts also testifies to Saul being a persistent tormentor of the church. Then something happened on the road to Damascus.

Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:1-6).

There may have been no greater enemy of the early church than Saul of Tarsus. Luke, ever the careful historian, recorded that Saul stood watch over the coats of those who stoned Stephen to death (Acts 7:58). Saul was blinded by his self-righteous, works-based, false religion, and he did everything in his power to extinguish the light of the Gospel, but to no avail. The resurrected Jesus appeared on the Damascus Road and transformed Saul the persecutor into the apostle Paul. How can we explain this dramatic transformation? There is only one way: It happened just like the Scriptures say it happened.

One more thing. It is beyond contestation that Paul was martyred under the emperor Nero for his faith in Jesus. The early church fathers, such as Polycarp, Tertullian, and Clement of Rome, all testify to this truth. The only way a man could go from killing Christians to being executed for being a Christian is because the resurrected Jesus showed up and changed his life. From embarrassing testimony to enemy attestation, we have lots of powerful proof for the resurrection of Jesus. So, the question is, Do you believe?

Believe it! He is risen! He is risen indeed!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

“You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away.’” (Matthew 28:13)

As we move through Holy Week, I am presenting three facts that are agreed on by most scholars and historians on both sides of the debate about the historical truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. These three facts do not leave any room for unbelievers to object, “You’re just saying that because it’s in the Bible, and I don’t believe the Bible is true!” On Monday we looked at the “embarrassing evidence” of the testimony of the women regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Today and Friday we will examine “enemy evidence” for the resurrection that comes from those who hated Jesus.

The Religious Leaders

Everyone on both sides of the resurrection debate agrees that enemy attestation is a powerful proposition regarding the proof of the Resurrection. The enemies of Jesus hated and feared Him and schemed to have Him put to death. The Jewish Sanhedrin and the Roman government had absolutely nothing to gain and everything to lose by making any statement that would corroborate the Resurrection. Now, in order to have a resurrection, you must have an empty tomb. Do you know who were the first people to testify to the unbelieving world that the tomb of Jesus was empty? (Hint: It wasn’t His followers!)

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. (Matthew 28:11-15)

It is important to understand that the tomb location was known; this is called the “Jerusalem Factor.” Jesus was publicly executed and put into a tomb that was known to belong to Joseph of Arimathea. Two known Pharisees buried Jesus: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. There could have been no confusing the precise location. Moreover, if the tomb was not empty, the religious leaders would have quickly produced the deceased, decaying body of Jesus and paraded Him around Jerusalem for all the world to see. The reason they could not produce His body from a tomb that was widely known was because Jesus was no longer in that tomb. He rose bodily from the grave, just as He had said He would. 

Consider this: If someone has a strong bias against someone else, what would be the reason for that person saying anything positive or helpful about the other person? There would be no reason, except for the fact that it must be true. The only story the enemies of Jesus could come up with for the tomb being empty was to say that the disciples stole the body. And we recognize how absurd that claim is when we understand that most of the disciples died for their faith in a risen Jesus.

Let’s you and I suspend belief for just a moment and assume that Jesus’ ragtag group of disciples, untrained civilians who had two swords between them (Luke 22:38) and had all fled in terror when Jesus was arrested (Matthew 25:56), somehow rediscovered their courage and carried out a daring, commando-style raid, overpowering the trained, heavily armed soldiers guarding the tomb, and making off with the body of Jesus. If you can actually get past that preposterous notion, what about this one? Can you convince your self that not one of those disciples ever admitted that was what happened?

I have said from the pulpit on more than one occasion that people have died for a lie in the past . . . but not for something they knew to be a lie. Deceived people certainly have died for a lie, such as the horrific mass suicides that took place in Jonestown in 1978 or the “Heaven’s Gate” cult suicides in 1997. But it strains credulity to the breaking point to think that the disciples of Christ died horrific deaths for their faith in Christ when they could have escaped those deaths simply by testifying to stealing Jesus’ body out of the tomb. None of them ever did.

Charles (“Chuck”) Colson, Prison Fellowship’s founder, came to faith in Christ at age 42. Prior to his conversion, Colson was known as President Richard Nixon’s “hatchet man,” who once famously boasted that he would “run over my own grandmother” to help the president. Colson pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice as part of the so-called Watergate scandal and served seven months in federal prison. It was during this time that Chuck Colson placed his trust in Jesus Christ. The old Colson died, and he was Born Again (the title of his most famous book). Colson spoke of how the Resurrection profoundly affected his thinking:

I know the Resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because twelve men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled twelve of the most powerful men in the world—and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me twelve apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.

The fact that the religious leaders, who hated and feared Jesus Christ, went to such ludicrous lengths to put together such an implausible narrative provides compelling “enemy evidence” for the truth of the resurrection of our Lord.

On Friday, we will look at more “enemy evidence”–that of Saul, the bitter enemy of the Savior.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

The women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. (Matthew 28:8)

We have arrived at Holy Week, and I would like to share three facts with you that come under the heading “Criteria of Authenticity” regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ. These facts are agreed on by most scholars and historians on both sides of the debate about the historical truth of the Resurrection. The evidence I will present is rooted in the work of Gary Habermas, Michael Licona, and William Lane Craig. These men have established specific facts about the historical Jesus and His resurrection without assuming the divine inspiration of the Gospels. In other words, these three scholars present arguments for the historical truth of the Resurrection that do not leave any room for unbelievers to object, “You’re just saying that because it’s in the Bible, and I don’t believe the Bible is true!”

My focus today will be on what is called “embarrassing evidence” — evidence that is considered by all to be counterproductive to serve as a source of proof for the Resurrection.

The Witness of the Women

To understand the power of this embarrassing piece of evidence, we must journey back in time to the first century. In our contemporary culture, what I am about to say sounds preposterous, but in the ancient world it was a bitter fact of life. Women were widely regarded as second-class citizens; they were thought to be inferior to men and their testimony was considered untrustworthy. They were not allowed to give testimony as public witnesses, but they could testify in domestic and family matters. When large crowds were mentioned, women were never counted among the men. You may recall that in the gospel accounts of the feeding of the 5,000, the story only records the 5,000 men without any mention of women or children, who surely were present. All this to say that if the first-century gospel writers had fabricated the story of the Resurrection and were trying to convince people it was actually true, it is utterly implausible that they would have used women as the first witnesses. They would have cited witness who were considered more trustworthy by the culture of that time.

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him,’ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them, “Greetings,” he said. (Matthew 28:1-8)

Why do we read that these “second-class citizens,” who could not give testimony in a court of law, were the first ones to see the risen Jesus? Because it is true! No one would make up a story that would be both embarrassing and counter-productive. In fact, it must have been hard for the gospel writers to write it this way, because when they first heard the report from the women, they themselves didn’t believe! The words of the women “seemed to [the apostles] like nonsense” (Luke 24:11). Surely, the gospel writers would much rather have reported that it was Peter, James, and John who first saw the empty tomb and the risen Lord. This would have been a far more credible statement for the first-century audience to accept. But that would not have been the truth. When we read the gospel accounts, we read exactly what God had planned for providing a powerful proof for the Resurrection in the witness of the women.

A second-century critic of Christianity, the Greek Philosopher Celsus, mocked and ridiculed the witness of the women, stating that Mary Magdalene was a “hysterical female . . . deluded by sorcery.” If you were going to invent the story of the Resurrection to get anyone to believe it, you would never use the witness of the women. But the inspired authors of the gospel accounts were not trying to get people to believe . . . they were simply recounting the facts.

How is it with you? What do you think about the witness of the women as the first ones to see the risen Jesus?

On Wednesday and Friday, we will look at enemy attestation as our second powerful proof of the resurrection.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

In the movie Top Gun, there is a memorable line that speaks directly into the consciousness of our culture today and how we believe we need to live our lives: “I feel the need . . . the need for speed!” Yet when we look at the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, we see that there is indeed much more to life than merely increasing its speed. It will serve us well to examine our assumptions about the need for speed in the service of our Lord.

When we read through the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus, we see that His days were full but never frantic. From before the sun rose until long after it had set, Jesus never seemed to be in a hurry. He set the perfect pace in His rhythms of responding to the needs of the people, retreating from their presence to refresh, and then reentering society to continue the work the Father had given Him to do. The best way I know how to describe the life Jesus lived is to say that He lived a life marked by unhurried holy habits. And at the top of the list was the time He carved out of each day to spend intentional and intimate time alone with His Father.

Jesus set the perfect example. The question you and I must answer is, Are we following His example?

Jesus set the example for putting God first in our lives. Time and time again, in His perfect wisdom, discernment, and understanding, He could be found alone with His Father. From the early morning hours before it was dark (Mark 1:35), to all night sessions of prayer (Luke 6:12), Jesus always kept the main thing the main thing: time in communion with His Father (Luke 5:16). If we are ever going to live the life God has called us to live in a way that is glorifying to God and good for all those we serve, we too must carve out time each day for God.

Let these words of Jesus be an encouragement to you today, right where this finds you: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31). Setting intentional time to be alone with the Lord each day will shape and sharpen the rest of our lives. The holy habits of responding to the needs of those we have been called to serve, retreating in order to be refreshed and recharged by God, and then reentering into our calling will have us living according to the wisdom of the Word rather than the wisdom of the world, which prioritizes speed and productivity over spirituality and service.

Let the life of Jesus be your pattern for pace, your model for ministry, and your design for doing all God has called you to do.  

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. (Colossians 3:23)

Ever since COVID, experiencing good service can be is increasingly rare; experiencing good service with a smile often seems to be as far as the east is from the west. Let me take this one step further: In the world we live in today, when we actually do receive good service with a smile, we tend to be surprised, perhaps even skeptical.

We can’t control how others are serving us, but we certainly can control how we are serving others, and our verse for today provides the key that unlocks the door leading to service with a smile. If we are truly serving to please God and not people, we will always serve with a smile, regardless of the service we are providing.

Jesus said the greatest place in His Kingdom is not occupied by the one with the most servants, but by the one who serves the most. He Himself, the King of kings, did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). When we are serving others and taking genuine pleasure in doing it, we are maximizing the glory we are bringing to our God. The person or people we are serving are blessed, we are blessed, and God is glorified.  

Service with a smile is just another way of saying joyful service. And here is the best way I have ever heard the word joy explained:

J – JESUS

O – OTHERS

Y – YOU

Joyful service is the foundation upon which to build our Christian life. Jesus is first. Others are second. And we are third. Funny thing though: Using this formula in our service actually puts us in the lead, because we simply cannot bless others without blessing ourselves.

One final point about service with a smile: You might be called by Jesus to serve in a capacity that is not something you like doing most or are the most gifted at doing. Do it anyway, because the greatest joy we can experience in this life is not found in simply doing what we love to do most, but in being most like Jesus.

Is your service marked by a smile today? It will be, no matter what kind of service you are providing, when you are doing it for the Lord.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

Do you ever feel like you need to put on a brave face and smile through the storms and sorrows of life? Do you attempt to create the best possible “highlight reel” on social media so others will perceive you in a certain way? I have a word of encouragement for you on those days when you may find yourself trying to live up to someone else’s expectation of you: You are fully known by Jesus and you are completely and unconditionally loved . . . so you can unmask what is unreal.

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. (Psalm 139:1-6)

These God-breathed words set us free to live an unmasked life, even before the face of our critics. When you know just how much you are known by God — that nothing that you think or do or say is hidden from Him in any way — and yet you are still completely loved, does it really matter what others think about you? Think about it this way: God knows everything about you — all the good, all the bad, and all the ugly — and He still wants to be in relationship with you for all eternity!

Christian, the next time you feel the need to hide behind a mask because of what others might think about you, look to the cross. Jesus loves you so much He died to be with you! And He did this while knowing your every thought, word, deed, and desire. Let that truth set you free to discard every mask and live before the face of God, who knows everything about you and loves you with an everlasting love.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!