Have We Domesticated Jesus?

 

Tough not to want a dog like the one pictured above. Beautiful, clean, and so well behaved. Best of all, it comes at walk time with the leash in its mouth, asking apologetically, “Oh master, I know you are so busy, but if you could find a small place in your heart to take me for a short walk, I would be so grateful.” It’s a wonderful description of a pet. It’s a terrible description of a Savior. 

Sounds like a disconnect in thinking. What does a well-trained dog have to do with Jesus? Today – a whole lot. 

For some, Jesus is a Savior who never tells us anything we don’t like to hear. Never makes a demand on us which requires any kind of sacrifice. Jesus would not dare to say something which everyone, even those who don’t believe in him, might find the least bit offensive. And ask us to change something in our lives? He’s far too polite for that. He knows we all have our own way of living and respects us far too highly than to ask us to do something we don’t want to do. 

The Jesus of history, however, is a far cry from the Jesus described above. Unfortunately, over the years Christians have inaccurately portrayed his acts and sayings so that for many, the sheer audacity of his claims about himself and his claim on peoples’ lives have been sanitized. 

It wasn’t so for those who met Jesus personally. One night a very refined, cultured man by the name of Nicodemus came to speak with Jesus. He entered the interview curious. He left shocked to his very core. Jesus didn’t patronize Nicodemus. He didn’t try to make him feel good. No, Jesus told this man the truth he needed to hear. 

If your view of Jesus is limited to a 15^th century painting of a rather insipid, overly mild, skinny man with a vacant look, join us for one of our weekend worship services. The real Jesus won’t make you feel warm and fuzzy, but he will give you what you need. 

Weekend worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm – Sunday: 10:00 am 

Oblivious

 

Some of us go to the extreme of planning for the worst. We’re not going to be taken by surprise and so we plan for every possible problem and put great effort in being prepared to deal with whatever may go wrong. Others of us don’t even think about the possibilities of unexpected troubles. And we live our lives like the man with his head in the sand, blissfully unaware of all the danger which surrounds us. 

There is one area in our lives, however, where most of us truly are oblivious to peril and that is in the matter of temptation. We become so absorbed in the overwhelmingly urgent tasks of each day that we forget there are two powerful forces battling for our attention, our loyalty. Despite the present disdain for the war between good and evil, historically every generation of humanity has acknowledged that each individual lives in a moral battleground which will determine the path in life that person takes. Try as some might to explain away the reality of good and evil, there is too much daily evidence to suggest any other conclusion than that which the Bible gives – there is a war going on for our souls. 

In one of the first recorded events of the ministry of Jesus Christ, we find him engaged in the same struggle we have on a daily basis. He is tempted by Satan. What transpires in that epic battle helps us to understand his purpose for coming to this earth as a human being and what it means to us. Appreciating what happened in a remote desert 2000 years ago is the solution for the oblivious life. Join us for one of our weekend services. When it comes to spiritual danger, there is no such thing as blissful ignorance. 

Weekend worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm – Sunday: 10:00 am