Dharius Daniels - RePresent Jesus: Rethink Your Version of Christianity and Become More like Christ

INTRODUCTION

David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, unChristian: What a New Generation Really ThinksAbout Christianity... and Why It Matters (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007),28.

(accessed July 17, 2014).

CHAPTER 1: JESUS AND LOVE

(accessed June 25, 2014).

CHAPTER 2: JESUS AND TRUTH

(accessed June 25, 2014).

(accessed June 25, 2014).

CHAPTER 3: JESUS AND GRACE

(accessed June 25, 2014).

Don Whitehead, Attack on Terror: The FBI Against the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi(New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1970), 4; as cited in Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch,ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers,2009), 12.

Amazing Grace by John Newton. Public domain.

CHAPTER 4: JESUS AND WISDOM

(accessed June 25, 2014).

CHAPTER 5: JESUS AND THE S-WORD

Wm. Paul Young, The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity (Newbury Park, CA:Windblown Media, 2007).

Dallas Willard, The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesuss Essential Teachings onDiscipleship (New York: HarperOne, 2006), 14.

CHAPTER 6: JESUS AND GENEROSITY

Noah benShea, Jacob the Baker: Gentle Wisdom For a Complicated World (New York:Random House, 1989).

Patti Digh, Life Is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally(Guilford, CT: skirt!, 2008).

CHAPTER 7: JESUS AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

(accessed June 25, 2014).

Tony Evans, Tony Evans Speaks Out on Fasting (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2000),7.

Jentezen Franklin, The Fasting Edge: Recover Your Passion. Recapture Your Dream.Restore Your Joy (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2011), 206.

CHAPTER 8: JESUS AND RELATIONSHIPS

Tom Holladay, The Relationship Principles of Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,2008).

Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of Christ (ColoradoSprings, CO: NavPress, 2002), 105.

CHAPTER 9: JESUS AND WORDS

Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: UncommonThoughts on Common Things (New York: Ballantine Books, 1988), 18.

CHAPTER 10: JESUS AND FORGIVENESS

(accessed June 25, 2014).

T. D. Jakes, Let It Go: Forgive So You Can Be Forgiven (New York: Atria, 2012).

Alfred Poirier, The Peacemaking Pastor: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Church Conflict(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2006), 157.

Lewis B. Smedes, Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Dont Deserve (New York:HarperCollins, 1984).

CHAPTER 11: JESUS AND FAITH

(accessed June 25, 2014).

Cyndi Stivers, Up Against the Waldo, Entertainment Weekly, December 14, 1990.

Roy B. Zuck, John F. Walvoord, and Louis A. Barbieri Jr., The Bible KnowledgeCommentary: New Testament (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 1983). Also, Mark14:1 says it was Passover, which was held in the month of Nisan (April).

CHAPTER 12: JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

N. T. Wright, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense (New York: HarperOne,2006).

Gordon D. Fee, Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God (Peabody, MA: HendricksonPublishers, 1996), xv.

Chapter 1
JESUS and LOVE

I pray that you will understand the words of Jesus, Love one another as I have lovedyou. Ask yourself How has He loved me? Do I really love others in the same way?Unless this love is among us, we can kill ourselves with work and it will only bework, not love. Work without love is slavery.

MOTHER TERESA

IF I WERE to ask you, Do you love Jesus, what would you say? Its a simple question,and I imagine many of you reading this book would answer with an impassioned andunequivocal yes! You may even wonder why I would ask such an unnecessary question.Obviously you love Jesus; otherwise you wouldnt be reading this book, right? Butbefore you throw this book to the side or gift it to an unsaved family member,slow down for a moment. Think about what I am asking you and try not to jump to conclusions.Do you, (insert your name), truly love Jesusnot your church or your denomination,not your political position or theological convictionbut Jesus.

Just Jesus.

Please grant me the personal privilege of asking another question: How do you knowyou love Him and do you think Jesus would agree with you? OK, that was two. AndI have one more: What would you say if I told you that loving Christ means more thanloving Christ as an emotional exercise, but also includes loving like Christ? Thisis the question at the heart of this chapter.

Unfortunately, contemporary notions have reduced love to feelings. Although loveaffects our feelings, impacts our feelings, and at times intensifies our feelings,it should not be viewed as simply a feeling. The kind of love we want and God deservesis demonstrable love. It is visible love. This is the type of love God has shownus. Its the type of love that describes Jesus, and its the type of love that shoulddescribe those who follow Him.

One of the most dominant character traits that describes Jesus is love. He frequentlytaught on it, prioritized it, told parables about it, and modeled it. However, whenthe topic of love comes up in books like this, most of us stop paying attention.We assume we know all there is to know about Jesus and love because were Bible-toting,bumper-sticker-sporting, cross-wearing Christians.

But I plead with you not to jump to theological conclusions about this. Throw awayevery assumption. Open your mind to the possibility that your files on any subjectcan be updated. Walk with me down every street, and do not skip over the scripturesyou already know. If you do skip along on this, you may miss the most essential ingredientin re-presenting Christ: the Jesus kind of love. Jesus models a type of love thatis different from anddare I saytranscends the fleeting, temperamental, elusivenotion of love many live with. Christs love is not lyrical or passive. Its notpredicated on conditions or ultimatums. Instead, His lovedemonstrated through thelife He lived on earthis grounded in an unadulterated commitment to the will ofGod. His love didnt hang on the vacillating hinges of His feelings. It proved itselfby walking the walk and talking the talk.

That, my friends, is what this chapter is about: love on another level.

Lets discover what this love is all about.

A JESUS KIND OF LOVE

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must loveone another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love oneanother.

JOHN 13:3435

Jesus makes a bold statement in John 13:3435. He announces to us that the way theworld will know we are His followers is not by the crosses around our necks, ourattendance at worship services, or the Bibles we throw in the back windows of ourcars. The way the world will know us to be His followers is by our love.

But why does Jesus begin His commentary with a new commandment? What is at stakein this moment that requires Jesus to present a new way of understanding the law?

As you may recall, Jesus is not talking to Christians here. Hes talking to Jewswho are well aware of the commandments of God. Christians mainly focus on the Decalogue,also known as the Ten Commandments, but Moses actually received 613 commandmentsfrom God on Mount Sinai. Jews were not nave to this. So when Jesus said, A newcommandment I give, their ears perked up. Hes speaking their language, and theyrewaiting to see what Hes going to say next.