Why Are We Here? Rosenort's 150th Anniversary Celebration

WHY ARE WE HERE?

Rosenort’s 150^th Anniversary Celebration

Rosenort EMC

 

Why are we here? 

That’s a deep and philosophical question; maybe it’s too heavy for a celebration.

Why are we here? 

            Because the delegate David Klassen found some land and established a village near here. It may amuse you to know as a child hearing the story of his coming to Canada and having been raised on stories of the Wild West, I believed that David and the other delegate, while exploring some land, were chased by hostile Indians. I imagined them spurring their horses to get away with arrows flying about them. That’s not what happened. But it makes for a good movie.

Why are we here?

            To celebrate 150 years of settlement in this rich, fertile community and the blessings of God we have known here. When our people’s privileges in Russia to teach, preach, and speak in German were eroding, when our young men were being conscripted to join the Imperial Army, they found a new land, a Promised Land in Canada where they could worship and live in freedom. Is that a good answer?

Why are we here? 

            Psalm 145 clearly tells us why we have been placed here, even why we were created. We have been placed on the earth to be personally blown away by the glory of God. And when we have stopped to consider the faithfulness of God and have been blown away by the glory of God, we want to live for that glory and not our own. 

Why are we here? 

            We are here, not to wipe the dust off our history, but to declare to God and to those who will listen, that our God is worthy of praise and honor and glory. 

 

To Praise God! (1-2)

 

We don’t know the circumstances which prompted David to write this psalm, but it must have been a good day. Some of David’s psalms cry out for justice, for God’s answer to his melancholy. Not in this psalm; this is a psalm of praise.

            David the king acknowledges that God is the true King, and he provides us with the biblical answer to the question “Why are we here?” He says, “I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Everyday I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever,” (1-2).

            To “extol” is to praise enthusiastically. It is not a mental assent to the good things of God; it is not a murmur or whisper of thanksgiving; it is an obvious and exuberant “hallelujah” that everyone can see. David declares, “I will loudly exclaim the value and worth of the King of the Universe!” 

            The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks the question, “What is the chief end of man?” And the answer is, “To glorify God and enjoy him forever.” You and I were created to bring glory to God. There is no higher calling. 

            How we bring glory to God can be contrasted by the microscope – telescope analogy. Glorify and magnify are very similar terms, but the instruments in question are very different. A microscope magnifies little, teeny things and makes them bigger than they are, while a telescope makes gigantic things that to the naked eye look more like what they are. To glorify God like a microscope is like grasping and groping to find something, anything to praise God for, while to glorify God like a telescope is to search the immensity of God and find that you can barely begin to explore the ways in which God has revealed himself to you in your life. 

            Your life, your parenting, your job, how you behave, the way you worship, the way you handle life – everyone should read from your life, “God is great!” 

The Reasons are Innumerable (3)

 

The reasons to praise God are innumerable. David testifies to this when he himself says, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable,” (3). 

            The NIV is closer in this text using “his greatness no one can fathom.” Fathom is a word that gives us a nautical picture to work with. A fathom is a sailor’s measurement of depth. If something is unfathomable, it means you can lower a depth-finder deeper and deeper and never reach the bottom. That’s the greatness of God. His glory is so great we will spend a billion years in eternity researching the glory of God and we will have just begun to begin. 

            This is something Paul begins to pray for the Ephesian believers when he prays that they “may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth…” (3:18). He was trying to have them understand the love of God in Christ but gets lost in his musings so that he doesn’t even finish his thought. He can’t. Paul considered God in Christ and seems to have left his readers hanging. But he goes on to pray that they know the love of Christ which is ironically beyond knowing. 

            To count God’s blessings is as Matt Maher sings beyond our ability to count. “One, two, three, up to infinity. I’d run out of numbers before I could thank you for everything. God I’m still counting my blessings.” 

            Where do we begin? David Klassen brought 30 families to a hot, muggy, mosquito-infested flood plain and said, “We’re home.” Follow that with the coldest winter on record in Manitoba and you can see why no one wanted to live here. Fast-forward 150 years and we have reaped the blessings of these pioneers and live quite comfortably with our A/C and our Thermacells. And it’s quite easy to dismiss the distant reality that if Klassen and the Mennonites hadn’t moved, we would be living in the middle of a warzone in Ukraine. 

            One, two, three, up to infinity…

Praising God Teaches the Next Generation (4, 11-12)

 

Praising God must have been a public event for David and his people. Or at least he envisioned that praise would involve rehearsing the stories of God’s faithfulness in the homes as grandparents related them to the younger generation. David wrote, “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts,” (4). A little while later, David repeats this charge to share these stories of God’s activities, “They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds and the glorious splendour of your kingdom,” (11-12).        

            To praise God goes beyond singing songs and declaring “How great thou art…” The Mennonites of David Klassen’s day had a morbid fascination with the Martyr’s Mirror. Between the Bible and the Mirror, these pages were fodder for sermons. Why rehearse the stories of men and women who suffered and died for their faith? What encouragement could be gained from such profound defeats? I believe they saw in the martyr stories the power to face anything; they saw that a person could trust in God with the last drop of blood believing in a better world to come with Christ as King. So, they shared these stories boldly. 

            When evangelical fervor was awakened in the Kleine Gemeinde (EMC) and the missionary spirit renewed, the Rosenort Church led the way with missionaries. I recall the story of Ben Eidse wanting to be a teacher and his father replying, “A teacher? I would rather you be a farmer.” And then Eidse decided to be a missionary, his father replied, “A missionary? I would rather you be a teacher.” But Eidse had been touched by the true evangelical spirit and convicted that people needed to know Jesus Christ. And the only way they would know Christ is if he stepped up and went to Congo.

            The same could be said of Frank and Marge Kroeker when they went to Paraguay. They and many others forged ahead and were determined to “speak of the glory of God’s kingdom and tell of his power to save” through Jesus’ work on the cross. We need to tell these stories and how God has been faithful to the community of believers in Rosenort. 

 

His Works Speak for Themselves (5-7, 10)

 

David knew that these stories of God’s goodness needed to be told and retold. As Jesus entered triumphantly into Jerusalem, the crowds praised the Lord for sending Messiah. But the Jews told Jesus to rebuke them. Jesus replied, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out,” (Lk. 19:40). 

            David said, “On the glorious splendour of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness,” (5-6). And then later, he writes of God’s deeds, “All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you!” (10). In a manner of speaking, David echoes Jesus saying that God’s work speaks for itself. How many times have we viewed the wonders of creation and thought, “How great is our God!” Stand at the lip of the Grand Canyon, stare down from the Alps, or gaze upon the great big sky of Manitoba, and tell me you are not in awe of our Creator. 

            But Paul reflects on God’s greatest work and declares, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them,” (Eph. 2:10). WE are his workmanship. God has done an amazing thing through Jesus in taking sinners and transforming us into his children! 

            As a professor of Anabaptist History, I have the opportunity to share the stories of our ancestors who took a bold step to baptize adults at a time when the church was stagnating. 500 years of faithfulness. We have a heritage of faith that has been passed down to us and we must not forget it. I hear often from my students that they dread a history course; they fear it will be boring facts and dates. When the course is done and the stories of God’s work in faithful people has been shared, their eyes are alight with the drama of our Anabaptist/Mennonite journey. It’s not history; it’s God at work. And you and I are the beneficiaries of this heritage of faith. 

 

The Character of God Calls Us to Praise (8-9)

 

Why do we praise God? His character, his person speaks to us in a profoundly loving way. David repeats a phrase we have heard before: “The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made,” (8-9). 

            I wondered, “Where have we heard that before?” So, I searched and found it in an ancient text, in Exodus. Moses wanted to see God. But God said that he couldn’t see God and live. God placed Moses in the cleft of a rock, covered him with the shadow of his hand, and passed by that place speaking these words that David quoted. 

            For centuries that hand covered the people so that they could not fully see God. Then Jesus came. And Paul interpreted his coming like this: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” (2 Co. 4:6). God has taken his hand away and we see Jesus who is God in the flesh, gracious and merciful, abounding in love. 

            We have seen him because we see his works. Look around. 

 

Why are we here? 

            In the world? We are here to praise the living God and to tell of his works to people who need to know him. We are the evidence of Christ’s transforming work that changed us from sinners to saints.

Why are we here? 

            In Rosenort? After 150 years, we can look back and see a little bit of what God has been doing. The story is grander than our little blip in history, but our part is significant. I believe we have been brought to this place as a faint reflection of the Promised Land. We have been brought here to grow in faith, to prosper from the land, and to take that prosperity and send workers into the field to join Christ in the true harvest.

            I know that it is tempting to think that you earned the prosperity of these times. But don’t be fooled, God gave you the riches of this place and said, “Now, be faithful.” 

            Now the world is coming to us, to tiny Rosenort. We have seen in the past years how people of different ethnicities have joined us in our village. This community was established in faith, and we must continue to be a beacon of faith to our new neighbors. They have come to share in our prosperity, but the true riches of our faith – that’s what they really need. They need the Jesus who has done a good work in us. How will we respond to these challenges? 

            At age 22, Jim Elliot had a promising ministry in front of him in the United States. He probably could have been a very successful pastor or evangelist or teacher. His parents were not very excited about his call to go to the Quichuas in South America. They wrote and told him so. He answered bluntly.

"I do not wonder that you were saddened at the word of my going to South America," he replied on August 8. "This is nothing else than what the Lord Jesus warned us of when He told the disciples that they must become so infatuated with the kingdom and following Him that all other allegiances must become as though they were not. And He never excluded the family tie. In fact, those loves that we regard as closest, He told us must become as hate in comparison with our desires to uphold His cause. Grieve not, then, if your sons seem to desert you, but rejoice, rather, seeing the will of God done gladly. Remember how the Psalmist described children? He said that they were as an heritage from the Lord, and that every man should be happy who had his quiver full of them. And what is a quiver full of but arrows? And what are arrows for but to shoot? So, with the strong arms of prayer, draw the bowstring back and let the arrows fly - all of them, straight at the Enemy's hosts.

"Give of thy sons to bear the message glorious, give of thy wealth to speed them on their way, pour out thy soul for them in prayer victorious, and all thou spendest Jesus will repay."

(Elisabeth Elliot, Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot, [New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers: 1958] p. 132; hymn quote from "Oh, Zion Haste")

            We have a quiver full of arrows: faith, wealth, prayer, opportunity, and sons and daughters. Let us pray and let the arrows fly.

            This is why we are here!

 

 

                                                AMEN

Covenant Membership Sunday

COVENANT PROMISES:

PARTNERING TOGETHER

 

“Fellowship” has taken on a companion word that detracts from its original meaning: coffee! Following a rousing time of worship or Bible study, we love to come down from that high with a relaxing “coffee fellowship.” Our common misunderstanding is that fellowship means “visiting” with a coffee cup in hand. 

            That’s not what “fellowship” means. 

            The biblical understanding of “fellowship” comes from the Greek word “koinonia.” It is translated “fellowship” in your Bibles, but it means “partnership.” 

            J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring illustrates this. Nine unlikely characters from different races (Hobbit, Elf, Dwarf, Wizard, and Human) come together in a partnership to accomplish a herculean task. They can’t do it alone; they need each other. In a significant scene, the nine heroes covenant together to form a fellowship dedicated to their singular task: to destroy the ring (representing evil) and preserve the world they inhabit.

            That sounds like the church. We come from different backgrounds and ethnicities to find unity under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. With our unique gifts, we partner together to resist the evil of our world and advance the values and truths of the kingdom of God. We are the Rosenort Fellowship. We know we can’t live the Christian life alone, so we covenant together to form this fellowship of believers to be salt and light in our part of the world.

            To be a true fellowship united in Jesus Christ, we need to covenant together.  I want to unpack the biblical theme of covenant with you this morning so that we understand what this Covenanting Service involves for you and me. Then we will enter or renew our covenant with each other.

 

 

What is a Covenant?

A covenant is commonly used in legal, social, religious and theological contexts. I like to emphasize the relational aspect of covenant. Contract sounds cold. We cannot forget the relationship that underlies the agreement. The meaning of covenant is “coming together.” 

Think of the covenant of marriage: a covenant between a husband and wife helps to establish the basis of the relationship, conditions that help the spouses to thrive, promises that give hope to the couple for a happy future. And there are consequences if those conditions are unmet. 

Why is covenant important to us? Because the covenants provide a framework for how we understand the Bible and how it works together. Those 66 books we call “the Bible” hang together brilliantly because of the covenants. God enters one formal partnership (covenant) after another with various humans to rescue the world. Through these covenants, we find the story of the Bible driving forward until the climax is reached in Jesus. “To tell the story of God redeeming humanity through Jesus is to tell the whole story of God’s covenantal relationship with humans,” (Bible Project).

So, a covenant is a relationship between two partners who make binding promises to each other and work together to reach a common goal. They are often accompanied by signs. We must remember that covenant is relational and personal (like the marriage example). 

 

Why God Partners with Human Beings

The covenantal story begins when God created human beings in his image to partner with him in spreading his good rule throughout the world. “Covenant” is not used in Genesis 1, but the idea lingers in the background. 

            God invites Adam and Eve to be his representatives by ruling over the earth. They would enjoy God’s blessings so long as they do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (note the conditions). In this test of covenantal faithfulness, they failed. They ate from the tree and brought a curse on humanity and the world. We would be trapped in the spiral of sin and self-destruction if God had not intervened to restore his partnership with humanity through covenants.

            There are five covenants that build upon one another to bring about the salvation of the world…

 

The Five Major Covenants of the Bible

 

The Noahic Covenant (Genesis 9:11-13) – By the time of Noah, sin has enveloped the whole world, and evil has corrupted everything and everyone. In response, God sends a flood to restore Creation and begin again with Noah’s family. 

            After the flood, God enters a formal relationship with Noah and all living creatures promising that he will never again flood the earth. “I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth,” (11). Then God gives the sign of the rainbow as a reminder of this covenant. God will preserve the world no matter how bad humanity becomes and promises to rescue humanity and creation through the “offspring of the woman” (Gen. 3:15). God’s covenant in this instance is unconditional, meaning that God will keep his promise regardless of human compliance or sin. 

 

The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 17:4-8) – Even after the flood, sin continues to infest the world. Humanity continues to do its own thing and ignore the God who created them. How is God going to restore his good world?

            God calls Abraham into another covenant relationship. Slowly, over the course of his life (Gen 12, 15, 17), Abraham is led to understand what God is going to do. This covenant is the most central to the biblical story of redemption. God calls out Abraham to be the father of a huge family that will bless the world for generations to come. “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations…And I will establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant..." (4, 7). God promises to give his people a land and to be their God. 

            The sign of this covenant is circumcision which is to be a reminder to Abraham and his children that they are set apart for God. While the covenant is primarily unconditional, there is a conditional part: Abraham needs to believe that God will do this. And Abraham does believe and is called the father of those who have faith. 

            What is particularly significant is that Abraham will be a blessing to all the nations. Though it is not said “how,” Abraham’s family means something good for the world.

 

The Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 31:12-18) – Through Abraham’s one and only son, Isaac, Abraham’s family increases in the land of Egypt numbering probably 2 million. But they are under the boot of Pharaoh who feels threatened by God’s people. They cry out to God and God calls Moses to lead his people out of the slavery of Egypt to the land of Promise. 

            They escape Pharaoh and his army through miraculous means and end up at Mount Sinai. On the mountain, God reveals himself to Moses and revisits the promises made to Abraham. With Moses as representative of the people of God, God makes a covenant with them. God promises to make them a nation of priests who will represent God to the world. 

            It is here at Mount Sinai that God gives his people the law that is meant to transform them into a people unique in all the world. This covenant is conditional, meaning there is something that the people need to do: obey the law. If they do, there will be blessings; if they don’t, there are curses. A sign of this obedience to the covenant is keeping the Sabbath. The Lord said, “Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you…that you may know that I, the LORD sanctify you,” (13b).

The Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16) – God’s people enter the Promised Land, but after a time they forget the covenant at Mount Sinai and want a king like other nations. We know about the first king, Saul, and how that went badly. Then God chooses a man to be king who was a “man after God’s own heart.” David establishes the kingdom of Israel and wants to build God a temple. The Lord responds by making a covenant with David.

            The Lord promises David, “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever,” (16). The promise is an everlasting legacy, and the sign will be that someone in David’s family will sit on his throne forever. 

 

The Messianic Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) – God continued to keep his end of the covenants even if his people failed to keep their end of the partnership. But somebody had to fulfill the human side of the agreement so that God could repair his relationship with his people. Amid the sin and rebellion of humankind, God made a covenant with the people that would be an everlasting covenant.

            The LORD said, “Behold, the days are coming,  declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah…(see 31-34).” Before this time, the law had been external, a harsh taskmaster that stood over the people and reminded them they were sinners. But now, the LORD would make the law internal, a more natural inclination to obey that came from within. God would forgive their sins, and a David-like king would rule over them forever.

            Jesus is the climax of this covenant promise. Jesus fulfills all the covenant promises. Where humanity failed to keep their part of the partnership, the man Jesus Christ, is a blessing to all nations, he is obedient to the whole law, he is the perfect son of David, king of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus succeeded at every point where humanity failed.

            The sign of this covenant is the bread and the cup. These signs remind us of the faithfulness of Christ and the unconditional promise that he has made us children of the Father in heaven.

 

Our Covenant at Rosenort Fellowship…

 

What do these covenants have to do with covenant membership at RFC?

            I have a dream… (sounds like MLK) …I have a dream that we would agree to partner together to follow Jesus Christ. I have a dream that those who pursue a life with Jesus would partner together to be a community of followers who love each other, encourage one another in faith, help each other when one falls in sin, pray for each other when we suffer, remind each other of the power of Christ when we feel weak. I have a dream that people of all walks of life and ethnicities could come together and agree on Jesus, that he is our Savior, and he is our LORD. 

            By covenanting together, we are agreeing that the story of redemption that I have just outlined is our story. We are the continuation of that story. We are blessed through Abraham; we are the representatives of God in this world pressing on to make this world better through the gospel of Jesus; we are priests in the kingdom of the Son of David ministering to a fallen world, bringing healing and love and shalom. 

            I have a dream that we would be a community that stands out against the coldness and bitterness of our world. I have a dream that a person who seeks God would know that they may belong to this covenant people.

            Do you share my dream?

 

 The following Covenant stipulations are found in our Church handbook. If you would like a copy to study further, please contact our office. 

The Covenant	Biblical Reference	Promised Blessing	Conditions	Sign
Noahic	Genesis 9:11-13	God will never again flood the earth	Unconditional	Rainbow
Abrahamic	Genesis 17:4-8	Abraham will be the father of many peoples, he will inherit the land, and will be a blessing to the world	Unconditional	Circumcision
Mosaic	Exodus 31:12-18	Israel will be a holy nation of priests who will represent Yahweh to the world	Conditional	Obey the law and commandments; keep the Sabbath
Davidic	2 Samuel 7:12-16	David’s name will be great and one of his descendants will sit on his throne forever	Unconditional	Throne of David
Messianic	Jeremiah 31:31:34; Luke 22:19-22	The law will be written on the hearts of God’s people, their sins forgiven, and will enjoy the reign of David’s Son	Unconditional	The Bread and the Cup

 

            Why Covenant with RFC (Rosenort Fellowship Chapel)?CHURCH COVENANT

A. Rationale

We believe that the church is a community of faith bound together by the covenant of Jesus Christ. Believers are in a covenant relationship with God and with each other. Jesus taught that the Christian life could be best nurtured and expressed when an individual commits himself or herself to a group of Christ-followers, the body of Christ.

The New Testament clearly teaches commitment and accountability within a local body of Christ-followers. In the context of this local body, we look for ways to encourage commitment and reflect what it means to be part of the local and visible church.

A covenant commitment to a church community is necessary for the following reasons:

1. A Biblical Reason: The New Testament reveals that local churches were a reality and a necessity.

   • Romans 16:1, 5 “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae...Greet also the church in their house...”

   • 1 Corinthians 1:2 “To the church of God that is in Corinth...”

   • Galatians 1:2 “To the churches of Galatia...”

   • 1 Thessalonians 1:2 “To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus

     Christ...”

2. A Cultural Reason: Community counters the trend of society.

• In an age of isolation and individualism where commitment to a marriage, a job, or a family is at a low point in society, a covenant community offers an alternative to “going it alone.” We believe that committing oneself to a body of believers makes a person stronger in character and in faith.

3. A Practical Reason: It reveals who the church community can depend upon.

• Covenant commitment identifies our church family. Just as sports teams have rosters and schools have an enrolment, church communities need a tangible way of identifying those who have chosen to belong to the local body.

4. A Personal Reason: It produces spiritual growth.

• The New Testament places a major emphasis on the need for Christians to be accountable to each other for spiritual growth. By committing ourselves to the body of believers, we face challenges or crises together. When we work together with others who are committed to Christ, we grow in our spiritual life.

B. Our Commitment to Each Other at RFC

Recognizing the awesome responsibility of being the church, the group of people who corporately make up the body of Christ, we, the RFC Church family, covenant to provide you:

1. The Opportunity to Fellowship

1. RFC is a community where you can belong.

2. RFC is a community where you will be cared for.

3. RFC is a community where you will be held accountable in your faith walk.

4. RFC is a community with whom you can worship the Lord.

5. “So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another,” Romans

   12:5.

6. “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a

   spirit of gentleness...Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ,” Galatians 6:1-2.

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g. “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,” Ephesians 5:19.

2. The Opportunity to Serve

   1. In the area of your giftedness.

   2. In the church community and in the constituency.

   3. “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them...” Romans 12:6a.

   4. “...as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the

      household of faith,” Galatians 6:10.

3. The Opportunity to Learn

   1. Through preaching and teaching.

   2. For spiritual growth and guidance in daily living.

   3. “Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete

      patience and teaching,” 2 Timothy 4:2

   4. “Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how

      you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus,” 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2.

4. The Opportunity to Receive Spiritual Care and Nurture

   1. Through instruction and Believer’s Baptism.

   2. Through participation in communion.

   3. Through visitation and prayer in times of special needs.

   4. In preparation for and during significant life events (weddings, funerals, etc.).

   5. “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him,

      anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,” James 5:14.

   6. “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread

      and the prayers,” Acts 2:42.

C. Your Commitment to the RFC Family

Having received Christ as my Lord and Savior and having been baptized upon the confession of my faith in him, I feel led by the Holy Spirit to unite with the RFC Church family. In doing so, I humbly commit myself to God and to this community of believers to:

1. Guard the Unity of My Church

   1. By acting in love toward other members.

   2. By refusing to gossip.

   3. By following the leaders.

   4. By accepting and supporting corporate decisions.

   • “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another,

     in accord with Christ Jesus,” Romans 15:5

   • “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as first

     the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear,” Ephesians 4:29.

2. Share Responsibility for the Growth of My Church

   1. By praying for its growth.

   2. By inviting the unchurched to attend.

   3. By warmly welcoming those who visit.

   • “...Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23.

   • “...welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God,” Romans 15:7.

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3. Serve in the Ministry of My Church

   1. By living a godly life.

   2. By discovering and using my gifts and talents.

   3. By developing a servant’s heart.

   4. By serving for God’s glory and not the praise of people.

   • “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace...” 1

     Peter 4:10

   • “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this in

     mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus...taking the form of a servant,” Philippians 2:4-5, 7.

4. Support My Church in Practical Ways

   1. With my time, by attending faithfully.

   2. With my resources, by serving where possible.

   3. With my finances, by giving regularly.

   • “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one

     another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching,” Hebrews 10:25.

   • “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and

     builds itself up in love, as each part does its work,” Ephesians 4:15-16.

   • “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his

     income...” 1 Corinthians 16:2.

     My Covenant with Christ and RFC:

     With my signature below, I declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, that the Bible is the very Word of God, and that salvation is only through the Lord Jesus Christ. I have repented of my sins and have received cleansing and forgiveness through faith in the shed blood of Christ. In obedience to Christ and because I desire to publicly proclaim my faith, I have been baptized as a believer.

     Trusting in the Holy Spirit for guidance, I seek to lead a consistent Christian life, honoring Christ in all my relationships. I am in agreement with the statement of faith and practices of RFC, as well as the RFC church covenant statement, to the extent that I am prepared to covenant with the RFC, becoming an active covenant member. I commit myself to support RFC through prayer, regular worship, giving, and service.

The Heart-for-God Series: 1 Samuel 24

THE NON-AVENGERS: EARTH’S GREATEST HEROES

 

There is an old story, probably from the first Gulf War in the 90s, where a soldier fighting overseas receives a letter from his girlfriend – a dear John letter. She was breaking up with him. In the letter she was asking him to return the photo of herself; she was marrying another man and needed the photo for the engagement column in the local paper. Distraught, the soldier shared his grief with his buddies. One of them came up with the idea that the platoon members give him all the photos of their girlfriends and send them to her with this note: “For the life of me, I can’t remember which one is yours…”       

            We are told that revenge is sweet. Getting even or triumphing over enemies is a rush. Pop culture teaches this in our stories all the time. I confess that I enjoyed the Avengers storyline and how Ironman finally defeated Thanos. 

            But I am also reminded and very influenced by Walter Wink’s paper The Myth of Redemptive Violence. After intense study, Wink concluded that the Myth enshrines the belief that violence saves, that war brings peace, that might makes right. Violence and revenge are the nature of things; they are inevitable. Wink noticed a discrepancy in cartoons however, a pattern that is repeated without resolution. Take the old Popeye cartoon: Bluto abducts a screaming and kicking Olive Oyl; Popeye attempts to rescue her and is beaten to a pulp by Bluto; then Popeye eats some spinach, and he is transformed with power, defeats Bluto, and rescues Olive. The format never varies. Neither party gains any insight nor learns from the encounter; they don’t work out their differences. Repeated defeats do not teach Bluto to respect Olive’s humanity and repeated beatings do not teach Popeye to eat his spinach ahead of his conflicts. And the pattern just keeps repeating. 

            The myth of redemptive violence is the simplest, laziest, most exciting, uncomplicated, irrational, and primitive depiction of evil the world has ever known, Wink writes. But it doesn’t solve anything; it merely encourages more violence. And it does not reflect the heart of God or what God wants for his people who bear his image. 

Having a heart for God means having a heart like God’s. Developing a heart for God means trusting that God’s justice is fairer than our seeking personal vengeance. David had his ups and downs; he was human and failed. But in this episode of his life, 1 Samuel 24, David chose to reflect the heart of God.

 

Resist the Urge

 

Saul, in his jealous insanity has pursued David to a series of caves in Engedi. These caves had been carved out for use as sheep pens. Saul needed relief (the Hebrew says he needed “to cover his feet”); he needed to drop the drawers. It would appear providential that Saul would choose the exact cave that David and his men are hiding in. 

            Providence is the argument that David’s men press on him to kill Saul in that moment. They dig up some prophecy that is not recorded anywhere in Scripture saying, “Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you,” (4b). Your enemy has fallen into your hands – what do you do? Surely, God has given you this moment to even the score, get vengeance. 

            David’s men were wrong on two counts: 1) God never told David that he would replace Saul as king by killing him; 2) Even if the prophecy was true, that David’s enemies would be delivered to him, Saul was not David’s enemy. David never saw him that way. 

            So, here is the man who has pursued you with the intention to kill you; it’s not a trap or an ambush; it is an opportunity to end the persecution, to end this misery of being hunted and hounded. The natural response to this opportunity is take advantage of it and put your enemy down. 

            David sneaks up and does the unnatural thing. Instead of killing Saul, he cuts a piece of Saul’s robe off and retreats. His men must have thought he was nuts; he blew his chance to become king right there and then.

            When you are slandered, the natural response is to shoot back with slander. When you are given the cold shoulder, you don’t speak to that person either. When you are hated, the natural thing is to hate back. But these responses never lead to life. It just tortures you. The eye-for-an-eye response doesn’t resolve your anguish. 

            Paul must have reflected on David’s story when he wrote, “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all,” (Ro. 12:17). Our tour leaders in June, John and Michelle Sharp, were parents to a son named MJ or Michael. MJ was working for MCC and then the UN in Congo when this incident occurred. He and a driver came upon a bus that was being held up. Men with machine guns were forcing passengers to lie down…MJ calmly got out of the vehicle and walked over to them men and said, “What are you doing? These are your own people. This doesn’t look right.” For some reason, the men with the guns left and MJ told the passengers to get up and get out of there. 

            David was careful to do what was right in the eyes of others. When you are tempted to return evil for evil, think of how your spouse would see this, how your children would observe this, how your parents would feel. How does God view this? Resist the urge to avenge yourself. 

 

“Sinsitivity” (a word I created to express sensitivity to one's own sin)

 

Even though David resisted the urge to take vengeance, even though he only took a piece of Saul’s robe, we read that “David’s heart struck him,” (5a). He said, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD’s anointed,” (6). 

            This is the one characteristic of David that I believe overshadowed everything else in making him a man after God’s own heart. He had what I call “sinsitivity” or a sensitivity to sin. 

            If this were a movie concocted and written by Hollywood, David would be cheered by audiences as he plunged his knife into Saul’s back. He had the excuse of self-defence, since Saul had tried to kill him several times. He had the excuse of divine anointing: God had chosen David to replace Saul. He had the excuse of divine opportunity if his men were to be believed. Was it a coincidence that Saul walked into that cave versus scads of other caves? His men would have cheered. The theater audience would cheer. (Mime story).

            David didn’t kill Saul, but his “sin” of cutting the robe, of merely touching God’s servant, convicted him. He didn’t blame Saul for putting him in this position; he didn’t list Saul’s sins; all he could see was his own sin. He saw his own heart and realized that to commit this one sin made it easier to do worse. David crossed the line and if he didn’t address it, crossing the line would be easier the next time. 

            We need “sinsitivity.” When we allow ourselves to be sensitive to our own sins – not other people’s, mine – we are on the right side of the sin problem. We must fight for this “sinsitivity.” We must fight to remain sensitive to the natural inclination in our hearts to sin. If we respond to sin with sin, we become trapped in a downward toilet swirl to more sin. What hope do we have for forgiveness and grace if we return sin for sin? (see Paul’s battle with sin in Romans 7:15-19)

 

Build the Bridge

 

David does something next that is radical and defies all military logic. He gives up the tactical advantage of cover. He emerges from the cave and addresses Saul; David steps out risking his life knowing that Saul could kill him now. But David sought to be reconciled with his pursuer. He does this in a few ways:

            First, as we have seen, he makes himself vulnerable.

            Second, he exposes the lie. David said, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, “Behold, David seeks your harm?” (9). How often has second-hand or third-hand info come to you that so-and-so thinks this about you or your ideas? A text or an email is hard to interpret; we don’t know what the writer is really thinking. But we make assumptions, we get upset, we feel offended. The lies we hear from others or the lies we tell ourselves cause so much conflict and unnecessary hurt. David doesn’t accuse Saul of anything, he just identifies the lie. 

            Third, David speaks his truth (there is a place for speaking the truth): “Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave…you may know and see that there is no treason in my hands…”(10-11). If the lie gets puffed up it becomes a monster. The only way to deal properly with a lie is to examine the evidence. Is what you are telling yourself true of the other person? Ask them. David had Saul look at the evidence. David didn’t kill Saul when he had the chance. David respected the fact that Saul was king, and he had no intention of usurping him; he submitted to Saul’s leadership. Poke that monster lie full of holes with truth. 

            Paul implored the Christians at Rome, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all,”(12:18). Build bridges; don’t tear them down. 

            MJ was hired from MCC by the UN for his ability to work with people groups. He was specifically tasked with going to the warlords in Congo and to convince them to lay down their arms. One UN official was amazed at MJ’s success in speaking to and making peace with the groups and asked him his secret. MJ responded that he simply asked, “What are your dreams? What would you like to see happen?” MJ didn’t come in to lecture them about peace, rather, he tried to open up their hearts. And they opened up because someone finally listened to them. 

            It bears repeating that Paul instructed us, “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good,” (12:21).

 

Let God Be the Judge

 

It takes courage and faith to allow God to be the judge of our conflicts. David had a right vision of God on the throne of the universe; he saw Yahweh as the judge.

            Twice, David implored Saul to let God be the judge between the two of them: “May the LORD judge between me and you, may the LORD avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you,” (12). He repeats the essence of this appeal in verse 15. 

            When we are in trouble, it is automatic that we think we must avenge ourselves. We must fix this thing ourselves. If I don’t do it, who will? When we are in trouble, we feel compelled to argue for our rights, to plead our cause, to seek justice. When we are in trouble, we must save ourselves. David, in this moment, left it all with God. Even if Saul killed him right there and then, he left the matter with Yahweh. 

            Isn’t this…what’s it called? Christlike? Peter said this of Jesus, “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly,” (1 Peter 2:23). Philip Yancey wrote, “Vengeance is a passion to get even. It is a hot desire to give back as much pain as someone gives you. The problem with revenge is that it never gets what it wants; it never evens the score. Fairness never comes. The chain reaction set off by every act of vengeance always takes its unhindered course. It ties both the injured and the injurer to an escalator of pain. Both are stuck on the escalator as long as parity is demanded, and the escalator never stops, never lets anyone off.”

            God is wiser than we are and far more insightful of the truth than we are, so we can trust him to discern the injustice of the situation and decide who deserves what.

            Michael J. Sharp was murdered by a Congolese warlord in 2017. His death was shot on video for some reason. John and Michelle saw part of the video and shared that MJ was talking the whole time, chatting with his executioners as if working out diplomacy. Even as he met his death, there was a calmness on his face. John and Michelle’s hearts were broken, but their attitude was like David’s: Let God be the judge of those who took our son’s life.

 

A heart for God means having a heart like God’s. God, in Christ Jesus, reached out to reconcile the world to himself. 

            Paul carried this theme forward to the Roman Christians, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord,’” (12:19). This is not some activist thing for peace. This word comes on the heels of a message about what Christ has done for us and appealing to us to live as he lived. Which is why Paul says, “Do not be conformed to this world (the myth of redemptive violence), but be transformed by the renewal of your mind (to be like Christ Jesus), that by testing (everything by the cross of Christ) you may discern what is the will of God (what should we do), what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2). 

            This is the way, the truth, the life. This is the way of the Non-Avenger, heroic people of faith in the kingdom of God. These are the heroes of faith. 

            The story of David is amazing. He did not do a bad thing in response to a bad thing. He reflects the Lord Jesus who even more received very bad things and did a very good thing, dying on the cross for his enemies. May his Spirit help us to grow a heart for God like his.

 

 

                                                AMEN