Years ago my wife and I established the habit of getting away for two weeks as a family to a quiet place. Part of this vacation was recalibration. We evaluated life together and talked about what changes might be needed. We settled down, got some perspective, bonded as a family in an unplugged environment, and sought God’s guidance for our lives in the coming year. The results were as small as agreeing to stop watching the television news in the evenings as part of our routine and as large as working through major changes in the flow of life. The time to reflect and to evaluate was a lifeline for us.
In his book “In the Name of Jesus,” Pastor and teacher Henri Nouwen offered an evaluation of his own life as he passed fifty years of age. Having just turned the big 5-0, I resonate to his reflections and believe that his words can help lead all of us into some healthy recalibration. Allow me to highlight three areas of personal evaluation:
Performance vs. Personhood.
Nouwen said, “As I entered into my fifties and was able to realize the unlikelihood of doubling my years, I came face to face with the simple question, ‘Did becoming older bring me closer to Jesus?’ After twenty-five years of priesthood, I found myself praying poorly, living somewhat isolated from other people, and very much preoccupied with burning issues” (pp. 9-10).
Isn’t it strange how life can become all about “proving something” instead of developing into a better person? A focus on activities and achievements can supplant the focus on character and faith development. Religious know-how and busyness can become substitutes for a genuine and meaningful relationship with God the Father. As a good Father, He doesn’t look to you for a list of personal accomplishments. He looks to see signs of reciprocated love and indications of a life lived as His redeemed and grateful child.
How can you rediscover your life as a child of God and be rid of the burden of striving for worthiness in the eyes of the world? As you’ve grown older, have you also grown closer to Jesus?
In parts two and three of this blog post, I’ll continue Nouwen’s self-evaluation and look at the areas of Coasting vs. Character development and Resistance vs. Repentance.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Doing Nothing
Former Hootie and the Blowfish lead singer, now country artist, Darius Rucker has a new song out called "Got Nothin'." In the song he details how he has nothing left to offer as a relationship falls apart. It's a sad song, but it reflects an important reality in our relationship with God. We've got nothin'; He's got everything. We're dead in our sins; He makes us alive with Christ (Ephesians 2). We sit around and do nothing; He gives growth to the church.
Wait a minute! That's not what the Bible says. The Bible says that we plant and water (1 Cor. 3:6). The Bible says that we are God's fellow workers (1 Cor. 3:9). The Bible says that we're sent (Luke 10:2-3, Mark 16:15, etc.). The Bible says that we are to let our light shine (Matthew 5:16). The Bible says that we don't sit around and do nothing.
Recently I was told that challenging believers to action was doctrinally unacceptable. If that's the case, then the Bible is doctrinally unacceptable.
There's a message in the church that is confusing and immobilizing God's people. Instead of allowing grace and faith to flow into the works God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10; the book of James!), the message of grace is being used as an excuse for immobilizing the church. Justification is being used in place of sanctification. The message is: "You, dear people of God, are justified by grace alone! Therefore, you are justified by grace alone." The refrain goes on with the announcement of the free atoning work of Christ. But sanctification is neglected, omitted, and removed from the message. Walking in the newness of life, being a new creation in Christ--His ambassador, living in the power of the resurrection with the knowledge that our labor in the Lord is not in vain is excised from the proclamation of the Good News. Only half the news is given and the church sits on its hands, doing nothin'.
But as the redeemed people of God, we've got somethin'! We are called, gathered, enlightened and sanctified so that we can declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). By His grace, God shares His mission with us. He makes us fellow workers. He entrusts us with His Word and sacraments, not so we can sit in fear that Kingdom action might get messy, but so we can go out into the world with these tools and see the darkness shrink back and the gates of hell buckle in the wild and messy adventure of God's Kingdom action.
If we really stand for truth and purity of doctrine, let's take the gift of a sanctified life seriously. Let's give a voice to faith that works. Let's stop doing nothing.
Wait a minute! That's not what the Bible says. The Bible says that we plant and water (1 Cor. 3:6). The Bible says that we are God's fellow workers (1 Cor. 3:9). The Bible says that we're sent (Luke 10:2-3, Mark 16:15, etc.). The Bible says that we are to let our light shine (Matthew 5:16). The Bible says that we don't sit around and do nothing.
Recently I was told that challenging believers to action was doctrinally unacceptable. If that's the case, then the Bible is doctrinally unacceptable.
There's a message in the church that is confusing and immobilizing God's people. Instead of allowing grace and faith to flow into the works God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10; the book of James!), the message of grace is being used as an excuse for immobilizing the church. Justification is being used in place of sanctification. The message is: "You, dear people of God, are justified by grace alone! Therefore, you are justified by grace alone." The refrain goes on with the announcement of the free atoning work of Christ. But sanctification is neglected, omitted, and removed from the message. Walking in the newness of life, being a new creation in Christ--His ambassador, living in the power of the resurrection with the knowledge that our labor in the Lord is not in vain is excised from the proclamation of the Good News. Only half the news is given and the church sits on its hands, doing nothin'.
But as the redeemed people of God, we've got somethin'! We are called, gathered, enlightened and sanctified so that we can declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). By His grace, God shares His mission with us. He makes us fellow workers. He entrusts us with His Word and sacraments, not so we can sit in fear that Kingdom action might get messy, but so we can go out into the world with these tools and see the darkness shrink back and the gates of hell buckle in the wild and messy adventure of God's Kingdom action.
If we really stand for truth and purity of doctrine, let's take the gift of a sanctified life seriously. Let's give a voice to faith that works. Let's stop doing nothing.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
UnLutheran, Part Two
Is a layperson or a group of laypeople able to read the account of Daniel and the Lion's Den and not fall into serious theological error? Is it possible to evaluate the account of the Tower of Babel (or any other Bible story, for that matter) without the guidance of a trained theologian?
Bottom line: who can read the Bible safely?
You may recall that, in part one of this blog post, I mentioned a doctrinal reviewer's comment that reading and expressing opinions about Bible stories without a trained theologian present may lead readers into dangerous theological errors. Okay. That may happen. But is it possible that it wouldn't happen? In fact, doesn't the reviewer's opinion push very hard against the Biblical doctrine of the Scriptures? Let's take a look:
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone):
• Their efficacy: Being wary about laypeople "messing" with the Scriptures shifts the emphasis of the Word of God from being HIS living Word, powered by the Holy Spirit, to being a Word dependent on human control. True, correct teaching is essential, but the Word is that which contains the power to bring truth, produce faith, and lead someone into correct understanding. Laying down the law that a trained theologian must be present militates against the Scriptures themselves and denies the access to the Scriptures won during the Reformation.
• Their sufficiency: The Bible contains everything needed to make us "wise unto salvation" (2 Timothy 3:15). While the pastoral office is divinely created and essential to God's plan for the church, it is not lord over the Word of God and it doesn't exclude the Scriptural doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. The Bible can do the job God intended it to do.
• Their perspicuity: The Bible is clear enough so that every reader and hearer can understand God's truths. As Edward Koehler said, this teaching is "over and against the view that the Scripture is obscure, waiting for a priest and Pope, theologian and council, to demonstrate its real meaning" (p. 14, A Summary of Christian Doctrine).
Trouble always results when fear and control take the wheel of Christ's Church. Biblical balance gets lost. The doctrine sought to be protected becomes corrupted and denied. When fanaticism takes command, the fanatic creates layers of human-created teaching that eventually obscures and destroys Biblical doctrine.
Making Bible stories off limits to regular laypeople causes the heart of Lutheranism to crumble. Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, and Sola Scriptura get left in the dust. Suddenly, the voices that cry out for pure Lutheranism become unLutheran.
Bottom line: who can read the Bible safely?
You may recall that, in part one of this blog post, I mentioned a doctrinal reviewer's comment that reading and expressing opinions about Bible stories without a trained theologian present may lead readers into dangerous theological errors. Okay. That may happen. But is it possible that it wouldn't happen? In fact, doesn't the reviewer's opinion push very hard against the Biblical doctrine of the Scriptures? Let's take a look:
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone):
• Their efficacy: Being wary about laypeople "messing" with the Scriptures shifts the emphasis of the Word of God from being HIS living Word, powered by the Holy Spirit, to being a Word dependent on human control. True, correct teaching is essential, but the Word is that which contains the power to bring truth, produce faith, and lead someone into correct understanding. Laying down the law that a trained theologian must be present militates against the Scriptures themselves and denies the access to the Scriptures won during the Reformation.
• Their sufficiency: The Bible contains everything needed to make us "wise unto salvation" (2 Timothy 3:15). While the pastoral office is divinely created and essential to God's plan for the church, it is not lord over the Word of God and it doesn't exclude the Scriptural doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. The Bible can do the job God intended it to do.
• Their perspicuity: The Bible is clear enough so that every reader and hearer can understand God's truths. As Edward Koehler said, this teaching is "over and against the view that the Scripture is obscure, waiting for a priest and Pope, theologian and council, to demonstrate its real meaning" (p. 14, A Summary of Christian Doctrine).
Trouble always results when fear and control take the wheel of Christ's Church. Biblical balance gets lost. The doctrine sought to be protected becomes corrupted and denied. When fanaticism takes command, the fanatic creates layers of human-created teaching that eventually obscures and destroys Biblical doctrine.
Making Bible stories off limits to regular laypeople causes the heart of Lutheranism to crumble. Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, and Sola Scriptura get left in the dust. Suddenly, the voices that cry out for pure Lutheranism become unLutheran.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
UnLutheran, Part One
Recently I received comments about a simple Bible study I submitted for doctrinal review. The Bible Study asked participants to read a specified Bible Story at each gathering, reflect on it, try to find Jesus in it, and discuss what it meant then and in their lives now. The point of the Bible Study was to get people into the Word of God, build their Biblical literacy and understanding, practice applying Scriptural truths to their lives, and reach out to others with the Word of God. Something our society needs these days--or so I thought.
The assertion of the reviewer was that the study wasn't Lutheran because it did not mention Law, Gospel or the sacraments. In addition, the reviewer commented, the study could lead the participants into dangerous errors. Without a trained theologian leading the way, the people studying the Bible stories might not be able to make their way through questions they have.
After reading the comments, I was struck how Lutheranism has become so un-Lutheran. Some of the doctrines that seem to be lost or crumbling are:
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone):
In his book "Here We Stand," Herman Sasse asked the question, "What does it mean to be Lutheran?" To be a Lutheran does not mean to focus on a hero (Luther) or a nation (Germany). It does not mean to be a product of a historical movement (the Reformation) or a cultural shift (the enlightenment). Lutheranism is not simply an expression of morals or knowledge or religious practice or observance of God's law. The heart of Lutheranism is the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. As I observe Lutherans trying to get the "buzzwords" correct, but forgetting to teach and apply those words from the divine source (the Scriptures), I see a pathway leading to works righteousness. The mention of the phrase "word and sacraments" earns the stamp of approval (ex opera operato). These are means of grace, however. They are tools of God. There is a time for the craftsman to talk about his tools, but there is also a time for the craftsman to let the tools do the work. I hear much talk, but do not see a great deal of craftsmanship. I hear the buzzwords, but I don't see a great deal of trust in, or application of, the living Word that empowers them.
Sola Fide (Faith Alone):
It is no surprise that people crumble into a frightened legalism. That, after all, is the nature of the sinful flesh. Command and control usurp walking by faith. I grieve, however, when fear drains faith from the Lord's Church. Fear attaches the label "Law and Gospel" to everything in order to protect the Scriptures. Faith is confident that the Scriptures speak the Law and Gospel because that's what the Scriptures do! We have received that teaching from the Bible; we didn't invent it and unnaturally foist it upon the Bible. Fear keeps people away from studying the Bible without a trained theologian. Faith embraces the priesthood of all believers who are able not only to study the Word of God, but to teach it to others! Fear believes it has to protect God. Faith receives the gifts God gives and stewards those gifts. Are we being stewards or have we killed the son and taken over the vineyard?
The next installment will focus on how the doctrine of the Scriptures (Sola Scriptura) may be crumbling.
The assertion of the reviewer was that the study wasn't Lutheran because it did not mention Law, Gospel or the sacraments. In addition, the reviewer commented, the study could lead the participants into dangerous errors. Without a trained theologian leading the way, the people studying the Bible stories might not be able to make their way through questions they have.
After reading the comments, I was struck how Lutheranism has become so un-Lutheran. Some of the doctrines that seem to be lost or crumbling are:
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone):
In his book "Here We Stand," Herman Sasse asked the question, "What does it mean to be Lutheran?" To be a Lutheran does not mean to focus on a hero (Luther) or a nation (Germany). It does not mean to be a product of a historical movement (the Reformation) or a cultural shift (the enlightenment). Lutheranism is not simply an expression of morals or knowledge or religious practice or observance of God's law. The heart of Lutheranism is the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. As I observe Lutherans trying to get the "buzzwords" correct, but forgetting to teach and apply those words from the divine source (the Scriptures), I see a pathway leading to works righteousness. The mention of the phrase "word and sacraments" earns the stamp of approval (ex opera operato). These are means of grace, however. They are tools of God. There is a time for the craftsman to talk about his tools, but there is also a time for the craftsman to let the tools do the work. I hear much talk, but do not see a great deal of craftsmanship. I hear the buzzwords, but I don't see a great deal of trust in, or application of, the living Word that empowers them.
Sola Fide (Faith Alone):
It is no surprise that people crumble into a frightened legalism. That, after all, is the nature of the sinful flesh. Command and control usurp walking by faith. I grieve, however, when fear drains faith from the Lord's Church. Fear attaches the label "Law and Gospel" to everything in order to protect the Scriptures. Faith is confident that the Scriptures speak the Law and Gospel because that's what the Scriptures do! We have received that teaching from the Bible; we didn't invent it and unnaturally foist it upon the Bible. Fear keeps people away from studying the Bible without a trained theologian. Faith embraces the priesthood of all believers who are able not only to study the Word of God, but to teach it to others! Fear believes it has to protect God. Faith receives the gifts God gives and stewards those gifts. Are we being stewards or have we killed the son and taken over the vineyard?
The next installment will focus on how the doctrine of the Scriptures (Sola Scriptura) may be crumbling.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Captain Bill's Appeal
I was at a friend's memorial service recently. He was a prominent figure in the community, so the funeral chapel was packed. In addition to fellow believers, the place was filled with people from virtually every conceivable walk of life. My friend's business and personality connected him with an amazing variety of people. Suits and ties sat next to tattoos and piercings. Conservative Evangelicals spoke words of sympathy alongside adherents of alternative lifestyles.
As someone who craves opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus with people, I felt my heart beating fast over the possibility of hearing words that could transform many lives.
After some preliminary levity, some words of introduction, and some kind words from the family, I wondered if the opportunity would be seized. That's when Captain Bill stepped to the microphone.
I wondered who this guy was. He was standing in the back. Clearly, he wasn't a family member. He wasn't the pastor, but he held a Bible and strode purposefully to the podium. He introduced himself as Bill, a charter captain and good friend of the family. Fishing trips for hire had morphed into a close bond between him and my friend.
Bill was a military veteran who suffered chemical poisoning in Vietnam. He almost died a few years ago. My deceased buddy sat by his side and drove him home from the hospital. They had a special bond. Bill went on to talk about the bedrock of that bond. This common man with skin made leathery by the sun and a body gaunt from illness so his suit hung baggily from his body, began to lift up the name of Jesus Christ.
This man had been through the ringer, and with the authority of someone who had been beaten up by the rigors of life, he urged the group to the only hope we have. His Scripture-saturated language carried love and truth without sounding pious or self-righteous. His call to trust in Jesus Christ came across as a testimony to his deceased friend, not as an attempt to put more souls on his scorecard. Captain Bill's appeal captured the moment for Jesus. It was authentic, moving, appropriate, and caring.
As I listened, I realized that two things had happened in this man's life. First, he was discipled very well. Someone had shown him the way to walk with Jesus and let the Word of Christ dwell in him richly. Second, someone had given him permission--perhaps a mandate--to go and share, to make disciples, to never let the Gospel stop with himself.
Captain Bill's appeal showed me that a serious effort to equip and send the saints is of utmost importance. Pastors and professionals will rarely be in the situation to reach people who are far outside the borders of the church. Pastors and professionals will not always be heard as attentively by those outside the borders, either. We need people like Captain Bill. The Kingdom of God needs people like Captain Bill. A lost world needs people like Captain Bill.
Do you think you are here to do it all yourself? Are you saving the great opportunities for you? Or are you letting go of your pride by respecting God's people, equipping them passionately, and sending them urgently to do what Captain Bill did?
As someone who craves opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus with people, I felt my heart beating fast over the possibility of hearing words that could transform many lives.
After some preliminary levity, some words of introduction, and some kind words from the family, I wondered if the opportunity would be seized. That's when Captain Bill stepped to the microphone.
I wondered who this guy was. He was standing in the back. Clearly, he wasn't a family member. He wasn't the pastor, but he held a Bible and strode purposefully to the podium. He introduced himself as Bill, a charter captain and good friend of the family. Fishing trips for hire had morphed into a close bond between him and my friend.
Bill was a military veteran who suffered chemical poisoning in Vietnam. He almost died a few years ago. My deceased buddy sat by his side and drove him home from the hospital. They had a special bond. Bill went on to talk about the bedrock of that bond. This common man with skin made leathery by the sun and a body gaunt from illness so his suit hung baggily from his body, began to lift up the name of Jesus Christ.
This man had been through the ringer, and with the authority of someone who had been beaten up by the rigors of life, he urged the group to the only hope we have. His Scripture-saturated language carried love and truth without sounding pious or self-righteous. His call to trust in Jesus Christ came across as a testimony to his deceased friend, not as an attempt to put more souls on his scorecard. Captain Bill's appeal captured the moment for Jesus. It was authentic, moving, appropriate, and caring.
As I listened, I realized that two things had happened in this man's life. First, he was discipled very well. Someone had shown him the way to walk with Jesus and let the Word of Christ dwell in him richly. Second, someone had given him permission--perhaps a mandate--to go and share, to make disciples, to never let the Gospel stop with himself.
Captain Bill's appeal showed me that a serious effort to equip and send the saints is of utmost importance. Pastors and professionals will rarely be in the situation to reach people who are far outside the borders of the church. Pastors and professionals will not always be heard as attentively by those outside the borders, either. We need people like Captain Bill. The Kingdom of God needs people like Captain Bill. A lost world needs people like Captain Bill.
Do you think you are here to do it all yourself? Are you saving the great opportunities for you? Or are you letting go of your pride by respecting God's people, equipping them passionately, and sending them urgently to do what Captain Bill did?
Friday, May 6, 2011
Counterintuitivity
In a thought-provoking book review, Andrew Stark of The Wall Street Journal, reviews John Kay's book "Obliquity." The premise of the book is compelling. Kay asserts: "When it comes to major goals, whether in life or in business, one can pursue them best by deliberately not pursuing them."
Stark summarizes Kay's case studies of a variety of companies and historical figures as the author establishes his premise that "we can attain a desired goal only by pursuing it indirectly." (Thank you to Rev. Robert Holaday for the link to the article which you can read in full here)
This counterintuitive direction offers us some Easter clarity. Jesus was never desperate to build a following, but many followed. Jesus never tried to woo people to a religious system, but many put their faith in Him. Jesus never set out to change the world, yet His sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection changed everything.
What does this mean for our Easter existence? It reinforces good old Lutheran counterintuitivity. You know, paradox.
- If you see to save your life, you'll lose it. But if you lose your life for Christ, you'll find it.
- If you pretend your sins don't exist, they'll take on a life of their own and crush you. If you confess your sins and bring them out into the open, you will be completely cleansed and freed.
These are a couple of the beautiful paradoxes of life in Christ.
What does it mean for your ministry?
It means that keeping the main thing the main thing will lead to a God-pleasing and effective ministry. It means that when you live out the reason you've been sent, the details will come together. As Jesus said in Matthew 6, "Seek first the reign of God and His righteousness, and all your needs will be provided to you as well."
You've been sent to spread the reign of God and His righteousness. This mission ("mission" is the Latin word for "sent") flows from the living Word of God that testifies to the risen Christ. If you spread the reign of God to people around you and to your community, much follows:
- people who worship God
- church life
- active prayer
- healthy giving of money for the mission
- orthodox belief
- mutual affirmation and consolation
- justice and righteousness among humanity
- passionate outreach to people who don't know Christ
- persistent multiplication of Christian community
Of course, you rejoice in and fuel these developments. But you pursue one thing: the reign of God.
What might be getting in the way of this counterintuitive pursuit? Your need for self-assurance? Your fear of unorthodoxy? Your hesitance to do more work? Your desire to be in complete control?
What do you need to stop pursuing so you can seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and let God establish the fullness of His reign?
Stark summarizes Kay's case studies of a variety of companies and historical figures as the author establishes his premise that "we can attain a desired goal only by pursuing it indirectly." (Thank you to Rev. Robert Holaday for the link to the article which you can read in full here)
This counterintuitive direction offers us some Easter clarity. Jesus was never desperate to build a following, but many followed. Jesus never tried to woo people to a religious system, but many put their faith in Him. Jesus never set out to change the world, yet His sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection changed everything.
What does this mean for our Easter existence? It reinforces good old Lutheran counterintuitivity. You know, paradox.
- If you see to save your life, you'll lose it. But if you lose your life for Christ, you'll find it.
- If you pretend your sins don't exist, they'll take on a life of their own and crush you. If you confess your sins and bring them out into the open, you will be completely cleansed and freed.
These are a couple of the beautiful paradoxes of life in Christ.
What does it mean for your ministry?
It means that keeping the main thing the main thing will lead to a God-pleasing and effective ministry. It means that when you live out the reason you've been sent, the details will come together. As Jesus said in Matthew 6, "Seek first the reign of God and His righteousness, and all your needs will be provided to you as well."
You've been sent to spread the reign of God and His righteousness. This mission ("mission" is the Latin word for "sent") flows from the living Word of God that testifies to the risen Christ. If you spread the reign of God to people around you and to your community, much follows:
- people who worship God
- church life
- active prayer
- healthy giving of money for the mission
- orthodox belief
- mutual affirmation and consolation
- justice and righteousness among humanity
- passionate outreach to people who don't know Christ
- persistent multiplication of Christian community
Of course, you rejoice in and fuel these developments. But you pursue one thing: the reign of God.
What might be getting in the way of this counterintuitive pursuit? Your need for self-assurance? Your fear of unorthodoxy? Your hesitance to do more work? Your desire to be in complete control?
What do you need to stop pursuing so you can seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and let God establish the fullness of His reign?
Friday, April 8, 2011
Let It Change You
My very first grandchild was born last weekend. She's a beautiful little girl, a miracle and gift. I haven't felt feelings like this since my own children were born. Suddenly, everything else pales in importance. Suddenly, life is different.
You may know how it goes:
- You want to tell people. E-mails, photos, videos, texts, tweets, phone calls, and personal conversations multiply as you eagerly share the news.
- Your priorities change. Money, time, your thoughts--everything--becomes oriented to one thing: that new and precious little life.
- You adjust your actions. All at once you become aware of what you're watching on TV, what's on the radio when you drive, what you're eating, the way your speaking, and how you live in front of a new and impressionable life.
- You remember your purpose. Life isn't about acquiring things, being comfortable, or paying the bills. It's about shaping another life, giving her the best, doing all you can to make sure she receives life in its fullness here and forever.
Of course, you can resist the changes new life brings. You can live it for a couple of days or a few weeks, but revert back to the old ways. You can ignore the excitement, the love, and the life-changing wonder of the miraculous spring of water God sent rushing into your wilderness.
Or you can let it change you.
The same is true for churches. Into the life of the church comes the living water of Jesus Christ. Springs of Living Water rinse barren and hopeless souls. New life begins. New hope springs eternal. Suddenly, life is different:
You need to tell people. Your priorities change. You adjust your actions. You remember your purpose.
Of course, you can resist the changes new life brings. You can become inward looking. You can settle into a business as usual mindset. You can focus on paying the bills and keeping insiders happy. You can stay safe and never risk trying something to reach the lost. You can fill your days with attending to e-mail and thinking about theology.
Or you can let it change you. You can think about theology AND put theology into action. You can share the beauty of the Gospel.
Studies show that in established churches it takes 60 people to reach one new person with the Good News of Jesus. In new churches, it only takes 10 people to reach a new person with the Gospel.
Is this because we become so accustomed to the miracle of the resurrection and so caught up in day-to-day distractions that we forget the miraculous new life right under our noses?
If Jesus Christ is truly risen from the dead, will you let it change you? Will you let it change your church?
You may know how it goes:
- You want to tell people. E-mails, photos, videos, texts, tweets, phone calls, and personal conversations multiply as you eagerly share the news.
- Your priorities change. Money, time, your thoughts--everything--becomes oriented to one thing: that new and precious little life.
- You adjust your actions. All at once you become aware of what you're watching on TV, what's on the radio when you drive, what you're eating, the way your speaking, and how you live in front of a new and impressionable life.
- You remember your purpose. Life isn't about acquiring things, being comfortable, or paying the bills. It's about shaping another life, giving her the best, doing all you can to make sure she receives life in its fullness here and forever.
Of course, you can resist the changes new life brings. You can live it for a couple of days or a few weeks, but revert back to the old ways. You can ignore the excitement, the love, and the life-changing wonder of the miraculous spring of water God sent rushing into your wilderness.
Or you can let it change you.
The same is true for churches. Into the life of the church comes the living water of Jesus Christ. Springs of Living Water rinse barren and hopeless souls. New life begins. New hope springs eternal. Suddenly, life is different:
You need to tell people. Your priorities change. You adjust your actions. You remember your purpose.
Of course, you can resist the changes new life brings. You can become inward looking. You can settle into a business as usual mindset. You can focus on paying the bills and keeping insiders happy. You can stay safe and never risk trying something to reach the lost. You can fill your days with attending to e-mail and thinking about theology.
Or you can let it change you. You can think about theology AND put theology into action. You can share the beauty of the Gospel.
Studies show that in established churches it takes 60 people to reach one new person with the Good News of Jesus. In new churches, it only takes 10 people to reach a new person with the Gospel.
Is this because we become so accustomed to the miracle of the resurrection and so caught up in day-to-day distractions that we forget the miraculous new life right under our noses?
If Jesus Christ is truly risen from the dead, will you let it change you? Will you let it change your church?
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