“You’re far happier to give than to get.” Jesus said something like that. He was teaching us that we need to be thinking about more than ourselves. When you just think about yourself, you’re miserable. When you begin to think of others, by some paradox, you become happy. I don’t know how it works, but it does.
Start Where You Are
One of my good friends started an organization that is based on the idea that we should be grateful and give. It makes us happier and better. He’s right, and he’s changing an entire country in a profound way.
But, you don’t have to start a huge organization. You don’t have to become a doctor or teacher or a preacher. You can start right where you are. Here is my challenge to you:
Make someone happy every hour of the day.
Now, don’t let me hold you back. You can make more than one person happy each hour. But, as a bare minimum, you must make one person happy (or at least try to) every hour of the day.
Don’t worry. I’ve got some ideas for you.
24 Ways to Make Someone Happy
Note: You will only need about 16 of these (I assume you sleep).
Smile. If someone smiles back – you just succeeded. Don’t do the creepy smile, either.
Say “Thank You” sincerely.
Treat service people (waiters, cashiers) with sincere dignity and respect. That doesn’t mean asking for their number, though.
Take an old person to lunch.
Take a person with few friends to lunch. You might make a friend!
Invite someone new to be a part of your group.
Show sincere appreciation to a coworker. They might be your boss someday.
Bring donuts to the office. This is always a winner.
Bring biscuits to the office. Even bigger winner in the South.
Bring cookies to the office. Another winner.
Give someone a sincere compliment. “Your hair looks oily” does not count.
Sing for someone. Don’t be too loud or you might scare them.
Write someone a sincere letter of appreciation.
Call someone to check on them if you haven’t seen them in a while.
Take a home cooked meal to a shut in.
Take takeout to a shut in. This is probably what I’d do.
Send a birthday card. Facebook messages don’t count.
Send a get well card. Facebook messages don’t count.
Send a congratulations card. Facebook messages don’t count.
Tell someone a corny joke. If you don’t know one, there’s “The Google.”
Really listen to someone who needs it. That means pay attention and don’t talk a lot.
Give someone a standing ovation. Some people make it through life without ever receiving one.
Protect or help someone physically. God made you strong not to hurt but to help. Use your strength to help someone.
Take a walk with someone. People need to get outside, and if you ask the right person, it will make their day.
There was a man who wrote worship songs. His name was Matt. He was a part of a church that had become very much involved in producing exciting songs and beautiful music. The church had lots of people, but the preacher believed something was missing. So, one day he challenged the church to strip it down to the essentials. They unplugged the instruments and started worshiping with just their voices. They would focus on the meaning of the songs and and that worship is all about Jesus, not the spectacle of a production.
Stripped Away
That was the inspiration for the hugely popular Matt Redman song, “The Heart of Worship.” They stripped away all the instruments and sound system, and just worshiped with their voices. They did what Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 talks about. They filled up on the Spirit instead of on “spirits.”
Here are some of the words to that song:
When the music fades, all is stripped away, and I simply come / Longing just to bring something that’s of worth that will bless your heart… / I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You, Jesus.
More than a Production
Do you ever feel like your worship is getting out of control, and it’s more about a production than about Jesus?
You might be about the production if
You are more concerned with the way worship is organized than the words that are said.
You are more interested in getting beautiful 4 part harmony than in the harmony of hearts singing the words.
You’re more into getting the pitch right than the attitude right.
The Heart of Worship
If you feel like you’ve gotten to this point, then what do you do?
You strip it away. You go back to the heart of worship. You make it all about Jesus. You go back to his Word, and you follow it in Spirit and in truth. You do things the right way and with the right attitude. You honor him with your methods and with your heart.
And, when you do that, you can know what what you offer is “more than a song. It reaches deep within, to the ways of the heart.”
All of life isn’t worship in the sense that we aren’t always singing or praying, but we can turn all of our lives into an offering. We can turn all of our lives into a heartfelt expression of our acknowledgement and joy in being a part of God’s story. Then, our lives will be more than a song.
There once was a Christian college president with a Southern face. I say a Southern face because this was the kind of face you could only get from years of pan fried chicken, iron skillet corn bread, buttermilk biscuits. He was a very happy looking man…especially when he was around prospective students and wealthy alumnus. We will simply call him President.
The Board of Trustees loved President. He was a great fundraiser.
Sleep Walking
His wife was a dutiful woman who always cooked a full lunch, and he loved coming home to it. He loved her, too. Even though she was the plainest girl this side of the Mississippi, he was so excited to marry her. See, her daddy was the last college President, and was as rich as she was plain. And, she was so good to him, even after he started sleep walking at night. Story goes that sometimes she would get up at night and find him out in the living room shaking hands with imaginary donors. She’d have to show up and shake his hand and lead him back to bed.
More Hand Shaking
In the morning after his nightly hand shakings, he would head to the local Hardee’s. He loved their butter biscuits, and he would sit down there from 7:00-8:00AM. Turns out he not only loved the biscuits, but there were a few wealthy alums who would come in and have coffee with him. He would get to shake their hands. They would come in with their suits and pressed shirts, and he would smile so big you’d think his few remaining real teeth might fall right out on the plastic tray.
Mr. Humble’s Tragedy
It turns out there was another man who would come in there every day. He was an older gentleman who was always dirty, the kind of dirty that just doesn’t wash off. His name was Mr. Humble. His calloused hands were missing the ends of a few digits. President would quickly waddle along whenever Mr. Humble would walk by. They literally never spoke. Perhaps the saddest day of his life was when Mr. Humble died, and President found out that Mr. Humble was secretly the richest man in town. And, he was even more appalled that Mr. Humble didn’t leave the college one cent in his will. President didn’t know what to do about this. He got so worked up that he had a heart attack and died.
Like the President
I won’t deliver President’s epitaph, but I will ask you a question. Are you anything like him?
If you only perk up for your superiors at work,
If you are nicer to rich people than to poor,
If you are nicer to doctors than to nurses,
If you smile for the popular, but don’t even notice the loners,
If you make every effort to please the powerful, and don’t do anything for the weak,
If you would give up your seat for your boss but wouldn’t budge for someone that reports to you,
If you smile for the wealthy and won’t shake hands with the homeless,
If you’d do anything for the quarterback, but won’t move a finger for a bench warmer,
Then you might be a little like President.
What would Jesus say?
I wonder what Jesus would have to say to President. Well, on this earth, it would be hard for him to say anything, because when he saw Jesus, President would surely scuffle away. He certainly wouldn’t shake his hand. I mean, why shake the hand of a poor, manual laboring, no bank account Middle Eastern looking man. If anything President would have been scared of him. In fact, President did meet him, so to speak. Jesus was there in Hardee’s. In some way, he was there in disguise as Mr. Humble.
Matthew 25:40 says, “Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.’”
More Than President
Now, here’s a question for you, how can you be more than President?
Some ways:
Offer your seat to a poor person if they visit church
Feed the hungry
Clothe the needy
Take care of widows
Take care of orphans
Visit people in prison
These are specific examples, but the heart of the matter is that you have to learn to see the face of the Master in the face of your brothers. John makes a huge point – if you can’t love people, how can you say you love God. And, loving people doesn’t mean shaking their hands in order to get something out of them. It means something else.
The King
Here’s an alternative picture. The most powerful man who ever walked the planet was accused of being a friend of sinners. He was seen as the enemy of the religious elite. He was accused of being a friend to the outcast and loving to people like prostitutes and outsiders. And, he made a huge donation to his cause. It was a blood donation. He calls his followers to do the same thing. To reach out to the least, to befriend the sinners, and to share his good story, and to put some blood in the game.
Sleep Walking
President would sometimes be found sleep walking and asking for donations.
If you were a sleep walker, what would you be doing in your sleep?
Would you be singing a song of praise?
Would you be helping the hurting?
Would you be writing a story of redemption?
Would you be teaching someone to be a better person?
Would you be working for a better tomorrow?
You can do all of that, and now is the time to be more than President. Now is the time to befriend the humble king.
There was once a speaker who told everyone what they wanted to hear. He said that if you followed his message you’d make more money, have better health, and people would just like you. His name was Mr. Little. People liked to hear him. Problem is, his message was lacking. In fact, some Christ followers began to listen to his messages, and found out the message wasn’t Christian at all.
You Might Be Like Mr. Little
Now, before you say…I’m nothing like Little….let me tell you that you might be like Mr. Little if…
You believe that following Jesus means you’ll have an easy life.
You believe that a good life means having lots of money and being super popular.
You Can Know More than Little
The truth is, you can know much more than Mr. Little.
You can know how to be more than rich and better than happy.
You can know more than a financially successful job; you can become a vital part of a world changing mission.
You can know more than happiness; you can know joy.
You can know more than popularity; you can find friends that stick closer than brothers.
You can know more than being hot; you can find your true value.
You can know more than fear and power; you can know love and peace.
You can know more than how to become rich; you can know how to become blessed.
You can know more than making the best of your situation; you can know the one who can change your situation for good.
You can know more than seeking approval of the powerful; you can know the applause of heaven.
You can know a blessing so great it can’t be measured in square feet, bank accounts, nor rungs on the ladder of achievement.
Aim Higher
I’m not trying to get you to shoot lower. I want you to aim higher.
The truth is, the problem with Mr. Little is not that he’s promising too much. Rather, he’s going for too little.
Is it possible that we’re looking a little too low, we’re expecting too little, and being satisfied with mere crumbles?
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” C.S. Lewis
More Than You Can Ask or Imagine
So, don’t sell yourself short. You can know more than Little does, and you can get more than he promises. I, for one, am shooting for something bigger than Little can even imagine.
I’m shooting for something bigger than I can imagine, too.
“With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen,” Ephesians 3:20-21.
Let me paint the picture for you. I was in college at the University of Alabama. I had a brilliant professor, whom I’ll call Dr. E. He was a Rhodes scholar, brilliant teacher, and also an agnostic or maybe an atheist.
Nietzsche
The most memorable class of my sophomore year was Dr. E’s class on Niezsche. You may have heard the phrase, “God is dead.” Well, we covered that, and more. We covered Nietzsche’s ideas about the “Uber Man” or Super Man. We started with fifteen students, and wound up with only 8. It was tough.
Powerful, Simple Thought
I went home one weekend and had a memorable encounter. I told one of my mentors Flavil Nichols (read this), about my experience in this Nietzsche class. He got very serious and said:
Can something come from nothing? No.
Then, that means something was always existed. Yes.
Now, the question is, what was that something? Was it dead, lifeless, matter, or was it and intelligent, living being?
That’s pretty direct, but it’s pretty powerful, too. I mean it just makes sense to me. My common sense tells me that life didn’t just pop up from nothing. The Universe didn’t just come about from a void. There must have always been something…so the question is what is the nature of that something. I believe it is a being who has personhood, intelligence, creativity, integrity, and love.
Kalam Cosmological Argument
While the argument above is very satisfying to me, some may push for a more formal, rigorous approach. Well, the Kalam cosmological argument is just that. It has been made famous in recent days by William Lane Craig. It’s very similar to Mr. Nichol’s argument. Here it goes:
Premise 1: “Everything that begins to exist has a cause.”
If you deny this one, please comment below. I’d like to hear why. Seems obvious.
Premise 2: “The universe began to exist.”
Now, here is probably the only question in the whole thing. Did the Universe always exist, or did it begin to exist? There are three ines of thinking to consider.
Science: The Big Bang Theory. This indicates the Universe had a beginning. It literally came into existence with a…you guess it…Big Bang!
Science: The Second Law of Thermodynamics. This says the Universe is winding down, going toward a state of disorder. If it were infinitely old, then we would already be infinitely wound down!
Philosophy: The impossibility of an actual infinite regress. This gets to the nature of the impossibility of an actual infinite regress of events. What it means is there ain’t no such thing as a finite infinite. Read here for more explanation. Note that this does not negate the impossibility of an infinite God who is actually infinite (exists outside of the Universe’s time and space physics). I may write a whole post on this.
Premise 3: Therefore, the universe has a cause.
Follows from premises 1 and 2. Now, let’s consider the implications. First of all, the cause of such a Universe must be uncaused. The impossibility of an infinite regress is only realized if there is such a thing as time. If this uncaused cause creates time and space, then this cause is not bound be them. He does not begin to exist. He simply exists. Or, as the holy name of God states, “I AM,” Exodus 3:14. There is deep meaning in that name.
There are some more logical work that must be done to arrive at all of the implication of the Kalam cosmological argument, but I’d like to leave it here. I’d like to leave it with the idea that there is an uncaused Cause, and that he is the great I AM.
Dr. E and More than an Apology
Back to Dr. E. I ran into him the other day. We just keep running into each other day. His office is now right next door to a room that my office uses. Can you believe that? Earlier in the year, our offices were on the same floor. They were assigned that way. I like him. He’s brilliant. He’s one of my favorite people, honestly.
I’m sure he can find the weaknesses in any cosmological or teleological or whatever sort of argument I might present. So what can I do? I’ll tell you what I can do. I’ll show him what I believe is the true incarnation of the “Uber Man” that Nietzsche wrote about.
What do I mean? Christ rose from the grave and sent his Spirit into my heart so that I can live a resurrected life in the here and now. God loved the world so much that he gave. I can do the same thing, and through my actions, I can show a love that has no defense, no counter-argument. I can show an life of kindness, of love, of service, and of sacrifice that is really a manifestation of the supernatural. I can show a life that is unexplainable except by Christ living in me. That’s the true “Uber-man” or “Super Man.”
This is about the kindness shown by a true Christ follower by the name of Flavil Nichols. Today is his 97th birthday! He is the man on the right in the featured image.
The Preacher
He was a big name preacher, but he was also a man whom children loved. When I was five, he greeted me at the church house door as “the little preacher man,” and he made me want to preach. I looked up to him. I almost idolized him. I know, that’s bad. But, I did. When people got sick, he was the one they wanted to do the praying. I knew a man who didn’t really like most preachers, but interrupted a big job just to see this preacher. And he did magic.
The Magic
He did magic when he walked in a room and people lit up to be around him. He did magic when he took time out for little kids like there was no one else in the world. Let me tell you something. He could make his thumb disappear. Right there at the church building. Right there behind the red velvet pews, in front of a group of three to ten year-olds gathered in amazement.
My Memory
Maybe I shouldn’t tell you this, because not everyone got to experience it, but this magic man came to my house when I was about five years old. He visited with both of my parents, but after their visit, he took time out with me! A five year old! He talked with me! He smiled at me! And, then he asked my parents if it would be alright if he did magic tricks. I don’t remember all the particulars, but I do know this. He found a fan in me, and when I became a fan of his, I was really becoming a fan of the one who was living in him.
The Need
I was in a Bible class recently and someone was asking about why God would expect us to respond to a two thousand year old book. The more I think about it, I’m convinced that while the words on the page are important, it’s when the messengers become the message that the world is changed. This is really a story about encountering the message in a messenger who might have been a great preacher, but was more importantly someone who would take time out for kids.
So, I ask you. Are you seeing the invisible people around you, the ones who might just need you to show them a little magic? Are you smiling at the children and serving the forgotten? Are you pointing them to the Savior, the real Story that’s more than magic?
The Story
As this man was to me, so you can be to others. You can point others to someone who was a lot more than a magic man, a lot more than we could ever be. You can point them to Jesus.
What if I told you that behind these 5 steps, there is a story that has caused riots and revolutions? What if I told you that there is a shocking truth revealed in these 5 steps? I’ll explain.
First, you need to know the background of the phrase.In churches of Christ, we have often talked about how to respond to the gospel in terms of 5 steps. Some have called these the “plan of salvation.” They are, in fact, what someone does when they respond in faith to the gospel message:
“It isn’t that I disagree with any of these five points, but I’ve grown very uncomfortable with presenting the gospel in this manner.”
I agree with his critical thoughts. So, now what? What are we to do? Let me give you 5 practical approaches that will help you.
5 Things to do with the 5 Steps:
1. Connect the 5 Steps To People Where They Are.
You know, we often talk about the context of passages, but have you ever thought about the context of the person? Just as taking a text out of context leads to misinterpretation, so does taking a person out of context!
This is a very Biblical concept. Think of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8. When he first met him, what did he do? Did he teach him a 5 step plan? No, he explained to him who Jesus was. Why? Because that’s where he found him.
So, before we start sharing a five step response, perhaps we need to consider what the person needs to hear and start there. Maybe they really need to hear the good news first!
2. Communicate the 5 Steps in a Language that is Understood.
We also need to tailor our approach. We need to speak a language that people understand. Let’s say I went to Peru and started teaching in English. Would it do them any good? No!
When we speak about hearing, believing, repenting, confessing, and being baptized, it’s possible that this just doesn’t connect with people because they just don’t get what we’re talking about. I mean, go up to the average person on the street and ask them to define “repent.” We have to be able to frame the Biblical message in the language that people can relate to.
It turns out I’ve written a post on how to do this:
The bottom line is simple. Let’s show people how much we care, then they might care what we know. Jesus did miracles, touched the lepers, healed the lame, and fed the hungry. Then, he taught them. Perhaps people need a hand with five fingers to touch, to heal, and to feed. Then, they will may be more interested in the five steps you can point out with those same fingers.
3. Connect the 5 Steps to ‘Why?’
The 5 steps are fundamentally the answer to the question, “What must we do?” Talking about what we need to do is important. It’s fine. It’s needed, but let’s not forget about why. We need to talk about why we do things. We need to talk about grace and faith. We need to talk about how God is the one that does the saving, and we accept his salvation through faith. We need to talk about the message of the gospel (I Corinthians 15:1-3). Now, the heart of the gospel is about love (John 3:16). Let’s remember that the greatest commands are all about love (Matthew 23:36-40). If we disconnect the response to the gospel from the real reason for that response (grace, faith, and love), then we have disconnected what from why, and we have something that isn’t very Biblical at all.
5 reasons to connect to WHY:
When we connect the 5 Steps to WHY, then we get passion and purpose for what we do. Without that connection, we have drudgery and duty.
When we connect the 5 Steps to WHY, then we get relationship versus simply rule keeping.
When we connect the 5 Steps to WHY, then we get grace through faith versus legalism.
When we connect the 5 Steps to WHY, then we are more closely resembling the body of Christ rather than a sort of list-checking corporation/institution/denomination.
When we connect the 5 Steps to WHY, we get closer to Jesus and further from being a modern day Pharisee.
There is scandal in these 5 steps. There is revolution in these 5 steps. Why? Because they proclaim that God has become a man, and that we as humans can be united to God.
Think about it. In baptism, through faith we are united with Christ (Romans 6:1-3; Galatians 3:26-28).
We become citizens of new kindom (Colossians 1:13).
We have a new King. We have a powerful Father. We have a new family. We have a new identity (Romans 8:29).
This is the inauguration of a new reality that is based not in a list, but in a person. It is based in Christ.
In the 21st century Western society, we tend to be a brainy, intellectual bunch. Let’s remember that these 5 steps are about connecting to God himself. That’s super exciting. Think about it.
5. Connect the 5 Steps to the Epic Story.
When we connect belief, repentance, confession, and baptism to ‘Why?’ and to ‘Who?’, we find a shocking truth. This is all about becoming a part of His epic story.
Responding to the gospel is saying, ‘I want to be a part of this story.” It’s a story of redemption. It’s a story of restoration. It’s the hope of the world, and the thing that will give your life purpose, meaning, and passion. When you hear about it, it will make you want to get into it.
It’s good news. God is bringing the fallen creation back to himself. He is restoring all things. He is making the old new. He is making the lame to walk. He is bring in rivers of water in a dry place. This is great news, and it’s a story that I want to connect to, work in, and just be a part of. I want to enter that story. That’s what this is all about.
This is our chance to change the world. Let’s change the world together!
If you haven’t seen Simon Sinek’s Ted presentation, it’s worth checking out. He says to “Start with Why?”
Motive
Simon Sinek’s presentation is all about our motive, or why we do things. The Sermon on the Mount is all about motive, too. Jesus said it’s not just about what we do; it’s about why we do it. He reinterpreted the Law to say that God isn’t just interested in your external action. He’s interested in your internal motive. So, God’s Law is not really about simply not doing terrible things like killing, or committing adultery. He’s wants us to change our hearts, to change our motive, such that our actions flow from a heart of love (see Matthew 5-7).
Should we stop with “Why?”
Our greatest motivation is love. But, where does love come from? Isn’t it true that love breeds more love? Think of the people you love deeply. Isn’t it often that we love them because they love us? What if someone loved us so much they’d rather die than live without us. Wouldn’t that make us love them?
Where should we start?
The Apostle John wrote, “We love him because he first loved us,” I John 4:19. Christ loved us so much he died for us.
Love was his “Why.” So, we start with Him. We start with who He is and why He did what He did. You see, it’s His story, and we get to be a part of it. It’s our story, too. It starts by telling us the answer to the question, “Who?” It starts with…
“In the beginning God.”
Somewhere in the middle, this story has a cross.
And, in the end, it has a crown. This story give us purpose, and it gives us hope.
He is our “Why.”
He is that which transforms our identity (who) and our motivation (why). He is our all in all. He is our Alpha and Omega. He is our beginning and our end.
I’ll just come out and say it. I believe in speaking in tongues.
I’m not talking about a miraculous gift. I’ve never experienced that, and I’m not convinced there is a Biblical basis for it continuing today. But, still, I believe in speaking in tongues. I believe in speaking in a language that people understand. Let me explain.
In Acts 2, there were people gathered there from all over the world. The only way to spread the good news was to speak to them in their languages. So, the apostles were given a miraculous gift that enabled them to do that.
When I went to Peru this past summer, I was greeted by lovely people. When I spoke Spanish, they lit up. We had a connection, and they wanted to hear what I had to say. Why? Because I spoke their language. Now, it wasn’t a miraculous gift. It was a skill I had to develop.
If you’re in the USA, you probably know English speakers. But, that doesn’t mean you all speak the same language. Listen, we desperately need to learn to speak the following languages:
1. The Language of the Unchurched
So many times I’ve talked about Jesus in a way that was like Greek to people who didn’t grow up in church. I used words like baptism, justification, and acapella. They didn’t understand it. I was speaking a vocabulary that was foreign.
Our lessons and our songs need to be understandable. The unchurched (and many church people) don’t know what an “ebon pinion” is nor why in the world it has been “brooded o’er the vale.” Many of us churched folks in the Bible Belt are fluent in King James and Stamps Baxter. The problem is that for the lost people we’re trying to reach…King James is as archaic as ancient Greek, and Stamp Baxter is a foreign as Celtic.
So, we need to learn to speak in an everyday, common way that connects to the common, unchurched people. It turns out the best model for doing so is Jesus himself. Did you ever notice that it was the common people that followed Jesus? He could speak the language of the synagogue, but it’s interesting that he mostly spoke the language of the day laborers. In fact, many of his stories were about working in the field. He didn’t speak high church. He spoke low country. I have the feeling that we could all do that if we’d try. And, by the way, the New Testament wasn’t written in King James, it was written in Koine or Common Greek. It was written in the language of the everyday person. There is a reason.
2. Postmodern Language
We need to rethink the way we share our message. It turns out that quoting many proof texts and presenting extremely well-rehearsed arguments doesn’t have the same effect it did in the 50’s. Am I saying that we don’t need a “thus saith the Lord” or we can’t speak truth? No. We must speak truth, and we must be Biblical. But, we must learn to do it in a way that connects with the postmodern mind. Now, it turns out that the very best way to do that is to follow Jesus’ way. What was his method? He told stories! He made the complex simple. He made religion real. He made the deep realities of life apparent in the everyday materials of life. He told stories about the people’s everyday lives and brought out eternal truths. We church folks call that the parables. It turns out that that’s a very effective way to connect with postmodern people. It’s very 21st/1st century.
3. The Language of the Distracted
It seems like people are living with a constant fear. The fear of missing out. So, we are constantly checking our social media accounts and text messages. If you don’t believe this applies to you, then try this: Turn your phone off for 30 minutes. No? Leave it in the car during lunch. No? It’s not just young people. We’re all distracted nowadays. So, how do you speak the language of the distracted?
It turns out we have another great model from Jesus. His disciples were distracted by many things. They were distracted by fear. They were distracted by power. Some were distracted by hunger. Some were distracted by greed. What did he do with them? He was present. He was present with them in the stormy sea. He was present with them in the last Supper. He was present when they doubted and present when they praised. He was present in their darkest hour, even if they weren’t present with him. So, we are reminded of some of the first words of the gospels. When people wanted to know about him, whether he was the Messiah or not, he said, “Come and see.” The distracted people of our day may not listen, but they might after they come and see. We’ve got to be present enough with them and real enough in our lives that they will see something worth sharing.
So, there you have it. I believe in speaking in tongues.
To the unchurched, we speak the words they understand. To the postmodern, we speak stories that will connect. To the distracted, we invite them to come and see. In doing so, we follow the model of Jesus who shows us how to speak the language of every century, every tribe, and every nation.
Since this gift isn’t a miraculous gift, we have some work to do. So, let me encourage you to learn to speak these languages, but the most important language of all is the language of love. Paul said something about that in I Corinthians 13.
There is no translation needed for tears.
All people of every nation understand sacrifice.
And, when we speak that language, then people will want to come and see, and they will want to hear about The Story.
P.S. If you’d like to see an example of how I’m trying to put this in practice, check out this post:
I’d like to share with you why I’m a member of the church of Christ.
The Bigger Story
Sometimes when we talk about why we’re a member of the church, we talk about restoring first century Christianity. We focus on such things as scriptural baptism, Biblical church organization, and acceptable worship. That’s important and needed, but I wonder if we sometimes miss the bigger story. Listen, what I’m about to tell you is a story for the ages, a story so epic that it will capture your heart and make your soul come alive. It’s the original Restoration Movement.
It’s a Story of Creation.
In the beginning, before there was anything, there was someone. This someone is beyond our ability to describe, but I’ll give it a try. This being is intelligent and good. He has the will to create, to express himself, and to show love. For these reasons (and more), he creates the Universe. He creates the physical world, and out of chaos he brings order and life, the crowning achievement of which is humanity.
It’s About Relationship and Covenant.
Mankind wouldn’t be robots to simply do what was programmed. They would have the will to choose to have a relationship with their Creator. They chose poorly. Chaos resulted. The relationship with the Creator was damaged, and the Creator was hurt.
Instead of destroying his creative work and starting all over, the Creator decided to mend this relationship himself. He decided to restore order to the chaos. The way he did that was to enter into a covenant with his creation. He would teach them to appreciate the good and to have a relationship with him.
It’s a Love Story.
Finally, his plan would involve him entering the chaotic world, the damaged world, and bringing order back to his creation. This was a tough choice because it involved sacrifice. It involved a cross. That’s Jesus we’re talking about. So, rather than seeing his creation die, he died for them by sending himself into the creation. Through his death, he was able to redeem his creation and inject his life giving Spirit into the chaotic world, so that people could be reunited to him and his life giving presence.
It’s a Restoration Story.
This works because not only could he offer a perfect sacrifice, but he could also rise to life, rise from the grave. He not only paid a price, but he set in motion a force that brings life to death, that brings order to chaos. Now, people could be united with him in this life, to walk with him, to live with him. He created a forever people who could have his very life giving energy within them, and live in the power of his forever life. Not only would these people have the promise of knowing the Creator, but these people would have the privilege of working with him to bring order back to the chaos, to bring love to a hopeless place. This is about restoration. This is the restoration movement that you need to know about.
It’s a Restoration Movement.
The church is that group of people who follow that Creator, who follow that risen Savior. It’s the group of people who follow him in his death and in the power of his resurrection and join him in the work of restoring order to a chaotic place, of restoring love to a hopeless place. It’s the group of people who want to share the knowledge of a story that shapes the very fabric of our existence, and explains the world in a way that is powerful and life transforming. That’s why we call it good news. It’s about rising from the ashes, rising from the lowest possible place, and finding the power that has been there all along, to set the world in the way that it should go, and to find harmony and peace and joy along the way. That’s why I am a member of the church of Christ.
It’s the Best Story.
And, when you find a story like this, when you find a being like this that captures your mind and heart, then you want to get involved in such a monumental work. You want to join in and get with his order of things. So, if it turns out that his revealed order, his plan, his very being is revealed in a book, then you want to get to know that book…not because you want to be the greatest scholar, but because you want to know the Author, and you want to know how to work with him, how to be with him, and how to get done the most important work in the world. You want to get as close to what he wants as possible, because you trust him.
That’s what his people do, and that’s why I am a member of the church of Christ. It’s about more than just getting all the facts right. It’s about entering into a relationship, entering into an epic story in which we become right by the grace of God and work together with God to make the creation right with Him.
Let me ask you, why are you a member of the church?
