So? Now What? No More Gap Christianity

Ephesians 1: 19-23 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else--not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. (NLT)

The holiday is over and the food has been eaten. We reflect and ponder life's mysteries, such as how the resurrection of Jesus Christ got mistranslated into chocolate bunnies and colored eggs. We think back. Resurrection weekend was powerful. Great worship, relevant words, new salvations brought to the cross. The tomb is empty! He has risen; just as He said! Jesus is alive! Hallelujah! Now what?

Is that all the God intends for us? Feel good moments here and there? Holiday faith served up buffet style take as much as you want because it will be gone soon! That is not the will of God for your life! He intended so much more for each of us. Unfortunately, we can get caught up in playing Gap Christianity. That is where our faith exists at certain points and we fill the gaps between those points with the theology the world offers up. The obvious example is where we get all excited for all of the "events." We show up for Easter and Christmas; never miss a midnight mass! But in those huge gaps in between the events, we are living hopeless lives. He is still alive beloved, not just on Easter Sunday.

A more vivid example that happens to a lot of Christians is that the Sunday event becomes the point of existence for our faith. It defines our Christianity. The problem is that Monday through Saturday we walk with absolutely no power in our lives. No power over sin. No power to overcome. No power to recognize the lies and schemes of the enemy. We literally crawl into service on Sunday dying to feel the presence of God again. I once saw an interview with a congregant from one of the top attended churches in America and the direct quote was, "Pastor gives me just what I need to get back to him next week." Wow, what a lousy way to live a life. Contrary to that, this is the God we serve:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, - Ephesians 3: 20 (NIV)

Think about that contrast for a minute. Think about all the things you can possibly ask or imagine and then realize that God can so out-provide those imaginations that it cannot even be measured! That is the God we serve! And the best part of this verse is the ending this promise is according to the power of God that is already at work within us! We have the power! What power? The power that comes from having the Spirit of God living inside of us:

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8: 11 (NLT)

But do we walk under that power on a daily basis or are we Gap Christians? Seeking to fill the gaps between God moments with the world instead of closing the gaps with Jesus! We should not be looking for a part time God! Too often we can fall for the trap of trying to fit our Christianity into our lives instead of turning our lives over to Christ! A life turned over to Christ is one filled with the power of God! Here is how Jesus described it once:

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. Luke 10: 19 (NIV)

Jesus is speaking to the 72 disciples He had commissioned to go out and preach the Good News and heal the sick. They had returned jubilant after seeing how they were able to leverage the power Christ gave them. Even the demons obeyed them when they mentioned the name of Jesus. That power is still available to us today if we would just submit as the 72 did and find ourselves doing the Master's work in obedience. Snakes and scorpions are symbolic of evil so while God will provide physical protection the object is not to actually find snakes and scorpions to walk on! The point is that we have been given power by God to carry out His will! He will not call you into His service and leave you unprepared or unprotected.

The strength of your walk is not found on Sunday mornings when you are at church. It is found Wednesday evenings when you are on your knees. While church itself can bring with it some interesting challenges, we are usually tested during the week. All hell breaks loose in our lives during the week. The medical report comes on Monday. Your kid disappears on Tuesday. You are sexually tempted at work on Wednesday. The fight with your spouse happens on Thursday. Your co-workers invite you out for "happy hour" on Friday. Let's face it beloved life happens! It happens frequently, difficultly, and quite often unfairly. When faced with the grind, we may no longer feel the goose bumps we felt on Sunday at church. We may not feel the spirit of God moving all around us. We may not feel the awesome power of the Holy Spirit within us. But it doesn't have to be that way! Because these things we find ourselves up against is essentially the enemy at work in our lives. Evil working against us. But God has given us the authority to trample over that evil!

But do we understand the power that resides within us? Our key verses indicate that Paul was praying that the believers in Ephesus would understand the power of God in their lives. Do note that Paul says it is available for those who believe in Him. It is the relationship we have with Christ that grants this power. You cannot be casual with Christ. He wants a full time commitment! The Book of Acts tells the story of some folks who wanted the power of God without having to deal with the relationship. In Ephesus, there was a leading priest named Sceva who had seven sons. These seven sons were going around trying to cast demons out "in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches." The problem was they did not actually have a relationship with Jesus. They were not walking under any authority or power. Here is what eventually happened:

But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, "I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?" Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered. Acts 19: 15-16 (NLT)

The battles we face as Christians are real. The powers and principalities that we war against are real. But we serve a higher power. We serve a stronger power! But you have to walk in the relationship with God if you intend to walk in His power. The seven sons of Sceva wanted the power but did not cultivate the relationship. The key verses continue to put this power in the correct perspective. Until Jesus Christ walked the earth, death always had the last word. It was the great equalizer. No one escaped it. Then on that wooden cross on Calvary Jesus triumphed over death once and for all. God had created man in His own image, an image that was eternal. The sin of Adam and Eve separated us from that fellowship with God and from the eternal life we were intended for. The atoning work for that sin was Jesus Christ on the cross:

O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Corinthians 15: 55-57 (NLT)

This is the victory we just celebrated on Resurrection Sunday. Easter gives us pause to shout; "Jesus is alive!" But with the grave denied and safely in our rear view mirror, the remaining question is now what? Do we leave that power in the church house and go out into the world to confront evil like the seven sons of Sceva? Why would we want that for our lives? Look at how the key verses describe the power we have! It is the same power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly realms! The God we serve is far above any ruler, authority, power or leader we might encounter in this life.

In the Book of Daniel there was a king who fancied himself above everyone else named Nebuchadnezzar. He demanded that all of his subjects bow down and worship a 90 foot statue of gold he had made. Punishment for refusal was to be thrown into the fiery furnace for immediate execution. This did not matter to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego; three Hebrew boys who were taken captive by Babylon. This was how the king saw their dilemma:

Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"- Daniel 3: 13-15 (NIV)

To King Nebuchadnezzar, there was no authority above his own. He mockingly asks what god will be able to rescue them from his hand. But the three boys understood the power of the one true God and stayed faithful to that power:

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Daniel 3: 16-18 (NIV)

You do not need to defend yourself against the evils in this world God is on the inside of you! The seven sons needed to defend themselves because they had no relationship with the God they were trying to call upon. Their defense was overwhelmed by the evil in this world. The King here would heat the furnace seven times hotter and throw the three boys into their fiery doom. But God. The power of God kept them safe and delivered them. This is the end result when we rely upon the power within us and stand up to the evil in this world:

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." Daniel 3: 28-29 (NIV)

The key verses conclude by reminding us that as long as Christ is the head and we are the church, then we too can operate under this power. That we are actually made full and complete in Christ. That until we come to Him and put our faith in Him as our Lord and Savior we are incomplete as people. Incomplete vessels searching for what was lost in the Garden of Eden so long ago. That fellowship with God. The eternal life God intended for us to walk in. Resurrection Sunday was great beloved but it is not the ending of the story. It is the beginning of the story. Jesus did not die on the cross so you can have fleeting moments of resurrection power. He came to fill the gaps in your life.

Reverend Anthony Wade April 26, 2011