Where You Stay?

When I went to work in Mobile, Alabama in the 1990's, one of my drivers asked me, "Where you stay?"  I thought for a minute, and told him, "out west of town, off Airport road."  In bus driver talk, this was a perfectly adequate answer.  But, in spiritual talk, I think it is a much better, and more complex question and answer.  Where, actually, do I stay?

Last Sunday, we talked about Abram's (later to be Abraham) trip from Ur to Canaan.  In Hebrews 11, Abraham is inducted into the "Faith Hall of Fame," because he obeyed and went.  The writer of Hebrews gives a list of reasons for Abraham's honor, saying:

1. Obedience - He obeyed, even though he didn't know where he was going.

2. He went - Sometimes we speak the words ... Abraham applied the words and took action.

3. He lived in God's plan - Abraham set up shop in the promised land (Canaan) even though the residents of that land opposed him.

4. He lived in hope - God promised Abraham the solid foundation of God's presence, blessing, and protection.

5. He stayed in the Kingdom - Abraham lived, loved, struggled, and thrived in God's Kingdom, where God rules, sends, calls, and nurtures His people.

I love the words of the writer of Hebrews as he calls Abraham (after listing his faithful accomplishments) "as good as dead" before these amazing deeds!  Abraham, in his old age ... in his childless marriage ... in his comfort ... in his wealth ... in his influential position ... didn't stay dead.  Instead, he lived!

When I read all this, I can't help but remember our state as we come to God.  Paul calls us "dead in sin (Ephesians 2)."  Yet, God calls us to see what Hebrews calls "a better country" and a "city with foundations built by God."  So, here are our questions for this week.

Do you see that city?  Are you a proud resident of this culture, or are you willing to live in the land to which God is calling you?  Jesus defines this, and even calls us to pray for it, saying "on earth as it is in heaven."  Jesus talks about it all the time, describing the "Kingdom of God" and its attributes.  Where you stay?

Excitement, Danger, and Blessing

Sunday, Ryan Blalock will be singing a beautiful song written by Andrew Peterson.  It is called, Canaan Bound, and is a musical expression of God's promise to Abraham.  If you remember, God sent Abraham away from the safety, security, and abundance of his land in Ur, to travel to an unknown land God said "flowed with milk and honey."  The land was Canaan, and God gave it to the nation of Israel over 4,000 years ago (bet you won't hear this on the national news).

In the song, the writer speaks about the promise of offspring to "barren Sarah."  The song, correctly, talks of blessing for following and obeying God, including 1) amber crowned hills of Hebron, 2) many sons like the grains of sand, and 3) a vast love that has chosen Abraham.  All of these things come as a result of God's plan, God's design, and God's unstoppable will.  The song, and the subject are beautiful!

So ... 2 questions.  First, are you founded on the wisdom of culture and drawn to a false God that bends the knee to human logic?  Or, are you standing on the solid rock of Christ, who promises excitement, danger, and blessing as we follow him to the land He has promised us?

I guess we have to decide where we are bound.  Are we bound in the chains and throes of culture, that offers nothing eternal?  Or are bound for Canaan, "where the grass, they say, is soft and green, and the trees are tall and honey-filled?"  Are we staying or going?

Scaffolds

In our current series about Moving Mountains I have been encouraging us to reflect upon and change those things that are barriers to God's Supernatural work in/through/around us.  As school begins, there is an educational term that comes to mind.  That term is "scaffolding." The idea of scaffolding is that education is a series of building blocks.  Lower levels of knowledge are foundations for higher levels of knowledge.  You can't do math until you understand numbers and counting. You can't do language till you understand phonetics and the alphabet.  You can't learn music theory till you know notes and terminology.  And here's my eureka moment ... you can't know what you believe or who you believe in till you know the basics of the faith.  Knowledge needs those building blocks in every application ... so why do we think this is different in our faith journey?

Here's my point.  A pastor or teacher builds a structure for a Bible Study lesson or a sermon series.  Part of that structure is a foundation about where he/she is going with the teaching or message.  Yet, our society is fragmented, scattered, and fleeting, like a butterfly moving from flower to flower.  Our cultural condition causes us to be hit-or-miss with our listening availability.  The message or the lesson is diminished and/or diluted because sections of the scaffolding are missing.  The building either doesn't happen, or the building is unstable because sections are missing.

I imagine this problem happens at all levels of education, but it seems (to me) amplified when applied to something our culture fails to prioritize and embrace.  And I think Satan loves when he (or when we) can remove one of those building blocks or sections of scaffold.  So ... that's my venting.  What do we do?  In the Methodist Church, we learn from what John Wesley called "Means of Grace."  Wesley encouraged the people called Methodists to:

1. Engage in 2-way prayer, both sending and receiving from God.

2. Believe God's word/words over the voices of the culture ... that is where truth is found.

3. Study ... always be a student of Scripture, learning as individuals and in community settings.

4. Worship, because corporate worship is one way God builds those foundations and scaffolds.

5. Serve, because in serving we become giving humans, and we learn to interact, compromise, understand, and love others.

6. Participate in worship and the sacramants, because they are sacred by the presence of God ... and what Christian would not want to be in God's presence?

7. Fellowship because part of the learning "scaffold" is learning how to do life with other people.

9. Love God and others as we love ourselves.

10. Witness by being ready to share how God is impacting and changing us for the better.

I truly could go on listing all day, but this is a good start.  Parents ... bring your children/youth every week unless there is calamity that keeps this from happening.  Make sure you find out what was studied, and pass it along to your children.  Adults ... make sure you are part of a Bible Study Fellowship or Disciple Group and stay engaged in that study.  Don't miss a building block!  Christians ... follow the advice of the writer of Hebrews who said, "And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His returning is drawing near (Hebrews 10:25)."  Our gifts (according to 1 Corinthians 12) are for the purpose of BUILDING up the Church.  Let's build, so we can realize the fullness of God ... the length, breadth, height, width and power of a supernatural God!  

The Room

Jesus, in His last statement from Matthew 28 (verse 20) says ... "And be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Mostly, we interpret this as being a time thing.  But what if this is one of those really big, and really small statements of Jesus?

C.S. Lewis posed that God, in Jesus and the Holy Spirit, are the only beings in the universe big enough to exceed the size of the universe (and even that 'time' thing) and yet small enough to enter a human heart.  As I was considering this, I thought of a Tasha Cobb song called "In The Room."  Here are the lyrics ...

I'm not forsaken, never alone

The God of Heaven calls me His own

He's not just seated, upon the throne

I know He's right here, inside my home

I've got a treasure here in my heart

And in my weakness, it won't depart

I have a Savior who will abide

He's not just with me, He lives inside

When we sing this on Sunday, we will rejoice in the beauty of this fact ... "He's in the room!"  In the room of our heart.  In the room of the Family Life Center.  In the room of our church building.  In the hearts of those who leave to live out Jesus when they leave worship.  In Belize, where we share love and ministry with Ed and Arita Lemas.  In Costa Rica, our Costa Rica mission team will share a testimony this week] where we shared a little of life with David and Pamela Knapp.  In all the places, locally and internationally, where we become "acolytes" that carry Jesus and the Holy Spirit out into the world.  He's in the room!  I hope I can get an amen!

Treasure

As we continue to ponder why we seem to have difficulty moving the mountains that Jesus assured us our faith could move, we have explored several possible reasons. This past Sunday, we learned that sometimes God’s calling leads us to actions and places that we (and our culture) consider crazy. The week before that, we discussed how God often guides us to base our actions on what is good rather than on what makes us "happy" or comfortable. Prior to that, we discovered that our attitudes significantly impact God's work in and through us. We must focus our thoughts on things that are honorable, pure, lovely, and admirable if we want to see mountains moved. This week, I want to take us in a more straightforward (but not necessarily easier) direction. Our operative question is: "Do we believe what God says about us?"

Once again, we turn to Exodus 19. Moses reminds the Hebrew people of what God has done (you might remember the song, "What He's Done"). His first words in his speech are: "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you out of Egypt on eagle's wings and brought you to Myself!" (Exodus 19:4). Moses then states, "You will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth." My question is simple: Do you believe this?

Most of you might respond, "God said it, so I believe it!" That’s good, but let's unpack what this belief truly means. The phrase "my own" precedes the word "treasure." If you believe this—if you grasp this truth—then you are God's possession. While this sounds special, let’s remember that there are two kinds of people. There are those owned by God, just like all other things on earth. As it says, "The earth is the Lord's, and all things therein" (Psalm 24:1). This statement may not make you feel particularly special. All people are God's possession, whether they believe it or not. However, God qualifies His statement by saying, "If you obey me fully and keep my covenant, you will be my treasured possession." This is a bit harder to grasp but much clearer.

One of my favorite references to being called God's treasure is found in the parable of the buried treasure. "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field" (Matthew 13:44-46). This beautifully illustrates who we are. God (the merchant) finds a treasure (His people, His Church) and pays the ultimate price for that field, which represents the souls of His people. These are the people God says we are—His treasure, in His field, as part of His kingdom. We are called, equipped, and able to bring Jesus' kingdom "on earth as it is in heaven." Peter takes this a step further in 1 Peter 2:9, where he states that we are to "declare the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light."

So, what do you think of this? If this is God’s opinion of you, are you ready and willing to embrace what He says you are? Perhaps another way we can become mountain-moving, Spirit-filled, praising, and kingdom-bringing people is to disregard what the world says and accept what God says. Lauren Daigle expresses this beautifully in her song: "You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing. You say I am strong when I think I am weak. And you say I am held when I am falling short. And when I don't belong, you say I am Yours ... And I believe, oh, I believe, what You say of me. I believe, yes I believe!"

So, do you believe?

Yes, Crazy!

When I served a church in Florida, I had members from many different professions and walks of life. One was a yacht salesman, another ran a pizza parlor, and many were involved in real estate. But Jamie (name changed) was different.

Jamie was the daughter of two of our friends and marched to the beat of her own drum (in fact, she was an amazing percussionist). However, her day job was quite unusual: she was an alligator wrestler in a park near Orlando.

During a training conference in Orlando, Jamie's mother encouraged me to visit her daughter. I agreed and went to the wildlife park, where, sure enough, Jamie was inside an enclosure corralling an alligator. I said hello as I watched the drama unfold, and then she asked, "Hey... do you want to try?" In that moment, the "macho" side of my brain took over—the part that isn't about to say no to a challenge from a girl (and most women reading this will agree that this isn’t really much of a brain function at all). I replied, "Sure!" although my true answer wasn't quite that enthusiastic.

There I was, in the dirt and mud of Orlando, following instructions from this "expert" on how to grab, hold, and control a six-foot alligator. A voice in the back of my mind questioned, "What on earth are you doing, you idiot?"

After my alligator wrestling experience, I realized that sometimes the things we do in ministry are truly crazy! Both before and after that day, I had engaged in some pretty unusual acts in service to our Lord. 

This experience reminded me of God’s call for us to offer ourselves completely and totally. Joshua didn’t hesitate at God’s command to march around Jericho seven times, culminating in trumpets blowing and the walls falling down (Joshua 6). David boldly faced Goliath, an enemy over twice his size (1 Samuel 17). Jehoshaphat’s singers marched in front of the army, confronting the enemy with only music (2 Chronicles 20). Why would God hesitate to ask me to face an alligator in order to connect with a parishoner?

Let me simplify the message: 1) God’s plan doesn’t rely on my logic, 2) His reasons may or may not be clear when we are called to do something we perceive as crazy, and 3) God can even use our shortcomings (like my foolishness) to create connections for His kingdom.

Yes, I wrestled an alligator. Yes, it was a crazy (and probably foolish) thing to do. Yes, I share the story as a badge of courage, and yes, if God asks, I would consider doing something just as wild today. I wonder... what if we said yes to the tasks (even the seemingly crazy ones) that God asks of us? We might just become part of a world-changing movement!

Happy or Good?

We have a fair number of business people in this church.  That is a good thing, because we do have decisions that need the expertise of folks who have lived out the concept of the "bottom line."  Some things profit us ... and some things go in the "loss" column.

Jews in Jesus' day were very transactionally oriented. Much of the New Testament is steeped in the language of finances.  Even Jesus last words, "tetelestali" (often translated "It is finished") are an accounting term meaning "paid in full."  Jesus' death on the cross is an expression of full payment for the debt of sin for each of us ... even for those who have not yet accepted this free/costly gift.

Paul knew this too.  In 1 Corinthians 10:23 there is another profit/loss statement.  "You say, 'I am allowed to do anything,' but not everything is beneficial."  Another translation says, "You can choose to do whatever you want, but not all that is popular is profitable."

I see this statement played out over and over again.  I think this is best understood by looking at two types of choices ... those that seek to be popular, or those that seek a higher purpose.  This choice is made over and over again each day, and Christians are often unaware of both the choice and the consequence.

1. The culturally popular choice - This choice is manifested in keeping yourself (or your children) in the flow of culture.  The waters of culture flow with the energy of popularity, fads, and what everyone else is doing.  These waters seem smooth and easy ... and there is plenty of company.  Tony Campola remarked that our current goal for ourselves and our children is to be happy, and to make choices that make us happy, satisfied, and able to have/do things everyone else has and is doing.  But 50-70 years ago, the goal was different.  Parents wanted their children to grow up to be good.  Good is far different than happy ... one is self-focused while the other is other-focused.  It is easy to be like everyone else ... it is difficult to be who God made you.

2. The spiritually focused choice - In Exodus 19:5, this is spelled out clearly (and it is echoed in 1 Peter 2:9) ... "If you will hear my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people, for all the earth is mine.  And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."  1 Peter adds the word "chosen."  You get the point.  This choice lives out God's purpose and plan.  But all of those components are difficult!

I do love how that 1 Peter passage ends, because it gets straight to the point God is making.  There is a word in Scripture used when there is a point or purpose to the statement being made.  It is the reason for the statement or the argument being expressed.  The word is "that."  1 Peter 2:9 ends with these words ... "that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."  The 1st choice (above) seems like "smooth sailing" but it is really darkness.  The 2nd choice seems really hard, but it both praises God and allows the 'chooser' to live in the light of Christ.  Which choice will you make?