Busting Out

Sunday at church I heard a phrase that embodied an idea that has captivated my mind this week. " Self-centeredness leads to cannibalism." A passage of scripture was quoted that deals with Christians biting and devouring one another when they don't live according to the Holy Spirit's leadership. Hmmm. Cannibalism. Devouring one another? It seems that something is terribly wrong with the modus operandi of the church.
When a person comes to Christ, they are delivered from not only the penalty and power of sin, but from a system that is controlled by Satan. This system is governed through the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life. We know according to scripture that this system will be destroyed at the second coming of Jesus Christ. In the meantime Jesus has said that we are to occupy until he comes. The harvest is plentiful....but the laborers are few....pray the Lord of the harvest that he would (get this)...SEND FORTH LABORERS into the harvest. Not create good church members. Not retreat from the world. Not find out more fabulous ways for Christ followers to disengage from the world. Jesus wanted (and wants) his followers to go into the world to reach people with the Gospel message.
I remember working at a lawncare company with a Christian brother in the 90s. We were both intent on witnessing to the people in the company. So much so that when they paired us up to work together one day we were like "this is good but we need to get back in the trenches tomorrow so we can keep spreading the Gospel!" That is so different from the typical attitude: "Oh this is wonderful! We don't have to hang around those wicked people today la la la la..."
If we are not equipping people to live the 166 hours a week that they are not in church to reach and teach their neighbors, family, and co-workers the good news about Jesus Christ we have failed. We have failed. WE HAVE FAILED! If our focus is primarily on the internal dynamics of church operations we have failed. If we focus on me me me when we do gather together we have failed.
I love "Church." But I no longer want to be sucked into self-centered Christianity. How un-Christlike is that.....
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The Elephant In The Room

We need to stop. We need to confess. And we need to repent. We are not giving people the full picture of what it means to follow Christ. We, in turn, are pulling the Gospel bait-and-switch. "Come to Jesus and your live will be worry free and prosperous." "You will experience the favor of God over all that you possess." "You will have an abundant life."

We have taken the aspect of conflict and suffering out of the Christian life. Let me stop you now: if you are a Christian, there is a VERY strong possibility that you will experience pain, hardship, rejection, and suffering in this life! Jesus does not wave a magic wand over you and say "Problems be gone" when you accept him. In fact the Bible says that all that live godly in Christ Jesus Shall suffer persecution (2 Tim 3:12).

Let's see: Jesus came to his own but his own did not receive him; he had the large crowds that followed him turn away when he explained the full implications of being his disciple (John 6); his own family questioned his credentials; need we talk about the beating he took before his death at the hands of the jealous. Paul went through many similar things, eventually being put to death.

The American Gospel and Prosperity Gospel have polluted the church so much so that we treat the Bible like a good movie. We read it, get choked up and maybe even shed a tear. But then we close it up and go about our day unfazed and unchanged. We expect and consider material blessing to be the sign of God's favor in our life. That simply is not true. Do you not know that for the first 300 years of the church Christians were on the run, being persecuted, killed, falsely accused of criminal acts, and considered threats to governments? Read Hebrews 11 to see who God considers to be the heroes of the faith. They all had one thing in common: they considered this world and its riches and trappings merely a stop on the way to somewhere better, heaven. They did not seek heaven on earth, but to represent the heavenly king and kingdom on earth. They (as we should also) sought the well being of others, the salvation of the souls of women and men, the setting of captives free, and the glory of God. When you do these things it puts you at odds with people, businesses that profit through the exploitation of others, unjust institutions, and the devil and his followers. That is where the trouble originates!

The issue is this: if you go all out and live with every ounce of your being for Christ, you will experience conflict. If you pour out every drop of your soul for Jesus, you will experience trouble. If you pick and choose what you will or won't do for the Lord you are deceiving yourself about what it means to follow Christ. Does it require all of that? Yes it requires all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. But God has promised us that it is worth it all in the end.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

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A Reasonable Level of Volume

You might be surprised to hear this but I can argue pretty strong. I used to be a debating fiend. And I would pull out all stops to prove my point! Then I ran across a passage of scripture. "The servant of the Lord must not strive;but be gentle unto all men,apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." (2 Timothy 2:24-26)



The bottom line is that there are a lot of real problems in the world. There are real Christ-given answers. But yelling at a person accomplishes nothing. Yelling your opposition to something will typically harden the listener and close the door to reaching them. So much could be said but I leave with this. A listening ear and a compassionate touch will gain more than shouts, signs, and hate mail. If your cause is truly just, then your words can make or break the receptivity to your cause.



The question is, do you want make your point, or do you want to be heard?

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I'll Say It

Ok. I'll say it: Christians avoid hanging around non-Christians because of a lack of faith in God. We don't trust God and we don't trust ourselves! We are sooo afraid of being contaminated, compromised, watered down, and sucked into sinful behavior that we say I know the answer: I will come completely out from among them and be separate. We content ourselves in preaching at people from a distance, and condemning without conversing with people.

Just say it: I don't trust myself. I don't trust myself around people that don't know Jesus. Don't you know that the same God that saved you from sin, will also KEEP YOU from sin? Of course there are situations that we need to avoid because it would overwhelm us. BUT, we should not isolate ourselves from the very people that need the good news of God's love, forgiveness, and grace through Jesus Christ.

I love what Jesus told Nicodemus: "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe IS CONDEMNED ALREADY(emphasis mine), because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" John 3:18 (NIV). People that are not followers of Jesus are living under a cloud of condemnation and guilt. You can't see it but it is there. That is why our message is so important, necessary, and relevant. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Remember God is with you! Open the window blinds, go outside, and interact with the world!

What Cover Is On Your Book

I was challenged with the thought a few weeks ago of what impression I would give out when I reconnected with an old friend. I thought to myself, "When I tell him that I am a Christian, what will run through his mind?" I got to thinking about what runs through the minds of people when they see the Bible. Whether we like it or not, we carry the baggage of all Christians when we identify ourselves as Christians. The saddest thing about it is that MUCH that is called Christian has little if nothing to do with Jesus.

Righteousness without compassion is misery.

Righteousness without mercy is legalism.

Righteousness without love is empty.

Righteousness without the pursuit of justice for the oppressed is American Christianity.

Righteousness without Jesus is religion.

It's The Simplest Things

How many times do we gloss over scripture because it is familiar? We have heard it a thousand times and still refuse to put it into practice. Why? Because we have convinced ourselves that it can't really mean what it means. For example, during the first two months of this year, my church small group has been studying the book "Life's Healing Choices." Each week was better than the previous one. It built into a crescendo until we concluded together "you know, the Bible has said all along to confess your faults to one another and pray for one another that you might be healed." We all had this "aha" moment. We acknowledged that maybe the Catholic church had the right idea. We all acknowledged how much better we felt confessing our faults to one another. And it felt good to know that they would take the information to the grave. We simply did what God said.......AND IT WORKED!



I had the privilege over the past three weeks for the Lord to speak to me clearly concerning two things in my life. I rejoiced over the fact that he spoke to me, and I saw another principle being played out in my life. The first time He spoke, I was listening to music and worshipping Him. The second time I was listening to a sermon by Erwin McManus. The Bible says in Ephesians 5:18: Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord...(NIV). You mean that if I sing spiritual songs and focus on God I can be filled/guided/controlled by His Spirit? Yes you can!



Psalm 100 tells us to "come before His presence with singing." Acts 13 tells us that as the saints were gathered and ministered (worshipped) to the Lord he spoke to the gathering and called out certain men for a special task. As they ministered unto the Lord. You mean that if I sincerely worship the Lord during a worship service and focus on him that he can speak to me and give me guidance for my life? Yes He can!

Sometimes it's the simplest things!

Everybody Needs A Barnabas

Everybody needs somebody to stand for them at some time in life. Everybody needs someone to believe in them. There are endless examples of people that possessed talent, drive, giftedness, calling, purpose and so on who lacked one thing. An advocate. One that could vouch for another. One person that said I believe in you. One person that said to others "I believe in this person." A person that could walk before the skeptical and say "This person is for real."

Perhaps it is laziness. Perhaps it is convenience. Perhaps it is sinister. However it may be, we have a terrible propensity for labeling people. It is like gossip: the label may be wrong but it tends to stick. "You will never do.......You will never be.......You will always......" The common belief is that in this life, you are what you are. People will even quote (misquote) scripture and say "Can a leopard change its spots" the implication being that you are stuck with being the way you are. I would believe that too IF I had not seen differently in life. I have seen and continue to see life transformation taking place. Marriages being restored, skirt-chasers straightening up, the angry calming down, the bitter releasing their bitterness, the resentful expressing forgiveness.

The apostle Paul was a religiously obsessed devoted Jew that pursued Christians and sent them to their deaths. And yet out of all people this same Paul was called out by Jesus Christ to be his servant, follower, and disciple. A true 180. Shortly after his conversion Paul tried to join himself to a group of Christians. They were understandably hesitant, and quite frankly, very afraid. What happened next is one of the great lessons of life. Barnabas, a follower of Jesus Christ, stood on the behalf of Paul and confirmed everything that happened to Paul, describing his conversion and the sincerity of his faith. What was the result? As Paul went throughout Syria and Cilicia preaching it was said of him "The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!' And they praised God because of me" (Gal 1:23-24). Paul went on to become one of the most influential men in history, authoring 2/3 of the New Testament and spreading the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire during the first century.

I have had a few people play the role of Barnabas in my life. My parents, who always saw grand things for me, even when I did not believe in myself. My cousin Karen Key, who through ways only known to her, helped me acquire my present job. Darlene Lawrence, who has been a steady advocate for my God-given gifts, talents, and abilities. Rev. Renardo Hunter, who has always acknowledged my calling and never lets me forget it or shy away from it. And the ultimate advocate, Jesus Christ, who changed my life when I had lost hope, and continues to stand with me until this very day.

So who will you stand for? Who will you tell "I believe in you?" Who will you go before others for and say "This person is true?" So let it be written. So let it be done.

Missing The Mark-Hamartia

This has been on my mind for some time. I must confess that I have been very guilty of this in my life and I have done it more times than I would want to admit. The Christian community has been accused of killing their wounded. Some would even say that we rejoice when one of our own stumbles, falls, or sins smashingly. What happened to us? How did things get this way?

I trace my own issues with this to my early days of being a Christian. My salvation was a miracle because I was so deeply addicted to pornography, sex, and everything that goes with it. Thank God the Internet was not around then! I was so conscious of God's power that I could not get enough preaching, teaching, and Church. I grew to become obsessed with righteousness, and took great pride in those earnestly contending for the faith, and great offense toward those who were not living holy and were not as "committed" as I.

God's grace and mercy are the foundation of my life. As the old hymn says "If it had not been for the Lord on my side tell me where would I be?" I, like many, lost sight of the fact that it is not by works of righteousness that I have done, but according to his mercy that he saved me AND keeps me. God showed me his love and kindness, and I in turn showed judgment and condemnation.

Two things happened during these days that were regrettable. I negatively impacted one one of my best friends during my early Christian days. She knew all of my dirt and I knew all of hers. After I got saved, I waited awhile then I went to her house and blasted her. "If you don't repent of your sins and believe in Christ YOU ARE GOING TO DIE AND GO TO HELL!" No talk of God's love, his mercy, or his grace. Needless to say that conversation caused a rift that lasted several years until I came to my senses. You see, sin is a reality and separates us from a holy God. But what is the Gospel message? Jesus said "17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (John 3:17-18). We do not condemn because the person that does not know Christ is condemned already. That is why we present THE GOOD NEWS! God loves you! He died for you! He wants what is best for you! He made you to have a relationship with you!

There was this guy that I knew that used to visit several churches, but was not committed to any one in particular. My old pastor used to admonish him to commit to one church for his benefit and accountability. Well one of his friends happened to see him out one evening and saw him enter a questionable store. His "brothers" and "friends" later set up a sting operation to see if he was engaging in sinful behavior. When he came out of the establishment a small gaggle of men confronted him about his behavior (like a scene out of Cheaters). He was found a few months later dead in his home. Could it have been stress? A broken heart over how his brothers confronted him and publicly humiliated him?

Here is the core issue. Two Wednesdays ago at church David Stevens spoke about the woman caught in adultery. The crowd of men that brought her to Jesus called for her death. Jesus instead called for the crowd to self-reflect on the condition of their lives. "He that is without sin among you cast the first stone." No one could. Jesus asked her where her accusers were and she responded that she had none (because they had all walked away, being convicted by their own consciences). Jesus said neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more. The crowd
was so zealous to condemn her, yet they were equally guilty!

So that's what the church does. Condemn instead of forgive. Kill the wounded. Speak against some one's sins, struggles, and falls instead of seeking restoration for the fallen. It is because of pride, fear of man, and image consciousness. Somewhere along the way we became afraid to associate with the struggling because we did not want to be labeled like the struggling saint. We did not want to be seen as condoning sin. HOWEVERRRRRRR, that is what the incarnation was all about! Jesus identifying with the realities of our humanity. Our hurts, our struggles, our temptations, our failures. The Bible says that he was NOT ASHAMED to call us his brothers and sisters (Hebrews 2:11). I thank God that my sin was not to great, and is not to great for God to forgive! He is not ashamed of me. He in fact loves me dearly. That is why we have to change our message, methods, and mindsets concerning Jesus, his words, and his ways. God has called us to the ministry of reconciliation. People continuously being brought back to a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Amen

Transformation. That is the goal of any minister worth his or her salt. I must say that I am unashamedly a fan and proponent of the book Life's Healing Choices: Freedom From Your Hurts, Hang-ups and Habits. The problem with church many times is that the sermon only communicates information. Knowledge is held up to be the chief virtue and the end goal of church attendance. This generation today yearns for something more. The cry is "Don't just tell me what to do but HOW to do it." As my wife would say, this book goes there.

The genius of this book is that it frames the truth in such a way that you can follow it and apply it. I really have true hope to overcome some things that have haunted me in my life. Glory to God for He is the God of Hope!

What I Am Thankful For

In soaking in the events of this day, January 20, 2009, there a few things that I am thankful for.

• 1. Hope springs eternal. I did not believe President Obama could win when he first announced and he proved all of the doubters wrong.
• 2. THE RETURN OF THE SMOOTH BROTHER. It was important to some members of my generation to be articulate in speech, eloquent in thought, dedicated to high achievement, worthy representatives of our forefathers, AND stylish in dress. May the day of sagging pants come to an end. May the day of aspiring no higher than being the next American Idol perish. May the belief that success only comes through fast money vanish. Columbia University. Harvard University. Community Organizer. Bridge building. The return of the smooth brother.
• 3. Joy among my people. As I worked today, one of my co-workers listened to her radio. Suddenly the song "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" came on. She turned up the volume to cheers and spontaneously broke into a dance. It is like Psalm 126:
  1 When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem,[a] it was like a dream! 2 We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.” 3 Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!
  4 Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert. 5 Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. 6 They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.
  

Thank God for the hope that he gives.