"What would happen to me if I didn't want God's forgiveness?"
I had a great conversation recently with a couple of guys that I am discipling. We were talking about God's forgiveness and how accepting Jesus as our savior is the only way to accept that forgiveness (John 3:34-35).
And that’s the question I was asked. (The context of this question was he felt like he didn't deserved God's forgiveness, not that he didn't need it.)
It’s the kind of question that brings a certain reality to the situation. Suddenly we aren’t talking in generalities or using "you" in the plural ambiguous sense.
So how would you respond to a question like this?
Would you side-step the issue, and simply continue to emphatically pronounce the goodness of God and his desire to forgive us all?
That doesn't answer the question.
Would you speak of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross as a substitution of punishment for all of our sin?
That doesn't answer the question.
Would you talk of the resurrection and the hope that we all have access to since Jesus has conquered death?
THAT DOESN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION!
A friend just asked me one of the most important questions he will ever ask anyone.
I chose to respond.
I told him, "First, I want to give you a direct answer to your question." And then I quoted John 3:36, which says, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them." I continued to tell him that when his physical body died his soul will go to a place where there will never be any forgiveness; there will never be any hope, no joy, and no happiness. I told him that in this place his guilt will never go away and his conscience will never be appeased, and many people believe there will also be a sort of physical torture (Matt 25:46).
As he stared down at the table thinking about the weight of the words I just spoke, I looked at him in the eye and said, "I don't want that for you."
After giving him a few seconds to process what I had just said, I asked him this question with the most gentle and caring inflection I could produce:
"If you believe that God is holy, righteous, good, and forgiving; and you believe that you are unholy, unrighteous, not good, and unforgiving; then what gives you the right to reject God's forgiveness?"
...
He took another few seconds to think, and then replied with a lump in his throat, "Nothing."
My challenge to you is to give hard answers. Ensure that these answers are rooted in truth and are delivered with the warmest heart and the most gentle spirit, but don't soften what God has made firm.
"Crush the boxes, break the frames, dance off rhythm, don't be tamed"
(Thank you to evolveministry.com for editorial contributions)
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
A subtle shift
I don't know how many times I've heard Christians say that they don't think you have to go to church to be a Christian. While their theology is correct at the most base level, the truth is that most the time people who think that are not affirming the requirements of faith in the risen Lord, but they are validating their lack of commitment to Christ and the purpose he has for us in this world (I think this is where I would plug the "just saying" line).
While I think this is a valid concern to address, I want to focus these thoughts towards believers who do commit themselves to a local church in attendance and participation. Through all of our efforts, plans, and schemes, Christianity has developed a culture within the non-profit world in what is called para-church organizations. These are typically the "faith-based" organizations that we will donate funds and time to in support of their pursuit of some mission. A few examples would be food banks, Compassion, and even faith-based private institutions like Bible colleges.
I want to clarify that I think these organizations are definitely a manifestation of genuine believers expressing obedience to following Christ whole-heartedly. However, a cumbersome issue arises out of the subtle transition some people make to supporting these organizations more than the church. I'm not just talking about time and money that people may volunteer and donate; but the foundation of commitment that people are persuaded to give.
The local church, as Bill Hybels coined, is the hope of world. There is something about the local church that is anointed as the body of Christ above all else. The local church is a place where people from all generations, backgrounds, political perspectives, and income levels can come together under one common purpose of worshiping Christ and discipling one another. This cannot happen as Christ intended it in any other setting. Not a college ministry, a Bible study, a rescue mission, or any other place that pursues the work of love, because it is simply an incomplete expression of the message of Christ, possibly effective and life-changing, but still incomplete.
My purpose in writing this is simply to ask you to consider the importance of the local church in your endeavors to honor Christ. Because the shift away from this biblical truth can happen so subtly it can often go unnoticed to those closest to you and even yourself. This post is meant to serve as a type of guardrail, because as we work for Christ there will always be opportunities to compromise the message of Christ, whether that is in our words or our actions. I've personally seen ministry leaders, department heads, and even presidents of Christ-centered organizations lose their way in this matter. And in all honesty, the biggest indicator of a healthy allegiance to the body of Christ is the conversations that happen behind closed doors, which makes it very hard to identify others who struggle with this.
So, constantly evaluate and examine your motives and commitments as you pursue obedience to Christ. Try to invite someone in to the most private parts of your life and give them the authority to question your decisions and motives in hopes to keep you honest and committed first to Christ and his church, and then your own goals.
"Crush the boxes, break the frames, dance off rhythm, don't be tamed"
While I think this is a valid concern to address, I want to focus these thoughts towards believers who do commit themselves to a local church in attendance and participation. Through all of our efforts, plans, and schemes, Christianity has developed a culture within the non-profit world in what is called para-church organizations. These are typically the "faith-based" organizations that we will donate funds and time to in support of their pursuit of some mission. A few examples would be food banks, Compassion, and even faith-based private institutions like Bible colleges.
I want to clarify that I think these organizations are definitely a manifestation of genuine believers expressing obedience to following Christ whole-heartedly. However, a cumbersome issue arises out of the subtle transition some people make to supporting these organizations more than the church. I'm not just talking about time and money that people may volunteer and donate; but the foundation of commitment that people are persuaded to give.
The local church, as Bill Hybels coined, is the hope of world. There is something about the local church that is anointed as the body of Christ above all else. The local church is a place where people from all generations, backgrounds, political perspectives, and income levels can come together under one common purpose of worshiping Christ and discipling one another. This cannot happen as Christ intended it in any other setting. Not a college ministry, a Bible study, a rescue mission, or any other place that pursues the work of love, because it is simply an incomplete expression of the message of Christ, possibly effective and life-changing, but still incomplete.
My purpose in writing this is simply to ask you to consider the importance of the local church in your endeavors to honor Christ. Because the shift away from this biblical truth can happen so subtly it can often go unnoticed to those closest to you and even yourself. This post is meant to serve as a type of guardrail, because as we work for Christ there will always be opportunities to compromise the message of Christ, whether that is in our words or our actions. I've personally seen ministry leaders, department heads, and even presidents of Christ-centered organizations lose their way in this matter. And in all honesty, the biggest indicator of a healthy allegiance to the body of Christ is the conversations that happen behind closed doors, which makes it very hard to identify others who struggle with this.
So, constantly evaluate and examine your motives and commitments as you pursue obedience to Christ. Try to invite someone in to the most private parts of your life and give them the authority to question your decisions and motives in hopes to keep you honest and committed first to Christ and his church, and then your own goals.
"Crush the boxes, break the frames, dance off rhythm, don't be tamed"
Sunday, August 26, 2012
The whole truth
One thing that irritates me a little bit is the sad level of biblical knowledge that most adult Christians possess. I'll even go as far as to specify Christians who have been in church since an early age. Sure most of us know the stories from Genesis and Exodus, and we're familiar with the accounts of King David, and a few of us are familiar with some of the prophetic writings. And of course the New Testament is what we mainly focus on; and why not, that's where we learn about Jesus right?
Well, this is my point, I think most born-again believers gain a great education about Bible stories as children. Unfortunately, this is how much of the Bible remains in our minds, as children's stories.
We all know about Moses confronting Pharaoh and parting the red sea, but did you know that a little before that God would have killed Moses if his wife had not touched him with their son's foreskin? (Ex 4: 24-26)
Did you know that it took a horrible rape crime to catalyze the tribes of Israel to start to come together to one kingdom? (Judges 19:25-26) (I literally cried when I read the account)
We are all so ready to blame the Devil for the bad circumstances in our lives, but the book of Habakkuk teaches us that God will use our enemies to bring judgement upon us so we will turn back to him.
And we all know the famous line from Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." But I think Paul would throw down some righteous condemnation on us if he knew we use this verse like a lucky rabbits foot. We will quote this as if it were some kind of good luck charm echoing the sentiment that our parents used to tell us, "you can do anything if you put your mind to it." The truth is that Paul is trying to communicate that with the strength of Christ he can endure the worst circumstances and still give praise and honor to Jesus. If anything we should use this verse as encouragement to stay in our unfortunate circumstances, not to get out of them.
I'm not saying that every believer should take a Bible class, but I am saying that every believer should READ the Bible. Its not that it makes you more Holy, or adds points to your celestial account, but it bleeds spiritual ignorance from your faith. Furthermore, when we can start to see how the Old Testament is completely congruent with the life and teachings of Jesus, we can more accurately reflect the love of Christ through our lives.
So even if you have to skip a blog reading or two to get in some time with the Word of God, go for it and be blessed!
"Crush the boxes, break the frames, dance off rhythm, don't be tamed"
Well, this is my point, I think most born-again believers gain a great education about Bible stories as children. Unfortunately, this is how much of the Bible remains in our minds, as children's stories.
We all know about Moses confronting Pharaoh and parting the red sea, but did you know that a little before that God would have killed Moses if his wife had not touched him with their son's foreskin? (Ex 4: 24-26)
Did you know that it took a horrible rape crime to catalyze the tribes of Israel to start to come together to one kingdom? (Judges 19:25-26) (I literally cried when I read the account)
We are all so ready to blame the Devil for the bad circumstances in our lives, but the book of Habakkuk teaches us that God will use our enemies to bring judgement upon us so we will turn back to him.
And we all know the famous line from Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." But I think Paul would throw down some righteous condemnation on us if he knew we use this verse like a lucky rabbits foot. We will quote this as if it were some kind of good luck charm echoing the sentiment that our parents used to tell us, "you can do anything if you put your mind to it." The truth is that Paul is trying to communicate that with the strength of Christ he can endure the worst circumstances and still give praise and honor to Jesus. If anything we should use this verse as encouragement to stay in our unfortunate circumstances, not to get out of them.
I'm not saying that every believer should take a Bible class, but I am saying that every believer should READ the Bible. Its not that it makes you more Holy, or adds points to your celestial account, but it bleeds spiritual ignorance from your faith. Furthermore, when we can start to see how the Old Testament is completely congruent with the life and teachings of Jesus, we can more accurately reflect the love of Christ through our lives.
So even if you have to skip a blog reading or two to get in some time with the Word of God, go for it and be blessed!
"Crush the boxes, break the frames, dance off rhythm, don't be tamed"
Friday, August 24, 2012
A sobering self assessment
About a year ago I was reading through a book of modern parables by an Irish theologian. After reading a parable I would take some time and reflect on it over a cup of coffee. One of these parables had a dramatic affect on me because it made me question one of my most foundational assumptions.
Essentially I asked myself: "If I stopped believing in God tomorrow, how would my life change?"
Now this may seem like a silly question, but the profundity of my answer was what gripped me with fear.
In all honesty, the troubling part of this experience was that I discovered that my life probably wouldn't change much. Your probably thinking that I'm going in the direction of discovering that I needed to be more committed to God, become more involved in my church, and stop participating in gang wars and drug cartels. Ok, maybe not that last part.
But the truth is, by even the most pious, dogmatic, born-again believer's perspective I was/am living a "good" life. So it's not that I was convicted of my short-comings (forgive me if I sound arrogant).
No, what struck me in the deepest part of my heart, was that I would probably continue my life as normal even if I no longer believed in what had formed my lifestyle. Allow me to clarify:
The things I was doing for God did not require a belief in God.
Again, I love engaging in my Christian life. I help lead worship, I teach the Bible, I preach on occasion, and I even strategically disciple young men. I believe what bothered me so much about this time of reflection was the discovery of what was driving all of my endeavors.
The driving force in my life was not the cosmically huge knowledge that the Son of God invites people into a reconciled relationship with his Father, my driving force was that I simply enjoyed the Christian aspects of my life and I could think of no better alternatives.
This realization has humbled me and it constantly forces me to examine my intentions for obedience to God's Word. Because even though people should not feel guilty about enjoying the Christian life, it should definitely not be the basis of our allegiance. Because at some point it will become difficult and inconvenient, and that's when our foundation and intentions need to be firmly rooted in obedience to the risen Christ.
I challenge you to examine the reasons for your church attendance, your service, and your kindness. Is it because it's just the way your life is, because you have no better alternatives at this time? Or is it because you choose to live in devotion to God, and Christ is your driving force?
"Crush the boxes, break the frames, dance off rhythm, don't be tamed"
Essentially I asked myself: "If I stopped believing in God tomorrow, how would my life change?"
Now this may seem like a silly question, but the profundity of my answer was what gripped me with fear.
In all honesty, the troubling part of this experience was that I discovered that my life probably wouldn't change much. Your probably thinking that I'm going in the direction of discovering that I needed to be more committed to God, become more involved in my church, and stop participating in gang wars and drug cartels. Ok, maybe not that last part.
But the truth is, by even the most pious, dogmatic, born-again believer's perspective I was/am living a "good" life. So it's not that I was convicted of my short-comings (forgive me if I sound arrogant).
No, what struck me in the deepest part of my heart, was that I would probably continue my life as normal even if I no longer believed in what had formed my lifestyle. Allow me to clarify:
The things I was doing for God did not require a belief in God.
Again, I love engaging in my Christian life. I help lead worship, I teach the Bible, I preach on occasion, and I even strategically disciple young men. I believe what bothered me so much about this time of reflection was the discovery of what was driving all of my endeavors.
The driving force in my life was not the cosmically huge knowledge that the Son of God invites people into a reconciled relationship with his Father, my driving force was that I simply enjoyed the Christian aspects of my life and I could think of no better alternatives.
This realization has humbled me and it constantly forces me to examine my intentions for obedience to God's Word. Because even though people should not feel guilty about enjoying the Christian life, it should definitely not be the basis of our allegiance. Because at some point it will become difficult and inconvenient, and that's when our foundation and intentions need to be firmly rooted in obedience to the risen Christ.
I challenge you to examine the reasons for your church attendance, your service, and your kindness. Is it because it's just the way your life is, because you have no better alternatives at this time? Or is it because you choose to live in devotion to God, and Christ is your driving force?
"Crush the boxes, break the frames, dance off rhythm, don't be tamed"
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Conversations with a pastor
I am blessed to have a great pastor. He also happens to be a great preacher, leader, and most importantly a friend.
We had a great conversation about some of the reasons why people seem to be drawn to our church. One reason we both agreed upon was his conviction concerning the Bible and the gravity that its truth carries.
Although its subtle, I think sometimes pastors can succumb to the pressures and routines of "doing church" and unfortunately forget about the power and authority that the teaching of scripture brings. I am not criticizing these pastors, if anything I empathize with them. Because honestly, I know that in my own daily life I will also forget about the power and authority that God's word offers for my life.
However, when a pastor (and I'll brag) like my pastor, truly believes that God means what he says in the Bible, and believes that God keeps his promises, this is a catalyst for spiritual growth. This isn't part of a 5 step process on how to grow a church, its just the way that God designed our souls.
Consider when you and your spouse or a close friend share a meaningful experience and you are able to converse about it with full honesty and engagement. This is similar to the sobering and humbling experience of hearing the word of God from someone who whole-heartedly believes that it will engage with you on a deep, life-changing level.
So I'll challenge you to examine your spiritual leaders. Are they totally sold out to the Word of God? When they talk about it are they just filling their allotted time? Are they preaching because they have to say something, or because they have something to say?
Of course, if you feel led to offer encouragement to your pastor in regards to these thoughts, be full of grace and seasoned with salt, just as your pastor encourages you.
"Crush the boxes, break the frames, dance off rhythm, don't be tamed"
We had a great conversation about some of the reasons why people seem to be drawn to our church. One reason we both agreed upon was his conviction concerning the Bible and the gravity that its truth carries.
Although its subtle, I think sometimes pastors can succumb to the pressures and routines of "doing church" and unfortunately forget about the power and authority that the teaching of scripture brings. I am not criticizing these pastors, if anything I empathize with them. Because honestly, I know that in my own daily life I will also forget about the power and authority that God's word offers for my life.
However, when a pastor (and I'll brag) like my pastor, truly believes that God means what he says in the Bible, and believes that God keeps his promises, this is a catalyst for spiritual growth. This isn't part of a 5 step process on how to grow a church, its just the way that God designed our souls.
Consider when you and your spouse or a close friend share a meaningful experience and you are able to converse about it with full honesty and engagement. This is similar to the sobering and humbling experience of hearing the word of God from someone who whole-heartedly believes that it will engage with you on a deep, life-changing level.
So I'll challenge you to examine your spiritual leaders. Are they totally sold out to the Word of God? When they talk about it are they just filling their allotted time? Are they preaching because they have to say something, or because they have something to say?
Of course, if you feel led to offer encouragement to your pastor in regards to these thoughts, be full of grace and seasoned with salt, just as your pastor encourages you.
"Crush the boxes, break the frames, dance off rhythm, don't be tamed"
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Waiting for Heaven
Google "Heaven" and you will get 597,000,000 results.
It seems that our culture, both Christian and non-Christian alike, is fascinated with the concept of Heaven. And why not? Who wouldn't want to think and talk about a place that is in every respect "perfect." Because that's really what our goal is in life, to become as perfect as we can.
Now, obviously no one is "perfect." That's how we always start our testimonies off anyway. But think about it. We are always looking for the "perfect" thing. The perfect job. The perfect spouse. The perfect house. Sometimes to make these aspirations feel more attainable we'll substitute the word "dream" for "perfect. Because dreams come true when you wish upon a star...but nothing will be perfect, until Heaven of course.
While I'll be honest and confess that I too chase after many of life's perfections, I'll let you in on a little secret.
...I don't care about heaven...
I know this may seem slightly blasphemous, so allow me to clarify. Heaven has become what Solomon would call a "chasing after the wind." It's MEANINGLESS. In Christian culture, it has become the norm for our goal to "get to Heaven." We even root our message of Jesus in this concept by asking people the oh so insightful question of "if you died today, would you go to Heaven?" After two centuries of God inspired wisdom and teaching, this is our trump card.
The tragedy in all of this is not that Heaven is not a worthy goal, or even that it is not important to the Christian faith. The damage comes in how we subtly mold Heaven to be whatever we think is "perfect," and then try to convince others that they should try to get there some day.
The truth is that Heaven is a very real place. Jesus talked about it... a lot! However, when Jesus talked about Heaven, he didn't talk about it as if it were somewhere/ somehow/ sometime else; he talked about it as if he could see it/ hear it/ touch it now. Its as if Jesus had these divine lenses that allowed him to see the potential that his audience had to manifest the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. To Jesus, Heaven was not explicitly a place we go to, it is a place we bring with. We have access to Heaven now and everyday that Jesus empowers us with his Holy Spirit.
Once we leave the old mindset of "waiting for Heaven," this allows us the capacity to participate in bringing Heaven with us wherever we go, much like Christ did. Consider how much more beneficial we could be to our friends and family if instead of bothering them with the question of "are you going to Heaven?," we simply decided just to bring Heaven to them. What a gift that would be, and how much more would they see the irresistible love of Christ through that action!
I challenge you to read the gospels and study what Jesus said about Heaven. A great place to start would be Matthew 13.
"Crush the boxes, break the frames, dance off rhythm, don't be tamed"
It seems that our culture, both Christian and non-Christian alike, is fascinated with the concept of Heaven. And why not? Who wouldn't want to think and talk about a place that is in every respect "perfect." Because that's really what our goal is in life, to become as perfect as we can.
Now, obviously no one is "perfect." That's how we always start our testimonies off anyway. But think about it. We are always looking for the "perfect" thing. The perfect job. The perfect spouse. The perfect house. Sometimes to make these aspirations feel more attainable we'll substitute the word "dream" for "perfect. Because dreams come true when you wish upon a star...but nothing will be perfect, until Heaven of course.
While I'll be honest and confess that I too chase after many of life's perfections, I'll let you in on a little secret.
...I don't care about heaven...
I know this may seem slightly blasphemous, so allow me to clarify. Heaven has become what Solomon would call a "chasing after the wind." It's MEANINGLESS. In Christian culture, it has become the norm for our goal to "get to Heaven." We even root our message of Jesus in this concept by asking people the oh so insightful question of "if you died today, would you go to Heaven?" After two centuries of God inspired wisdom and teaching, this is our trump card.
The tragedy in all of this is not that Heaven is not a worthy goal, or even that it is not important to the Christian faith. The damage comes in how we subtly mold Heaven to be whatever we think is "perfect," and then try to convince others that they should try to get there some day.
The truth is that Heaven is a very real place. Jesus talked about it... a lot! However, when Jesus talked about Heaven, he didn't talk about it as if it were somewhere/ somehow/ sometime else; he talked about it as if he could see it/ hear it/ touch it now. Its as if Jesus had these divine lenses that allowed him to see the potential that his audience had to manifest the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. To Jesus, Heaven was not explicitly a place we go to, it is a place we bring with. We have access to Heaven now and everyday that Jesus empowers us with his Holy Spirit.
Once we leave the old mindset of "waiting for Heaven," this allows us the capacity to participate in bringing Heaven with us wherever we go, much like Christ did. Consider how much more beneficial we could be to our friends and family if instead of bothering them with the question of "are you going to Heaven?," we simply decided just to bring Heaven to them. What a gift that would be, and how much more would they see the irresistible love of Christ through that action!
I challenge you to read the gospels and study what Jesus said about Heaven. A great place to start would be Matthew 13.
"Crush the boxes, break the frames, dance off rhythm, don't be tamed"
Saturday, July 28, 2012
The Economy of Leadership
As someone who studies leadership, I am constantly amazed at how many concepts are involved in great leadership. One of these concepts is the economy of leadership.
John C. Maxwell says "Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.". With this in mind, we could say the economy of leadership is the process of gaining and leveraging influence.
I learned the importance of the economy of leadership from my pastor. After a meeting I had voiced my frustration to him regarding the amount of useless banter and unimportant conversations that took place in the meeting. With a humble heart he agreed with me that the meeting was not as effective as he would like; however, every time he allows people the margin to contribute to the meeting (even if it is not helpful) he gains influence with that person. He went on to say when people are given a safe place to give their words, they are investing in a place to give their lives.
What my pastor discovered is that he has to earn influence with people sometimes through ineffective means, but later this gives him the leverage to effectively use this influence in leadership. It's similar to making deposits and withdrawals from a bank account, you can never withdraw more than you deposit without consequences.
I hope this will catalyze your leadership.
"Crush the boxes, break the frames, dance off rhythm, don't be tamed"
John C. Maxwell says "Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.". With this in mind, we could say the economy of leadership is the process of gaining and leveraging influence.
I learned the importance of the economy of leadership from my pastor. After a meeting I had voiced my frustration to him regarding the amount of useless banter and unimportant conversations that took place in the meeting. With a humble heart he agreed with me that the meeting was not as effective as he would like; however, every time he allows people the margin to contribute to the meeting (even if it is not helpful) he gains influence with that person. He went on to say when people are given a safe place to give their words, they are investing in a place to give their lives.
What my pastor discovered is that he has to earn influence with people sometimes through ineffective means, but later this gives him the leverage to effectively use this influence in leadership. It's similar to making deposits and withdrawals from a bank account, you can never withdraw more than you deposit without consequences.
I hope this will catalyze your leadership.
"Crush the boxes, break the frames, dance off rhythm, don't be tamed"
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