The Journey...

One of the greatest aspects of this blog is that I'm able to share with you where I am in this journey of life. There's no doubt that following the Lord has been an incredible adventure. He has done so much more with this life than I could have ever done on my own.

Here's where I am in the journey: Mathew 5-7

This is what we commonly refer to as the "Sermon on the Mount". Within this sermon we find the "Beatitudes", teachings on "Salt" and "Light", and Jesus' own commentary (if you will) on the true teachings of the commandments - marriage - etc. I find it interesting that as far as we have come in the Christian faith, we have neglected most (if not all) of this teaching.

I was forced to take a strong look at these chapters after hearing an interview with Tony Campolo. Now regardless of what you may think regarding some of his views, he hit the nail on the head when he said that it would do every believers some good to go back and view themselves in light of the "Sermon on the Mount." And what I am discovering on this journey is that we are missing the mark in much of our faith. Just think about how we deal with sin in our personal lives, the destruction of marriage within the church, loving our enemies, and the list goes on.

My challenge to you is to read through Matthew 5-7 as I prepare a series of messages upon this very subject. Does your "Christianity" line up with the teachings of Jesus? Are you able to "Go the Second Mile", "Love Your Enemies", or "Do Unto Others..."? Are we building our lives upon the solid foundation of Jesus' teachings or are we simply throwing our lives upon the sandy foundation of "self realization" and "feelings"? If you join me in this journey I think we will both find a different quality of faith. I believe we will discover a Christ quality of life. And as we rely upon the work of the Holy Spirit to flesh these things out in us we can usher in a better brand of faith in Christ.

Sure...it won't be easy. But I'm on a journey. And as with any journey there are ups and down, hills and valleys, rivers to cross, and obstacles to overcome. In the end I think we will discover that this teaching wasn't established to put before us a lofty ideal that could never be lived. I think we will find that God has been all too willing to give us the ability and power to be His children in a difficult world.

While we are at it, maybe we can get rid of some of the religious programming and baggage that we have tied to faith in Christ. If we will start living out the red letters of Jesus there won't be any need for legalism. We won't have to worry if we are living up to the standards of men. And we can stop "doing" religion like the Pharisees and return to the heart of God!

One of Jesus' favorite lines in this sermon is: "You have heard it said..but I say..." Sounds like a better way to live doesn't it?