Religious Hot Potato - Pass the Commitment (Church is Boring; Part 3)

Ever played Hot Potato? You pass the potato (or other object) around in a circle very quickly trying not to hang on to it too long and you surely don't want to be caught with it. Sometimes, church commitments and serving in church are treated much like the potato in this game. For some reason, we don't like to serve, we like to pass it along to someone else like it's a hot potato and we are afraid we'll be caught with it.

In part 2, we saw that the reason church is boring is because we don't do anything regardless of the fact that Jesus gave the church the command to "go." In part 1, we saw that what most churches do to attract newcomers is shallow and not long lasting, or, their culturally archaic tradition and structure is just not appealing to people. In part 3, I want to talk about what "going" looks like. Going looks a lot like doing. 

It's not that churches don't do anything, they do a LOT. The issue is that the doing is not spread among the whole church body - but only a few tired volunteers. The second layer to this issue is that the doing is usually and primarily focused on the church, not the community. This is where going and doing meet. It's not just the what, but the where. Take a moment and read through some of these verses. Just scroll your mouse over them and read them a few times through. 

Matthew 5:14-16

Philippians 2:1-4

Acts 20:35

Galatians 5:13-14

1 Peter 4:10-11

We see in James 1:22-25 that we deceive ourselves by simply listening to the word and not doing what it says. It says we are like a man who, after seeing himself in the mirror, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. A "Christian" who sits in church and hears the word deceives himself when he leaves and does not do. He only looks like a christian while sitting in church, but when he leaves he "at once forgets what he was like." 

I have two final points that I'll make brief, and hopefully they'll sum up this series. First, going and doing do NOT make the Christian. We are saved by grace through faith, a free gift of God, so that we cannot boast. In fact, if we boast, we are to boast in 1. the Lord (2 Corinthians 10:17) and 2. our weakness (2 Corinthians 11:30). Going and doing do NOT make the Christian, however, the true Christian will habitually and practically be both a goer and a doer. If the joy of our salvation does not prompt within us a desire to go and do for the sake of Christ, we must ask ourselves why. God says, "I will accomplish my purpose" (Isaiah 46:10). And he "works in man both to will and to do good works" (Philippians 2:13). He will surely use us for his purpose, and our salvation - our complete submission to our savior - will find satisfaction in doing the work of the father, as Christ did the work of the father. This is the product of our love for Jesus (John 14:15). 

Second (and last), going is not done in a church building. Serving in the nursery, greeting, children's ministry, worship team, choir, etc, etc, etc, are all great things that serve the body. They are needed. They are good. But they don't scratch the surface of the Christian duty. We are not called to primarily serve the body - but the least. We are called to live the gospel in our community, letting our "light shine among men" so that they can see our "good works." Serving our neighbors and community, building relationships with those around us, administering the truth of the gospel at every opportunity (Ephesians 5:16), sacrificing our time and money for the good of those around us rather than protecting our comfort - these are ways we go and do. Give. In every way possible, give. Give time during the week. Give energy to help those around you. Give money and resources to the ministry of the local church, to missions, to regional ministries. Give resources for the advancement of the gospel. "Love your neighbor as your self" (Mark 12:31) - do you want to be hungry, thirsty, homeless, desperate, hopeless, broken, abandoned, rejected, outcasted, lost? Going and doing is loving others as you love your self - even considering them above yourself. Why is church boring? That's easy. What we call the church is boring because it isn't being the church. "My sheep hear my voice...and they will follow me" (John 10:27). 

Check out this promo video from Katie Davis, founder of Amazima Ministries, about her book. She is a missionary in Africa, serving the least and foster mom to 14 girls. She is only in her early 20s. But as you watch and listen to her story - consider the fact that what she does in Africa can be done in your community too - to serve the least. We can go and do at home or across the seas. Seek first his kingdom, love the Lord with all your heart, and love your neighbor as your self. Grace and peace to you as you live to HIS glory! 

Why did the Christian cross the road? (Church is Boring; Part 2)

Jesus gave his apostles this command: Go (Matt. 8:18-20). The apostles were responsible for establishing the church throughout the nations. The apostles, then, under the charge of Christ and through their example (being a first fruit of the church), issued the same command to us. Paul told us that the church was to be a sending agency of the gospel of Christ by sending proclaimers (Rom. 10:15). Concerning social ministry (service to our neighbor), Jesus told us to shine a light so that people could see our good deeds (Matt. 5:16). You see the mission and purpose of the Church is to: 1. Go and 2. Do. The question that needs answering is: 1. Where? and 2. What? Let's address the "where" in this post.

Now before anyone says, "Well, we can't all be missionaries," let me say this, "Yes, you can." The question you have to answer is the "where." Jesus and his appointed spokesmen didn't say, "some of you go and most of you stay, but the ones who stay just have fun and live peaceably..." The over arching theme of the Church's role and purpose in the New Testament was to establish the kingdom of God in the hearts of men. How can you establish a kingdom without conquest?

Do we have to travel to Africa and die of malaria to do this? For most of us, no. But what we have to understand is that when people say we are just supposed to "live at peace," most of them don't consider that the second part of that sentence in Hebrews 12:14 says that "without holiness no one will see the Lord." Is this a "works righteousness" spill? No, it's far from it. Jesus said that IF we love him, we would obey his commands (John 14:15). His command was to love one another. Now some may say, what does love have to do with holiness? Well, everything.

Christ is our hope of salvation. To place our faith in Jesus is to place a tangible hope in what he did (Heb. 11:1). Our hope in Jesus produces within us purity (1 John 3:3). We do not work to achieve any type of righteousness of our own because it would be only filthy rags (Is. 64:6). But we do, however, in a response to the grace we have been given (Rom. 1:14), labor with joy for Christ's name to be known and exalted.

James tells us that serving the outcasts keeps us from being stained by the world (James 1:27). [The last "and" in that verse wasn't there in the original language, see here for my blog "small word, BIG IMPACT."] Isn't this the example Jesus gave to us during his life on earth? He became poor (2 Cor. 8:9) and took on the form of a servant (Phil. 2:7) so that we might know him and place our hope in him. We have two anchors of responsibility as Christians: 1. To place our hope in Christ, and 2. To share this hope with others. Sharing hope doesn't have to take place overseas, but can happen next-door or across the street, or downtown. We answer this call as Christians, not because it is the law, but because it is the response of love to the grace we have received from God.

One reason church may be boring is we don't go anywhere...

To be continued... "Religious Hot Potato - Pass the Commitment" (Church is Boring; Part 3)

Church is Boring - Part 1

Church is Boring

If you haven't thought this before, you are lying. This thought, as difficult to admit as it is, has become a driving force for the church in America and it is killing our influence. Let's face it, most churches are boring. They are stuffy. They are even cocky about it. On the other hand, there are many churches that are booming because of their "non-boring" services. They watch movies, have big events, plan controversial sermons.. They have coffee shops, book stores, and gyms... They provide a mecca of "clean entertainment" and "safe fun". Statistically, the number of people coming into our churches is roughly equal to the number of those exiting churches. Why is this? It is because our traditions and institutions are boring and combating this with exciting new ways to attract people is un-biblical. I used to be of the persuasion, "whatever it takes to get them in the door so they can hear the gospel". But, I've since changed my tune. Taking a step back, observing, listening, watching has altered my understanding. And, I am so thankful that God brought down this road of understanding before I ended up repeating the cycle.

Now, don't misunderstand. I didn't say that those "exciting new ways to attract people" are sin. I said they were unbiblical. And, the reason I say this is because of the motive in which they are done. No one has searched high and low throughout scripture to come up with a biblical theology of societal church "offerings". We don't offer them because the Word has commanded it, we offer it because we want to boost our numbers. Even if my motive is so that "more people will come in and be exposed to the gospel" I am still admitting that it is done for numbers. The sin, the unbiblical aspect, of this attempt to combat the "boring" in our churches is because our motive is not scripturally based. Can a church offer these things and still be a biblically sound, effective church? Yes, absolutely. However, I think there are bigger fish to fry.

I heard someone say once, "if Jesus isn't the reason they came, He won't be the reason they stay." We have this idea (which has sadly become our mentality) that people can only be saved in a church building during a church service after some type of presentation. Where is that in scripture? Salvation is by grace through faith alone. It is not by grace through faith in service at church with a prayer card and a friend. Jesus, before ascending into the heavens, gave this mandate: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." How is bringing people to a building the same as "going to all the nations"? The scary (and possibly offensive) truth is that it isn't. How many people do you know were convicted of their sin, received grace and faith, and only then committed to a body of believers? Most of us were either brought up in church, or "saved" in church. I use the word "saved" loosely because we don't really have a litmus test any more for this in America. Paul encouraged the churches to dis-invite unrepentant people from participation in church. When have we ever kicked someone out in the recent years in America because their lives weren't exemplary of a true son of God? We don't do this anymore because we think numbers equate success, which completely opposes the idea in scripture that success is measured simply (and only) by our obedience. Yet, we have not been obedient to this last and great command: Go.

To be continued... "Why did the Christian cross the road?" (Church is Boring, Part 2)

And... "Religious Hot Potato - Pass the Commitment (Church is Boring, Part 3)

**Disclaimer: I don't watch the Simpsons, but found the photo fitting for this blog post.**

Grace and Law - The Divine Tag Team

So in church today, my pastor was teaching the second part of a series on "Church." I've noticed that this theme has been a hot topic lately. What makes a "church?" What does it look like? How is it defined? I think these questions have consumed us so, that we are forgetting the bigger question. Is it important to understand what church means and what it looks like? Yes, definitely. However, I've noticed another topic that is no longer wrapped in as much thought or concern. That topic is the Gospel.

What is the Gospel? What is the 'Good News?'

In 2-3 sentences, just about every "Christian" in America would agree on the definition. But, any more than that and you will soon see conflict and disagreement. The issue is that we don't think about the Gospel enough. We don't consider how to apply this good news or consider our responsibility to the Gospel. So, in a world of political correctness, we place this topic on the back burner and spend (waste) our time on self-help and christian living (two sub-genres of Christian literature that I think are fairly useless to believers).

The main conflict lies in the question of Grace vs Law. Now every Christian will quote "we are not under law, but under grace." Then some will be quick to point our Paul's words regarding his "obligation to the grace" he was given. No one likes to think of themselves in either camp, but if we were to stand back and watch, we'd see subtle clues that let us know where we stand.

The law camp loves to memorize scriptures that regard conduct. They unconsciously label everything black and white, sin or okay. They can quickly tell you whether an action is okay or requires repentance. No cursing, no drinking, avoid bad company, no bad movies, etc. They make comments like, "that movie was so good, it only had 3 bad words in it" or "I only had one drink so that they wouldn't think I was judging them." The law camp feels the need to defend or justify actions that may be culturally or socially or religiously taboo or against the grain. They often compare themselves with others and determine a sort of 'level of spirituality' among themselves and their peers. You don't have to admit it, but we (those in the law camp) all know we've considered ourselves 'behind' or 'ahead' of our Christian brother or sister at some point. The law camp is focused on conduct and consequences, all the while proclaiming that we are not saved by works. Word and deed, in this case, do not agree.

The grace camp, on the other hand, loves to talk about the fact that we are no longer under the law. Love is the main topic here. We need to love our neighbor and serve them. We teach 'relationship' instead of 'religion.' We, in the grace camp, love to quote the "self-made religion" verse in Col. 2. The grace camp is generally opposed to organized religion and the 'institutional church.' They aren't keen on church leadership or hierarchy. Many attend home churches or simply hold "family Bible studies" here and there. The grace camp does not like to be told what to do or what not to do. And last, in a strange twist of fate, the grace camp labels and judges their neighbor just as much as the law camp does, yet instead of judging the level of spirituality they judge the level of freedom they walk in.

Describing these two camps was painful, considering that I've been a camper in both, and no one likes to feel rebuked. It isn't fun and usually hurts. So, to communicate my heart, let me say that I am not saying that these are concise descriptions and that every single believer is in one or the other. I'm simply trying to point out a conflict I see among believers and to communicate my thoughts on it.

First of all, you don't have to pick a camp. Second of all, neither camp is more 'saved' than the other. My thoughts are this, why can we not be both. There is truth in both, as much as we'd love to argue the point. You can search the Bible for the word religion and find many scriptures about the religion of God and what Christianity should look like. You can search for grace and law, and see the numerous scriptures about our freedom in Christ. So, the question is: how do we work the two together when they seem to so contradict one another? The answer, in part, is a mystery. The other part lies with how we view our faith.

"We are saved by grace and not by works, lest anyone should boast." "Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness...For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. That is why it depends on faith, in order that it may rest on grace..." "But some will say, 'you have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works and I'll show you my faith by my works...Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the alter? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works...for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead."

Paul and James both give us an instruction regarding our faith and our works. The reason I bring this up is that usually, the grace camp preaching faith and the law camp, though also preaching faith, focuses on works. I think the key here is the phrase, "where there is no law there is no transgression." The problem with teaching only grace is that there is no understanding of grace apart from the law. The grace camp focuses on love (the most important aspect of the Christian life), yet we cannot love much, until we have been forgiven much (Luke 7:47). We cannot experience the gratitude of grace until we realize how much we do not deserve grace. The problem with teaching only law, is that there is no life or strength given to the body. There is no life in the law, only wrath.

Richard Owen Roberts said, "Preaching grace to those who have never felt the sting of the law is a major infraction of God's ways."

Let us remember that Jesus called for repentance before He called for faith. We must teach and live both law and grace to the glory of God. The reason is that the law points out our faults. Grace covers them and effectually changes our hearts to place faith in Christ. It is only then that we are acceptable to God. Both law and grace are necessary for us to understand what Christ did on the cross. There is only one way this can be applied in our lives, and that is through the light of Christ.

"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 were made through Him, and without Him not anything was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will man, but of God. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth...For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

"Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place trough angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith."

I have quoted these two passages (from John 1 and Galatians 3) because I believe they work together. The first passage teaches us how to apply both law and grace in our lives. The second passage explains why.

"The word became flesh...In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." Jesus was the embodiment of the word. For us to "let our light shine" or to "be a light in the darkness" we must abide in Christ. Jesus said, "those who love me abide in my word" and "if you abide in me, I abide in you." For us to be a light like Christ, we must abide in God's word. This is more than just reading it. It involves living it. It requires works. Not works that earn salvation, but obedient works that glorify God, performed with a joyful heart that loves and adores the Father. "Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves, do what it says." By living, speaking, DOING the word, we are shining a light into the darkness (sinful man). This light exposes sin.

This light looks like LAW to the unbeliever because they recognize their sin and stand condemned. This is GRACE working in their heart to reveal to them their sin, to produce change in their lives. The law stands for them to recognize their need to repent. "...repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations..." To teach the grace of forgiveness without the law that produces repentance, we are going against the message of Christ. We teach law to the world because it stands in judgment, and grace to the children of God for strength, mercy, and everlasting joy to fulfill the will of God. The way you teach law to the world is by living a life unapologetically set apart for the Holiness of Christ. Not in an attempt to earn your salvation, but to earn the souls of men for the kingdom. We labor not for our salvation but for those who will come to Christ because of our testimony and the blood of the Lamb.

This does not mean we persecute the lost, but love them. This does not mean that we point out their sins, but serve them. This does not give us permission to live as we please, or we are of no use to the kingdom. It is not about earning our salvation, which would be selfish ambition. If you labor for self, you labor in vain. Yet those who have received GRACE are obliged to the grace they have received to labor for the lost of this world. Love and live.

**This topic is not exhausted here in this blog. There is so very much that can be discussed and considered, but hopefully I've laid out a framework that might better help you understand how both law and grace have their place in the ministry of every believer. Grace and Peace!

The Truth of the Gospel

Over the past year or so, God has been doing a remarkable change in my heart and within my theology. I have been a Christian for a long time, yet have only recently realized that I have, for much of that time, denied the fullness of God's power and sovereignty over my life and this world. As Ashley and I prepare ourselves and our family for missions in the near future (shout out to Bolivia - we're comin' soon!), we have been immersing ourselves in God's word, seeking revelation and insight, so that our theology would be strong and the message of Christ, clear. I guess this journey could be summed up in this passage (from Romans 11:36 through 12:2):

"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

All my life, I have assumed a value that was not mine to assume. I have walked with the idea that my will was important. I have believed that I was necessary to God's kingdom. I have perpetuated the idea that God created man for fellowship. I have taught that the purpose of Christ's death was to bring man back from the fall of sin in Adam and into right relationship; this, I declared because I was taught to believe that the highest purpose given to creation was relationship with God. All my life, I believed a lie.

It sounds nice to tell someone, "God loves you!" or to preach that relationship, not religion, is the answer. Its seems practical and good to declare God's desire for our hearts. It feels good to be taught that the choice is mine. 2 Timothy 4:3-5 says:

"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

We tend to presume that we know God's heart and we, at liberty, appropriate God's love as we see fit. We, church-going believers, act as if we know the mind of God. We cannot know the mind of God; we cannot fathom the mind of God. 1 Corinthians 1:20-25 says:

"Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

Over many years, hundreds of years, we have let humanism creep into the church to substantiate the self-proclaimed deity of man. We have exalted ourselves, petitioning the throne of God for a chance to sit in it. As someone once said (I can't remember who), "we, who were made to occupy the foot of the throne of God, now sit at the throne expecting God to bow at the foot of ours." This is truth. It may not be evident in our statement of faith or in the words of our speech, but it is truly evident in the script of our behavior. We have slowly and without observation distorted the enormity of our God. His reach has no end and his power is without limit. He is all-knowing and ever-present. "Who can resist his will?"

We overlook scriptures like, "You hate all who do wrong" and "whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." We don't like to talk about God's hate or his wrath because its scary and doesn't draw a crowd. However, it does draw people to repentance; which, incidentally, is the first step to salvation (you know, before you say the prayer and sign the card). We like nice neatly wrapped packages, and the truth of the Bible does not necessarily fit this bill. But, it is the only truth that will set you free.

Through my next few blogs, I will attempt to explain what God has shown me to be the truth of scripture. I will warn you, though, it is a truth that I believed to be a lie for most my life. On the other hand, it may be the millionth refutation of Aminianism (free-will salvation) or one of a great many defenses of Calvanism (pre-destination). One limits God's power and exalts man's authority, while the other recognizes God's might and enjoys man's frailty.