This past weekend I happened to catch a show on HBO that really peaked my interest. Halloween night I fell asleep with the TV on (this is rare, honestly) only to wake up and catch part of a documentary titled "Prom Night in Mississippi." As I read the opening credits I found myself shocked at what I was reading. At first I thought that I was having a dream, but just to make sure it was real I set my DVR to record the next showing, and then drifted back to dreamland. The next night I began to watch the documentary and discovered what I saw was no dream at all. The premise of the documentary is this:
In 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court orders the integration of all segregated schools in America.
In 1970, sixteen years later, the town of Charleston, Mississippi, allows black students into their white high school. White parents refused to integrate the school graduation dance, starting a tradition of parent organized white proms and black proms.
In 1997 Morgan Freeman, a Charleston resident, offers to pay for the prom - if it's integrated. His offer is ignored.
In 2008, Morgan offers again.
This is where the documentary begins, with Morgan proposing his offer to the school board in Charleston. Now before I dive in to the main outcomes the documentary showed, I want to begin with the many issues already obvious. If you're a California resident like me, you will be shocked that a school would have segregated proms in 2008. Another shock was the fact that Morgan resides in Charleston, but I can see how a small town would attract a famous actor, and from what I can tell he spent some time in Charleston as a child. Another startling factor is Morgan's offer is his second! The one in 1997 was ignored. I am not totally naive to the fact that racism has deep roots in the south, and many people still have views that date back to the 1800's. I recall my uncle being vehemently opposed to driving through Mississippi when we drove to Alabama in 1988, because my brother and my cousin were going to attend Alabama State University. This documentary confirmed why my uncle felt this way.
So now to the documentary. As I watched I noticed the students, our future generation, had no problems being integrated. In fact most, but not all, had many friends of different races. The school is 70% African American, and there are teachers of both races represented. A few white students did express how they did not like African Americans, but you could tell that it was a learned response from their parents. To be fair I am sure the the opposite is true, African American students who did not like whites, but the documentary did not show any. The sports teams were integrated and no one seemed to have a problem with it at all. But when it came to the prom the tradition of segregated proms had no signs of changing before Morgans offer. After the offer was accepted some of the parents of the white students decided to still have a white only prom. This really disappointed me, especially since this is not a large school. I believe the entire senior class was less than 100. The parents of the white students who organized this prom hired an attorney! What could they possibly need an attorney for? To keep the camera crew away and threaten a law suit if they stepped foot on or near the property where the white prom was being held. After the prom the attorney told the camera crew that the parents would not speak on camera because they did not want to be portrayed as bigots or racist. WHAT! Lets see if I have this right. A rich actor agrees to pay for a prom if it is integrated, for a school that is already integrated, where the students are all friends. But the parents decide to have a private prom, where in this economy costs them money they probably could use elsewhere, where the camera crew isn't invited, and oh....blacks aren't either. Then on top of that, money is spent on an attorney, and they are afraid an appearance in this documentary will portray them as racist? Wow. The good news is many of the white students attended both proms, and some even refused to attend the white only prom.
Now I could go on about so many other good points in this documentary but I don't want to ruin it for everyone. I really encourage people to take a look at it. However I want to shift to what really bothered me about this. Where is the church? There was no pastor interviewed, no mention of a youth pastor stepping in, or even a hint of clergy anywhere. Now even though this is a small town I know there is at least a pentecostal church and a catholic church. It reminded me of the many churches that stood by and did nothing during slavery in this country, and beyond that when segregation existed into the sixties. Notice how courts ordered integration in schools in 1954 but in Charleston it didn't happen for sixteen years? So here is my fear, that the church continues to lag behind. Are there issues in our community that maybe affecting our children and youth? Is the church not taking an active role in these issues and lagging behind? Is it going to take sixteen years before we intervene or shall we wait for our own Morgan Freeman's in our communities to step up. I pray that we can all take a hard look at our current issues in our communities and ask ourselves, should the church be involved?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
5 Years Later - "I Have Found God!"
So today as I was working out at the gym I received a text message from a friend of mine who was in my youth program years ago. He told me that this past Saturday he had finally "found God". Now I know what he meant by this statement, that he had accepted Christ in his life and made the decision to follow Him. This made my morning as any occasion like this would!. It has been on my mind all day, so I figured i would share two stories of two young men who decided recently to follow Christ.
This first young man I'll talk about (the one who text me this morning) met me when I called him nearly five years ago, he was in eighth grade. I needed another drummer for the youth band, so I asked the students in my youth group if they knew of one. Well, his name came up so I told her (the girl who mentioned him) to tell him I will be calling. I knew ahead of time that he was not a Christian but to me that did not make a difference. I know sometimes we feel that it is a recipe for disaster, but my mission was the person, not the band. After contacting this young man he agreed to come to rehearsal and play. After meeting him I instantly knew God had a plan for him. He shared with me that his stepdad was an atheist and was not excited or supportive of anything he did with us. This attitude of course spilled over to his level of involvement beyond playing for our midweek program. After about a year he informed me that he had to stop playing drums for us, due to tension in the household and his stepdad. I thanked him for the time he spent with us and told him we will keep in touch. He later moved to Bakersfield and would only occasionally come back to Napa on holidays or special occasions. We kept in touch through phone calls, texts, AIM, etc, and would have an occasional lunch when he was in the area on one of his Napa visits. He found a girlfriend in Bakersfield who was a devoted Christian. In fact the entire family, including her parents, were solid bible believing Christians. All of this helped him to reach this magnificent moment where he could say, "I found God."
Sometimes we forget that the path to eternal life is a journey. We grow impatient and forget that we do not and can not change anyone, it is Christ alone that changes a life. All we do is point people in the right direction so they can encounter Christ. We also need to acknowledge that often time it takes multiple people, circumstances, and events to make it possible for someone to find Christ. I understand that I alone did mot bring this young man to God, it was a collective effort from many people, along with certain circumstances and events. Sometimes it takes years of praying, teaching, and mentoring for this to occur. Today's event is evidence of this, but it is completely worth it. Today I found out another person is entering the kingdom, and the angels are having a party!
The second story that I want to share is about a student who did not go through my youth ministry. He was a young man who came to Sierra Pines Camp as a camper, which is how we met. This was about six years ago at the Junior High Summer Camp. He seemed to not fit in with anyone from his church except for one person. One night he got into a fight with his cabin mates, so I decided to take him into my cabin because we had already began to make a friendship. For the rest of the week I got to know more about him and knew that he needed God in his life bigtime. I think he went to one more camp after this intiail camp and did not return. For a few years after his camp years we kept in touch through phone and email. However eventually the conversations stopped, and I never knew what happened to him. Well, earlier this year he had contacted me through email (he found my email address on the Sierra Pines website) and caught me up on his life. The cliff notes version goes like this:
If you're reading this I would ask that you please remember these two young men in your prayers. Those who know me understand that ministry is not a job for me, it is my life. I thank God that he has put me in situations where I can bring people closer to Him. I have learned that it is always not a quick journey. You may have to walk along someone for many years. If you are in a situation where you are completely frustrated with a friend or loved one I would encourage you to have patience. We may not see it but God is working. Keep praying and being that friend, because one day soon you will hear them say, "I have found God"
This first young man I'll talk about (the one who text me this morning) met me when I called him nearly five years ago, he was in eighth grade. I needed another drummer for the youth band, so I asked the students in my youth group if they knew of one. Well, his name came up so I told her (the girl who mentioned him) to tell him I will be calling. I knew ahead of time that he was not a Christian but to me that did not make a difference. I know sometimes we feel that it is a recipe for disaster, but my mission was the person, not the band. After contacting this young man he agreed to come to rehearsal and play. After meeting him I instantly knew God had a plan for him. He shared with me that his stepdad was an atheist and was not excited or supportive of anything he did with us. This attitude of course spilled over to his level of involvement beyond playing for our midweek program. After about a year he informed me that he had to stop playing drums for us, due to tension in the household and his stepdad. I thanked him for the time he spent with us and told him we will keep in touch. He later moved to Bakersfield and would only occasionally come back to Napa on holidays or special occasions. We kept in touch through phone calls, texts, AIM, etc, and would have an occasional lunch when he was in the area on one of his Napa visits. He found a girlfriend in Bakersfield who was a devoted Christian. In fact the entire family, including her parents, were solid bible believing Christians. All of this helped him to reach this magnificent moment where he could say, "I found God."
Sometimes we forget that the path to eternal life is a journey. We grow impatient and forget that we do not and can not change anyone, it is Christ alone that changes a life. All we do is point people in the right direction so they can encounter Christ. We also need to acknowledge that often time it takes multiple people, circumstances, and events to make it possible for someone to find Christ. I understand that I alone did mot bring this young man to God, it was a collective effort from many people, along with certain circumstances and events. Sometimes it takes years of praying, teaching, and mentoring for this to occur. Today's event is evidence of this, but it is completely worth it. Today I found out another person is entering the kingdom, and the angels are having a party!
The second story that I want to share is about a student who did not go through my youth ministry. He was a young man who came to Sierra Pines Camp as a camper, which is how we met. This was about six years ago at the Junior High Summer Camp. He seemed to not fit in with anyone from his church except for one person. One night he got into a fight with his cabin mates, so I decided to take him into my cabin because we had already began to make a friendship. For the rest of the week I got to know more about him and knew that he needed God in his life bigtime. I think he went to one more camp after this intiail camp and did not return. For a few years after his camp years we kept in touch through phone and email. However eventually the conversations stopped, and I never knew what happened to him. Well, earlier this year he had contacted me through email (he found my email address on the Sierra Pines website) and caught me up on his life. The cliff notes version goes like this:
- He ended up in a gang
- Stopped attending church
- Started using drugs and committing crimes
If you're reading this I would ask that you please remember these two young men in your prayers. Those who know me understand that ministry is not a job for me, it is my life. I thank God that he has put me in situations where I can bring people closer to Him. I have learned that it is always not a quick journey. You may have to walk along someone for many years. If you are in a situation where you are completely frustrated with a friend or loved one I would encourage you to have patience. We may not see it but God is working. Keep praying and being that friend, because one day soon you will hear them say, "I have found God"
Monday, September 21, 2009
I Thought My House Was Built on a Solid Foundation?
For the past two months I have been blessed with the opportunity to visit several churches. During this time God has definitely reveled a lot of thought provoking truths. I've been to large churches, small churches, and yes, even mid size churches. These visits have been awesome and I strongly encourage many of you to do the same when the opportunity presents itself. One of my favorite visits was a local multicultural church that challenged me to think in different ways. It is amazing to me that we can look forward to that day when we all spend eternity with our father in heaven, but struggle to spend a few hours a week together in our churches, but that is a different blog for a different day. My topic today examines our faith. I was challenged a few weeks ago with the thought, "How much do I REALLY believe?"
When I read the gospels, the books of the bible that deal with Jesus and what he did while he was on Earth, I am amazed and alarmed by the disciples actions at times. Here they are walking and talking to the son of God! Jesus himself is right there among them, in the flesh! He not only claims this, but He proves it several times. Can you imagine being told to take a sack lunch with a few fish and bread scraps and feed thousands? I would probably start cutting the fish into tiny little pieces (infinitesimal pieces - sorry, a word I loved since my calculus days). But to see this happen, to reach into a bag, or basket, or whatever, and see food keep coming, when you know you didn't start out with that much, should be a clue that Jesus is the real deal. But the disciples quickly forget this miracle. After everyone was fed and went home, the disciples let Jesus stay on the mountain for some quiet time while they waited for him in a boat some distance from the shore. The wind picks up so they can't get to shore to pick Jesus up. Jesus being who he is says "no problem" and just walks to them. Right on top of the water! Now you would think after the feeding and other miracles they have witnessed, this would be no big deal. I would imagine they would all chuckle and be like "oh that Jesus, doing that I'm the divine son of God thing again!" But no, they shriek in terror! Only Peter is bold enough to say "I can do this" and walks out to Jesus. But then like many of us who go strong until trouble comes, Peter begins to sink when the wind and storms pick up. You see we suddenly forget God's promises, and we lose faith. This is where I think many of us are at in our Christian walk.
When we face hard times, trials, and difficulties we often cry out to God for help. Many of us are desperate and panicked, worried, and even stressed when we decide to call on Him. But what does that say about our faith? Why cant we just proclaim victory in whatever way God wants to do it? When we are faced with a challenge we need to stand firm and say "God, right now I proclaim this victory in your name, and will wait for you to do your will!" The secret to this is actually believing in the proclamation you're stating. Simply praying while worrying will not work. Now I have common sense and understand many times we have anxiety about issues, we are human and in the flesh. But again, the Christian life is a journey! It is a lifelong trip to a destination, so to get there you have to continue to work towards your goal. Being spiritually formed is how this happens. Jesus says that when you read his word and put it into practice it will be like building a house on a solid foundation, when we do not it will be like building a house on sand. Maybe this is why Christians lack faith and the ability to proclaim God's promises, we don't know them! Then there are some who know God's word but forgets that we have the Holy Spirit, and with that power we can proclaim victories! Let's not fall into the trap that we are powerless, for we have God on our side, and with him everything is possible.
Here is some of the promises God has for us: http://www.geocities.com/perkinshome/promise.html (I do not sponsor or have any relation to this site)
Now like always I have to say we must use common sense. We have to do our part and not expect God to do things for us we have control over and can do ourselves. We can have faith that God will provide for us but we also received gifts form God that allow us to work so we can do our part in what God provides.
My attention to this subject occurred when I was attending the multicultural church I mentioned earlier. On one Sunday morning the pastor shared a quick story about his Blackberry (its a cell phone for those who don't know). He told us how it was in his pocket when he fell into the lake he was walking in. Well he knew that conventional wisdom states, water + cell phone = dead. He set the phone in his car to dry. Hours later he turned on the phone and it did not work. He repeated the same process and decided to try it again, same result. At this point he began to proclaim that God wanted him to be a better steward of his finances, and spending $300 on a replacement phone was just wasteful. This pastor simply would not believe or accept that his phone was dead. His process of setting it to dry on his car dashboard, turn on, fail, and repeat lasted five or seven times (I can't remember the exact number). After the last time he did this, the phone worked perfectly. Now like most, my first reaction was dismissal. The phone just dried out and sometimes you get lucky, God isn't concerned about your material things like a cell phone, God really didn't do ......whoa! Where did this doubt come from? Why did I think this was ridiculous? I am curious to see what others think. Whatever I thought, I realized that this pastor has a solid foundation, so solid that he even proclaims his faith in the Spirit's power in the most common everyday circumstances. I want that faith!
The last thing I wanted to mention refers back to Peter, who was the only disciple to take that walk of faith. He began to sink because he couldn't handle the storm coming his way, but he cried out to Jesus in his weakness, and Jesus grabbed his hand, and pulled him to safety. Always remember that we already have the victory, lets own it and proclaim it, which requires us to believe it. To do this we must be spiritually transformed, our lives built on a solid foundation of Christ, but if we stumble and lack faith, just cry out to Jesus, and he will reach out to you, and pull you to safety.
When I read the gospels, the books of the bible that deal with Jesus and what he did while he was on Earth, I am amazed and alarmed by the disciples actions at times. Here they are walking and talking to the son of God! Jesus himself is right there among them, in the flesh! He not only claims this, but He proves it several times. Can you imagine being told to take a sack lunch with a few fish and bread scraps and feed thousands? I would probably start cutting the fish into tiny little pieces (infinitesimal pieces - sorry, a word I loved since my calculus days). But to see this happen, to reach into a bag, or basket, or whatever, and see food keep coming, when you know you didn't start out with that much, should be a clue that Jesus is the real deal. But the disciples quickly forget this miracle. After everyone was fed and went home, the disciples let Jesus stay on the mountain for some quiet time while they waited for him in a boat some distance from the shore. The wind picks up so they can't get to shore to pick Jesus up. Jesus being who he is says "no problem" and just walks to them. Right on top of the water! Now you would think after the feeding and other miracles they have witnessed, this would be no big deal. I would imagine they would all chuckle and be like "oh that Jesus, doing that I'm the divine son of God thing again!" But no, they shriek in terror! Only Peter is bold enough to say "I can do this" and walks out to Jesus. But then like many of us who go strong until trouble comes, Peter begins to sink when the wind and storms pick up. You see we suddenly forget God's promises, and we lose faith. This is where I think many of us are at in our Christian walk.
When we face hard times, trials, and difficulties we often cry out to God for help. Many of us are desperate and panicked, worried, and even stressed when we decide to call on Him. But what does that say about our faith? Why cant we just proclaim victory in whatever way God wants to do it? When we are faced with a challenge we need to stand firm and say "God, right now I proclaim this victory in your name, and will wait for you to do your will!" The secret to this is actually believing in the proclamation you're stating. Simply praying while worrying will not work. Now I have common sense and understand many times we have anxiety about issues, we are human and in the flesh. But again, the Christian life is a journey! It is a lifelong trip to a destination, so to get there you have to continue to work towards your goal. Being spiritually formed is how this happens. Jesus says that when you read his word and put it into practice it will be like building a house on a solid foundation, when we do not it will be like building a house on sand. Maybe this is why Christians lack faith and the ability to proclaim God's promises, we don't know them! Then there are some who know God's word but forgets that we have the Holy Spirit, and with that power we can proclaim victories! Let's not fall into the trap that we are powerless, for we have God on our side, and with him everything is possible.
Here is some of the promises God has for us: http://www.geocities.com/perkinshome/promise.html (I do not sponsor or have any relation to this site)
Now like always I have to say we must use common sense. We have to do our part and not expect God to do things for us we have control over and can do ourselves. We can have faith that God will provide for us but we also received gifts form God that allow us to work so we can do our part in what God provides.
My attention to this subject occurred when I was attending the multicultural church I mentioned earlier. On one Sunday morning the pastor shared a quick story about his Blackberry (its a cell phone for those who don't know). He told us how it was in his pocket when he fell into the lake he was walking in. Well he knew that conventional wisdom states, water + cell phone = dead. He set the phone in his car to dry. Hours later he turned on the phone and it did not work. He repeated the same process and decided to try it again, same result. At this point he began to proclaim that God wanted him to be a better steward of his finances, and spending $300 on a replacement phone was just wasteful. This pastor simply would not believe or accept that his phone was dead. His process of setting it to dry on his car dashboard, turn on, fail, and repeat lasted five or seven times (I can't remember the exact number). After the last time he did this, the phone worked perfectly. Now like most, my first reaction was dismissal. The phone just dried out and sometimes you get lucky, God isn't concerned about your material things like a cell phone, God really didn't do ......whoa! Where did this doubt come from? Why did I think this was ridiculous? I am curious to see what others think. Whatever I thought, I realized that this pastor has a solid foundation, so solid that he even proclaims his faith in the Spirit's power in the most common everyday circumstances. I want that faith!
The last thing I wanted to mention refers back to Peter, who was the only disciple to take that walk of faith. He began to sink because he couldn't handle the storm coming his way, but he cried out to Jesus in his weakness, and Jesus grabbed his hand, and pulled him to safety. Always remember that we already have the victory, lets own it and proclaim it, which requires us to believe it. To do this we must be spiritually transformed, our lives built on a solid foundation of Christ, but if we stumble and lack faith, just cry out to Jesus, and he will reach out to you, and pull you to safety.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
When the Church Fails
I run into so many people that stay away from church because of a prior experience that left them bitter. Some have been hurt by the church, its members, or even its leaders. Getting those who are hurt and lost back into the church is a difficult task, but I believe there is healing that can take place. I think there needs to be a basic understanding of the church and how it operates. You see, I love God's church. And I have a heart to see people healed from pain (not just physical), and restored into the kingdom, through the process of spiritual formation. But for many, the pain of a failed church experience holds them back. This leads me to the question.....what do you do when the church fails?
The first thing that we must understand is what we mean by "The Church". The church today is simply made up of people, humans, God's creation. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, we as people have been flawed. Because of this we must realize that the church is made up of flawed people, and problems will happen. It is never a matter of if, but when. We see this in the leadership of the church, as illustrated in Acts 15:37-40;
37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
We see here that the leaders could not agree on everything. This event was probably the first denominational split of the church. The one thing to realize is that THIS IS OK. God is okay with this because he knows what is going to happen. We see in the above passage that the leaders separated, but as a result the Word of God spread in multiple areas. When Stephen was killed in Acts 7 the followers were terrified and they fled to different parts of the globe. This resulted in many different nations and territories hearing the Word of God and becoming Christians. God always makes things work together for His good (Rom 8:28).
Small disagreements in doctrine can also cause us to separate, but God knows this as well, you see we are all flawed in some doctrinal way. Again, Acts 15 shows this:
Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
This was the doctrine in question, and some of the followers (think church members)of the Pharisees answer in this way with their position:
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”
Now imagine if this was a doctrine that you believed and your church decides to explore going a different direction, one that hasn't been explored before as it relates to these gentile Christians.
So then Peter stands up and gives his position on the matter:
11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Paul and Barnabas then agree with Peter and even give examples of how God has changed the lives of Gentile believers just the way they are, without being circumcised. (I encourage everyone to read the entire chapter)So who was wrong and who was right? I am sure we can have a great debate with points on both sides, but what is the bigger picture here? We must know that these arguments will last until Christ comes, that is why Paul proclaims in 1 Corinthians 2:2:
2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
This is the basic message of the church. Often people have been hurt for doctrinal issues or disagreements, or because flawed people failed us. But when we remember that the cross is the reason we worship and celebrate, the healing process will begin. We must know it is okay to disagree, leave a church, and to go where God leads you. In Ephesians 4:11-16 it says:
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Each church is made to reach different types of people. This verse in Ephesians tells us that God has gifted his leaders differently, but each of them serve the same purpose, to prepare God's people for works of service. We may respond very well to one leader, but struggle with another. The latter verses of this passage tells us that as believers we shouldn't be like immature infants who are easily swayed and confused. This is the spiritual formation piece that I feel we need to equip our congregations with. We must "speak the truth in love" in order to grow "up into Him", meaning for formation to take place truth must be told and understood, presented in love of course. Simply being hurt by the church because we would not accept truth is a different case altogether. However, those who accept truth and love Christ but hate the church must realize that Christ is calling you back to the church. It is in church that we have fellowship with other believers, we have spiritual growth, and we have community in worship. Let's not let flawed people stop us from enjoying the church, it is Christ we follow, not people.
The first thing that we must understand is what we mean by "The Church". The church today is simply made up of people, humans, God's creation. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, we as people have been flawed. Because of this we must realize that the church is made up of flawed people, and problems will happen. It is never a matter of if, but when. We see this in the leadership of the church, as illustrated in Acts 15:37-40;
37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
We see here that the leaders could not agree on everything. This event was probably the first denominational split of the church. The one thing to realize is that THIS IS OK. God is okay with this because he knows what is going to happen. We see in the above passage that the leaders separated, but as a result the Word of God spread in multiple areas. When Stephen was killed in Acts 7 the followers were terrified and they fled to different parts of the globe. This resulted in many different nations and territories hearing the Word of God and becoming Christians. God always makes things work together for His good (Rom 8:28).
Small disagreements in doctrine can also cause us to separate, but God knows this as well, you see we are all flawed in some doctrinal way. Again, Acts 15 shows this:
Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
This was the doctrine in question, and some of the followers (think church members)of the Pharisees answer in this way with their position:
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”
Now imagine if this was a doctrine that you believed and your church decides to explore going a different direction, one that hasn't been explored before as it relates to these gentile Christians.
So then Peter stands up and gives his position on the matter:
11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Paul and Barnabas then agree with Peter and even give examples of how God has changed the lives of Gentile believers just the way they are, without being circumcised. (I encourage everyone to read the entire chapter)So who was wrong and who was right? I am sure we can have a great debate with points on both sides, but what is the bigger picture here? We must know that these arguments will last until Christ comes, that is why Paul proclaims in 1 Corinthians 2:2:
2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
This is the basic message of the church. Often people have been hurt for doctrinal issues or disagreements, or because flawed people failed us. But when we remember that the cross is the reason we worship and celebrate, the healing process will begin. We must know it is okay to disagree, leave a church, and to go where God leads you. In Ephesians 4:11-16 it says:
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Each church is made to reach different types of people. This verse in Ephesians tells us that God has gifted his leaders differently, but each of them serve the same purpose, to prepare God's people for works of service. We may respond very well to one leader, but struggle with another. The latter verses of this passage tells us that as believers we shouldn't be like immature infants who are easily swayed and confused. This is the spiritual formation piece that I feel we need to equip our congregations with. We must "speak the truth in love" in order to grow "up into Him", meaning for formation to take place truth must be told and understood, presented in love of course. Simply being hurt by the church because we would not accept truth is a different case altogether. However, those who accept truth and love Christ but hate the church must realize that Christ is calling you back to the church. It is in church that we have fellowship with other believers, we have spiritual growth, and we have community in worship. Let's not let flawed people stop us from enjoying the church, it is Christ we follow, not people.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The Lost Chapter in Acts
This week has been a hard week for me emotionally and physically. Changes in my life are taking place but that is expected, it's life. I just finished my first of three camps with the other two quickly approaching. So I thought I would share what was on my mind the entire week. Acts chapter 2, specifically verses 42-47. This is what I call the lost chapter in Acts. Why? Because we (including myself) forget to live this out in our lives. It is especially difficult for us in America, because we are constantly bombarded with consumerism, capitalism, and materialism.
So what is it about these verses that make me feel this way? Well, verse 44 gives us the picture of a community of believers all sharing their lives together, valuing each other, and even (verse 45) selling their possessions to help their "family' (or community). If someone had a need the others would meet it. Now we read this and say "der", that's what the church is for. If you are a believer that is what you're suppose to do. That's what friends and family do right? But when it comes to me and my possessions, how far am I willing to go? How much of my money that I work hard for am I willing to give up for someone who I may feel is a slouch? But this is the thing, I believe this community of believers were so close, so tight, that no one was a slouch. Each person was pulling their own weight and helping the other out. so because of this what happened? Verse 46 and 47 illustrate a community that is happy in worship together. Devoted to each other, loyal, and committed. And what did God do to the group? They grew daily. More people were added to their numbers. How many of our churches would be blessed if we simply followed Acts 2 to the letter? Is it difficult, you bet. Sacrificing yourself to help others out is a difficult thing to do. We tend to look out for ourselves and prefer to not do without if we can avoid it. It's every man and woman for themselves. But wait, Jesus sacrificed his life right? The ultimate sacrifice! All to help me. Just so I can spend eternity with Him, and do life with Him. Maybe it is time I rediscover this chapter and live it out? How many are with me?
Lastly I want to mention that this morning as I sat in church and this very verse was read as the Pastor began his sermon, my heart became heavy. Heavy because I had been meditating on this verse the entire week. Heavy because in some way God was speaking to me and confirming my thoughts that the Spirit laid on my heart. And heavy because I know I may have left this chapter in the bible out of my life. Sure I followed it to a certain level, but probably no where near the level that the early believers did. This is not an easy task for us to do, but again.....how many are with me in trying?
So what is it about these verses that make me feel this way? Well, verse 44 gives us the picture of a community of believers all sharing their lives together, valuing each other, and even (verse 45) selling their possessions to help their "family' (or community). If someone had a need the others would meet it. Now we read this and say "der", that's what the church is for. If you are a believer that is what you're suppose to do. That's what friends and family do right? But when it comes to me and my possessions, how far am I willing to go? How much of my money that I work hard for am I willing to give up for someone who I may feel is a slouch? But this is the thing, I believe this community of believers were so close, so tight, that no one was a slouch. Each person was pulling their own weight and helping the other out. so because of this what happened? Verse 46 and 47 illustrate a community that is happy in worship together. Devoted to each other, loyal, and committed. And what did God do to the group? They grew daily. More people were added to their numbers. How many of our churches would be blessed if we simply followed Acts 2 to the letter? Is it difficult, you bet. Sacrificing yourself to help others out is a difficult thing to do. We tend to look out for ourselves and prefer to not do without if we can avoid it. It's every man and woman for themselves. But wait, Jesus sacrificed his life right? The ultimate sacrifice! All to help me. Just so I can spend eternity with Him, and do life with Him. Maybe it is time I rediscover this chapter and live it out? How many are with me?
Lastly I want to mention that this morning as I sat in church and this very verse was read as the Pastor began his sermon, my heart became heavy. Heavy because I had been meditating on this verse the entire week. Heavy because in some way God was speaking to me and confirming my thoughts that the Spirit laid on my heart. And heavy because I know I may have left this chapter in the bible out of my life. Sure I followed it to a certain level, but probably no where near the level that the early believers did. This is not an easy task for us to do, but again.....how many are with me in trying?
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Insights into Christianity
Hey all! I'm back from two weeks of intensive classes at seminary, and I must say I am excited about what I learned. I took a class on Community Development, which is basically looking at what we need to do as Christians (not what we need to do as the church, the church in modern day terms is nothing more that an institution, I'm talking about what the church was in the day of Jesus, a group of people living like Jesus). What I mean by "what we need to do as Christians" is that Christians are supposed to impact their communities, and the world. This is what Jesus did. The other class was Global Issues In Evangelism, which is all about missions. Is God calling us to be missional in the sense of doing overseas missions? What are our assumptions and faults as Americans when it comes to trying to understand other cultures? Does Jesus want us to reach out to all the world? (hint:look up Great Commission).
So what example did Jesus leave for us? He seemed to do what the "religious leaders" thought He shouldn't do. He was always around prostitutes, immoral people, the sick, the mentally ill, and so on. So if we are to be like Jesus, and Christians claim to be "Christ like", why do we struggle to reach out to the poor, the immoral, the mentally ill, basically "the least of these." I know what some may be saying, "I support missions, I donate to this, I serve on the food sharing program". That is awesome, it really is. But let's examine our hearts and decide if we are doing it so we can feel good, or so that those we serve can feel good? Thanksgiving and Christmas are key times to feed the homeless and those who are without. These programs are awesome. However, besides the fact that they are hungry the other days of the year, what is the main theme on these days? Family, family, and family. Often times we serve the poor with a smile, and go on our way. The truly poor get feed physically,. but do they get feed spiritually or mentally. What they truly need is relationships, this is what I mean by following the example of Jesus, it goes beyond giving money or volunteering time. This is what Jesus meant by "the poor will always be among us." It isn't that the poor will always be here, it is more about us as Christians will always be around the poor, because THAT'S WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO....be around the poor, the sick, the least of these.Are we?
This is not a post to make you feel guilty (BTW....this applies to me to!), it is simply a post to get back to Christology, which is the exploration of the impact Christ has on us. This will determine our missiology, which is our purpose and function in the world. and that will determine our ecclesiology, which is the function of the church. (taken from ReJesus, by Frost and Hirsch). We often work backwards, and start with what we do in the church, which will determine what we do in the world (or do not do), and in the process we hope to learn about Christ and His impact, our Christology.
So what's the bottom line? How can we "Go Be Jesus" if we don't do what Jesus did?
I will be speaking on this Sunday morning, June 28th at our 10am service at:
CrossWalk Community Church
2590 First Street
Napa, Ca, 94558
www.crosswalknapa.org
So what example did Jesus leave for us? He seemed to do what the "religious leaders" thought He shouldn't do. He was always around prostitutes, immoral people, the sick, the mentally ill, and so on. So if we are to be like Jesus, and Christians claim to be "Christ like", why do we struggle to reach out to the poor, the immoral, the mentally ill, basically "the least of these." I know what some may be saying, "I support missions, I donate to this, I serve on the food sharing program". That is awesome, it really is. But let's examine our hearts and decide if we are doing it so we can feel good, or so that those we serve can feel good? Thanksgiving and Christmas are key times to feed the homeless and those who are without. These programs are awesome. However, besides the fact that they are hungry the other days of the year, what is the main theme on these days? Family, family, and family. Often times we serve the poor with a smile, and go on our way. The truly poor get feed physically,. but do they get feed spiritually or mentally. What they truly need is relationships, this is what I mean by following the example of Jesus, it goes beyond giving money or volunteering time. This is what Jesus meant by "the poor will always be among us." It isn't that the poor will always be here, it is more about us as Christians will always be around the poor, because THAT'S WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO....be around the poor, the sick, the least of these.Are we?
This is not a post to make you feel guilty (BTW....this applies to me to!), it is simply a post to get back to Christology, which is the exploration of the impact Christ has on us. This will determine our missiology, which is our purpose and function in the world. and that will determine our ecclesiology, which is the function of the church. (taken from ReJesus, by Frost and Hirsch). We often work backwards, and start with what we do in the church, which will determine what we do in the world (or do not do), and in the process we hope to learn about Christ and His impact, our Christology.
So what's the bottom line? How can we "Go Be Jesus" if we don't do what Jesus did?
I will be speaking on this Sunday morning, June 28th at our 10am service at:
CrossWalk Community Church
2590 First Street
Napa, Ca, 94558
www.crosswalknapa.org
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