Man, I love Brad.

I almost titled this, “Things We Can All Learn From Brad." But the first line was this:

Man, I love Brad. 

At the end, after writing all of this, I still went with "Man, I love Brad."

NB Story: Brad from New Beginnings Church on Vimeo.

And man, I love the living Person, Jesus Christ, who arrogantly, rudely, and inconveniently grabbed a hold of Brad as if to say, “Enough! Your life is done. It is ended. Your life will now be all about ME!” 

Brad may have more understanding of rich theology and perpetual repentance in his pinky than many people have in all their years of church attendance. Here are some things I can learn and contemplate from a small glimpse of Brad’s story. 

1.    August 9th, 1999 —Jamie and I were enjoying the warmth of the beach and ocean two days into our honeymoon—Brad was dead—spiritually dead—unknowingly about to be interrupted and assaulted by the Missional God—as Brad says later “the call of the cross is the end of us.” 

2.     “I thought that God would have no use for a dog like me.” (See Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Timothy 1:15;) What is amazing about God is that somehow, with guys like me and Brad, through an abundant outpouring of grace, he does still have redeemed plans and purposes in His Kingdom. 

3.     “I ran with a bad group of guys…” 

• Some may come from a more “cleaned up” background, some may have a better “pedigree” and family tree. But the truth is everyone of us are a “bad group of guys.” (See Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10-12, 23; Romans 5:12-14; Ephesians 2:1-3) We’re all much worse than we’d like to think. 

4.     “When you live in darkness, you don’t realize that all that is is the absence of light.”

• Beautiful...beautiful statement! Read it again. Oh, that each one of us could start each day realizing we have hearts formerly controlled by darkness. And that the only light that changes that is sufficient to completely re-create all things. (1 John 1:5-10)

5.     “The decision to commit suicide was an emotional decision, I think, that contradicted what I had gained in knowledge. And so when I went out there, the thing that stopped me was that God caught my heart up to my mind."

• Many people struggle with allowing emotions/feelings to dictate truth. They allow feelings and emotions to stir up thoughts that are contrary to truth—especially God’s truth. 

• Things change for people when they start allowing God’s truth, found in His word, to dictate their feelings and emotions. 

• For example: “My life is horrible(feeling inside). Everything is miserable (feeling inside). There is nothing to live for (thoughts not based off of truth).  Therefore, based off of those feelings—I decide (thoughts disconnected with actual truth) to jump off a bridge.” You see where emotions have dictated and influenced thinking. Let’s look at the opposite where God’s truth influences our feelings and see the result.

• For example: “My life is horrible (feeling inside). Everything is miserable (feeling inside). There is nothing to live for (thoughts based not off of truth). But in actuality, no matter how bad I’ve screwed up my life. No matter how bad I’ve hurt others. No matter how horrible I feel or think about myself—I know that even in all my sin and pain—God has forgiveness and mercy for me (truth from God’s word). The Bible tells me not to dwell in anxious, miserable, fearful thoughts (Philippians 4:6-7), but to instead dwell on truth and things worthy of praise (Phil. 4:8). There is something to live for—I was created by God and redeemed and forgiven by Christ no matter how long and how horrible my list of sins could ever be! (Ephesians 4:14-21 truth from God’s word that begins to shift and transform our thinking and the emotions begin to follow) Therefore, since I deserved wrath from God, but was forgiven much, I am brought low. I am humbled. I am amazed at this God and this Savior Jesus Christ! (feelings change from horrible/miserable to humility, awe, and gratitude) Since Christ accomplished salvation for me on the cross—even though I could have done nothing to earn it—I am filled with praise and look forward to living for Him and His Kingdom! (feelings of thankfulness, hope, and love have emerged from God’s truth). 

• So we see how God’s absolute truth—must dictate our emotions/feelings—not the other way around. (See 2 Cor. 3:18-20; Romans 12:1-2)

6.   “Kind of now that I’ve matured I can look back and kind of smile at the whole thing, because the result of that night was still death. I’m a firm believer that the call of the cross is the end of us. Anything less, and we haven’t really surrendered to the gospel.” 

• Wow. Does he teach theology at a seminary near here? Does he speak to every single person’s need in understanding what it means to be “Christian.” 

• In an American culture where we’re taught and told that God saved us because we were so special—here’s a statement that says that in saving us—it was not all about us—it is the death of us. That being a Christian is NOT making God a “useful tool” for my own health, wealth, and prosperity. It is a call to die to self and live for King Jesus. 

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “When Jesus calls a man, He bids him, ‘Come and die.’” Death to self and our old life is a matter of learning to love and trust God. That is the essence of faith. From the outside looking in—friends and family don’t understand the change that happens internally in a person. People think it is a matter of external rules (don’t cuss, don’t get drunk, don’t do drugs, don’t steal, don’t be mean, just be a better you!). Nothing is farther from the truth. Most people think that a person starts going to church because they want to be a “better person.” 

• There is an assumption that once a person “finds God,” that they now look down on “sinners” or people who still partake of practices that this person formerly did. The truth that Brad understands is that if we have understood God’s salvation provided by Jesus’ death on the cross where He, the perfect innocent Lamb, was slaughtered for all MY SINS as a substitute—that it should ONLY produce immeasurable humility in their own person and awe as they are captivated by Jesus Christ. 

• From the outside looking in, people often wonder why their friend become, in their opinion, such a radical. “Sure, I think it’s fine if a person wants to better their life and start going to church, but you don’t have to become one of those extremist Christians.” What this thinking misses is their friend’s amazement and worship of of Jesus Christ. They don’t do churchy stuff in order to be better—they don’t abstain from things to earn closeness to God—but instead, in response to what Christ has accomplished for them—a heart of captivation occurs. He becomes everything. This is the surrender Brad now lives out day-to-day. 

7.     “And a year into marriage…and all that fun stuff, I was diagnosed with the same disease that had caused me to rebel, somewhat, from my father. And as I look at it today I think it’s been one of the greatest points of my personal worship. Um, because it made me ask questions that I honestly hadn't really asked. Like, if today is the last time that I’m able to speak, what are the last words I’m gonna say? If today is the last day I’m able to use my hands, what am I using them for? Is it an offering or a consumption? If today is the last day that my brain functions clearly, what am I thinking about? 

• Not in the plans. This is not what you want to hear your first year of marriage. Notice that Brad says it has brought about worship. That doesn’t mean it was easy. That doesn’t mean it was a light blow. It means that in the midst of weighty news—there is something more luminous and weighty. 

8.     “Um, and it really caused me to focus on that kind of stuff…let’s look at it just black and white, right. The cross didn’t cost us anything right? Nothing. And at the same time if the cross becomes a reality to us…if the resurrection of Christ becomes a reality…if that birth in a manger becomes more than a fairy tale story and becomes a bloody baby being brought into the world that would lead to a bloody cross that would lead to an empty tomb…then I think the cross cost everything.” 

• It is by grace alone that Jesus came and sought Brad as a young man more dead in his sins and transgressions than he could imagine. So that Brad’s boast could be only in Christ and what He had done. That part is a payment that we could never pay. Like Brad said, the cross cost us nothing initially. Salvation, redemption, reconciliation, atonement, forgiveness of sins was completely and comprehensively bought by the slaughter of Jesus on the cross. The innocent, perfect One, took on the guilt of mankind. Brad is broken knowing he was undeservingly atoned for. Yet, after Jesus gets our captivation, He begins to show us the cost. Salvation free, truly and totally. But sanctification costly and difficult. And both salvation and sanctification supplied by Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and soon return. 

9.     “So, you know, initially, the fair is pretty cheap. At first, you know, that night that I accepted Christ, it felt like He had paid it all. And as I have become a disciple of Christ, whose desires now lines up with my Father’s desires, it causes me to groan even deeper for my sin. Because to truly follow Christ, and to worship our Father in heaven, I believe it cost everything. It’s not a song. It’s not a poem. It’s not a video interview. It’s…It is about God’s glory. The end.” 

• Following Christ is increasingly costly. And He is increasingly more glorious. The deeper a person understands these truths—the greater their insight into the contrast between true holiness and righteousness—and the vast gap to their heart’s corruption and depravity. We are wired to want to hear how great we are and how wonderful we are—and there are truly times where words of affirmation, appreciation, gratitude, and encouragement are needed. But our hope lies not in greater view of ourselves nor greater self-esteem. Those lead to pride. Instead, we need a smaller few of ourselves and a greater, higher, more glorious view of Christ! It truly is all about His glory, in the end. Not ours. 

Sankie P. Lynch

www.nbchurch.info

www.nbfamilies.info

sankie@nbchurch.info