Thursday, October 29, 2009

Re-membering Community Part IV - The Point of Holiness

God pulled the Israelites out of the darkness of the world, cleaned them up, set them apart - then put them right back in. They had one purpose - and it wasn't to be a "special" people. It was to be a light in the darkness to draw the others to God.

Exodus 19:5 "Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant,. then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

Don't misunderstand the "treasured possession." I believe what God is telling the Israelites is that they will be a treasure in the sense that they will be His vessel to bring salvation to the entire world. (Is. 49:6) The point of their holiness is so that they will be effective priests, an entire nation of men and women who stand between God and man. Their holiness was for others, not themselves. The Law was given to them as a means of cleansing and revelation. Cleansing for themselves as a revelation to the world. It was not a Godly means to a personal end - which is how they ended up applying it.

The concept of holiness is often taught on an individual level, where we desire to become separate unto God through prayer, fasting and other disciplines of an inner life. We think of monks and priests and monasteries and quiet nights chanting to our self. But that's not what it it's all about - it's about being separated by God, unto Himself, so that we can then become useful as intercessors for others. The purpose of a holy priesthood is to bring others to Christ. The disciplines are important - but as a means of cleansing us for His use, not our self-satisfaction.

Dwell on this passage for a moment:

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friend, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us." (I Peter 2: 9 - 12)

Why were we called out? To bring others out of the same darkness we were in. We cut ourselves way too much slack in the things we tolerate in our lives, because we're only thinking of our own personal holiness. "I can't believe that I did that again!" We're not thinking of how this affects the testimony of God through us to the lost, only of how it makes us feel bad.

The quest for personal holiness is important, but as a means to an end. It is not the end in and of itself. Other people are the end. If I am so self-centered that I think even my own holiness is only about me, then I am a useless vessel in the house of God. Good only unto myself. And that, quite simply, is not good enough. It's why Jesus declared the Temple invalid and said that He would take it from there. Using a new temple - us.

(Read II Timothy 2:20 - 22)

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The Staggering Burden

I've been preaching through Saul's chase of David and here are a couple of quick things I've been learning:

I Samuel 23:1 "When David was told, "look the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors," he inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?"

When we are under the oppression of a Saul in our life, it is tempting to curl up in a cave and wait for the storm to pass. David still had the heart of an intercessor, the heart of a king. While on the run, he felt for the hurting, for those under attack. Don't lose your heart for the weak when you are under personal attack.

I Samuel 24:2 "So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats."

As Israel was suffering the effects of Philistine oppression, he took a large force, the best of the best, and chased after David. Beware of using your best resources to chase your personal agendas while the kingdom falls apart around you.

I Samuel 25:30,31 When the Lord has done for my master every good thing He promised concerning him and has appointed him leader over Israel, my master will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself."

This is the passage when Abigail comes to David and intercedes on behalf of her husband Nabal, trying to convince him not to bring his violent wrath upon her family. In her plea, she speaks deep wisdom, the wisdom that we often attribute to the New Testament way of peace and non-violence. She speaks as Christ would speak, removing our hand from striking our enemies and allowing God to move in His way. Her words hit hard - she talks of the "staggering burden" of violence and taking vengeance into our own hands. She is the ultimate intercessor - a Christ-like figure. And she's an Old Testament woman! The way of God is peace, it always has been. When we pursue violent means to bring self-justification, we place "staggering burdens" upon ourselves. The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus relieving us of this and placing it on Himself.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

A Certain Choice

I Samuel 23: 7 "Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, "God has handed him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars." And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod." David said, "O LORD, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, tell your servant." And the LORD said, "He will." Again David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will."

So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place
. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there. David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.”

I know that's a lot to read, but this passage underscores a point that I think is more important than we realize. Where does our decision-making fit in with the sovereignty of God?

In this passage, we read that David is on the verge of being surrounded by Saul and his men, with the distinct possibility that the men of Keilah will turn him over to Saul. As he inquires of the Lord, David founds out that these things will happen. They are certain to happen. God knows the future and He knows that this will be the result if David stays in Keilah.

So David makes the decision to leave, and these things do not happen. God has laid out a certain end to specific decisions. In His absolute sovereignty He knows the result. So David does something different. He moves away from the absolute certainty of the consequences of staying. If he had stayed he would have been devoured. For sure. So he decided to leave.

There it is in a nutshell: We always have a certain choice.

I believe in the sovereignty of God. I have staked my life upon it. If I thought that He didn't know the end from the beginning, that He wasn't the Alpha and the Omega, then why would I put everything I treasure into His hands? I'm not going to entrust my life and the life of my family upon the whims of a Divine Roulette Wheel.

David had the same belief. So he listened and acted accordingly. Set before us in this passage is the perfect picture of sovereignty and free will in action. He lays out what will happen and lets us decide upon that information. Information we can base our entire life upon. Choices based on certainty. Can there be a better plan than that?

Thursday, October 22, 2009

My Goodness

I just read an article saying that an atheist organization is going to start putting billboards up around New York City promoting their belief system. They will say: "A million New Yorkers are good without God. Are you?" I have no real problem with this, as it is the way of the world and I’m not called to fight the world but to be an ambassador for Christ. The only issue I have is the underlying meaning of the statement and the quote that one of the leaders made, that individuals "don't need religion to be good people and productive members of society.” I think they're missing the point.


To me, it’s not about creating “good people” or being “productive members of society.” That’s not what drives me as a Christian. What I see is that we live in a society that is not good, that creation is groaning and that we are currently living under the weight of thousands of years of bad decisions, decisions made apart from God. We live under the weight of these as individuals in our old nature, and as a culture under a fallen nature.

I live as Christian because I believe that individually I need to be redeemed. My goodness is not the point. My productivity in this fallen culture is not the point. The fact of the matter is that in the beginning God called His creation “good” and since then it has fallen into a very not-good place. My call is to be an agent of redemption, not a proclaimer of my own goodness, as these billboards try to do. Who in the world can make that stunning claim? “I am good!”


I think that Atheists and Christians alike can see that things are not good right now. How can you live in world where there is constant war and famine and proclaim it good? How can you live in country that averages five (5!) child abuse–related deaths a day and proclaim it good? I live in a town that has at least one heroin overdose a week – I can’t stand up and make some broad claim of goodness. If we can’t feel this problem - taste it, smell it, see it - then we’ve purposely closed our eyes and shut down our senses.


That's why Christ came - to bring healing and redemption to a world that has gone bad. I can quote all the verses about the foolishness of the atheist, but that would be pointless. The atheist doesn't accept the Word. What isn't pointless is the obvious fact that things are not right. Our claims of 'goodness' are only relative claims, made against the lives of other people. I haven't been redeemed so that I can stand up and declare "My goodness." I've been redeemed so I can bring the goodness of God to a fallen world.


The question is - am I proclaiming my own righteousness or am I an ambassador of the righteousness of God? If the resources of the church are not used on both levels, personal and creation redemption, then we've proceeded to produce the most hypocritical waste of money in the history of the world.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Re-membering Church - Part III - Now Matters

Psalm 19 "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul . . . making wise the simple . . . giving joy to the heart . . . giving light to the eyes . . . ."

Acts 13:36 "When David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep."

I never cease to be amazed at David's feelings about the Law. He absolutely loves it. He doesn't endure it, he embraces it. When I look at it, I see restrictions. When David looks at it, he sees light and life. He sees God personified, and a means to serve Him and draw near to Him. We know now what "God personified" really is all about - the Word actually becoming flesh and pitching His tent among us. David didn't experience this, but that didn't stop him from experiencing God in a full way and serving God's purpose to the generation he was in.

God is capable of being fully immersed in whatever "light" your generation is working under, and making you effective in that light. In Galatians 2 and 3 Paul talks about the Law as being set aside, having served its purpose, which was to bring us to Christ. He talks about "Christ in us" as the the fulfillment of the Law. He calls this a better thing.

But that doesn't diminish David's moment, and the beautiful light of a future in heaven will not diminish today's moment for you. If we want to experience God, we have enough right here and right now to do that. We can write psalms today that to a future generation in heaven may seem as confusing as David's meditations on the Law. But that doesn't matter. Now matters. This generation matters.

The reason I write this in a "Re-membering Church" post is that many churches spend too much time hoping for a strike from God that will pull them to a higher level, and then they will move out in service. I also know of some who simply talk about enduring this life until we "all get to heaven." That's not good enough, and it's why we have a disconnect with today's generation. They understand that now matters and want to see it matter in any church they go to. If all we sing is "We're Marching to Zion" then we'll see them march out the door. (by the way - I like that hymn but that can't be our sole focus)

We have enough for now. Actually, we have more than enough. We have more than David did and he served God's purpose in his own generation. We can offer our generation a now that matters.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Re-membering Church Part II - Holy Invasion

If the church matters, which I believe it does, then how do we proceed? Where do we draw the line? The church is to be holy, yet invade the world with the Gospel. Christ did this when He became flesh and dwelt among us. Yet He retained His holiness. So here is another thought:

Jeremiah 10:2
"Do not learn the ways of the nations."
Exodus 23:13 "Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips."

I think we are heading in the wrong direction. It's taken me awhile to figure this out, but God has been patiently relentless, pounding it into my heart as He allows me to work through it. He is getting me to a place of holy separation.

Our church culture is, in the name of evangelism, embracing and assimilating into the culture of the world. I have piggy-backed onto this movement for many years - hey, who doesn't want to save the lost - and I think I'm wrong. I can feel in my own walk that I'm wrong, as I struggle with the effects of this working through my own spiritual life. Simply put - I am not of this world anymore, and when I get into it, it gets into me, and I feel completely out of sorts as a Christian. No good to anyone, including myself. Jeremiah 10:2 states, we are not to be learning their 'ways.' Their way of life - their 'gods' - should not even be on our lips. Ephesians 5:12 says that it is 'shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret' - so why would we ever tolerate it, never mind enter into it?

When you learn their ways, you quickly enter into their means, their intentions - and ultimately into their true heart. This is an ugly place where we really should not be dwelling. We think separation causes us to lose our ability to testify in this world. Wrong. Assimilation causes us to lose our ability to testify.

I know that this is an unpopular thought in the new church movements. Believe me, I've bought into the impact by assimilation mindset in the past and the fruit has tasted awful. I've seen two negative consequences:

1. My mind, being saturated with these worldly things under the guise of more effective evangelism, has become a stagnant pool. I know, emerging proponents will say that this is my fault and they may be correct - but it is what it is.

2. The 'salvations' have been very shallow and program/people-dependent. As long as you're being like them, they'll listen - but they leave upon the first sign of anything that's intolerant or goes against their own feelings or core beliefs. This is because they haven't abandoned anything to reach for holiness, they've had their way of life catered to.

I do not say this lightly, because I am desperate for the lost to be saved. I say this after years of study and personal experience - but mostly I say this after feeling the pressure from God to allow Him to fully separate me from this world - so that I can be a better witness of the Truth. Please don't get me wrong - I'm not saying separate from the world and focus solely on your own personal holiness. I'm saying that if we strive for personal holiness, we will have a true picture of God to offer to the world - not simply a neutered version of Him.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Re-membering Community Part I - Church Matters

I am in the process of implementing a sermon series called "Remembering Community" at my church. I have been in conversation with many people, mostly young adults, who are questioning the purpose of church in their lives. Not God. Church. I realize that the older generation (myself included) has not put across the best picture of what church is all about. In our portrayal of church, there has been a lack of true fellowship among the body and true effectiveness in the world - two things that I believe the current generation is seeking. They need to know why they should bother, otherwise - they're gone.

I strongly believe in the need for a local church, a community of believers within each specific section of the world. If we lose this, if this generation splinters off into mere cell groups, then we've lost what I believe is the Christ-established form of invasion - - - Invasion by Community.

Paul's life in Acts was geared toward establishing these communities, and his letters are geared to maintaining them, making sure that they don't splinter or fall away - blended into the world or lost in false doctrine. So much of the New Testament is focused on the local church that it has to be of utmost importance to kingdom building. Church matters.

So I know that I have to fight for it as well. Not just for the small, local body of believers that I pastor. That would be disingenuous, as if I were merely intent on preserving my livelihood. I'm not interested in personal kingdom building. I fight for it because it's the best way to bring the Gospel to the world.

I believe that's why God placed "Remembering Community" on my heart. The purpose is two-fold:

1. To remember why community is so important and understand that we can't let "church" fade away into new movements. I want to teach the need for the local body, the church. For Sunday morning services. For weekly Bible studies. For "fun times." Anything that builds up the community.

2. To literally "remember" Community - the church I pastor. To have a complete re-commitment to this particular local body as an extension of the kingdom at large. To re-member every member, not so that we can claim more numbers, but so that each person can understand what being a part of a church community really means. It's not just showing up on Sunday mornings. It's getting together throughout the week. It's getting into the world and being the ambassador for Christ that we are called to be.

If membership is going to exist in a church, then it should mean something. I believe that it does, because I believe that the Plan is invasion by community. Jesus built up a small body of disciples that ate together and struggled together. After he left they huddled together. Ultimately they advanced the kingdom together. Community matters.

The next few posts will be the aspects of this. For example, my next post is "Keep It Clean" - why it so important to keep the vessel (individuals and churches) free from the stain of the world. If there is no distinction, then there is no clear call to the world.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Could I Have Just a Moment?

I Samuel 19:20 "But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men and they also prophesied."
I Samuel 19:23 "But the Spirit of God came even upon him (Saul) and he walk walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth."

So let me get this straight: Saul, who is so full of himself that he can't even see straight at this point, so full of rage that he wants to kill someone who has just delivered him, is overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit? As he goes to finish the job that his men can't seem to do (kill David) he gets a dose of God that knocks him to his knees in prophetic ecstasy?

And I can't even get a taste at all this week, not even a sniff? Even though with everything within me, I am chasing after a moment like that?

I realize that I am a slave to my senses. God knows that as well. Is He trying to break me of that addiction? Is that one of the reasons that fasting exists - to break me of the need to have every itch scratched immediately?

Increase my faith, because I need a touch and You don't always give out those touches.