The Method & The Message

In my lifetime, it seems the church has almost always been at war with the culture over something. In the 70's it was sexual promiscuity. Then came the 80's: divorce. In the 90's it migrated to abortion. And as we entered a new millennium, the target moved to homosexuality. Don't misunderstand me; these are all things we should be opposed to because God is opposed to them. Where the problem lies is in the "war". Paul makes it clear that we are at "war" with "the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places". PEOPLE are NOT the enemy. SIN is the enemy! And while we are called to preach (and live) repentance of sin, if our message is preached through (what sounds and looks like) venom, it won't be heard. I have a friend who will argue that it's not our method that matters, but that the Word is preached so that the Spirit of God has the opportunity to be heard and do it's work. But if that's the case - that the method doesn't matter - and Paul has stated that "the greatest of these is love" - then why not preach, speak, write, and communicate in love? Why not err on the side of love rather than loathing?

I watch ideologies and bad theology being shot down on Facebook and Twitter all the time. I not only watch it, I take part in it. I'm called to "...reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching". But the problem I'm seeing is that the method - the HOW - with which the message is being communicated is often not attacking the ideology or the bad theology; it's attacking the person holding the misguided idea or believing the twisted scripture. If we step back for a moment, I think many of us would realize it's as if we've drifted into this thinking that every person who's misguided woke up that day and wanted to be. And sometimes it's not even misguided; it's just that they hold a different opinion than we do. We take it personally. We don't write blogposts or Facebook posts attacking Liberalism - we attack Liberals. We speak as if every person who's taken scripture out of context did it because they wanted to be deceived or to deceive others. Could it be possible that they've just misunderstood?

When's the last time you put yourself in the position of the person with whom you disagree? I mean, isn't the point of your argument, your preaching, your blogpost that you want to show them the truth? Because if it is, it might work wonders to start attempting to communicate in love, blowing holes in the misguided idea, rather than communicating in (what appears to be) anger, blowing holes in the person.

Do you think someone struggling with homosexuality is going to repent because of your blogpost, rant, or sermon? In reality, God may choose to use those things as a tool. But at the end of the day, they're only a tool. It will ONLY be because the Holy Spirit and the Word of God have come in power (as Hebrews 4:12 tells us they can) and pierces the heart, revealing the sin. And if by chance God chooses to use you (or your message) as a tool, keep in mind: "God's kindness is meant to lead to repentance". And yes - for those who want to jump on the next verses from Romans 2, Paul is addressing the demand for repentance of sin. But as he does, he reminds us that God's approach in leading us to repentance is the fact that His kindness, mercy, grace, and love are overwhelming! So the question is: Why aren't ours?

Are we just looking for an excuse to be pissed off or vitriolic?
Do we just need someone to debate, argue with, and attack?
If so, the harsh reality is that there is sin in our own life that (at this point) we're still too prideful to confront, admit, confess, and leave behind.

Or maybe for some of us, we just don't even realize how we sound. Maybe you've been yelling so long it sounds like whispering to you now. One thought: Stop yelling for a few minutes. Is God speaking to your heart about this? Really? Or are you so busy yelling, posting, debating, and hating that you've stopped listening? Are you even listening now?

Do you see this? Is the METHOD totally clouding the MESSAGE?
Because the most important message we have to communicate - that the God of the Universe has saved us from sin and offers us new life ONLY in Jesus Christ - needs to be heard.

Dig Deeper:
James 1:19
Romans 10:14-17

Switch to INPUT

It's Monday. How's it going for you so far?
What is it with Mondays? It's just a day, right?
Normally - as a pastor who preaches twice on Sunday - I drag a bit on Monday. Sort of like I'm imitating a turtle. An excited turtle, anyway. 
But today.....forget about it! It's like Monday on Loritab!

OUTPUT = ZERO!

You're going to have these days when it seems like your brain, your sense, your decision-making are all in the tank. You keep trying to write, craft, plan, create - trying to muster an ounce of productivity OUT of yourself - and it's like you're that rolled up tube of toothpaste that's been squeezed for the last and final time. NOTHING! So here's my theory:

When OUTPUT = ZERO, stop trying to produce. Switch to INPUT!

Read. Listen. Watch. Meditate on scripture. Maybe the Lord is trying to tell you something. Heck, maybe it's just your own brain saying, "I need a break! I need a refill!" Stop trying to FORCE something OUT and ALLOW something IN! When the tank is on EMPTY, you've pretty much got one sensible and realistic choice. INPUT. It just might send your productivity to a new place. Your Nowhere Monday just might lead to a Somewhere Tuesday. Been there?

A Different Kind of King

If we were called to live like kings so that we could shout orders, dictate, and rule the land, we'd all be fighting over who got to wear the crown. We would fully, wholly, and quickly embrace our new majestic mantle. But as Christians, as "a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, His very own possession", we are called to something entirely different. 

Peter spelled this out for us in plain terms:
"And now God is building you, as living stones, into His spiritual temple. What's more, you are God's holy priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please Him because of Jesus Christ.... You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, His very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:5, 9)

YES, we are children of the King! But we follow a king who chose not to have people fall at His feet, but to get on His knees and wash theirs. He has claimed us, bought us with the price of His own body, and called us "so that" we can show others the goodness, mercy, kindness, and love of the God of the Universe. That's the mission. And any Christian that says, "I just don't know what my purpose is in life" - you need not look any further! SHOW OTHERS JESUS!

Think about it. 
What are some simple ways that you can carry out this calling today? 
How can you show the world a different kind of king?

"If you love me..."

"If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, your will find true life." Matthew 10:37-39

This morning in My Utmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers writes, "People do not want to be devoted to Jesus, but only to the cause He started. Jesus Christ is a source of deep offense to the educated mind of today that does not want Him in any other way than as a comrade." This is hard. And when I say "hard", I mean that living this way - being wholly devoted first to Jesus Himself - means my own death. Physical death would probably be easier; there's no choice involved. This death means being willfully emptied of my pride, my ambition, my need for vengeance and restitution, my gravitation toward the harsh reaction, and even my devotion to anything or anyone of this world. The willful death of self. This is why Jesus said, "No one comes to me unless the Father first draws him." The only road we can place our feet on that leads to Jesus is narrow and hard; and no one ever even moves forward down this path without the Holy Spirit consuming him - his thoughts, his heart, his decisions - his whole life. We cannot and will not inherently ever WANT this. Only the Spirit of God can bring us to this place.

This morning I'm newly reminded of that question: Am I following Jesus...or am I just following my tainted version of His cause? Am I pursuing the offensive, selfless, demanding Savior...or the 21st Century, Western Civilization, contextualized brand of religiosity that's provided me with a safe road to walk? One way to know is to ask myself: Can I navigate this on my own? If so, it's definitely not the way of the Christ-follower. Am I following Jesus's cause...or am I following Jesus Christ? 

If you want to serve people, it will only happen by being emptied of yourself.
If you want to love people - truly love them - it will only happen as you hand your own life over to death so that the life of Jesus Christ is birthed within you.

"We count as service what we do in the way of Christian work; Jesus Christ calls service what we are to Him, not what we do for Him. Discipleship is based on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on adherence to a belief or creed." -Oswald Chambers

What are we truly devoted to? 
Maybe the right question is "WHO are we truly devoted to?"

OVERDO IT!

In most cases, especially in relationship to leading, I think it's a safe bet to make your default to OVERDO IT! Think through this with me.

Over-appreciate.
Over-communicate
Give more than expected.
Overestimate peoples potential.
Overcompensate those you pay.
Work harder than anyone expects.
In almost all cases, the right thing to do is OVERDO IT. 
But WHY?

Simple. Because there are pretty much 2 alternatives:

1. You'll aim for "just right" or "just enough", and most of the time you won't hit it. About 90% of the time I think I've over-communicated, most people are just starting to either listen, absorb, or comprehend. Essentially, what we think is over-communication is probably just beginning to look like actual communication. When we think we've over-appreciated, that's rarely the case. Because most people aren't going to let us know they even want or need our appreciation. "Just enough" is hardly ever going to actually be enough.

2. And of course the other alternative is unthinkable - at least "You wouldn't dare say that out loud" unthinkable. Maybe that's unspeakable. Maybe it's both! Unthinkable, unspeakable, unacceptable - call it what you will. To under-communicate, under-appreciate, under-compensate, or underestimate those we are leading is just plain criminal. Isn't it? Didn't Jesus take teenage fishermen, thieves, and social drinkers and say, "Come, follow me"? Yes. I believe He did. And they went on to change the world through the power of the Holy Spirit! (Isn't that same calling, power, and presence still available to us today? Yes. I believe it is.)

When you think it's at the top, take it up a notch.
If you think you're love is cranked to 10, turn it up to 11!

What are some ways that we could begin (or continue) to OVERDO IT?

Fire From Heaven

Yesterday morning I was reading Luke 9:57-62, where several people tell Jesus, "I will follow you, but..." Jesus famously responds to onslaught of halfhearted declarations by telling us, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God." OUCH. As I spent a few minutes thinking and praying on Oswald Chambers thoughts on these verses (My Utmost for His Highest) I decided to grab some context. I went back up and read the verses right before these. I found an interesting and powerful story. Check it out:

"As the time drew near for His return to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for His arrival. But they were turned away. The people of the village refused to have anything to do with Jesus because He had resolved to go to Jerusalem. When James and John heard about it, they said to Jesus, 'Lord, should we order down fire from heaven to burn them up?' But Jesus turned and rebuked them. So they went on to another village."

While I think there are easily 5 things to learn (and 3-4 separate sermons) sitting in this one story, there is one thing that captures my attention here. It's not the rejection of the Samaritans - that would have been expected. It's also not Jesus' rebuke of James and John for wanting to exact divine justice on His behalf. What really hit me between the eyes is the audacious faith of these 2 young brothers. Somewhat like Peter, J & J have often gotten a bad rap. In fact, just before this story is the account of their request to get the "best seats" next to Jesus in the Kingdom. But again - audacious! 

James and John - without so much as a second thought of the power at their disposal because of their closeness to Jesus - asked, "Do you want us to call down fire from heaven, Lord?" Are you grasping this? "Hey, Jesus! If you want us to, me and James can wipe that place out like Sodom! What do you think?"

Of course we know what Jesus thought - he thought, "Fellas. We're not going to burn up or wipe out everyone who refuses us in for dinner!" He rebuked them. He had already taught, "You've heard it said, 'Don't commit murder'. I tell you, don't even allow anger to brew in your heart toward another." He HAD to rebuke them. At the same time, I want that kind of faith! I want to know that the same heartbeat lives within me. I want to know that I can move mountains, ask the sun to stand still, or - if it all came down to that - that I can call fire down from heaven! I want to believe!

What about you?

Priority Hiatus

It's May 17th. To my knowledge (without an in-depth check) this is the longest break I've taken from writing on my blog in a couple of years: 17 days. I thought I'd toss out a brief explanation and let you know the reason(s) for the hiatus. So here's the dealio:

• Over the last 3 months our church has been without a youth pastor. I've had the incredible privilege of being able to serve & lead with our students and our youth workers. 
• I've also been leading our Youth Pastor Search Team through the process of bringing a new youth pastor on board. And PRAISE THE LORD!! we believe we've found our man! (Another blog post coming soon...)
• There are times when we - or at least "I" (I won't speak for anyone else) - need to be quiet, listen, process, and let things settle for awhile. These last days have definitely fallen into that category.
• Our church is currently refinancing our mortgage and switching banks. As you probably know, this has been a little bit of paperwork.
• I'm coaching my son's baseball team. I LOVE it! I'm grateful I was already on blood pressure medication, though. A bit stressful.
• We've just finished our 12-week long session of classes we had to take to be cleared for adoption. We are ALMOST there! It's incredibly surreal - that the Lord knows this child that He has planned to place in our family. All we can do right now is continue to pray and wait. The search will SOON begin! (Obviously more to come on this subject....)

I could go on. And on. But you get the idea. The reality is, sometimes we have to make priorities and they trump what was priority. Things change. We have to be ready to change as well. And we have to learn to be OK with it. I'm OK with it. And if there's an inkling of a chance that all we're doing (as Switchfoot puts it) is adding to the noise, maybe - for just a bit - we should turn off the song.

Is there anything you've had to sacrifice for priority's sake?

Is there something you should be setting aside now for the sake of something greater? Ask the Lord. He'll show you.