Sean C. Capparuccia
July 8, 2024 – Sermon delivered at First Methodist, Clinton, NC
Today we’re singing “Jesus Is Just Alright With Me” by the Doobie Brothers as part of First Methodist’s “Juke-Box Summer” sermon series. An interesting title, no doubt. What does it mean? Is He alright with ME? Or is HE alright with me? Well, we know He is Just; He is All; He is Right; and He is With Me. What else can we glean from this song and Scripture for us today? Read on….
It is a great honor to be here this morning and I bring greetings from Graves Memorial Presbyterian. What an awesome idea is this Juke Box Summer and a wonderfully covert way to do music that we would probably never do in church otherwise. When Marquita, Cameron, and Pastor Matt asked if I’d be willing to do “Jesus is Just Alright with Me” I admit I really did not know the song and the title itself made me raise my brow a bit. But apparently, they needed a guy with long hair to do it, and Matt dangled an even bigger carrot in front of me by asking me to preach. (Then he asked me to preach a 30-minute sermon so people would stop grumbling over a 20-minute one…. Just kidding; he didn’t say that.)
The Song
“Jesus is just alright with me.” What does this mean? Over the last couple of months, I have asked numerous people that question and the majority consensus is that it means “Jesus is just alright,” with the grammatical emphasis being on the word “just.” Jesus is just okay; In today’s hip language: Jesus is … meh. That was my first thought too. A few people thought it meant “Jesus is just alright with me,” as in, in Jesus’ eyes, I’m alright, or at least just alright. In other words, Jesus likes me as I am. So, for you English teachers out there, it really depends on the subject and the object here of being alright. Is it Jesus or me?
Most of those who know this song know it because of the Doobie Brothers, whose version we just sang. But it wasn’t original to the Doobies. The song was written by a man named Art Reynolds in 1966 who was a Gospel songwriter and music director of a couple of churches. Shortly after recording the song, the rock band – the Byrds – heard it and liked it enough to record it on an album in 1969. Even though it did not make the British charts, they performed it at every concert they did. The Doobie Brothers heard it and liked it so much they recorded it in 1972 and it ended up charting in America, as many Jesus-y songs did in that era as we were in the midst of the Jesus Movement. And like the Byrds, the Doobie’s performed it at just about every concert as it was one of their most requested songs. In an interview after recording it, the Doobie Brothers were asked if they were Christians. The answer was, “No, we just liked the song.” The song has also been recorded by Exile, Underground Sunshine, the Ventures, D.C. Talk, Stryper (performed in spandex), even Eric Clapton. If you want to hear the original version, go to ArtReynoldsMusic.com.[i]
So, what does it mean, “Jesus is just alright with me”? Well, the phrase “just alright” was ‘60’s slang for “cool,” or “awesome.” As in, “Man, that girl is just alright.” Mr. Reynolds was saying then, that being a follower of Jesus was a ‘cool’ thing to be. Jesus, then, is the object of the phrase to answer the grammatical riddle. I think at the outset this should tell us how important language is and how it changes over time. While I may concede that the song was probably a good thing in its day, and probably brings back memories – good and bad – as music so powerfully does, judging by how completely misunderstood the lyrics are today it might not project the best Christian witness. Nevertheless, we like the song.
Jesus. Brothers and Sisters, not everyone knows who Jesus is anymore. There was a time when I’m pretty sure everyone at least knew who He was, whether they were Christians or not. But times have changed. Some of you may remember when Jesus was actually mentioned in schools and the Bible was considered a valuable learning tool in the education process; Judeo-Christian morality was understood to be the foundation of our country’s moral and legal code. And it is interesting to note that this started changing during the 60’s right in the middle of the Jesus Movement!
Who is Jesus then? And why should He be “just alright” with me? Turn if you would to John 1 beginning in vs. 1. Listen then, to God’s Word. [1:1-5]
John 1:1-14
1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2. He was in the beginning with God. 3. All things came into being by Him; and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5. And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Colossians 1:15-18
15. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. 16. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18. He is also the Head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first- born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything,
“The grass withers, and the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord stands forever.” Amen (Is 40:8).
Words
I love words. And language. I also love doctrine, the beliefs and teachings of the Church. Though I am thoroughly Reformed in my own doctrine, in my library I have two special collections to which I am adding every chance I get. One is systematic theologies of any denomination I can find. The study of what and why different Christians believe certain doctrines – called irenics – has always been of interest to me – probably because Lara and I have worked in so many different denominations. And the other collection is that of dictionaries and phrase books. Words are so important. A misunderstood word, a misunderstood doctrine, can have dire consequences.
Sometimes these consequences aren’t seen for many generations, but they do happen. The liberalism we see today is a direct result of bad theology at the turn of the 20th century. Liberalism, in theological terms, is the art of using Christian words and themes and re-interpreting them to fit a pseudo-Christian religion that has the form of Christianity but does not have the power of God. Language changes to accommodate ideas, and sometimes we use old words for new ideas which makes everything confusing. Sometimes, the change is good, sometimes it’s bad. Sometimes a good word is used to mask a bad idea – like the word “progress.” Progress is good; progressivism is not so good. We live in a time of “political correctness.” There’s another name for political correctness: it’s called a lie. It is the naked Emperor and the masses who say they adore his beautiful robes knowing full well he’s buck naked. Christians are indeed called to be tactful, but not liars. People seem more concerned with being offensive than with being offended. Yet the Gospel is inherently offensive – it is the scandalon, the rock of offense – as Peter calls it (I Peter 2:8). If no one is offended, then no one is confronted and no one sees himself as the sinner that he is.
We live in a changing world – an evolving world, you might say. But not everything that evolves is progressing; often-times it is actually de-volving or re-gressing. The language and ideas of mankind, like Isaiah said, “wither like grass, and fade like flowers. But the Word of the Lord stands forever.” God is the Author of reality. The Word of the Lord is the narrative of reality.
In the midst of our ever-changing world, even our ever-changing society, it is the struggle of the Christian to be consistent; to stand in reality. The Christian life is a struggle. That’s why the Apostle Paul says, “We – the Church – are all Israel.” Israel means “struggles with God.” We struggle to remain faithful to Christ and consistent in our faith.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” A lot hinges on these three verses. Do you believe this? Do you believe this? We say it every Sunday in the Creed, but do you believe it?
Before reading the Scripture, I said, “Listen, then, to God’s Word.” There is a movement in pulpits today where preachers are saying, “Listen for God’s Word.” This phrase is worlds different than “listen TO God’s Word.” It was born out of the modernist liberal theologies of the mid-1900’s that began to question the validity of the inspiration of the Bible. It’s a small change, but it denies the divine power of the Word of God; it is an attempt to contradict reality by imposing doubt where certainty should be. Most people don’t even notice it.
We’ve gotten used to hearing all people being called the ‘children of God.” Nowhere does Scripture call all people the children of God; but John’s Gospel, just past where we have read, in verse 12, says, “To those who have received Jesus, to them He gave the right to be called children of God, all those who believe in His name.”[ii] Only those who follow Christ are children of God, because only those whose faith is in Jesus are spiritually adopted by God. Most people don’t notice it. It’s not politically correct to be exclusive, and yet Christianity is an exclusive faith. To be sure, it is inclusive in that it is open to any and all who believe, but it is exclusive in that only those who truly believe are considered the True Church. I think that calling all people “children of God” does them a tremendous disservice; it is a lie that gives a false assurance; but being considered a child of God is a wonderful affirmation to those who do believe.
With liberalism has come a resurgence of the old heresy of universalism: that all people will be saved in the end. That would be nice; but it isn’t reality.
Many people, even many in the Church, ascribe to moralism. As long as you don’t sin badly, you will be saved. I mean, God forgives, right? Act right, live right, don’t hurt anybody else and God will have mercy. No, moralism will not save anyone. In fact, moralism will send a lot of decent people into eternal perdition. Thinking they are saved they will never come to a saving knowledge and belief in Jesus Christ.
Scholars believe that John was writing this Gospel to oppose the heretics of his day, in particular a man named Cerinthus, who was a gnostic that denied the reality that Jesus was divine – He was just a man, a good man, a good teacher, but He was not God. He did good things and pointed people to God. But Cerinthus was dead wrong. So, John makes it plain that Jesus was indeed God. In fact, Jesus was the Word of God incarnate. The Word, the Logos, the heart and mind; the Divine Speech of God. And through this Speech the universe was created. It was not born out of a Big Bang that happened billions of years ago. Incidentally, most scientists don’t even believe this because they know it is scientifically impossible, but the alternative is even more repugnant: the existence of God. Darkness cannot comprehend the Light of Truth, and will not accept it. Answers in Genesis has a website devoted to showing how Creationism is the only tenable way of explaining the universe. Yet many Christians tend to combine the truth of Christianity with tenets from the pagan religion of naturalism. But they are mutually exclusive.
“The Word was with God,” meaning from eternity, and “the Word was God.” Even though Cerinthus was intellectually defeated, his teaching never was. The belief that Jesus was not God is still alive and well. Both Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, and many other groups, believe that Jesus became a god. Born a man, He lived so well that He became a god. And so, if you look in the New World version of the Bible – which the Witnesses use – you will find right there in John 1:1 “…and the Word was a god.” One of many; and Mormons teach that you, too, can become a god, if you live right and obey the teachings of their church. Just one little word, a letter even, and everything is changed. Since the beginning, just about every heresy that the Christian Church has faced centered on who Jesus was and is.
“Christ is the [visible] image of the invisible God.” This is the reality. He is not another god; He is not like God; He did not become God; He is God from eternity past. In Exodus 33:14 we read about Moses, in a moment of fear over leading the Israelites was explaining his fear to the Lord. And God said, “My presence shall go with you…” The Hebrew root used for “presence” is where we get the word “Shekinah”; “to look or behold.” He is God’s presence.[iii] When the Old Testament speaks of the Angel of the Lord, it is the Lord Himself; His presence; it is Christ, who is present. Jacob wrestled an angel, who was Christ. Jesus is this same presence, Shekinah, who took on flesh.
♫I don’t care what they may know, I don’t care where they may go. (In truth, I do care.) We live in a cauldron of ideas, especially in America. Most other countries have a more uniform set of beliefs, whether they are Christian or not. But our founders, even though they unquestionably built the Constitution and framed our nation on Biblically-based ideals, did not want to have a government-enforced establishment of a particular religion. Now, we would do well to remember that in the 1700’s, “religion” meant “denomination.” There was only one religion in mind: the Christian religion. Here again is a change of meaning that had great consequences down the line. Our government, unlike England, or France, or Germany, was not to be exclusively Anglican, or Roman Catholic, or Lutheran, or Presbyterian. It would allow all Americans to worship as they saw fit. How ironic it is, then, that our government has in fact established the religion of Darwinism, or Naturalism, as its default. The nation built on the freedoms that God Himself gave us – those inalienable rights – has, for the most part, in deed, if not in word, turned its back on God and endorsed a religion that actually denies His existence.
Now, I am a Creationist. ♫And I don’t care what they may say, I don’t care what they may do. I believe that God, through His Word, did in fact create all that is, seen and unseen. (And I believe He did it in six days.) I’ve read from both sides of the debate and agree with true science: evolution, as they attempt to portray it, is impossible. And just as most true scientists agree, life could not have sprung from non-life. No proof has ever been found of evolution, only theories and attempts to persuade the masses that it has been proven. All truly scientific enquiries and experiments point to the same thing: we don’t know. And from a science perspective, we don’t know. There is no answer because the answer is simply this: God spoke, and the world was made. This is the reality. The insinuation that religion is opposed to science is completely false. And just because some people, Christians even, thought the earth was flat doesn’t mean it was a Biblical teaching. The truth is, anything that science discovers that is true, will uphold God’s Word because God’s Word is true.
And the Bible is still God’s inerrant Word to us. Hell is still real; what was sin 2-5-10,000 years ago is still sin today (Mt. 5:17); the way to salvation is still a narrow road (Mt. 7:13-14); God still saves people by His grace through faith in His Son, just as He has always done. If any of this has changed it is because man has changed it, and I’d like to know by what authority he or she has made that change. No, God’s Word has not changed nor has its intent, its meaning, or its interpretation. It is still the reality of the universe. Now, we may see a meaning more clearly than those in the past saw it. I mean, who in the last several millennia noticed “God made them male and female”? That was pretty obvious to the people of the last 10,000 years, but today we apparently need to hear it again for what it means: God made humans in only two varieties: male and female. How liberating it is to know what is true and not have to guess at it.
From a sociological perspective, societies will always find themselves in trouble when they deviate from God’s Word. This whole new emphasis on social justice is simply the fruition of the Communist idea – which is patently anti-Christian – worming its way through the American ideal. “The fool says there is no God” (Psalm 14:1). It is a political attempt to thwart reality. I believe the whole political correctness thing will inevitably turn on itself but not without collateral damage. But as Christians we are to speak truth: we are to be righteous. Being politically correct is not righteousness. Simply being kind to your neighbor is not, in itself, righteousness, and yet I fear a lot of Christians today believe it is. Western Christianity is being diluted to the point where being a Christian is summed up as: be nice, don’t judge, and don’t rock the boat. But that is not Christianity, and it isn’t righteousness. Theologian and author Voddie Baucham defines righteousness as “doing the right thing, done the right way, for the right reason (which is the glory of God.) All three criteria must be met.” In other words, A non-Christian cannot do anything righteous, because his motives are never for God’s glory. A Christian is not righteous if he’s not doing things the right way. Righteousness may necessitate anger at times, but it is a righteous anger. Righteousness may call for judgement, though not condemnation. Righteousness may mean standing up against people and ideas that disrespect God and attempt to thwart reality. Oh, but that’s not being nice or tolerant, they say. Well, do it gently, by all means – but do it, but why on earth would a follower of Jesus tolerate anything evil?
I hope this doesn’t just come across as a harsh message. Even more, I hope it does come across as a true message. God is love, and life in Christ is full of joy and assurance. There is nothing more liberating than to know that it is by God’s grace we are saved and not by anything we can do ourselves. If that were true, then no one would ever know if they’d done enough. We can love because He first loved us (I Jn. 4:19); without Christ we can only show a form, a shadow, of love. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus – nothing (Rom. 8:35). As Paul said, “whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom. 14:8). He will not lose anyone the Father has given to Him (John 6:39). And when our work on this earth is finished, it is He – the very Word that created the universe and all that is in it; the Word that created each of us and then saved us from ourselves; He will take our hand and lead us to the Promised Land where death is no more. If Jesus is your friend, there is nothing to fear because He is the truest friend you can have and will do exactly what He said He will do, without fail. In Christ alone will this be done because the Word, Jesus, is perfectly and truly just; He is all that we need; He is right; and He is with us. As Cameron pointed out to me – Jesus is just, Jesus is all, Jesus is right, and Jesus is with me. [iv] Or to put is as succinctly as the Doobie Brothers: ♫Jesus is just-all-right-with me. That is the comfort of His Word, a Word that can never change in its meaning or its intent or its power.
On this 4th of July weekend, I say, if good Americans are not willing to stand up for truth, even inconvenient truths, bad things will happen. In the spirit of independence from tyranny, the Framers of the Constitution created a document that rocked the world. And because of America’s spirit of benevolence, it has virtually upheld many nations for a very long time, keeping dictators, tyrants, and much evil at bay. Americans have believed in an ideal, a good ideal, that helps not only itself, but others. I believe if we lose America to this growing false reality the world will quickly succumb to an evil the likes of which we have never seen.
If followers of Christ, the children of God, don’t listen to and stand up for His Word, worse things will happen. In the spirit of total dependence upon Him, our Lord calls every believer to listen to His Holy Word and obey it keeping evil at bay in our families, in our churches, and in our communities.
The Christian life should be consistent. Thinking back to the children’s moment, you cannot build on a weak foundation (Psalm 127:1).[v] You cannot build anything strong or lasting with pieces that aren’t consistent with good building. A puzzle can’t be completed using pieces from a completely different puzzle.[vi] Yet many Christians and churches have allowed the influence of culture and false religions, even misinterpretations or the adding of words that aren’t true, to be pieces in their worldview.[vii] In order to be effective Christians in the world today, we need to actively replace those pieces with building blocks that are True, that are Right, that are Noble, that are Pure (Phil. 4:8). A building – whether that be your life, your family, your church, your community – that is not built on the Lord and His enduring Truth as revealed in His Word is built in vain. There are a lot of people going to church, but not many who are going to Christ.[viii]
This is the Good News: Christ, the very Word of God that created the heavens and the earth, that created you and me, has come into the world, has suffered for His people, has destroyed eternal death, and is calling them to repentance and new life in Him. Jesus is more than just your homeboy or your BFF; He is your Lord, your Sovereign, and your Savior. I hope that Jesus is a whole lot more than just alright with you; but in the end what’s going to matter is whether Jesus is alright with you.
It has been a joy to be a friend of First Methodist over the years and we have proudly watched you grow not only in size but in a steadfast commitment to following the Lord and not the vain and apostate philosophies of men. And I believe it is because of your commitment to God’s Truth that He has blessed you and it is our constant prayer that all churches that call themselves Christian would have the courage to unwaveringly stand for the Truth of His Word, whether He brings numerical blessing or not.
Let us pray:
Our Heavenly Father, Thy word is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path. By Your Word the worlds were made and by that same Word You speak to us and enlighten our hearts. By Your Spirit, fill each and every one of us who call upon Your name, with the blessed peace that can come only from You. Keep us grounded in reality and embolden us to speak Truth in the midst of a world that cannot yet comprehend Your Truth, come what may. Unto You be all honor, and glory, and power, in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
[i] Artreynoldsmusic.com
[ii] See also I John 3:1-2.
[iii] Jonathan Edwards states, “God’s own idea, or that perfect image of Himself which He has in view.” Jonathan Edwards, The Trinity (Pensacola: Chapel Library, 1998), 5. Reprinted from Valiant For Truth by David Otis Fuller.
[iv] Courtesy of Cameron Someliana-Lauer.
[v] Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord
guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.”
[vi] Greg Koukl, The Story of Reality.
[vii] Gregory Koukl, The Story of Reality (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Reflective, 2017).
[viii] J. Vernon McGee.
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