Series: Jesus Manifesto
Message: Getting Clear About Christ
Preacher: Jenniffer Ogden
Reflection: Japhet De Oliveira
Live Wonder: Zan Long
Live Adventure: Zan Long
Live Beyond: J. Murdock
Live Purpose: Lydia Svoboda
Editor: Becky De Oliveira
Refresh: Begin with prayer. Ask for the Holy Spirit to open your heart to new understanding and for God’s character to be revealed.
Read: Colossians 1:15-23 in the New International Version (NIV). Note 1–3 insights or questions.
Reflect: “And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy.” (Colossians 1:18, NIV)
I don’t know how you answered the recalibrate questions yesterday. I do know that Paul saw the tension as I also mentioned on Sunday with the Colossian church, that the Greek deity Zeus was tempting to them. They struggled with having Jesus be the head of the Church. Surely there must be something good they could gather from Zeus. Surely, given the time they lived in it would make sense to recognize the struggles they faced and to see how wise it would be for them to worship every known deity. Surely no one should choose just the Church nor Jesus alone as the head.
Sounds familiar? Zeus for us today is anything other than Jesus that we wish to give control over our lives. I believe this is the root cause for many who would want to separate themselves from one church, from a single tribal connection. Please don’t get me wrong, I know there is a lot to learn from a variety of sources, but the marker, the qualifier is Jesus.
I was recently at the Hillsong Leadership Conference in Sydney. First time I have ever attended. While there I was blessed by the messages from Louie Giglio and others. I was inspired by their music, creativity, and the list goes on. I can at the same time, while being blessed, also disagree with their interpretation and practice of speaking in unknown languages or healing random people.
I was faced with a couple of options. Ignore the conference speakers and fail to learn anything new. Or I could take what is good and ignore the rest—much like the apostle Paul did in his day. He quoted from well-known sources. He preached to the intelligentsia on Mars Hill, which would have meant that he was well versed in several teachings. He understood how to make the leap. This is similar to the apostle John, who reframed the logos—the Word. He explained who the real source of all truth is— Jesus.
I am fully aware that Christianity is not perfect. Neither is my tribe, Adventism. Yet I not would not pick any other affiliation. In all our human brokenness I see beauty. I believe that Jesus is the head of the Church. I believe that Jesus is the head of my Church. I don’t believe we always follow Jesus. I know that I don’t always follow Jesus. My heart simply aches for those who have decided to believe in Jesus, admit He is all sufficient and all supreme, yet have disconnected from any tribal connection. They can accept Jesus but want nothing to do with any tribe. To all those who wish to separate themselves from tribal connections, hear my heart when I ask you these questions. Can you be a follower of Jesus without living in a community that holds you accountable? If the church were a ship, how might you best help her change direction—from outside the ship or from within?
The radical way is to embrace fully Jesus. All. and the call to community that comes with that commitment.
Recalibrate: What have you seen happen when someone accepts Jesus in their life? What happened to you when you accepted Jesus? How do you keep that relationship fresh?
Respond: Pray for a daily renewal with Jesus.
Research: Read Acts 17 (the Mars Hill story).
Remember: “Through His power all things were made—things in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen” (Colossians 1:16, ICB).
Japhet De Oliveira is administrative director for the Center for Mission and Culture at Adventist Health in Roseville, California.
Place a large bed sheet on the ground. With your little one, sit amongst their toys and play with them. Build something together. (The bed sheet will make sense when you read tomorrow’s Live Wonder Daily Walk.)
Use building blocks to make a home for the teddies or a bridge for cars to go over. Draw a backdrop for the toys—are they in the country or the city? Is it night or day?
Do the toys like to play with each other? The creative energy used to bring the toys together and play is a beautiful thing. Does your child build with what they have or do they use the toys to fight each other? Patterns of behavior start very young. Build something beautiful with your child. Lead your child by showing them how to say kind words and do good actions. (If possible leave the toys and bed sheet for tomorrow's Daily Walk.)
Gather you favorite toys—maybe Lego or superheroes, footballs or skateboards. Whatever you have pull them all together. Think about how you play with them and when you play with them. Do you play with some by yourself or with your friends? Imagine if your Lego decided that they no longer wanted to be played with. Or if the football said, “I don’t want to be thrown.” Weird, hey? The best fun is when you can play all day with all the toys. That is what toys are made for. God made us to play with each other, to share what we have so no one misses out. The most important thing that He wants us to share His love. Ask Jesus to help you want to share and play well with others.
When I was first hired to be a pastor, I was pretty sure that I had just been given super powers. Suddenly, I went from being a kid in a classroom hoping to pass my next theology quiz to being handed the ability to do things in the name of Jesus. It might seem trivial on its face, but think of how powerful baptism is! Someone who has chosen to follow Jesus gets into the water, and dies to their sin and is reborn in the love of God! Sure it’s not swinging from a web that I shot out of my wrist . . . but that’s still pretty powerful, right?! If I said the right words in the right order in the right place at the right time, people who used to be single—married. Boom! Superpowers.
In Colossians 1:20, Paul talks about Jesus’ superpowers. Because Jesus was entirely full of the Spirit, He could do amazing things! Paul uses the word reconcile to illustrate Jesus’ greatest power—salvation. Think about every sin that has ever happened from the beginning of time. From the very first created human being to the last person who sinned at the end of this sentence, there must be so much sin in the world that you would have to create a superpowered computer just to realize it can’t keep up!
Paul says those sins which are a barrier to humans from getting close to Jesus were reconciled by Jesus. He even says that God was pleased to do it! I have had to cover for mistakes made by my best friends, my family, and my wife, and I can tell you I wasn’t pleased at all to take the blame for their mistakes. Jesus somehow takes all of the sin that ever happened and ever will happen and does it happily. What a superhero!
What’s something you have responsibility over? Is it a chore to have the power to care for that thing? What would it take for you to be responsible, even when it’s hard, happily?
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation . . .” (Col. 1:21). God is so good and so just. Everything He does is for the right reasons. He couldn’t bear a guilty person who has harmed another to go free, nor an innocent person be condemned. Something to try to ponder is how Someone so just is simultaneously love in its absolute purity and entirety. How can someone be both just and loving? I think it makes beautiful sense that we will spend eternity delving deeper into the incredible character of God. And somehow, you can rest from all guilt assured that the Righteous One calls you righteous too because of His all-consuming love for you.
Zan Long is GRC director for faith development for ages 0-17. She lives in Sydney, Australia, and serves at her local church in nearby Kellyville.
J. Murdock is associate pastor at Boulder Adventist Church in Boulder, Colorado, where he focuses on youth and young adult ministry.
Lydia Svoboda is a junior theology major at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska.