Did Jesus come to bring peace? Absolutely! He was called the “Prince of Peace.” He taught His followers, “blessed are those who make peace.”

However, in Luke 12:49-53, Jesus says “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division…” Then He goes on to say that He came to divide families!

In Luke 14:25-34, He says we need to HATE our moms and dads, even our wives and kids!!! Are you kidding me? What does this all mean?

If you wanna get ReJesus-ed, I hope you listen to the following sermon.

If you heard it live, or have listened to it online, I wanna invite you to respond to the following:

1) What are some of the costs of following Jesus?
2) How does making disciples cost you?
3) Tell us a story about how you or someone you’ve heard about has tried to reach nonChristians, and why their actions were controversial.

Here is Bob’s INTRO to the iFart Interview on 103.5 FM WMUZ


This is Chris’ response to Bob


Some positive responses from callers

So… it’s time to get a little discussion goin about this whole iFart thing.

In short, we entered the iFart video contest. Not because we want to win the $5000, though of course that would be nice, but because we want to effectively communicate truth.

We’re using the same strategy the Apostle Paul used when he arrived in Athens (Acts 17:16-34). He effectively engaged culture on their level first, by referring to their idols and famous poets, then he introduced the Athenians to Biblical truth.

We don’t expect to win this contest, because we are making a highly unpopular statement about Jesus’ divinity, but we do intend to inspire many.

By the way, YouTube isn’t tracking the views properly on many of our videos. We have waayyy more views on this one than it says we do.

What do you think about this attempt to reach culture?

Do you think we are reaching out effectively… without selling out?

Do you think we took it too far?

What are other people’s reactions to it? No gossip please

This whole month we’re gonna be listening to God, praying, and talking about a new direction we believe He’s leading us in.

Sunday we laid down some serious Biblical foundation… a foundation that has guided us thus far, and will direct us until Jesus comes back to get us.

Acts 17:1-34. Read it. Understand it. Become lifelong friends with it.

Here’s how it is. In verses 1-9, Paul goes to Thessalonica, and his strategy is to enter the synagogue (important Jewish religious building), start with the Scriptures (Old Testament) and then engage their culture.

In verses 10-15, Paul goes to Berea, and carries out the same strategy. Synagogue, Scriptures, culture.

In the remaining verses, 16-34, we witness a quite different approach when Paul goes to Athens, Greece. Athens was known for big time idol-worship (not one of God’s favorite activities). When Paul sees this chaos, he becomes outraged. Usually, when a man is outraged, he goes on a rampage. What does Paul do?

He enters the synagogue, yes, but every single day he engages the marketplace (lots of wicked things happenin’ here). His teachings about Jesus and the resurrection stir up controversy and curiosity. They take him before the city’s top dog decision-making council, the Areopagus. It’s his time to speak, before a highly influential audience. What will this outraged man do? Go on a rampage?

He begins his speech with a compliment to their culture (v 22). Then he tells them how he’d been walking around and carefully studying their idols. The modern reader can scarcely grasp the significance of this event. For most of us, idols are considered art, or artifacts if they’re nice and old. For the Jesus-centered man or woman, locking eyes on an idol is of greater vulgarity than a hard-core porn flick. Don’t get me wrong, Paul would not have studied porn, but here he engages is something even more nauseating. Notice I said he studied the idols. He didn’t enjoy them. In our setting, this would be like studying a crude film or song that captivates the minds and hearts of the American people.

He quotes from an inscription on an idol, then from there, points the people to the Scriptures. In Athens, Paul starts first with the culture, then goes to the Bible (verses 23-27).

Realizing the Bible is so new for them, he quickly returns back to their culture, quoting two famous false-god-worshiping poets (verse 28). Many Jews would’ve been furious that Paul was repeating these blasphemous words. Today, this would be like quoting from Tupac or Kurt Cobain. Religious people would’ve said, “You may be reaching out, but you’re selling out!” How do you even know such things? Darkness can have no fellowship with light!

There’s a woman that attends a large church here in metro Detroit. One day at work, she told her co-workers how much she loved her church. She went on and on about their programs and events and what not. She then said, “And the best part is, they rarely use the J word!” (Meaning “Jesus”) This is a church that reaches out, at the expense of selling out.

Paul quotes their poets, finding the good in them, but doesn’t stop there, because their poets don’t draw the right conclusions. He then points the culture to Jesus and judgment, two very non-so-popular words (verses 29-31). Some mocked, some wanted to know more, some became disciples (verses 32-34).

This is the passion of Ekklesia, “to reach out without selling out.”