Page 4 - 2017 JFBNews - October

from Pastor Tim Dodson
Radical

If you have attended this church for any
amount of time, you have heard the old CT Studd
quote that has become a mantra for us and our
ministry pursuits. The quote goes “Some want to
live within a church or chapel bell. I want to run a
rescue shop within a yard of hell.”
In today religious culture, few are willing to
acknowledging the radical nature of Jesus and His
ministry. We want to rather pacify and calm the
locals out there. Let’s all ‘just be nice.’
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines
the term RADICAL as “marked by a considerable
departure from the usual or traditional. Tending or
disposed to make extreme changes in existing
views, habits, conditions, or institutions.” That
doesn’t sound so bad. In fact, it sounds logical and
faithful to Christendom as a whole. But still…
“Radical Jesus?”
For many of us, such is a difficult thing to
acknowledge. We want to be liked. We “don’t
want no trouble…” So we “duck and cover.” We
“lay low” in hopes of not being noticed. Such is not just a reflect that we have no idea the extent of what those things
personal individual “drift” but rather one that has affected the actually mean! Jesus was...is, a radical! He violated almost all of
whole of the wider church. An image of an extremist at the helm the religious traditions of his day. He touched the “unclean.”
can be disturbing picture for a vast segment of the comfortable Communed and communicated with the un-wanted, the
social club atmosphere that has become the modern church unacceptable, and He ministered to their needs. He argued with
today. the religious leaders of His day condemning them for their
Yet the fact remains, if we actually READ the gospel hypocritical adherence to the law, and their legalistic view of a
accounts we would be hard pressed to dance around the fact meaningful relationship with God. His intentions were not to
that Christ shook the very core of culture and rocked the status form a new religion, but rather for us to form a new radical
quo of society…even the religious society. If we are truthful and relationship with the God of the religion we already claimed! Yet
yes, bold enough to take that fearsome next step, we must admit He was deemed a rebel and a no-good trouble-maker who simply
that if Jesus was indeed a radical, it stands to reason that the wanted to change things.
religion in which He would advocate therefore would have to be For sure, Jesus was always and purposefully transparent.
a Radical Religion. He was who He was, and He did not pretend to be something He
Ooooo…the ‘other shoe drops.” The concept grates upon was not; and He made no bones about it. He stood His ground,
the fragile sensibilities of the modern “Christian” and the popular and did not waiver to please the desires of others. He spoke the
notion of a Messiah “meek and mild” as well. Jesus once asked words God gave Him, and He was sure of the power of those
His apostles the “ultimate question,” who do you say that I am?” words. With Jesus, “What you see is what you get.” There was
I would imagine it was received with very little fanfare when He no façade of religion that was worn as a cloak that could be
said it. But the answer had some profound ramifications, both taken off in the evenings when He got home from work.
then and now. For the answer to that one question in effect Often I hear said, or at least implied, the idea of “I like to
determines the eternity for each of us. think of God as__________.” What a strange thing to say! It
doesn’t matter how we wish to think of God! He does not
So let pose the same question: Who do we say that He is? conform to our ever-changing ideals and views. After all He is the
In a world of lifestyle diversity, cultural diversity, and same “yesterday, today, and forever!”
ethical-diversity, who do you say that I am? In a world of Some say the main thing about God, is “love.” But actually,
individualism, commercialism, and a long list of “other-isms,” the main thing about God is that He is HOLY! And he has asked
who do you say that I am? In a world of single parents, broken therefore that we be holy as HE is holy. Holiness is not just a
homes and children giving birth to children, who do you say that state of being, but an active involvement in righteousness. And
I am? In a world defined by product recognition, catchy make no mistake, the destiny-determining reality is that we must
slogans and designer jeans, who do you say that I am? worship God in Spirit and in TRUTH” (John 4:23). When God does
The “raised-in-church” in us would no doubt quickly not conform to our preferences, our preferences must give way
answer, “He is the redeemer….the Son of God…the Messiah.” to the precepts of the Word of God, which is the only real truth
But the greater church world we live in today would certainly there is!
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