By Randal Dick
Superintendent of missions
When Jesus taught his disciples he didn't train them in theology.
He entered into an eternal relationship of love with them (John 14:23). He brought them life (not religion). He told them to let others know that the same eternal relationship was reserved for them as well.
The Holy Spirit guided and empowered the process. This relationship, and the communication of it to others, is still the heart of all things Christian.
Initially, things went pretty well for the first church members. Sure, they had opposition. Occasionally someone would do a night in jail, or get flogged. But overall, life was good--lots of fellowship, great spirit of unity, enviable growth rate and confidence that Jesus would be right back.
They didn't have any problem with where to attend church. The address of the only worship center in town was well known--and services were conducted every day.
Then, Jesus got serious about the "to the ends of the earth" part of things, and used a major persecution to dislodge our spiritual ancestors out of their comfortable little world. Is it my imagination--or is this scenario sounding familiar?
At this time the church began to confront new situations. The book of Acts chronicles the highlights. Peter wrestled with the implications of his experience with Cornelius. The church was both overjoyed and dismayed when the gospel broke the circumcision barrier in Antioch.
It is crucial to understand that as we go forth, Christ will use other people and cultures to teach us lessons about him. God will enlarge us.
Members of the early church were exposed to different cultures and were forced to take either an inclusive or exclusive approach.
Paul, who was sent to divergent cultures, was inclusive in his approach. He imputed grace and tended to celebrate differences rather than condemn. He became comfortable with diversity--Paul could go from a meeting with gentiles where pork was served to a formal ritual of the temple without missing a beat. He did not condemn the pork-eaters, nor did he ever take a pot shot at the temple worshipers.
But he had little patience for those who took an exclusive stance and demanded that everyone else in the world conform to them. Much of what we call theology today is our attempt to apply Paul's thinking as he was being enlarged in his view of Christ and the kingdom.
I would like to share a few personal illustrations of ways in which Christ enlarges us.
Five years ago, I found myself involved in an effort to resolve a problem in Scandinavia. Because the sun sets early in the winter, our brethren had to take off work early Friday afternoon.
Several years previously, Mr. Armstrong, realizing that it was not Jesus' intent to create this kind of problem, had made a quiet judgment on the matter.
He said that below 60 degree north latitude, brethren should use the actual time of sunset, while those living above 60 degrees north should observe the Sabbath according to Jerusalem time.
That helped, for a while. But we had grown. Now we had brethren in an Oslo, Norway, congregation, which is right at 60 degrees north latitude. Those on the south side of the city were forced to try to get off work by 2 p.m. on Fridays, while those on the north side of the city were able to work until 6 p.m. The brethren didn't think that this arrangement reflected Christ's equity.
But what to do? I felt like the worst heathen even considering the thought that the holy Sabbath (as I saw it) might not be quite as sacrosanct in Jesus' eyes as it was in mine.
I rationalized that it might be an ox in the ditch. But it was no accident that God created the earth round, and therefore the long winter nights were planned by God.
It soon became clear that the law of the Sabbath in this case was in violation of the law of love. In the end, I recommended to the late Mr. Tkach (who took about two seconds to respond in the affirmative) that the Scandinavian members go to a year round 6 p.m. to 6 p.m. observance of the Sabbath.
In the process, I was helped to see that God is much bigger and more inclusive in his nature than I had previously understood. Jesus is Lord of all latitudes.
The lesson took me momentarily to God's view of the world, and it expanded me. It also made it less difficult for me to process the doctrinal changes that were yet to come.
A woman in Asia was living in a polygamous relationship out of wedlock. She was starting to become a Christian and wanted to be right with God and wanted to know what she should do.
It seemed simple. Obey God! But it was anything but simple.
First, the woman lives in a society where polygamy is accepted and practiced, but is not legal.
Second, she had no rights in her society. She had lived with the man, as a wife, for more than 10 years. She had known no other relationship. Her friends and family consider her married to this man, and he considered her his wife. He had provided well for her.
Like the missionary in James Michener's Hawaii, I was horrified by the polygamy. Why didn't she just leave him and trust God?
Then I learned that if she left this man (whom she loved), she would be an outcast. No one would touch her--not even her own family. She could even be killed.
OK, I thought, maybe polygamy isn't the worst thing in the world. God put up with it for centuries among his chosen people.
But couldn't they at least get married? The answer was no. In this particular nation, only Muslims can have multiple wives by law, and the man wasn't a Muslim. I was determined that this woman should fit my (culturally driven) criteria for who could be a Christian.
Finally I hit on a solution--why not ask the man to convert to Islam? The answer? Sorry, the law says that if a man is a Muslim, the woman must convert to Islam as well.
Now we were back to square one, because I knew Christ was not calling her to be Muslim. Finally the answer came clear--Jesus was capable of loving this woman in her current state--and so should I. Her attitude was beautiful--her circumstances were not. We told her to go in peace and be a good wife.
If we take the commands of Christ to heart, we will be doing two basic things. Living out our relationship with Jesus in a community of believers, and bringing the good news of that relationship to those who have not heard.
Morgen Kriedemann is one of our pastors in South Africa. He and his congregations have been "going forth" for some time now.
Morgen sent me a message that I have kept close at hand to remind me that we are to bring people into a relationship with Jesus, not merely into the organization of religion.
With Morgen's permission, I would like to share part of his message (now maybe a year old), which shows how God is working the same process in Morgen and his leadership team in South Africa:
"Our Black members are excited about the prospect of evangelizing in their communities and eager to get started.
"An issue is beginning to emerge that all who are serious about evangelism in black South Africa in particular might have to face head-on. [Note: In South Africa, especially among blue collar workers, the supply of labor greatly exceeds the demand. If you have a job--don't lose it. It may be years before you get another.]
"Already some of our existing Black members have to work Saturdays and therefore can attend only infrequently.
"The question that arises, as we begin to `go and make disciples' is, what compelling biblical reason can we give for the added hardship of Saturday worship? (How it hurts me to say that! Perhaps we're all trying to ignore the question and hope it will go away?)
"The fact of an International Date Line is proof that one cannot determine `holy' Sabbath time on a globe. This is no twinkle-foot reasoning.
"Christians living adjacent to and on opposite sides of the date line (wherever that might be) either enter or leave the `holy' Sabbath at the identical sunset. For one Christian it will be Friday sunset, and for the other Saturday sunset in the same instant of time.
"Only a member of the flat Earth Society will feel he has grounds to argue!
"It is fine to say: `OK, keep the Sabbath whenever Friday sunset comes to you,' but that simply makes it a very much manmade day of rest. But that is exactly the point, and there is no alternative to this human determination of a day of rest. Also, there is no problem with it.
"However, it gives us no compelling reason to place an unnecessary yoke and burden on the shoulders of new converts (and some existing members) in their walk with Jesus.
"We have a [Sabbath] tradition that I have faithfully observed for 25 years; at first by command. I have a feeling (borne out by our Black leading men in Pretoria, and I trust it is also the will of Christ) that many Blacks will be drawn to our fellowship.
"Are we going to tell them: `Well, try and get other employment so you can attend with us on Saturday'? And what will they do in the meantime to worship, be spiritually fed and to fellowship with us? Where will we turn to in the Bible to justify this burden?
"Sabbath observance is not required for salvation. I have proven from God's Word that this is so, but shouldn't I be willing to let go in my heart as well?
"Do we really have a choice? Are we not placing a stumbling block in the path of conversion of many? It smacks too much of our old approach: `Well, if God's calling them, they will be willing to sacrifice.'
"Sacrifice? Why?! If I were to counsel a prospective who desires baptism, I would not be able to argue `why' with any conviction, and what might we one day have to answer if such a one then turns away? It's our tradition, and it's their livelihood! Some `test commandment.'
"No one day of worship in the new covenant is mandated above another, and it's time we tested the value of our tradition against reality --the reality of `going into all nations and making them disciples.' It's taken a lot of courage just for me to face this issue and write about it; I hate to let go.
With much love,
Morgen"
It did me a lot of good to know that there are others working with the discomfort of being enlarged by the Holy Spirit. I hope it will encourage some who read this as well.
The discomfort of being stretched spiritually is an occupational hazard. It occurs with regularity whenever Jesus introduces himself to us at a deeper level.
And when he is ready and we are ready to know him well, one thing is certain. We will find, as did righteous Job, that our largest picture of him is way too small.
July 22, 1997, WN, page 12
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