The New Adventures of an Old Preacher

Whether it was the question of buying a steak at the local butcher shop that had come from a side of beef first offered in ritual sacrifice to a pagan god or whether a woman can pass an offering tray standing up as opposed to sitting down- disputable matters have always been around.

Thankfully, we have the Spirit’s wisdom to guide us through these frequent troubled waters. Here are some of what He shares:

First and foremost- do not pass judgment on each other- Romans 2:1; 14:1,13

The mature should never purposefully hurt the immature- Romans 14:13-23; 1st Corinthians 8:1;9-11; 10:32

It is better to give up a Christian freedom than to “destroy the work of the Lord” over it- Romans 14:20-21

Always seek peace and mutual understanding- Romans 14:19

Do everything with honor to God in mind- 1st Corinthians 10:31

Always put the issue in the proper spiritual context- Galatians 5:7

If all involved approached disputable matters this way then the Spirit would rule and not our emotions. We would be able to- through love and mutual respect- handle the disputes God’s way. And while we may still end up with different viewpoints the work of the Lord will not be hurt.

Motives, of course, are extremely important to consider here also. While we always must be sensitive to not create “stumbling blocks” we must also be mature enough to not be a “grumbling block”. Along this line there are questions we must ask ourselves.

* If we oppose something on the grounds it causes us to stumble- is that a genuine expression of our heart and a genuine threat to our faith or do we just not like it, are not comfortable with it, are wary of it because it is not our tradition and are basically prepared to go to war over it?

* If we are promoting something- is it because we truly feel like it will bless the church, cause us and others to grow and mature and is really needed- or is it just something we like, we want and feel like others who aren’t as excited about it as we are just do not get it, and are prepared to push it to the point of breaking?

Paul said it best, “The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself in love” (Galatians 5:7)

If we could only just grasp this and the rest of the Spirit’s wisdom maybe disputable matters would not be so disputable.

These are points from Sunday’s concluding sermon on my summer-long series on The Church that Connects. Here Christ is compared to the community of established religious leaders.

Christ spoke to hearts, the establishment spoke about rules- think of the “You have heard it was said” texts from the Sermon on the Mount

Christ thought relationally, the establishment thought institutionally- recall his healing on the Sabbath day- Luke 13:10-17

Christ was genuine, the establishment was hypocritical- Jesus taught as one having authority- Matthew 7:28-29

Christ empowered people, the establishment feared them- remember the panic of the establishment in the story of Jesus healing the man born blind- John 9

Christ offered real hope, the establishment offered condemnation- the woman caught in act of adultery perfectly illustrates this- John 8:4-11

Maybe you have some connecting points of Christ you can add to this list?

Calvin Coolidge once said, “I have noticed that nothing I never said did me any harm.”

This is cleverly stated wisdom to which we would do well to listen. Another wise man called the tongue a “fire, a world of evil… set on fire by hell.” (James 3:6) Pretty stout words! Maybe President Coolidge had read them.

Maybe he had read what another apostle had written too. Paul weighs in on this subject in Colossians 4:6. Consider his words:

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

It is no mistake that the Spirit shares much heavenly wisdom concerning our tongue and speech. If not properly disciplined, our tongue can betray our Christian calling faster than anything. Our goal is to reflect Christ’s character with our speech. Paul’s words in Colossians tell us how. Our speech should be:

•Full of Grace- Speech that is cutting, sarcastic, unkind, rude, biting and mean does not demonstrate God’s grace. Grace speech is generous, patient, kind, understanding and forgiving. A tongue governed by grace seeks to help and encourage- not tear down. It says only “what is helpful for building up others.” (Ephesians 4:29)

•Seasoned with Salt- Tempered, wise and beneficial are the ideas of salt-seasoned speech. It is not quick to spout something off without thinking. It is considerate speech that flows from a thoughtful heart. It is perfectly attuned to the idea of being “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19)

•Know how to Answer- This is the practical aspect. This is wise speech lived and demonstrated. Proper attitudes and words chosen carefully are consistent to our Christian calling. One sure-fire way to undermine influence is to answer without grace, patience and understanding. This is one reason why James taught, “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” (1:26) It is just not what we answer but also how we answer that counts.

Don’t let this “small part of the body” (James 3:5) take control of you. Be wise and temper your tongue. Take the spiritual advice given and be “seasoned with salt” in all you say and do. Just think of all the trouble avoided by doing so!

By my good buddy John Dobbs. That makes me “it” I guess! Here is my response:

1. One book that changed your life: No doubt about this one- In His Steps by Charles Sheldon.

2. One book that you’ve read more than once: I don’t read many books completely through more than once (with In His Steps being the exception) but I have been into Restoration history lately and revisited Richard Hughes’ Reviving the Ancient Faith.

3. One book you’d want on a desert island: The Bible- if I had to choose one this would be it!

4. One book that made you laugh: Laughter from the Pearly Gates- it was a gift book I received recently and even though most stories were corny I still found myself laughing.

5. One book that made you cry: In His Steps

6. One book you wish had been written: The Secret to My Success on the Pro Fishing Tour. If only!

7. One book you wish had never been written: Behold the Pattern

8. One book you’re currently reading: Things Unseen by C. Leonard Allen. Another fresh take on the Restoration.

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: Like a Shepherd Lead Us edited by David Fleer and Charles Siburt

Holiness is some concept! We often do not understand it. Holiness? Isn’t that for priests or something? Isn’t that associated with another religious group? It is just difficult for us to imagine ourselves as holy. But we should- really. Holiness is not something clouded in mystery. In reality it is not that difficult to define.

Peter calls us to holiness. In 1st Peter 1:13-16 he even shares with us here how to achieve holiness and there are no robes or rolling involved! Read these verses and consider what Peter has to divinely say:

Prepare your minds for action- Sounds exciting! An adventure awaits all who answer this call. Being holy begins from the inside. We build the proper foundation in our hearts. It is the “inner man” of which Scripture often speaks. We prepare it for holy action. If it doesn’t start here- it won’t start.

Be Self-Controlled- Quite a challenge in an out-of-control culture. Too often we take a band-aid approach coupled with self-serving rationalizations when it comes to self-discipline. Holiness is not about that. Without exercising godly self-control we can never answer the call to holiness. This likely will challenge us on some level but God will give us this spirit (2nd Timothy 1:7) if we seek him and his holiness.

Set Your Hope in Jesus- Believe that he will come again and put all of your hope in this truth. This will anchor to God our pursuit of holiness and produce in us his will. Holiness and hope. We cannot have one without the other!

Be Obedient- This may be another tough one. This is a spiritual discipline contrasted to conforming to the evil designs and desires of the world. These desires lead us away from any pursuit of holiness. Obedience leads us directly toward holiness.

Little wonder Peter spoke of “action”. We just can’t wake up and be holy. It takes determined and directed action. And while it may offer some challenges it is a most blessed pursuit- one which we will never regret.

There are many reasons to be holy, but Peter sums them all up nicely by referring to the words of God in Leviticus 11:44:

“I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.”

As children we should reflect the Father. While never having holiness perfected as he, it is still exciting to know we can be like him in our own limited but special way.

Answer the call to holiness. An amazing forever adventure is waiting for you. You and your world will never be the same.