Perceiving Eternal Life

UPDATED NOVEMBER 2008–
In October, I continued this series on the Power of Percieiving with two messages shared at the Cheapeake Vineyard on this topic of Perceiving Eternal Life. Below you will find my original post on this topic from June, followed by an update ex post message.

ORIGINAL POST FROM JUNE 08:
For the past few weeks I have been developing what will be the next installment in this series on perceiving. Actually, I plan on picking up precisely where I left off in John 3 and Jesus’ fascinating discussion with Nicodemus, which reaches its apex with what we now know as the most commonly quoted verse in the entire Bible: “For God so loved the world…”

What is fascinating about this pasage and its popularity is that there is relatively little substantive discussion on the conclusion of that verse: “eternal life.” We tend to neatly summarize the Gospel with “going to heaven” when the real emphasis of John 3:16, John’s Gospel and Jesus’ teachings is something quite different. For the writer of John’s Gospel, eternal life was not some distant concept — it was here and now. I started to see this as I dove into this passage and the following sequence in which John unfolds what he learned from Jesus about eternal life. The next major event recorded by John involves a woman, a well and “living water” welling up to eternal life. The Jews of Jesus’ day surely would have connected the dots to the river of life that flowed from the throne in heaven. Then Jesus announces that He is the “bread of life” and the true manna that comes from heaven. What do we need to live? Water and bread. Jesus announces that He is the fulfillment of man’s most basic needs and He does so in a way that connects to the Jews’ fundamental understanding of things. Jesus is our supply of perpetual, living sustenance — of eternal life.

What is our perception of eternal life? If it is some distant, remote time or place, then we are entirely missing one of the most important truths of God’s Kingdom. Jesus never intended us to “believe” only for some distant time/place called eternal life. Look closely and you’ll see that Jesus was leading the disciples toward a different perception of life –eternal life in the here and now, sustained through a close and intimate relationship with Him.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 08:

It’s been about a month since I shared about “Perceiving Eternal Life” over the course of two Sundays at my home church, the Chesapeake Vineyard. As I spent time meditating and studying the concept of eternity and eternal life decided to break the teaching up into two parts: what exactly is “eternal life” and why is this such a radical concept? I started with the latter and tracked with John’s careful rendering of Jesus’ teaching on eternal life.

If Paul’s main theme is salvation by grace through faith, John’s clearly dominant lesson is eternal life for those who believe in Christ. In both John’s Gospel and the first letter, he concludes by stating precisely why he took up the pen.

• John 20:31--But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have [grasp, lay hold of] life in his name.

• 1 John 5:13–I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know [perceive] that you have [grasp, lay hold of] eternal life.

John decided to leave nothing to the imagination when it came to his purpose in writing – so that believers would perceive that they have eternal life. Yet again, it seems to be a topic the church tends to gloss over or over-simplify as a message that is discussed only in the context of salvation. But here we see John stating that this is his purpose in writing.

So it’s clearly an important topic, but why is it a radical concept? And what exactly is “eternal life”? Listen here!

Perceiving Eternal Life, Part One
Part One Notes (.pdf)

Perceiving Eternal Life, Part Two
Part Two Notes (.pdf)

Case study in Perceiving

Immediately after I made my presentation of “Perceiving the Gospel,” something rather interesting happened. As is customary at the Chesapeake Vineyard, one of the leaders of the church will come up and respond to what was just shared. In this instance, Joel Andre offered some “application” thoughts and then shared about some jolting news he had just received: his brother had just found out he had cancer… again.

As Joel asked us to join with him in praying for his brother, he took this opportunity to apply the lesson on perceiving. One week later, Joel shared that the doctor was shocked to discover that his brother was cancer free. I put together a short audio that combines Joel’s prayer from 4/20/07 and his report from 4/27/07.

Go here to listen.

There’s nothing secret or even new in the Power of Perceiving. However, I do believe that a profound truth about the nature of God, HIs kingdom, and how we interact in HIs kingdom can be uncovered in understanding what it means to “perceive.” There is a distinction between believing and knowing (perceiving). Jesus didn’t “believe” in the Father, He knew the Father. Jesus didn’t “beleive” for miracles, He simply did what he saw (perceived) HIs father doing. Believing in Jesus is the door into God’s kingdom. But once we’re in, “believing” doesn’t make the reality of the kingdom more “real.”

Just as NIcodemus approached Jesus looking for the key to unlock the secret of how Jesus did miracles, many Chrisitans have searched in vain for the faith secrets to unlock God’s working in their lives. As I shared in the lesson, Jesus really did show Nicodemus the key to unlocking the power of miracles, but it wasn’t the answer Nicodemus was looking for…

Noone has the power (dunamis) to see/perceive (eido)  the kingdom unless he is born again.

It’s not about doing miracles; it’s about seeing the kingdom in operation. And in order to really see (perceive) the kingdom, we must first be born again. We must be born into the kingdom. As I explain…

Nicodemus wanted to understand Jesus’ power to do miracles…
Jesus told him that it was really about having the power to see/perceive the kingdom

Again, Jesus didn’t “beleive” for miracles; He simply did what he saw (perceived) the Father doing. Joel’s prayer in response to my teaching and then the amazing report one week later was like a case study of the lesson. Go God!

Perceiving the Gospel

Today I had the opportunity to share the fourth installment in the Perceiving series I’m doing at our church, the Chesapeake Vineyard. Today’s topic: Perceiving the Gospel. I took the most commonly quoted passage in all of Scripture (John 3, specifically 3:16) and offered a fresh look through the perceiving glass.

Go here to listen.
Message outline (.pdf)

Commentators are generally pretty hard on ole Nicodemus. After all, he was a first-hand witness to the greatest telling of the Gospel perhaps in human history and there is no record in this episode of any response by Nicodemus. I think Nic has been given a bad rap because we look at his experience as if John 3:16 had already been written when, in fact, it was being lived out right before him. We also judge him through the lens of 20th and 21st century evangelism. How can a man who didn’t respond openly (i.e. come to the altar, profess his faith in Christ or have a “conversion” experience) to the original telling of John 3:16 and later hid his association with Jesus be a good example for us? Be sure to listen to the end.

I can say that just about every time I’ve read this passage I’ve puzzled over Jesus’ answers to what seem like very reasonable questions from Nicodemus. “How do you do miracles?… How can I be born a second time?… How can this be?…” From the outset, why did Jesus suddenly dive in to a discussion of being “born again” when on the surface that response seems very much disconnected from Nicodemus’ question. Well, you’ll have to listen to get the full story. But in short, Jesus was, in fact, answering Nicodemus’ questions very precisely and John was careful to record some fascinating constructions in the Greek which reveal Jesus’ precision and the important message He was sending to both Nicodemus and generations to follow who would read and study these words.

Here we see Jesus laying out the essential interplay between believing and perceiving as well as giving Christians a roadmap on how they can share the Good News (hint: believing is just the beginning of the adventure). It’s an important lesson on the power and importance of perceiving as well as the essential first step that opens the door to “seeing” and understanding God’s workings in our midst.  Enjoy!

A footnote on our church. I’m so grateful for our little Vineyard, which at times seems like a spiritual “sandbox” for those of us who call it home. We’re a Vineyard through and through with a few twists. I’ve heard our type of church called an “open church.” Lately, some have been calling such gatherings “organic” churches. In simple terms, it’s participatory. It’s expected that, if you’re coming, you’ll be sensitive to what active part you might play through a story, a Scripture, a song, etc. This little Vineyard has given me an opportunity to experiment and grow. The Power of Perceiving is certainly fruit from the Chesapeake Vineyard.

The genesis…

You never know what you’ll pick up just sitting there in church….

Back in 2006, one of our church leaders, Elston Brown, was sharing some thoughts. I’m not even sure I’d call it a sermon. In our church, the sermons come in many forms! I think Elston was simply sharing. His sharing lasted perhaps ten minutes.

In those ten minutes, Elston mentioned an obscure verse in 1 Chronicles about David’s life. About how the Scripture recorded a moment in David’s life when he “perceived” he was king. Since David is one of the most discussed and written-about figures in the Bible, I was surprised to hear something I had never heard about him. And it got me thinking…. and pondering… and studying.

I can’t say it’s been two years of constant study, but every time I’ve come back to this topic of perceiving it’s been as if a whole new world has opened. And each time I’ve shared this message with others, light bulbs would go off. After I shared in my church (the Chesapeake Vineyard), one friend who has been a Christian for many years said it was “the most important message any Christian could hear.” That was one of many affirmations that have led me to develop this site, continue my study and pursue a larger audience for these ideas.