Ordinary Faithfulness & Bodily Redemption

Quote: 

We are all part of a culture that wants to do something extraordinary but it seems to me in Scripture that God just wants a people who will go the extra mile in the ordinary - Rechab Gray. 

Rechab is one of the most genuine, thoughtful, and quotable people I have ever met.  He is a thinker, a preacher and an amazing man of God.  I met Rechab (if you can call Zoom meetings) an introduction last Spring in my “Exegesis and Application of the Pastoral Epistles” class.  Rechab was the professor.  From the outset Rechab made one thing clear. He was going to make sure we saw on every page of the Pastoral epistles how they pointed to the God-Man Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  That was such a sweet class.  

By the end of the semester I knew that I wanted to spend more time with Rechab. So as I registered for Fall classes I saw that he was teaching “Missional Leadership”. After reading the course description, “This course is designed to introduce students to the lifestyle of missional leadership. Students will learn about God's heart as a shepherd and God's heart for shepherds. The course will discuss how to effectively disciple members of the church, how to biblically evaluate the health of a body of believers, how to mobilize members of the body for mutual edification/discipleship and how to focus a body outward towards gospel mission. Other practical ministry topics will also be discussed such as caring for the social outcasts and widowed as well as ministering to the sick and suffering” I was sold. 

This quote is from a sermon he preached at his church in Orlando Florida. We got to listen to the sermon as an assignment for class this week.  The sermon was on Acts 16.  

This quote hit me and I had to rewind a couple times to hear it and then write it down. 

“We are all part of a culture that wants to do something extraordinary”. That is so true.  That is true of our culture. Slogans like “You can be anyone you want to be” are in every movie made. 

That is true of my heart. I want to do something extraordinary.  Not like I want to be an astronaut or build some new device. My heart genuinely wants to be used by God for something extraordinary. And that is not wrong. But it can be twisted.  What if my focus and desire for that that someday keep me from doing what God has called me to TOday?  That’s a convicting and scary thought.  God has me where I am for a reason. 

Will I go the extra mile in the ordinary? 

Scripture: Romans 8:18, 22-23 NIV

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.

Paul is writing to the Roman church.  They have experienced intense persecution. The Jews have been expelled from the city of Rome and are now coming back to a divided church and are no longer at home in their former residence. 

Paul writes to them what many consider to be his “magnum opus”.  In this letter is the famous Romans Road with hits like Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8, and Romans 10:13.  If someone is looking for a clear articulation of the Gospel, where better to find it than in Romans. 

It is within this letter that Paul writes in chapter 8, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Paul recognizes the reality of suffering. He mutes the weight of suffering in the perspective he gives of the future glory of eternity.  This glory he says “ will be revealed in us”.  What does he mean? We need only keep reading to find out. After creating a vibrant word picture of the anguished state of our world (Can I or maybe he, get an Amen?), he tells us exactly what this future glory in us will be.  “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit” He takes it to the spiritual. We have the Holy Spirit, in a few verses he will say the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings to deep for words. So with the Spirit’s help we “groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our [souls]. Nope not souls, “the redemption of our bodies”.  

As I memorized this passage this week I could not help but think that for most of my life and for most people in my church, the expected ending of this passage would be the redemption of our “souls”.  Of course Paul, a disembodied, cloud life where we play harps and worship God forever, right? NO. Paul did not preach that gospel, Peter did not preach that gospel and Jesus did not preach that gospel. That is a dollar tree version of the robust and holistic gospel of the scriptures. 
Paul ends this passage not with hope for redeemed souls although that is certainly true. He ends with the hope for redeemed bodies.  Our bodies. The answer to the pain of our world is not escapism but transformation.  Being made into the likeness of our exalted savior. I think I, (and my tribe - the Christians I gather with regularly) are pretty bankrupt when it comes to a theology of the body. Not only that but we have reduced the gospel to a get out of hell free card instead of the holistic, liberating, justice seeking, life changing gospel that Jesus and the apostles preached.  I need redemption for my body. Don’t you?