Saved

When we read the term 'saved' what do we think?  I have heard some say that 'saved' means praying the salvation prayer at the altar.  Some think being saved is having an overwhelming feeling of God's Spirit telling us that our sins are forgiven and that we are children of God.  Some think that we will all be saved and that somehow all of this life is 'washed out' by God's desire to bring all people to heaven.  Some don't think of salvation at all and feel that we live life, do good deeds, and that this life is the beginning and end of our existence.  Truly there are so many permutations of this idea of salvation that I could write entire books about the options.  And isn't it amusing that in formulating our idea of salvation, we often leave out the only opinion that counts ... God's!

Sunday we will examine a grace called Justifying Grace.  Justifying Grace is God's free (but not cheap) gift to us where a good and perfect God chooses (not on our merits but because of His goodness) to provide a way of reconciliation with Him.  That way is named Jesus ... the sinless man who dies as a sacrifice for all sins.  We are reconciled to God by Jesus and are 'justified' by His act of love, forgiveness and life-giving sacrifice.  We are both saved from what we have done and saved to a life of service and devotion to the one we call Lord and Savior.  This grace is better than mercy (not getting what we deserve) and better than justice (getting what we deserve).  It is, in fact, getting something good that we don't deserve.

One point I will make both today and Sunday is one thing salvation is not.  Francis Chan asks if Jesus' life, death and resurrection was all so we could go down to an altar or attend a 'mountain-top' camp, pray a prayer and then live life as if our ticket is assured for the heavenly banquet Jesus speaks of in Scripture?  He makes the point that we often treat that moment as the end of a journey ... not the beginning of a journey.  We cheapen the life in Christ to a moment in time ... not a life of following.

Maybe this is why we have so many church people who dutifully attend services but do not participate in His service.  Maybe this is why we have a nation full of people who say they are 'Christians' but so little 'Christ.'  Maybe this is why many non-Christians love Jesus and have animosity toward the Church.  Maybe it is why many in the Church are worried about how holy we look instead of being humbled by how lowly we are.  Maybe this is why we want our expectations met in Church but are unconcerned about the expectations of Jesus.

John the Baptist placed himself in this place of awe, humility and servant-hood when he saw Jesus and said "He must increase and I must decrease [John 3:30 NRSV]."  Maybe life in Christ is a perpetual process of us becoming less, Jesus becoming more ... until all that is left looks like Him.  That doesn't sound like an event, a momentary emotion or a mountaintop profession ... it sounds like a journey.  Pastor Randy

New Things

God's Word uses this phrase many times.  In Isaiah God says through the prophet  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)."  God is into new things and there are several new things I would love for you to support, pray for and embrace as part of God's New Things at Good News.

On Sunday, February 17th the Contemporary Adult class (meeting in Classroom 1 at 10am, upstairs in the Worship Center Building, left at the top of the stairs) will begin a study called "Parental Guidance Required."  The study will be all about parenting and reminds us that the only instruction manual that is given regarding our children is God's Word.  All parents are invited to come, fellowship, laugh, love and learn together.

On Sunday, February 24th at 7pm Good News will be adding a 3rd service geared to our Spanish speaking brothers and sisters in the Santa Rosa Beach area.  The service will be led by Fredy Iscano, one of our Certified Lay Speakers at Good News.  Fredy will preach God's Word with our unified mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ who know God, love God and serve God.  Jesus and His cross will be lifted high.

Both of these new things are part of the Strategic Plan for Good News and are geared to reflect God's love through our congregation and out into the community.  We hope to show people Jesus Christ to help all people grow more like Him through worship, missions, service, fellowship, love and prayer.  By doing this our goal is to be used by God to reproduce this process and multiply His plan, purpose, grace and love in our community and around the world.

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:19 NIV)."  Isaiah tells us that we need to open our eyes to perceive that God doesn't need pristine and fertile soil to do His good work.  Because He makes a way in the wilderness and causes springs to rise up in the wasteland.  May it be so here!

Eclectic

Eclectic ... that is a word I would use to describe the unique nature of Good News.  We have a diversity of people from all over the place and a diversity of ideas that are far from homogenous.  We are tall and short, thin and not-so-thin, serious and funny, different skin tones, different home towns and different interests.  We have traveled many different paths to get to this place where Jesus reigns and God's Word is respected and taught.  It is interesting that this point came forward in a meeting tonight where we discussed past, present and future ministries of Good News.

It is crystal clear that we are diverse, so the question is, what brings us together?  In another meeting with Audrey and Lisa (music) I think we happened upon the thing that pulls us and holds us in this place where we serve side-by-side with people from all walks of life.  It is described in the words of a song:

We are one in the Spirit, We are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, We are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity, May one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians,  By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians, By our love
We will walk with each other,  We will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, We will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news, That God is in our land


And they'll know we are Christians,  By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians, By our love
We will work with each other, We will work side by side
We will work with each other, We will work side by side
And we'll guard each one's dignity, And save each one's pride
And they'll know we are Christians,  By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians, By our love
All praise to the Father, From whom all things come
And all praise to Christ Jesus His only son
And all praise to the Spirit, Who makes us one
And they'll know we are Christians,  By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians, By our love

Jesus' last prayer was for our unity.  Let it be so Lord!