JESUS IS LORD

For many of you who might read this blog, your world has fundamentally changed.    The world you knew as child - the world of your teen years - and the world of much of your adult life no longer exists.

The world is constantly changing for all of us.    But if you’re over 40 you have experienced the most significant seismic shift in 600 years.    Indeed it is the most important cultural change in the history of North America.    As important as it is for older people to understand the world in which younger people live, it is important for younger people to understand the trauma happening in the lives of older people.    Many of them don’t understand what’s happening to them.    Their world has changed.

Older people, you have to understand something.   The world you knew, no longer exist. Judeo-Christian values no long drive the culture. We live in what is called a "Post-Christian World."    There is no longer a Christian baseline that directs our culture.    The rules have changed.    The sad thing is that many of us don’t even know it.
　

SEISMIC SHIFTS THAT ROCK OUR WORLD
There are at least three huge seismic shifts that are rocking our world.

1. Changing Demographics

People from all over the world with non-Christian view have immigrated to North America. Our school systems have systematically eliminated Christian values and replaced them with secular humanism.

In our lifetime the centre of Christianity has shifted from North America to the "Global South" (Latin America; Sub-Sahara Africa; Pacific Rim).    Canada and the United States are becoming increasingly less Christian friendly (Canada more so than the United States).    Not only have we shown great tolerance, as we should, of others to worship whoever and however they wish and to believe and live however they want; our culture has actually become and will increasingly become more hostile to the followers of Jesus.

2. Changing Culture
There are profound changes in the underlying values of our culture. The fundamental principles of our culture are no longer Christian. In his book, "The Trouble With Jesus." Joseph Stowell discusses the rise of what he calls a "New Paganism" that embraces a "wide-open spirituality, with a multiplicity of gods and no central moral authority."

I am amazed at the similarities of the pagan world of the 1^st century and the paganism of the 21^st century.    Claims about Jesus being the only way to salvation are as unwelcome in the 21^st century just as they were in the first.    Our culture has a lot of trouble with Jesus.    By the way, the claim that our culture doesn’t have trouble with Jesus but with His church is essentially false.    The trouble is with Jesus precisely because He claims to be the only way.    Therefore, those who are followers of Jesus are going to find themselves increasingly at odds with our culture.

The third seismic shift is a:

3. Changing World View

In my life time there has been a profound transformation in the way people view the world. We call it "World View."     This new view of the world most generally comes under the heading of "Post-modernism."    It’s a hard thing to define but basically it’s a philosophy that affirms there is no objective or absolute truth, especially in matters of religion and spirituality.    Post-modernism is a reaction to modernism’s failed promise of using human reason alone to make the world a better place.

Because one of modernism’s beliefs was that absolutes did exist, postmodernism seeks to ‘correct’ things by eliminating absolute truth and making everything, including the empirical sciences and religion, relative to an individual’s internal beliefs and desires.    That which once was considered good is now considered bad.   Those who were once considered good are now considered evil

The difficulty for followers of Jesus is that if our culture rejects absolute truth then the natural outcome is some kind of religious pluralism that says no faith or religion is necessarily true and therefore no one can claim that his or her religion is true and another is false.

Those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus, and claim that He and He alone is the way to God, that He is "the way" "the truth" and "the life," come into direct conflict with the prevailing pagan world view of our culture.    May I add, just as the 1^st century Christians came into direct conflict with the prevailing pagan world view of their day. Stowell said, "The premier example of success in the midst of a hostile paganism is the story of faithful followers of Jesus in the first three centuries. In fact it is uncanny how the issues they faced are so parallel to ours .   It was clear to everyone who paid attention that Jesus and His Father did not fit among the gods of the empire."²

The Early Christians Lived In A Hostile Pagan Culture Much Like Ours.    These courageous followers of Jesus, in the face of a very vicious culture, made the bold and unequivocal proclamation " JESUS CHRIST IS LORD."
　

"Jesus Is Lord" became the confession of the early church.    It was what you had to believe to be a Christian.    This is born out in the confessions of the church.    The thing that is common to all, ³ the great Christian Confession of the early church, is the universal declaration that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Lord of all.

"Jesus Is Lord" summarizes the early church’s understanding of the gospel message.    It is the bedrock of what it means to be a follower of Christ.   "Jesus is Lord" and there is no other.   It was not popular in the 1^st Century to make such a claim.    It is not popular in our neo-pagan culture where "Tolerance Is Lord" to boldly proclaim "Jesus Is Lord."    It may not be popular but "Truth is absolute."    Our Witness is that there are truths to be believed and obeyed.    "Jesus is Lord" is the fundamental truth.   We must not shrink from believing it and proclaiming it even in a hostile environment.

　
^1. "The Trouble With Jesus", Joseph Stowell, Pg 34-35

²   Ibid pg 36

^3.  Kerygma (Earliest Apostolic Preaching) 1^st century
Rule of Faith - 2^nd century - standard of faith by the early church fathers

Old Roman Symbol - based on the Rule of Faith to ORS - like an earlier and shorter version on the Apostles Creed

Apostles Creed - 8^th Century

PARABLE OF THE WILD DUCK

The other day, though I live in the heart of Canada's largest city, I heard the familiar sound of honking geese.    With the noise and the hustle and bustle of city life, it's easy to miss these delightful sounds of the wild.    But I heard it, and looking up I saw a flock of Canadian Geese flying overhead in V formation.   It's a sure sign that spring is on the way as the geese make their way north for the summer.   It's been a long winter and it's starting to get to me and I long for the new life that spring infuses into my being.

It made me think of the "Parable of the Wild Duck." ¹   It seems there was a Wild Duck flying north with his fellow ducks after a long winter in the south.    As they travelled north to their nesting areas they passed over several farms wherein there were tame ducks who remained in the barnyard through the winter months.

This particular duck was curious about the tame ducks below, so leaving his friends he lands and mingles with the barnyard ducks for a few moments.    It seems like a good life.    There is plenty of corn and water.    He stayed for an hour thinking he'd catch up with his wild friends shortly.    Then he stayed for an hour, then for a day, then for a week, then for a month, and finally, because he relished the good food and the safety of the barnyard, he stayed the summer.

The summer then soon passed.   It was autumn now and the days began to shorten.  It was on one such day that the Wild Duck heard the familiar quacks of his former flock.    They were now winging their way south for the winter.    As they flew over the barnyard the Wild Duck was stirred with a strange thrill of joy and delight.  There was a deep longing in him to join the familiar and exhilarating flight south.  This was something he was built for, something for which wild ducks were made.    With a great flapping of his wings he rose in the air to join his old flock for their majestic flight south.

The familiar quacks of the wild and free flock spurred him on like a great call, but, alas, the good fair and food of the farm had made him fat and soft.  Though he flapped his wings with great vigor and effort, to his great dismay, he found he could not raise higher than the eaves of the barn.   The quacking of the wild flock soon faded into the distance and he waddled back to the safety of the barnyard, muttering to himself, “I’m satisfied here, I have plenty of food, and the area is good.   Why should I leave?”   So, he spent the winter on the farm.

In the spring, he once again heard the familiar sound of his old friends quacking their way north.    As they flew over the barnyard he felt a strange stirring within his breast and he looked up, but he made no effort to try to fly up to meet them.  When the fall came, as they flew over the farm once again the wild flock quacked the invitation to rejoin them, but the Wild Duck had become so accustomed to the good life of the barnyard that he didn't even notice them.  He didn't look up.   There was no stirring within his breast.  No longing or excitement to know the thrill and the freedom of a Wild Duck.  In the years that passed, he never looked up again. 

                                 Blessed is the man who

                                        walks not in the counsel of the wicked, 

                                        nor stands in the way of sinners,

                                         nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 

                                         But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

                                     and on his law he meditates day and night. 

                                                                                            (Psalm 1:1-2)

No follower of Jesus deliberately sets out be seduced by the pleasures of the world.  No godly Christian women wakes up in the morning and suddenly decides to go have an affair.  No God honouring man is suddenly struck on his way to the office with the idea of cheating his company out of thousands of dollars.  Nor does any devoted teen just decide one night they will go out and get drunk.  No, there is most often a downward progression.  

The Psalmist laid it out for us.   First we sit in the counsel of the wicked.  Their ideas, their lifestyle and their way of thinking begin to fill our minds.  Then we sit in the way of sinners .   Their ways increasingly become our ways.   We are comfortable in the barnyard of the world and our lives increasingly become maked by complacency.   Finally, we sit in the seat of the scoffers.   We arrive at the place where we can mock the spiritual fervancy of others and the lives we live in the barnyard seems perfectly normal.  

My friends, how easy it is to lose our spiritual passion.    Everything about the world around us is designed to draw us away.   How is it with you?

What do I learn from the Parable of the Wild Duck?

I Am Created To Give Flight To Spiritual Passion
  God creaded me for Him.   He has called me to love Him, and Him alone, with all my heart, soul,    mind and strength. 2   Knowing the depth of my sin and the magnatude of God's forgiveness filled my heart with gratitude passion for God.

The seductive power of the world is powerful.
The world offers many good things.   God has given us these things to enjoy, but if we are not careful the very things intended to be a blessing can enslave us and draw us away from Passion for God and the things of God.   The draw of the world is powerful and I can be so drawn to the good life, that I miss the call of God to passionately pursue Him.

I Alone Are Responsible For My Own Spiritual Passion
I cannot blame my spiritual condition on anyone else.   I am responsible to maintain passion for God and the things of God beating in my breast.  

Fellowship With Other Believers Is Crucial To Maintaining Spiritual Passion.
Other believers keep me accountable and give me support in my pursuit of God.   When I leave the formation of the church I put myself in great danger of spiritual apathy.

Succumbing to the subtle seduction of the world will kill my desire to ever fly again.

It Is Scary To Think I Can Be So Settled In My Complacancy That I Either Don't See It Or Don't Care
The thought that I might become so complacent and lukewarm in my walk with Christ that I may not recognize it or care is downright scary.    Oh God,  I plead, never allow me to get to the place where I never look up, where I can never hear the call of Wild Ducks to follow hard after you.

My friends how is it with you?   There may be times of spiritual drifting in our lives.   Times when we have settled for the riches of the barnyard rather than the free flight of an exciting life in passionate pursuit of God Himself.      There will be times when we need to trim the fat, focus our interest, and set our priorities towards the wild and exciting pursuit of God.   Times when we need to look up, to hear the call and take flight.     Wild Ducks are meant to fly and you and I were meant to passionately pursue God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

("The Parable Of The Wild Duck" is full of powerful lessons.   What lessons and applications can you see.   Let me encourage you to share them with the readers of this blog.    Post a Comment below by clicking on "No Comments" and leaving your thoughts.   Let's have a wonderful and uplifting conversation with those from around the world).
 

¹  "Parable of the Wild Duck" was first told by Danish theologian and philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)

²  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.     (Mark 12:30)