All-inclusive God

Getting Out of Dodge
It was a brutal winter in Chicago. Lots of people seemed to be preoccupied with getting out of Dodge. To anywhere warm. The talk of escape to a warmer climate often turned to dreams of checking into an all-inclusive resort. You know, one of those places where everything is included. We’re talking comprehensive. Everything included for one amazing price. But sometimes people who live in a warm place don’t have it all that easy. Take Moses for example.

Desert Rendezvous
The fire is what got his attention. This ordinary bush was engulfed in flames, but it didn’t get burned up. In 40 years of shepherding in the desert wilderness, Moses had never seen anything like this. When your job is tending sheep in the Middle Eastern desert there’s not that much excitement. But this day was different. First the burning bush, then the voice. God had decided it was time to liberate the Hebrew nation from slavery in Egypt. And Moses was the guy being recruited to lead them to freedom. After overcoming Moses’ initial objections, God convinced him to take the job. Before the deal was sealed, Moses asked God a very reasonable question.

Moses: “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”
God: “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”

Wow! His name would fit easily on a business card and at the same time fill the entire universe. Moses had just encountered the One who is ultimate reality. How do you relate to a person who’s all-inclusive? You start by listening.

You can almost hear Moses’ reaction. ‘No, seriously what should I tell them?’ But that was about all the explanation that Moses would receive. When you hang out with God you learn quickly that He doesn’t answer all your questions and He certainly doesn’t feel obligated to give you a detailed game plan. As it turns out, Moses’ mission to rescue Israel, called The Exodus, was a big success and they made it to the Promised Land as free people. In the process, Moses made a big splash in the Red Sea.

Divine Intervention
Flash-forward about 1400 years to the time of Jesus. This was the second big rescue mission on God’s agenda. The first was to rescue one nation—Israel—from slavery in Egypt. The second mission was way bigger. Things had gotten really messed up here on earth so God decided that it was time for a divine intervention. Jesus came to earth with a rescue mission: Restore the entire creation to its original God-intended, perfect state of being. No problem.

Paul, the New Testament writer expressed it this way: “God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Jesus, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Jesus’ blood on the cross.” We may find it hard to understand why Jesus was killed, but one thing we do need to understand is that his death fixed our broken relationship with God. The mission Jesus successfully completed was kind of like a second Exodus because all people, and all of creation were under oppression with no way to escape.

Like Father, Like Son
When you think about some of the stuff Jesus said, you can begin to see the family resemblance. Remember how God had identified himself to Moses? He said basically you can call me ‘I AM.’ When Jesus came along He sounded a lot like his Father. Check out these choice sound bites:

“I AM…
the Messiah.
the bread of life.
the good shepherd.
the light of the world.
the gate for the sheep.
the resurrection and the life.”

Here’s the point. When you see Jesus, you see God in the flesh—literally. It’s really tough to wrap your mind around God’s plan to use His incredible power to bring new life to a creation that was dying. But that’s exactly what Jesus did.

Extreme Makeover
By dying as an innocent man and coming back to life, Jesus gave new life to everyone and everything. We tend to focus on one part of what Jesus accomplished. People talk a lot about salvation—being rescued. That’s a big deal, but it’s not the whole story.

“The point of the cross isn’t forgiveness. Forgiveness leads to something much bigger: restoration. God isn’t just interested in the covering over of our sins; God wants to make us into the people we were originally created to be… This restoration is why Jesus always orients his message around becoming the kind of people who are generous and loving and compassionate.”

‘Velvet Elvis’ by Rob Bell

And it gets better. God had decided to take care of business once and for all. What Jesus accomplished was…and is…all-inclusive. All of creation got messed up because of ‘The Fall.’ Paul said it this way: “All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”

Salvation is much bigger than we can imagine. It’s all of creation being restored. It’s the entire universe being brought back into harmony with its Creator.

The Power of Love
God’s plan to restore creation started with Jesus, but it continues with you and me. Think about it. If you had millions and millions of people made in your image running around on the earth, why not let them be part of the restoration process? Make a way for them to have a relationship with you. Give them a new heart and a greater capacity to love. Show them how it’s done. (Jesus fleshed out that part of the plan.) Give them the power they need. Can you say: Holy Spirit? Then watch them unleash the power of love!

“It don’t take money, don’t take fame
Don’t need no credit card to ride this train
It’s strong and it’s sudden it can be cruel sometimes
But it might just save your life

They say that all in love is fair
Yeah, but you don’t care
But you know what to do
When it gets hold of you
And with a little help from above
You feel the power of love
You feel the power of love
Can you feel it?”

‘The Power of Love’ by Huey Lewis and the News

All-inclusive God
Jesus said that He came to give life to everyone. And He did. No one gets left out. The life that we receive is like this incredible spring of water. It flows from God to us and then through us to other people. It’s like a gourmet meal that we taste and then we invite others to join us. It’s like a beautiful song that we hear. We can’t wait to bring our friends to hear the sound. All this is because God can’t help but love us. And we can’t contain the overflow.

“Whatever we do, it is because Christ’s love controls us, Since we believe that Christ died for everyone, we also believe that we have all died to the old life we used to live. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was raised for them.”
– 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

What God has done for us, in us and through us is all-inclusive. God used Moses to rescue a nation. Jesus came to rescue all of creation…including us. Now we get to play our part. The New Testament says we’re new creations and ambassadors. Inspired by love. Compelled by love. Powered by love.

Recently I saw a banner ad for a luxury resort in a tropical paradise. The couple in the photo was sitting on a beautiful beach with pure, white sand. Beyond the beach stretched clear, aqua-blue water that seemed to caress the exotic island. The copy superimposed over the sky read: “Love is all you need. Everything else is included.”