Christ Following, culture, life, Love, Missions, social justice, The Church
I was listening to a sermon my friend posted to his blog the other day. The preacher mentioned the firefighters and rescue workers who risked their lives running into the Twin Towers during the 9/11 attacks. I’m sure some of them knew they were going to die in there, but went willingly because a sense of duty drove them.
It was the words “sense of duty” that caught my attention. I realized that we as believers are sorely lacking a sense of duty. We seem to want to pick and choose spiritual disciplines, convictions, standards, and amounts we give and serve based on how we feel or claim to be “led”. I know some who won’t even pray at all unless they “feel led“.
I know what some of you are thinking, “Uh oh, he’s gone all legalistic on us. We should be motivated by our love for Christ, not a sense of duty!” You have a great point, however love is not, never has been, and never will be a warm fuzzy feeling that leads us to good deeds to put a smile on Jesus’ face.
I’ll give you an example. I’ve been married for seventeen years now. It comes as no surprise that we’re not always walking on cloud nine together. Sure we share some great moments and those romantic feelings are wonderful when they’re present. But when they’re not present, I still provide, protect, and care for my wife out of a sense of duty. I do what any good husband should do because I made a commitment to do it when I fell in love with her. Get it? We possess a sense of duty BECAUSE we love.
In Genesis chapter 4 God says that refusing to do what’s right (not what we’re “led” to do) is just a baby step away from sin gaining control over us. Jesus said in Mathew 25 that when we turn our backs on those in need, we turn our backs on Him. The absolute apathy of so many believers is downright frightening! To quote Keith Green, “Jesus came to your door, but you left Him out on the street.”
So my question is this: are you the type of person who would run into a burning building to save the lives of others, or would you rather enjoy the fresh air and safety while those inside burn? We’re guilty as hell if we do nothing. Think about that the next time you think sharing Jesus, helping the oppressed, and feeding the poor are for those who feel called.
It’s as if so many of us have succumbed to the Bystander Effect. The case of Kitty Genovese is the most well known example of this effect. Kitty was stabbed to death in 1964 by a serial rapist and murderer. According to newspaper accounts, the killing took place for at least a half an hour. The murderer attacked and stabbed her, but then fled the scene after attracting the attention of a neighbor. The killer then returned ten minutes later and finished the assault. Newspaper reports after Genovese’s death claimed that 38 witnesses watched the stabbings and failed to intervene. I’m sure all 38 of those people thought, “Someone will help her.” They were wrong.
Like the rescue workers of 9/11, we have got to develop a sense of duty, an URGENCY to fulfill the great commission and help the downtrodden. When I stand before God, I want to hear “well done”. I want to be the kind of person who runs toward danger to rescue the lost and oppressed. It takes commitment, it’s a sign of love (John 15:13), and it requires a sense of duty.
Christ Following, Ireland, life, Missions, The Church
Recently I had the great pleasure of visiting friends in Ireland. They are pastors of small churches and the incredible resolve they posses to spend their lives being a light in a very post-Christian environment is nothing short of inspiring. They are aware that the rate of change is painstakingly slow yet they are committed to staying the course. It’s not about bigger buildings, better marketing, or a busier preaching itinerary for them. It’s about leading people to hope and freedom through Jesus, and I love the fact that simplicity hasn’t escaped from their purpose and values.
One thing I look forward to when I’m in Ireland is the “craic”. It’s a Gaelic word for having a good time, laughing, and sharing stories. We have rich conversations about life, ministry, family, and whatever else comes to mind. It’s not unusual for hours to pass, lost in each others tales of adventure, misfortune, sacrifice, and good humor.
During one such time, I was talking with my pastor friend Peter Lynch, from Dundalk. He leads a fellowship of about 50 people, very small by American standards. During our conversation he shared with me how his church has been taking trips to Burkina Faso in West Africa. It’s the third poorest country in the world. They have gone and dug wells for the people there so they can have fresh water. They’re also helping to build a school. When they go, they train the locals how to do the work and they leave all their tools behind so they can keep moving forward. Each trip costs around 25,000 dollars, a steep price to pay for such a small church.
I couldn’t help but think of how many times I hear pastors claim their churches just aren’t ready to help others with physical needs. The building payment, new carpeting, sound system, and payroll keep them from being able to feed the poor, clothe the naked, or shelter the homeless. Sometimes they hide behind the idea that all of those luxuries are needed to meet spiritual needs and attract seekers. Whatever helps them sleep at night… All I know is that Jesus spoke much about caring for the needy and spoke very little about pouring all our resources into building our organization. Wait… he never spoke about pouring our resources into our organization…
I’m not against the western church or religious organizations. I’m simply asking, If a tiny Irish church can give so freely to those in need, then why can’t we? Why don’t we adhere to the priorities Jesus gave us? I’ve read Matthew 25 over and over and can’t find the part where Jesus welcomes the sheep because they were so hip, relevant, good looking, or multi-campused. Instead he said, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
This doesn’t just apply to the church either. As a church staff member for many years, I can recall times when people would ask us for money and resources to help someone out. The problem was that the person doing the asking was plenty capable to help that person themselves. The good Samaritan didn’t ask an organization to help the poor guy left for dead. He used his own resources! We as individuals need to make helping others a priority too. It amazes me how many people “wish” they could do more but will drop $15 a week at Starbucks!
So here’s my challenge… be a sheep, not a goat. Read Matthew 25:31-46 again. Are you living it? One of the great things about being a blessing is that God blesses back. My friend Peter shared that his church has experienced a twenty percent increase in finances since they’ve started going to Africa. That’s in the middle of a recession! Looks like Luke 6:38 is true! We should live like our lives are not our own, give like our money is theirs, and go like it’s really not that far! … ready or not.
Ireland, Missions
Today was a great day of ministry! We had church with Emmanuel Community Church of Dundalk. What a special worshiping church! I had the honor of giving the message this morning, and then the interns and I prayed for members of the congregation. Afterward we had a good “craic” with Pastor Peter and his wife Philemena at McGeough’s. Other members from the church were there and it was such rich fellowship!
Tomorrow, we’ll be meeting with the father of a girl who is strongly considering the Furnace Midwest internship. He has some questions and, since we’re here, we’re going to meet with him personally! So many here have shown great interest in the School of Worship and The Furnace. I think God might be preparing us to be an international ministry!
Emmanuel Community Church Dundalk
Worshiping at Emmanuel
Praying for our friends in Dundalk
Sunday lunch at McGeough's
culture, Family
I overheard a conversation the other day between two people who grew up in Christian homes. Neither of these people are serving God today. In fact, both of them have made choices that would be deemed very un-christian. Teen pregnancy, heavy drinking, and a very obnoxious unbiblical world view were all part of life for them. I understand that not everyone who grows up in a believing family decides to walk the walk. However, it was what was said by one of these people that got me thinking.
“What do you expect when you have religion crammed down your throat growing up?” So is passing your faith on to your children “cramming religion down their throats”? It’s a question I posed on the web site SoulPancake and got varied responses. So your parents made you go to church. They made you go to school too. Does that mean they “crammed education down your throat”? They probably bought you Christmas presents every year. Does that mean cool gifts were “forced upon you”? Please pardon your parents for caring enough about you that they don’t want you to spend eternity in hell. I suppose if they were better people they would have just left you to burn you self-absorbed turd! (Sorry about that. Allow me to regain my composure.)
The point is this: we are all responsible for the choices we make. We’ll all stand before God to give account for the way we lived our lives. Using the excuse “my parents crammed religion down my throat” is just a horrible cop-out. Take responsibility for your own idiotic decisions. We all make them so grow up and stop blaming your parents. As parents, we have a mandate from God to raise our children by the Book (Proverbs 22:6) and we will be held accountable for it. Knowing this, I’d rather have my kids unhappy with all that “God stuff” than have to answer to The Almighty for not sharing The Truth with my children. I fear God more than my three younglings!
As the Body of Christ, we have to think generationally. The church will not end when we pass away. Lovingly nurturing our children to a passionate relationship with Jesus is an awesome ministry and should be a high priority above careers, hobbies, or other fading pursuits. We brought them into this world and we need to show them how to make it safely out! Psalm 127:4 compares our children to arrows in a warrior’s hands. We can prepare them to do serious damage to the kingdom of darkness. This doesn’t happen by itself. Invest in your children’s eternity, even at the risk of them gagging… a little…
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Christ Following, life, The Church
Yesterday, I wrote about my feelings on the apparent direction the American church is taking. You can check that out here.
I got to thinking and realized another positive to a shift in Evangelicalism as we know it: faith. When the resources aren’t there, we have to have faith that God will provide where He’s guided. In our culture of meticulously calculated ministries, that’s hard to fathom.
There’s an old story about a Chinese pastor who came to the United States to check out our churches. When he returned home to China, his friend asked him, “What did you think of the American churches?” The pastor replied, “It’s amazing what can be accomplished without God’s help.”
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it’s impossible to please God without faith. Maybe the challenges we face ahead will help us to be a church that pleases God more and more.
