Blog
Pot calling the Kettle "Black"
Posted: Monday, June 13, 2011
So I'm sitting in my office today reading a wonderfully refreshing book entitled, "Why We Love the Church," and I am thoroughly enjoying myself. Such wonderful points by these two authors (Kevin DeYoung--the "preacher"/Ted Kluck--the "layman"). You heard my version of one of their points if you were in attendance on Sunday morning: the church is the bride of Christ and, even if she has faults, your friends better not come over and "bash her" to your face because she is YOUR wife! Of course, any good pastor will try to use himself as an example if he can.My mother-in-law still doesn't think my example was too hot.
As I was reading and reflecting, I began to contemplate a little more on the sermon this past Sunday (6/12/11). I remember saying something like, "I know there are a few pseudo-intellectuals here that like to speak out against the church as we know it" or something like that. Of course I didn't have anyone in mind, but I got to doing some REALLY deep thinking about some of my conversations with folks in the past and I came to a rather humbling realization: the pseudo-intellectual that says more negative things about the church than anyone else is ME!
Incidentally, here is the definition of a pseudo-intellectual from an online "Urban Dictionary":
- One who attempts to flex intellect that does not exist within his or her own mind.
- Can probably be found with a thesaurus in hand, while in a chat room, looking up new insults that are synonymous with "stupid" in order to boost his or her own undeserved ego.
So, standing in front of my beloved brothers and sisters, I went off on my rant as to how those of you who speak ill of the church better watch your mouth because that's the bride of Christ you're talking about. The irony is, of course, that I was speaking rather harshly to you all, the "bride of Christ," about "your" behavior.
Apparently I am also "pseudo-pastoral" at times.
I love the church; I love Cornerstone; I love this congregation! I know, as well as you, that there are problems. But I also know, as well as you, that things could be a lot worse! Allow me to share with you one last quote from DeYoung and Kluck:
I know there are some obnoxious evangelical Christians out there. There are some at our church. I'm sure I am one at times. Christians do weird and embarrassing things periodically (e.g., most Christian movies and a lot of contemporary Christian music). But there are also a lot of great people at our church--people whom I genuinely enjoy, and not in a "he's my brother in Christ so I have to like him" sort of way...
I'm also glad that my church is "organized." I'm glad to know where to put my toddler on Sunday morning. I'm glad somebody was institutional enough to think through topics for a Sunday school class or two. I'm glad my pastor, rather than just freewheeling it, cares enough to study Scripture and a bookshelf full of dead authors to give me real spiritual food each Sunday. I'm glad somebody leads a social outreach ministry to those less fortunate in our area. I'm glad somebody (not me) makes sure the kids are learning something biblical in their classes. It is, at its most basic, organized religion. And I love it (p.24).
Afraid of stability
Posted: Friday, May 27, 2011
Before you continue reading this blog, I want to warn you NOT to read anything into this! I am just reflecting; I have no person in mind nor is there any issue that I am trying to subliminally address.I grew up in the church.
As a youth I remember thinking to myself (quite often), "Man, this place is so stuck in a rut." I am not exactly certain that this was the way I said it; the point is I remember growing up in a church that really did say things like, "That's the way we've always done it." Things went on the way they had been going on for years and, if the majority had anything to say about it, things would go on that way until the Good Lord returned.
Then there came the "change-ers." These folks were the "they" that looked around and had the audacity to say, "We need to make a few changes." You know who the "theys" are: "Who wants to change this?" "THEY do."
Some changes in my "home church" were good and necessary. Other changes were kind of dumb. As I have gotten older (I still think of myself as growing up in the church) I have come to realize what everyone comes to realize at some point: change for the sake of "change" is not a good thing.
What is it about "change" that is so polarizing? Many fear change; many fear NOT changing. Being a part of a growing church family, you have to know that some change is simply inevitable. Many who have "been here since the beginning of Cornerstone Church of Christ" (the "pioneers") have experienced a huge amount of change. And many who have joined this wonderful church family within that last 3 or 4 years (the "newbies") will undoubtedly experience just as much change as the first group in the years ahead (unless Christ returns soon...which would be AWESOME!).
"Change" is a part of being a living thing, and the Body of Christ is a living organism as well as an organization. Yet there is nothing wrong with this church family developing a "way of doing things," or a "personality."
We're a non-denominational, conservative, evangelical church and that's pretty much the "lens" we look through; that's the stance that we take on most issues. My question is, "So what? Is that bad?"
And yet, as a leader in God's church, I love to sit and pray and think about what God wants to do here in this family. What is the "vision" that God has for us?
"Believers connecting with one another in studying and applying the Truth of Scripture in our everyday lives." Or what I like to call "THE ABC's OF CORNERSTONE": Authentic Biblical Community.
I believe we are getting closer to the reality of that vision every day simply because most of us realize that community is NOT the goal toward which we work--it is the by-product of being biblical disciples of Jesus Christ. Our first and foremost purpose is to become God-honoring, Jesus-loving, Holy Spirit-indwelt, Bible-believing, Bible-READING disciples, with "community" being a wonderful (and yet secondary) result of our FIRST seeking after Christ!
Cornerstone is a relatively young church. We don't have a problem with the "we've always done it that way" mentality. Well, not too much anyway. As I reflect on this wonderful church family, I have also come to realize that having traditions is not a bad thing either. But I also realize that if, at any time, one of the traditions we have developed becomes an "idol" or becomes "counterproductive" for the purposes of God, that tradition needs to be seriously examined and probably dumped!
Having a (dare I say it?) ROUTINE to the way things happen is not wrong as long as the "traditions of man" do not interfere with or contradict the clear teaching of Scripture.
Sanctified
Posted: Wednesday, May 18, 2011
I heard a great definition this morning on what "sanctification" means: "Putting into practice that which is already your position." I want you to think about that a minute.That wasn't a minute! Don't just skip on ahead to read the rest of this! Stop for a minute and contemplate what "putting into practice that which is already your position" might mean!
As far as our salvation is concerned, our eternal position in Christ is secure because of what He has accomplished on the cross of Calvary. There is nothing more for us to do in order to spend eternity with God than to put our faith in Jesus Christ ("believing in Jesus" is not actually a "work," so don't over-complicate things). Heaven is our home and the true source of our citizenship because we belong to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. In a sense, that is what Jesus meant when He said, "It is finished": all that HAD to be done was DONE.
That's our "position" or our "standing" before God: "innocent" because the blood of Christ covers those who believe and put their trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. There is no "work" for us to do except "believe in the One Who was sent."
Sanctification, however, is a whole other story!
We've been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to indwell within us who believe in Christ, and He was given to us for a reason: so that we could become more like Christ HERE and NOW! And THAT takes work on our part! But we are not simply working in our own effort to become like Christ! You just read that you have been given the Holy Spirit to enable you to do that which you could not do on your own: become like Christ!
("Unbelievers" could care less about becoming more like Christ, and believers can't become more like Christ without the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives...which we have been given! Thus, as believers in Jesus Christ, we have been given everything we need for life and godliness!)
And yet there is a huge responsibility on our part to recognize those things in our lives that are displeasing to God, contrary to the sound teaching of the Bible, and grieving to the Holy Spirit. And once we recognize these things, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are to put them to death and walk in step with the Holy Spirit. He gives us the wisdom to recognize and the strength to accomplish...but we have to slay our sin!
I hate that part.
I find myself, more often than not, saying something like, "Well, if I am a Christian then this should come easy for me." I even yell at God sometimes, "If I have Your Spirit within me then why is this so hard? Shouldn't I just automatically not be like this?"
To this point, I can tell you that the answer is basically "no." I have not been able to say that God sort of "snapped His fingers" and "made me better." But He has given me His wonderful Holy Spirit and He has shown me things that simply ought not be. And He has empowered me to kill these things that displease Him...when I am not busy making excuses or justifying them.
We all know that if you want something bad enough, you will do whatever needs to be done to get it and keep it. That includes sin.
Our eternal position is secure, regardless of how well or how poorly we do today in killing off our sin and becoming more like Christ.
Literally, THANK GOD!
However, our witness can be hindered if we decide not to follow the prompting and guidance of the Holy Spirit and rid ourselves of sinful behaviors and attitudes in order to become more like Christ. And the last time I checked, God is not in the business of blessing our sin.
Think about that a minute.
Stop looking for more babbling and THINK about that for a minute! :-)
