Downtown Cornerstone Blog
Jun 30
2017

“Is suffering in my life due to my sin?”

Scripture, Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

As we’ve walked through the major prophets over the last four weeks we’ve encountered the reality, again and again, of God’s severe, but ultimately loving, discipline of his people for centuries of rebellion. Admittedly, their situation was unique as there were different provisions under the Mosaic covenant for obedience and disobedience than for those of us, in Christ (e.g. Deut. 28:15,49-50). But, even so, it raises the natural question, “Is suffering in my life due to my sin?” I addressed this, in part, on Sunday but thought it would be helpful to provide a more thorough follow-up. 

We’ve all experienced it. A car accident. Loss of a job. Relational tension. Unexpected illness. Prolonged singleness. Sudden death of a loved on. Unmet expectations. Then, into heartache comes the searching question, “Is this because of something I have done?” It is often an honest question. After all, if God is trying to get our attention then we don’t want to miss it, right? How should we view the trial and troubles of life? 

Suffering is Complicated.

Here’s the answer: It’s complicated. We often don’t know if suffering is due to a specific sin. I say “often” because there are occasions when we do know that situations in our life are connected to our sin due to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. But, in most cases, it can be hard to filter through what is due to our sin, the sin of others, living in a broken world, or a combination of them all. That means we need to be careful here. We don’t want to end up like Job’s friends who wrongly blamed Job for his suffering. So, where does that leave us? While there is a lot that we don’t know about our circumstances, there is a lot that we do know about God, in Christ. 

#1 There is No Condemnation, in Christ, only Love. 

Firstly, if we have a living trust in Jesus, we can know our suffering is not a form of wrath-filled judgment and condemnation for our sin. Paul tells us, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1) In other words, Jesus bore the full condemnation our sin deserves on the cross. That means there is no additional punishment for our sin, whether past, present, or future. Therefore, we can know that our trials and troubles are not due to God’s condemnation for sin.

Even more, amidst them we can trust his love never wavers, after all, “What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” This is a good question. Do trials and troubles separate us from the love of Christ? Should we think God loves us less if we are facing difficulty? Paul is emphatic, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Rom. 8:35, 37) We are not meant to measure God’s love by our circumstances, only Jesus (Rom. 5:8).  In Jesus, nothing––not even suffering––can separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:39). 

#2 He Uses All Things for Good.

Second, if we have a living trust in Jesus, we can know that God is working all things in our life, even our suffering, for our ultimate good. Paul reminds us, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good” (Rom 8:28). Similarly, after being sold into slavery by his brothers, wrongly imprisoned for much of his twenties, when all was said and done Joseph could say, “You meant it for evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Gen. 50:20). How could he say that? He discovered that God is at work in ways unseen amidst our trial and trouble. Of course, we don’t know exactly what he is doing, but at the very least he is growing our faith, increasing our love, deepening our grace, expanding our patience, cultivating wisdom, making us more useful for his purposes—in a word, transforming us into who we really are, as we become more like him. 

#3 He Will Never Leave You.

Third, if we have a living trust in Jesus, we can also know that He is never going to give up on us and will finish the work He has begun in us. He promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). That means we are never alone amidst our trials and troubles. Even more, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil1:6). This means our trials and troubles are not peripheral to God’s purposes in our lives, but part of them. So, in Christ, when all hope seems lost, it is not. When we’re tired, he is still at work. When we feel abandoned, he is still committed. When we feel alone, he is, in fact, near. We can bank our lives, now and forever, on these profound promises. 

#4 He Disciplines Those He Loves.

Fourth, if we have a living trust in Jesus, we can know that He is aiming to get our attention—probably in relation to our self-reliance. This is why the author of Hebrews exhorts us to see all hardship, trial and trouble as part of God’s loving fatherly discipline (which means training, instruction, and formation) in our lives (Heb. 12:1-11). Whether or not it is connected to our sin, is not the point. The point is that God is purposefully at work, as a loving father, in lives of his children, and though his disciplne “seems painful rather than pleasant…later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:11). 

We see this in the life of Paul, in 2 Cor. 1:9, when he says, “We felt that we had received the sentence of death…” Paul was facing a literal death sentence. That’s a big deal. Then, notice how he interprets his perilous predicament. He continues, “But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” Do you see what he is saying? He didn’t jump to interpreting his “sentence of death” as something due to his sin, or even the sin of others, but ultimately as a sovereign means of rooting out self-trust and increasing his trust in “God who raises the dead.” Our self-trust is why we sin. Our self-trust is often why we feel far from God. Our self-trust is typically why we don’t pray. Our self-trust is why we are more impressed with ourselves, and the things of the world, than with God. In other words, self-trust always leads to our harm. So God, in his great love and mercy, is bent on ridding us of it. Often he uses suffering and trial to clear the clutter of our hearts, rip out apathy, and open our eyes to what matters most. 

#5 Trials are Tools in His Hands.

Lastly, if we have a living trust in Jesus, we can know that every trial and trouble we face is meant for our transformation, and through that, our deepest joy. Though God is not evil, he is able to use evil for our good. James encourages us to, “Count it all joy…when you meet trials of various kinds.” Now, why would we do that? Consider it joy when we face trials? He’s not encouraging us to take joy in the trials themselves, as there is typically little joy found in them. But, there is joy found in what God can do through them. He continues, “For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete…” (James 1:2-4).  In other words, in Christ, we can count all trials and troubles as joy not because of the trials themselves, but because of whose hands they are in. 

He Specializes in Redemptive Surprises.

In summary, we often won’t know if the troubles of life are due to our sin. However, there is a lot that we do know. We know that, in Christ, our trials are not punishment for sin. We know that, in Christ, our trials aren’t accurate measures of God’s love for us. We know that, in Christ, God is with us and will never give up on us. We know that, in Christ, God is able to use our trials for our ultimate good.  We know that, in Christ, God uses trials to increase our dependency on him and, ultimately, our joy in him. God is at work in our lives, even amidst trial and trouble, in one thousand unimaginable ways; often in ways we wouldn’t expect, nor want, nor even pray, but always in such ways that tend to his glory and our deepest joy. He specializes redemptive surprises. So, take heart, friends. God is at work—even in the dark. 

Trusting Him with you,
Pastor Adam
Jun 22
2017

A Family on Mission | Serve the City

City Life, Event, Serve the City, Service | by Pastor Craig Sturm

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” – Jeremiah 29:7

Downtown Cornerstone,

We’re about three weeks away from our Serve the City event! If you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to register and invite two or three neighbors, friends, family, or co-workers to join in as well!  

If you’re new or haven’t been around for a while, you may be wondering, “Why are we serving the city in this way?”As a church, we want to proclaim the Gospel in word and demonstrate it in deed. Because of that, here are three reasons why we are serving the city this summer, and why you should consider joining us:

1. WE’VE BEEN SERVED AND LOVED

Romans 5:8 says that even while we were enemies of God, Christ died for us. As a church, we believe that we’ve been infinitely loved and served by God, through the person and work of Jesus. Because of that, we believe that the good news of the Gospel is not only shared in word, but demonstrated in deed. Serving is not just “giving back do-goodism”, but a tangible expression of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – serving as we’ve been served; loving as we’ve been loved, in Christ.

2. THERE’S A NEED

The Seattle School District has only 5 groundskeepers to maintain 34 schools in the South Seattle school district. This leaves many of the schools without adequate funding and manpower to maintain the properties. As such, these schools heavily rely on volunteer efforts to come alongside and help maintain their properties and facilities. We asked Seattle Schools where their greatest need is, and they told us Gatewood Elementary. We desire to be humble, responsive, loving, service partners with the school district.

3. WE’RE A FAMILY ON MISSION

Often when we think of the church, we think of it as a family, and it is (Eph 2:19, Gal 6:10), but more importantly, the church (us!) is God’s primary vehicle for the spread of the Gospel (Eph 3:8-11). We call that mission, or the “great commission” (Matt 28:18-20). God sent His son to seek and save the lost, and He sends us as His people, across the street and around the world – with the good news that Jesus offers forgiveness of sin and new life with Him, beginning now. The whole purpose of doing events like this is to not only love and serve the city, but create space to invite others to participate with us, and love and serve others as Christ has loved and served us.  

Practically…

1. Who can you reach out to this week and invite them to serve with you? 

Be praying now for good conversation, open doors, and that the Spirit of God would use something as simple as serving the city together to change the hearts and lives of our not-yet-believing friends for all eternity! 

2. How might you weave this into the rhythm of your community’s summer schedule?

It would be cool to see whole communities serving together, extending their connecting beyond just their regular meeting times. Talk with folks in your community about making this a summer priority!

That our joy in Jesus would be tangible to our city,

Pastor Craig

Here’s the video from a few years ago to help whet your appetite!

Jun 21
2017

Stories of Grace | The Game is Not the Point

City Life, Service, Stories of Grace

“The Stories of Grace series is intended to capture snapshots of God’s grace and glory amidst our every day lives. They are real stories of real people who have seen the fingerprints of God amidst the ordinary—God’s favorite canvas. Each story is personal, unique and, often, unfinished. Through it all we get glimpses of God’s steadfast love, sufficient grace, and ongoing presence with his people.” 

—

We’re playing Bingo, and the caller announces “B 4” into the microphone. I’m tempted to crack a lame joke and respond, “Before what?” But I resist.

It’s Friday afternoon and we’re at a session of Bingo at Bayview Retirement Community. Three gals in their twenties, two baby boys in their onesies, and a table of aging seniors with varying, but mostly limited, communication abilities—really, a table of adopted grandmothers for our sons. Oh, how they love our boys.

It started off pretty easy: two mamas with a sleeping baby in each stroller, helping seniors through the game of Bingo. Perhaps there was an occasional nursing session or a wheeling of the makeshift crib to calm the cries. But there was always a guarantee of adult conversation and the biggie: a reason to get out of the house.

As our babies grew, our Bingo play cards reduced from two, to one, to none. Our ability to help residents through the game followed a similar drop, though we are somehow able to improvise a tag team dance of kid-watch along with the help of the Activities Coordinator and a friend who joins us monthly. What started as a relaxing, adult-focused outing while our babies snoozed has morphed into a monthly rhythm that requires a determined and patient heart. I get out of my house to perform a workout of sorts that requires entertaining a curious toddler for two hours amidst Bingo calls, wheelchairs, and so many things he can’t touch. I am no longer just helping residents complete a game of Bingo, for the person sitting next to me actually has a complete Four Corner Cluster and we both forgot to call it.

But I’ve realized: the game is not the point.

When we enter the activity room on these Friday afternoons, the residents do not light up and smile because they think they might win a round of Bingo with our help. No, the game is not their joy; rather, seeing our boys is their joy (and sometimes they like hanging out with us, too). There is a lady who smiles, lips closed but eyes bright, every time she sees my son, Oliver. We always introduce ourselves. He waves, and she looks at him with adoration. After roughly eight visits, I was sitting at the table with Oliver in my lap. He had a toy and was seconds from squirming out of my hold and onto the floor to grab the microphone cord when from across the table she said it: “Oh, I know him!”

It was the first time I had heard her speak. She remembered us. She knew us.

God, could you work in her heart to know You, too? Could we aid in that introduction?

The hope was that this would be missional somehow. Since our community visits monthly, we ladies with weekday availability thought it would be helpful to also attend these Friday Bingo sessions. Another chance to get to know the residents, to deepen relationships, to be a help, and ultimately to share the love of Christ. While I’ve yet to navigate how to craft simple (and loud!) truth statements about God to seniors who have sadly lost much of their ability to hold a conversation, I hold out hope that something we are doing here is speaking of God’s love for them. I do know that we are helping to love and recognize a group of individuals often overlooked in our city. For God instructs us to love the widows and orphans, the vulnerable and down-trodden.

If an opportunity did arise where I could speak of Christ, perhaps the connections would be more quickly made. As they have seen us enter into their lives, they could see how Christ, the holy and eternal God, has entered into our human, mortal lives on earth. As we listen and play and assist, drawing near to them, perhaps they could know that God draws near to us. He is always present, ready to welcome and re-welcome sinners into His care.

So we continue with these Friday Bingo sessions at Bayview, two toddlers in tow. We have no idea what we’re doing, but we desire to love those that Christ has placed around us. We know God is continually shaping our hearts to love others more—especially those unlike us—and to depend on Him for all those awkward and inconvenient moments of service. Amazingly, he might use us to bring the good news of Christ to those in this nursing home. He may yet bring salvation to an old sinner.

It is not easy to love and serve the oppressed and the downtrodden. It can be hard, awkward, uncomfortable, and inconvenient. But there are so many groups of people in our city who need to experience the love of Christ. What would it look like for you to serve as He has served us? Who is in your life that may be overlooked or unloved, and how can you begin to look and love on them? May we be an encouragement to one another as we draw near, pray, assist, serve, and yes, play Bingo.

– Beth Boyd, DCC Member

May 24
2017

Re-creating a Missional Culture

, City Life | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

One crucial element of our church’s DNA that we’re aiming to re-create this year is a missional culture. That is, a culture in which relational evangelism is the norm. From our earliest days as a church our goal has always been to cultivate a culture in which everyone sought to build meaningful relationships with not-yet-believers in order to love them to Jesus. Yet, over the last six years, amidst growth, pastoral care issues, personal emergencies, changing venues, local mega-church implosions, and more, a bit of that DNA was lost. By God’s grace, we are seeking to change that this year.

When we talk about creating a “missional culture” we are not talking about a program that is run by leaders of the church. Rather, we are talking about a reality in which we are personally cultivating relationships with unbelievers, while seeking opportunities to graciously share the good news of Jesus. The vast majority of people do not trust Christ on Sunday-alone but through meaningful personal relationships with real-life followers of Jesus. That means we must think about this relationally. So, in light of that, I offer the following six ways for us to go about re-creating a missional culture among us: 

#1 Pray

It is easy to underestimate the importance of prayer because we are, by nature, self-reliant. That is why, I believe, God chose prayer to be one of the primary ways by which we relate to him. Prayer requires humility. Prayer requires dependence. Prayer requires relinquishing self-trust. That’s the point. This is particularly true when it comes to sharing the gospel with our not-yet-believing family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. God alone opens hearts to see his glory (2 Cor. 4:6). We don’t do that. So, do not underestimate what God can do with your prayers for the lost—in your heart and in theirs. Ask God to give you a heart for the lost around you. Pray for unbelievers by name. Ask for opportunities to build meaningful relationships with others. Above all, pray. 

#2 Think glory

The single greatest motivating reality for evangelism is the sheer glory of God. God’s glory refers to his incomparable beauty, or inexpressible excellencies, or unsearchable greatness. “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable” (Ps. 145:3). Our lives are driven and fueled by what we, deep down, glory in. Central to heartfelt, sincere, loving evangelism is a heart gripped by the unsurpassed glory of God. We love to share what we find beautiful, don’t we? “Have you read this book?” “Have you heard that song?” “Did you see the sun going down last night?” Glory is meant to be shared. How much more the One who is the source of all glory? Cultivate a heart that revels in the glory of God and you’ll have ample motivation to share the good news of Jesus. 

#3 Think relationally

To “evangelize” literally means to be a “bringer of good news.” I love that imagery. Don’t think of evangelism as a formula or rote script that you read. Think relationally. Build meaningful relationships with not-yet-believers who are sinners, like you, in need of the same saving grace of God, in Jesus. Some may say, “Doesn’t that mean you have an ulterior motive in your relationships?” Yes, an ulterior motive of love. It is genuine, heartfelt, sincere love for others that moves us to build relationships and talk about Jesus. Get to know others. Be patient. Ask questions. Don’t be pushy or weird. There is no pressure. Jesus is on the throne. So, be yourself, don’t give up, keep praying, and seek to be a “bringer of good news.”

#4 Think practically

How will you make space in your schedule for building relationships with unbelievers in this season of life? I say “this season” because this is something we need to regularly revisit. For example, in this season, our family primarily does this by meeting other parents through our kids sports and neighbors within our condo building. What about you? Think through how to create space in your weekly and/or monthly calendar. For example, on a weekly basis, what if we made it our goal to spend just one meal a week with an unbeliever? Or, on a monthly basis, what if we planned a group dinner, poker night, or social event of some kind? The options are endless, but if we don’t make intentional space for it in our calendars, as with anything else, it just won’t happen.

#5 Think missionally

This might seem redundant, but it’s not. What I mean by “thinking missionally” is to think evangelistically about what you’re already doing, wherever you are—at work, home, school, neighborhood, etc. Don’t think about evangelism as adding something else to your plate, but as a lens through which you view everything that is already on your plate. Ask God, “Who are the not-yet-believers already around me in my everyday life?” If we want to be technical, pre-evangelism is everything that goes into developing a relationship with a non-believer. Evangelism is the actual act of explaining the gospel of Jesus to others with the desire to persuade them. Mission is the term used to capture the entire process. Both pre-evangelism and evangelism are integral to participating in God’s upholding mission that he is calling us to join him in. 

#6 Think simply

Lastly, don’t over-complicate it. Our goal is simple, really: Talk with others about Jesus and his unique offer of forgiveness of sin and relationship with God. Keep in mind that this process is most likely going to involve more than one conversation with others. So, we need to have the long view in mind. You might ask, “What’s the first step I should take?” The simplest thing to do is to ask someone to read through one of the Gospels together (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John). Personally, I prefer the Gospel of Mark which is 16 chapters. Read four chapters and then get together to discuss. Then, repeat until you’re finished. Focus on who Jesus is, the claims he makes, and the response he calls for. So, don’t overcomplicate it. Think simply and keep praying. 

“Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent for I am with you…I have many in this city who are my people” (Acts 18:10). “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Rom. 10:15)

Christ is all,

Pastor Adam