The New Adventures of an Old Preacher

Tomorrow, God willing, Terri and I head out to the Pepperdine Lectureships at the university in Malibu, CA. This will be my third trip, but Terri’s first.

These lectures have by far become my favorite destination among the larger gatherings in the Churches of Christ. I am greatly looking forward to soaking in the total environment of natural beauty, wonderful fellowship and great teaching.

I also anticipate reunions with friends I have not seen since the lectures last year and meeting some of my fellow bloggers.

I am teaching one class. It will be on Friday morning bright and early at 8:30. My topic is “Not of this World” and I will be discussing radical kingdom principles from John 18 at AMB 220. If you will be there, I would be greatly encouraged if you would attend. But making that choice may be very difficult considering the gifted speakers who are also teaching at that time- some of whom will be finishing three-part lectures. (But the four of us that show up at my lecture will still have a blast!

So please say a prayer for our travel. We are scheduled to return to Pensacola on Saturday. I doubt I will have the chance to post while there, but I will try!

As always, thanks for stopping by.

 Categorizing is a rather easy thing to do. Based upon just a few observations or some amount of  general information we often find ourselves sizing folks or situations up, attaching a label to them and categorizing. Sometimes, I suppose this can be useful and necessary, but more often it becomes harmful and even dehumanizing.

Are you aware that our English words, “category” and “accuser” are related? They both share common roots in the Greek language. Take Revelation 12:10 for example. A “loud voice in heaven” is speaking about Satan. John records what is said:

For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God night and day has been hurled down.  

The word for “accuser” here in the original Greek language is kategoros. Sound familiar?

Have you ever stopped to think how some involved in the slave industry could treat a fellow human being as mere chattel? Or how an ordinary WWII German soldier could ever bring himself to be involved in the mass murder of Jews? Or how a young man or woman can enter into a marketplace blow themselves and others up in the name of religion?

Categorizing- that’s how.

Categorizing- putting labels on people because they look differently or believe differently takes away their individuality. They stand accused before us. Therefore we somehow grant permission to ourselves to mistreat them  After all, it is what they deserve, right?  The result of this twisted thinking- in just the examples given- has been more than tragic.

Categorizing is Satan’s business. When we play the accusing game we are in lock-step with him.

Think of the labels we throw around in church circles- liberal, progressive, radical, mossback, conservative, instrumentalist, change agent, traditionalist, digressive, etc. Think about what these labels conjure up in our imaginations.

Do we treat each other- even those who differ from us religiously- with the grace of God? Or do we allow what they have been accused of to influence how we approach them?

I recall what my grandmother used to say. She would tell me to, “be careful when you point your finger at someone because four more are pointing back at you.” She did not need knowledge of the Greek language to know the dangers of accusing.

I don’t want to assist Satan in his work of accusing my brothers. I don’t want to be in his category.

Here is what Matthew recorded after Jesus finished sharing his Sermon on the Mount:

The crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as teachers of the law. (Matthew 7:28-29)

If there is anything we can learn from this body of teaching it is the impact and connectedness that genuine kingdom living and principles can have in a culture. Jesus embodied authentically the kingdom principles he taught and as Matthew recorded it was evident.

I believe that people will still respond in a similar way to genuine kingdom living in the real world. Our culture just grows uglier and as it does the urgent need to confront and connect this culture with God’s kingdom grows. But admittedly it is a daunting task.

The violent, frightening and even anti-Christian nature of culture encourages us not to confront but to retreat. It is much safer to stay within our church walls and not venture out. But where would we be if Christ had done that? His culture was just as brutal and oppressive. Yet he modeled and taught aggressive kingdom living.

If we are to follow his example, it means:

Emerging out of our “church culture”.  Often we do not realize how “churched” we have become- how insulated we are from culture at large. While this insulation is comforting it is not connecting the lost, the hungry, the desperate to Christ. In his Sermon on the Mount Christ shook off and consequently shook up the religious culture of his day. He went outside of the box to reach the lost. The inside of the box may be warm, safe and snug, but lost folks are not in it.

Using language that connects. Jesus taught in parables for a reason. It was every-day language that was easily understandable. Paul in Athens quoted local philosophers. We must understand that the culture at-large is not talking about a “night with ebon pinion” or even about more common church words like redemption, remission, or repentance. To connect like Christ and make kingdom living real we must present him in terms culture can embrace.

Doing ministry that relates. Check out the roster of ministries at most churches. It is all about inreach. While inreach is important, what of outreach? We are surrounded by the hurting, the homeless, the helpless and the hopeless, yet sometimes we are more concerned about the condition of our parking lot than ministering to them. This is exactly what the sermon spoke against. Kingdom living in the real world is about doing ministry that relates to people needing Jesus.

Not long after he delivered his sermon, Jesus sent out his disciples in what we call the “limited commission” recorded in Matthew chapter ten. Here is part of the divine advice Jesus shared during preparation:

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves, Therefore be shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. (vs. 16)

Notice Christ’s admission of the cultural challenge. They were sheep entering into a wolf culture. So are we. Notice also how Christ encouraged them to be ready to engage that culture in a wise, practical and genuine way. To me this is kingdom living in the real world. It is our call today.

Remember what the crowds said about Jesus after his sermon? If we want to gauge what kind of impact we are having in our culture and how successfully we are connecting Christ to it, then we must ask ourselves a  key question.

In our attempts to model authentic kingdom living to the lost world- just what are the crowds saying about us?

Life lately seems overwhelmed with tragedy. The horrific images of the murders from Virgina Tech dominate every possible media outlet. The other news allowed to trickle in scream about another day of death in Iraq or focus in on the sad scene that is the Winkler trail.

Then there is the church. Is there anyone happy about their church? Blogs bash it. Issues seem to drive it. I am always hearing about what is wrong with it or about another split, division or debate.

Where is the good news?

Give me a reason to smile, to laugh even! Tell me something great about your life or your church or your family or our world!

How about a little good news, please?

• Here is a laugh- especially if you are a fan of the Andy Griffith Show or old TV shows in general- check out this new blog.
• Also check out the new English language blog of the Vilnius Church of Christ.The local Lithuanian missionaries would be delighted to receive a post from you.

If I could I would make everyone see the eternal danger of sin and bring about the conversion of the world. If I could.

If I could I would infuse new spiritual energy into dying churches and dying Christians, so they could be energized to serve and praise as never before. If I could.

If I could I would heal all the hurt, wipe away every tear, mend all the bruised, and restore all the broken hearts. If I could.

If I could I would bring justice to those threatened unjustly, right all the wrongs and turn all that is bad into good. If I could.

If I could I would take back all the harsh words, unloving treatment, unkind actions we perpetrate on each other. If I could.

If I could I would instill within everyone a deep love for God, a forgiving hearts, a commitment to righteousness, and a respect for each other. If I could.

If I could I would silence all the guns, the wars, the conflicts between nations and people and bring peace to all mankind. If I could.

If I could I would make all the churches more evangelistic, more accepting, less divisive, more loving and compassionate and more of a family. If I could.

If I could I would give every child a home with a mom and dad who love them, each other and God. If I could.

If I could I would stop eliminate all illicit drugs, all drunkenness and all other chemicals we abuse. If I could.

If I could I would stop all murders, all rapes, all abortions, all child abuse and all other forms of violence. If I could.

If I could I would give God’s grace to everyone and help them to know and enjoy the incredible blessings of God. If I could.

If I could I would make everyone understand the virtues of sexual abstinence and remain sexually pure before marriage. If I could.

If I could, the cross of Christ would rest in the hearts of every man, woman and child. If I could.

But I can’t. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t.

But God can. All we have to do is give him the chance.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. - Psalm 130:5-6