This is what makes the Holy Scriptures so radical.  Moses was speaking to the people of God on the cusp of entering the land promised to them.  He was exhorting them to be different from all the people groups in the land around them.  Destroy their gods so that you won’t be influenced by them.  Don’t intermarry with them so that you won’t be pulled away from a first commandment faith.  Why?  “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God.  The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.  It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for your were the fewest of all the peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers.”  

  This was the radical, counter-cultural nature of God’s covenant with his people.  Rather than being chosen based on performance, they were chosen based on love.  They had no resume worth noting.  They had not credentials worthy of greatness.  No skill that would merit them a place on a team.  In fact, their performance included idolatry, disobedience, and a 40 year tour of the desert.  Lucky for them, performance was not the reason for their being chosen.  They were chosen based on love.  Pure, selfless, silly love.  A love that was devoted even when they were unlovable.  When there was no good reason to love them.  When there were only good reasons to abandon them, God chooses them anyway.  

    My son Joshua asked me yesterday, “Daddy, is God with us?”  “Yes,” I replied.  “All the time.”  He is into the “why” stage, so he asked, “Why?”  “Because he loves us.”  “Why?”  “Just because he loves us.”  You see, that’s the end.  “Son, not because of your blue eyes or your occasional good behavior.  Not because you’re cute or climbing the growth chart.  Love is the end of all reasons.”  

     Choice based on love is so radical, that it’s hard, even for God’s people, to believe it.  You find this struggle in the church.  It’s the difference between religion and the gospel.  Religion says, “I obey, therefore I am chosen.”  Or “I am good, therefore I am loved by God.”  But the gospel says, “I am chosen, therefore I obey.” “I am loved by God, therefore I serve, worship, witness, work.”  

    Many Christians are operating with the assumption that “I am chosen based on performance.”  Many Christians say “by grace through faith,” but really think “I obey, therefore I am chosen.”  Many Christians, maybe even you.  And if you operate under this assumption, there are two outcomes:  Arrogance and fear.

    If you are chosen by performance, you quickly become arrogant because you take pride in your performance – your obedience, your holiness.  Those in this category go to church every Sunday, and Bible Study, and read their Portals of Prayer.  And they say things like:  “What is wrong with those people?”  “I thank God I’m not like them.”  “Look at what I’ve done for you, God.”  “The world is wicked, at least I’m not.”  “I’m successful because God is happy with me.”  

   If you are chosen based on performance, you either become arrogant or fearful.  Fearful because you’re afraid you haven’t performed enough.  People get crushed by the pressure to perform, to be good enough for God.  When things go wrong, they begin to wonder if it’s because of something they did or didn’t do.  “What have I done to tick God off?  Am I good enough for him?  Is he out to get me for what I’ve done?  Is he punishing me?”  And every time they mess up, they wonder if God will “unchoose” them.  

   If you have operated under the assumption that you are chosen by performance, if you have been held captive by arrogance or fear, then you need to hear this.  “It was not because you were more in number that God chose you” (Duet. 7:7).  It was not your performance, your looks, your achievements, your skills, your cuteness or lovability.  It is “because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your forefathers.”  You are chosen by love, not performance.

   In fact, on your worst day – when you were the weakest, the ugliest, and unlovable.  On your worst day, with your greatest sin, your darkest moment, your most scandalous secret, THAT’S EXACTLY WHEN GOD LOVED YOU.  Paul says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  The cross means death, death by love.  When you have no defense and no achievements.  When all you have is empty hands and a broken spirit.  When you’re looking for a reason to be God’s chosen, the reason ends in love.  God’s love is the end of all reasons.  Simply the unfailing, steadfast, long-suffering, self-sacrificing love found deep in the heart of the Father, shown in Jesus Christ.  

    That’s the gospel, but I’m not finished yet.  When the captain chose Wes “The Wide Body” Williams, it was shock and awe.  Silence spread across every third and fourth grader.  Wes dropped his Twinkie, and stumbled toward his new captain.  In his mind he was thinking, “He chose me.  No one has ever picked me first before.  No one has even wanted me last.  This captain is crazy.”  But when they game starts, Wes “The Wide Body” Williams plays like he’s never played before.  He plays with more determination than any other player, hustling more than Aaron “The Dash” Doyle.  He praises his teammates, and sacrifices his wide body for them.  He leaves the game with bloody scrapes on his knees, and bruises on his elbows.  

    When you realize that God chooses based on love, not performance, it changes your life.  You play for keeps.  You live humbly, out of gratitude – not out of arrogance.  You live courageously, out of confidence – not out of fear.  “I am chosen, therefore I obey, I work, I serve, I witness, I love.”  

    Often, it is converts to the faith that have the most zeal because they have seen the radical nature of God’s love with new eyes.  I have a pastor friend who had a recent convert in his congregation who was so floored by this fact, that he was willed to risk scrapes on his knees and bruises on his elbows.  

    When the congregation got the most recent demographic statistics, it said that their neighborhood had an increasing number of Southeast Asians who practice animism.  So a few members suggested that the church form a committee.  The new Christian couldn’t wait that long, so he said, “Pastor, what can we do?”  And he hit the streets.  Played basketball with neighborhood kids.  Introduced himself to neighbors.  Started eating at the local ethnic restaurants.  And he said, “I’m from the church down the street, and we want to get to know you.”

    When a tornado hit a local community, he said, “Pastor, what can we do?”  And he organized a collection and spent a few days on a clean up crew.  When a long time member died of cancer, the man said, “Pastor, what can I do?”  The pastor said, “A hug would be a good start.”  So when no one else knew what to say, when everyone else was afraid to say the wrong thing, he was the first to the door.  He started with the hug, and then said, “God loves you, and so do I.”  

When you are chosen by love, you begin to seek God like a hidden treasure, like a pearl of great value, and you risk everything for it.  When you are chosen by love, you begin to say, “I am chosen, therefore I obey, I serve, I witness, I work.”

     If we want to be a missional church, you’ve got to be able to articulate the gospel.  I want you to wake up on Monday morning able to speak the gospel in a concise, clear, and memorable way.  And so I offer you three words: manger, cross, crown.  The gospel is so comprehensive that its depths have been mined for millennia.  And yet it’s so simple that children can speak of it.  Let’s work with these words.  One gospel, three angles. 

Manger:  The presence of God with us.  (Life of Jesus. Prophet.)

      The manger is the incarnation – the God who takes on flesh, even to the point of being born in an animal feed box.  The manger means that God is not distant, but near.  It means that he comes to be with, so that you are not without him.  It means that God dwells in the midst of messy human drama.  An example of God’s presence in the New Testament is John chapter one.  1:14:  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  An example of God’s presence in the Old Testament would be the tabernacle or temple, as established by God for his people and evident throughout Israel’s history.  In Exodus 25:8, God says to Moses, “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” 

      The manger angle of the gospel is important for those standing in a particular place.  The gospel as the presence of God is thrilling news for those who are distant from God.  This is gospel for those who feel lonely, alienated, and hurt.  For those who feel inadequate.  For those who feel that God could never love them, never come to them.  For those who feel like the very lowest social caste.  The manger:  God’s presence with us.

Cross:  The pardon of God for us.  (Death of Jesus.  Priest.)

    The cross is God’s forgiveness for sinful people.  For years, God had to appoint priests to make sacrifices on behalf of the people.  To pay for things done wrong, God ordained a sacrificial system in which the blood of animals took the place of the blood of the people.  But this was an endless cycle of animal sacrifice for the endless sins of human beings.  And PETA called it animal abuse.  So God sent his Son to serve not only as priest, but also as the sacrifice.  The cross means substitution – his life for your life.  It means justification – justice is attained by his sacrifice in your place and for your sins.  It means forgiveness, that what you deserve for your offenses has been taken on by another.  An example of pardon in the Old Testament is the Passover in Exodus, or even earlier in Genesis 22 when God gives Abraham a ram to sacrifice “instead of his son” (13).  An example of pardon in the New Testament is Romans 3:23 and following:  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood.”  

     The cross angle of the gospel is important for those standing in a particular place.  The gospel as pardon is thrilling news for those who are overwhelmed with guilt.  This is gospel for those who are tortured with shame.  For those who are nagged by conviction.  For those who feel dirty over their thoughts, words, or deeds.  For those who feel that there is no way that a good God could love a bad person.  For those who feel that every bad thing that happens is God punishing for the bad things they’ve done.  For them, the cross is God’s pardon.

Crown:  The power of God in us.  (Resurrection of Jesus.  King.)

     The crown is the resurrection power of God.  The crown means that Jesus did not stay dead.  It means that God is in the business of making dead things alive.  It means that Jesus now wears a crown and stands as the supreme, manly, kick butt king of the entire universe.  It means that history is steadily advancing toward a powerful Last day of resurrection.   It means everything will be fully be put right under the merciful rule of the crucified and risen One.  The crown means victory.  The crown means that God wins out.  An example of God’s kingly power in the Old Testament is Psalm 2, where a worldwide king that looks a lot like Jesus is presented.  Verse 6, God says, “I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”  An example of God’s power in the New Testament is clearly in the resurrection of Jesus.  We see the Risen Jesus in Revelation 1:17, 18.  He says, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one.  I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”

    The crown angle of the gospel is important for those standing in a particular place.  The gospel as power is thrilling for those overwhelmed by defeat.  This is gospel for those who are weakened by despair.  For those who once felt strong and in control, but were humbled to the point of helplessness.  For those cut deeply by the sharp blade of death.  For those who mourn.  For those who are conquered.  For those who are abused and beat down.  The crown is the power of God in us.

    The gospel of Jesus.  One gospel, three angles.  Manger, cross, and crown.  God’s presence, pardon, and power.  Manger, cross, and crown.  Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.  Manger, cross, and crown.  Jesus as prophet, priest, and king.  Manger, cross, crown.

      The manger angle of the gospel is important for those standing in a particular place.  The gospel as the presence of God with us is thrilling news for those who are distant from God.  Like a teenager named Wil who always felt like a square peg in a round hole.  Most of his peers liked the safety of conformity.  He felt led to have a shaggy doo the color of a crow that would dip in front of his face like a mask.  Most of his friends had a mom and dad, or at least a step-mom or step dad.  His mom died when he was two.  Most of his friends lived in the same house their whole lives.  He was a military kid who had lived in 9 states, 10 schools, 14 houses.   If you took pictures of him, the most common pose was him in the lonely corner of a room, ipod ear buds in place, distantly gazing out the window.

    This all changed in his most recent high school when a clean cut classmate wearing a Cardinals shirt and Nike sneakers approached Wil and invited him over to his house after school to play his Nintendo Wii.  The next week, Wil was invited over for a dinner of Hamburger Helper, green beans, and chocolate milk.  The next week, his new friend asked Wil why he always sat in the back and didn’t talk much.  So Wil revealed his story.  A month later was Christmas, and Wil got in an argument with his new friend over the plausibility of Santa Claus.  This led to the origins of Christmas and the nature of the incarnation.  In the midst of a heated debate about Jesus, Wil’s friend stated something, on the verge of yelling:  “You don’t have to hide behind your hair, dude, cause God is with you!  That’s what baby Jesus is all about!”  This opened up a whole new world to Wil, who always felt the outsider.  His gospel angle was the manger.  “Wil, God didn’t leave you whenever you moved to a new city.  And Wil, God didn’t leave you when your mom died.  God didn’t leave you when things got messy.  He was right there all along.”  Manger, the presence of God.

     The cross angle of the gospel is important for those standing in a particular place.  The gospel as pardon is thrilling news for those who are overwhelmed with guilt.  Like Joe who made one major mistake 10 years ago.  One little thing that was a big deal.  Now, 10 years later he felt like a man cursed.  Six months ago he was laid off.  Five months ago, his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Four months ago, they discovered she was pregnant.  Three months ago, he had to rob the little savings he had holed up in his 401k.  Two months ago, he cursed God.  One month ago, he entertained the thought of swallowing a bottle of pills.  

     Last week Joe was having coffee with an old friend.  He didn’t want to.  His friend was a good man.  He was generous.  He was a good listener.  He was dependable.  He was a church-going Christian.  He was everything Joe was not.  After 3 minutes, they got past the small talk.  After 4 minutes, his friend asked Joe what was up.  After 5 minutes, Joe’s eyes were bulging with tears and red from a fight to hold them in.  They stepped outside to get away from a room full of customers.  And there Joe’s friend shared two words that were gospel to him.  “It’s done.”  That’s all he said.  “It’s done.”  He was referring to the mistake that occurred a decade ago.  “It’s done” released him from the past so he could bear the present.  “It’s done.”  In other words, “You’re forgiven.  You are not enslaved to this mistake.  Stop killing yourself for something that’s already been died for.  It’s done.”  And Joe cried like a baby.  He has since considered this the first day of his new life.  Cross, God’s pardon.

    The crown angle of the gospel is important for those standing in a particular place.  The gospel as power is thrilling for those overwhelmed by defeat.  Like Jamie.  She felt like a person caught in a photograph.  Stuck in one place.  Frozen in one scene.  Paralyzed in one position.  Captured by fear, she felt unable to move.  It was not a pretty photograph.  In the distant backdrop was childhood abuse.  In the upper left-hand corner was an addiction to stupid men.  In the foreground was a dead end job, and a sense that her life was meaningless.

    The only time Jamie felt she was out of the photograph was when she was with her friend Meg.  Meg’s friendship felt like a motion picture.  There was something about Meg.  A confidence.  A strength.  A hope.  So Jamie finally asked awkwardly, “Why are you so, like, hopeful?”  Meg laughed a little.  She said, “My mom died two years ago, and I thought it was the end of my life.  The day before the funeral, I was going through her stuff and ran across a book mark in her ragged Bible.  She had written three words on the bookmark:  “Everything is new.”  It was marking the page of a verse she had underlined in Revelation.  “Behold, I make all things new.”  I had never understood Jesus until then.  That there is victory in defeat.  There is light in darkness.  There is hope in death.”  Jamie’s mouth stretched into a slight smile.  While it was a process, this was the first day that her life broke out of the photograph and into a fullness she cannot describe.  

     One gospel, three angles.  The manger is God’s presence with you.  The cross is God’s pardon for you.  The crown is God’s power in you.  This is our life.  Our hope.  This is what we proclaim as a missional church.  This is the gospel.