Surrender?!

In the worship services last weekend, I mentioned that the prelude to influence is surrendering your life to the Lord.  If you want to have influence that lasts and makes a positive difference, it happens not through striving, conniving or some other rhyming word.  It starts with a heart that yields to God.  A life that gets rid of idols, false gods and distractions that turn your heart from God’s best for you.

But what does it really mean to surrender?  A significant number of people stood and surrendered their hearts to the Lord in our services last weekend.  What did they do... and is that it (or will they need to ever do it again)? 

Surrender is not giving up or quitting as much as it is giving in to the Lord and His will for your life.  It is tied to a willingness to believe and follow, trust and obey.  And it is something that a follower of Jesus Christ needs to persist in doing.  Surrender, like following, is something that you do once and then continue each day.  It is saying "yes" to God, every day, no matter what others do or don't do. 

Surrender isn't just for those making a first time commitment to Christ.  It is something that I need to do and want to do.  Today.  Every day. 

Recently, I came across a brief video that describes this concept really well.  I hope you like it and find it helpful.

What does it mean to truly surrender to God? from Margaret Feinberg on Vimeo.

Reflections on Endings and Beginnings, Part 2

Last week I wrote about graduations and commencement ceremonies.  Two other kinds of beginnings and endings have been in my mind recently.

According to one well-publicized account, May 21 should have been the Grand Commencement Day for everyone, when the rapture occurred and we experienced the end of the world.  To the best of my knowledge, that did not happen.  I don’t know about you, but predictions like that make me squirm uncomfortably.  It appears to add credibility to the position of those who reject or even mock Christianity while contributing to a growing skepticism about the claims of scripture among who haven’t examined the Bible closely for themselves.

So, what does the Bible really teach?  In short: Jesus is coming again and the world will end some day, but the exact timing is patently unknowable.  Although the Bible offers clues and signs, there is no precise timetable or hidden mathematical puzzle. When talking about the end times, Jesus said clearly, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father,” and as a result it is important to “keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:36, 42). 

The prediction about May 21 did serve a profitable purpose for me... it reminded me to think about people I knew who do not know the Lord.  I hope it did that for you, too.  Even though Jesus didn’t come on that day, He is coming, and when He arrives nothing else will matter to anyone except “Do I know Jesus?” and “Is He my Savior and Lord?”  Very close to each of our hearts should be the desire to pray and SHARE Christ with others so that they can be ready, too (1 Peter 2:9-12)... which leads to my next thoughts about beginnings and endings.

Whether we live until the second coming of Christ or not, one day we will each see Jesus face to face and our mortal existence will transform into an immortal one.  As a pastor, I have had the unique privilege to minister to a large number of individuals and families after their loved one has died, including several over the past few weeks and another service this Friday.  It is never easy, but I can say with confidence that it makes a difference when those involved know that this “end” is not “the end.” 

When someone knows and trusts in the Lord, there is a peace that comforts through the emptiness and pain of loss.  There is an understanding that a holy graduation has been observed by us and presided over by the Lord.  It truly is another kind of “Commencement” – a beginning even more profound and real than an ending – and whether deceased or surviving, each person involved has the opportunity to participate in a new adventure with God.  Death brings the end of a chapter, and it can feel dark and as though everything is finished, but it is not even remotely close to the end of the book that God is writing.[1] 

May God help you to feel His comfort and peace during times of loss, to sense His presence in all your new beginnings, and remind you to reach out to SHARE and SERVE others so that they can have the opportunity to be ready for their ultimate graduation!

---

[1] We have a great ministry here at Rose Drive Friends Church called our, “Grief Support Group.”  They meet regularly during two long seasons of the year and have provided much-needed support and encouragement for many.  If you’d like more information you could call our church office at (714) 528-6496, email me at jiml@rdf.org or respond to this post.

Reflections on Endings and Beginnings, Part 1

This is graduation season.  Thousands of people all over the country are celebrating as they cross an educational finish line.  Multiplied more friends and family cheer loudly at the graduation ceremonies as their loved one’s name is mentioned and they watch them walk, jump, and/or fist-pump their way across a stage to shake hands, receive a diploma (or a representation thereof), and have their picture taken.

Over the last couple of weeks, I was privileged to be among the cheering, picture-taking throng three times as two of my sons and my daughter-in-law received their degrees: an M.Div., B.A., and a B.S.  respectively.  We are pleased and proud of their academic accomplishments and even more so at the people that God has shaped them to be.  I imagine that I am not alone.  As I watched many families blow their air horns, hand out their over-sized balloons, and buy over-priced commemorative T-shirts (oh, wait, I did that, too), I know that many people are thrilled and excited for their loved one and this milestone in their life.

Typically, we call that gathering for the conferring of degrees a Commencement ceremony.  It is a reminder that this event is not the end.  It does mark the conclusion of something, but it boasts more profoundly a new beginning.  Rather than a depressing dirge, Pomp and Circumstance is played – a victorious march that symbolizes both solemnity, success, and a hope for the future.  One chapter closes while the next one opens.  For many of these newest alumni, financial and vocational uncertainty creates new pressures and fears. However, for followers of Christ, the spot on the stage where the handshake occurs can become the doorstep for fresh adventures, opportunities to trust God in new ways, and untold possibilities for being used by Him and for Him.  Once again, there is an occasion to discover that God is faithful throughout the entire story of life, not just in one of the chapters.

The truth is, every day is a Commencement Day.  Every day can be a fresh start... a new opportunity to trust the Lord, to follow Him, to recalibrate our priorities to Worship, Connect, Grow, Serve and Share.  I know I don’t always live that way, but what a difference that would make!  What hope that could bring! 

May God help us to trust Him in all of our endings, beginnings, and everything in between.

What are you finding? Probably whatever you are looking for!

It’s the week leading up to Easter.  Only a few days before Good Friday.  That also means the Easter Egg Hunt at Rose Drive Friends Church is almost here (someone suggested it might be more aptly referred to as the Easter Egg Harvest – not a lot of “hunting” going on – plenty of eggs for every kid)!  Check out this 60-second video below to get an idea of what I’m talking about.

I want to share with you some personal reflections today... some of where my heart has been recently. 

I have the privilege of seeing a lot of people’s pain and hurt, not counting my own.  If I’m not careful, that can be the extent of my focus. Unmet expectations, dashed hopes, and unrelenting brokenness.  It hurts me when I see people not getting along and not trusting – in the church, in families, in marriages... anyplace.  I know some marriages that have exploded.  Some health issues that are daunting.  Some financial issues that seem overwhelming.  It is especially painful when I know that people on both sides of an unresolved conflict claim to know and love the Lord.  I am grieved when I see people I know and love who are grieving.  I know that unless we live until the Second Coming of Christ, everyone we know will die someday.  That means there is a lot of grief going around (or that will come around). 

I can see a lot of heartache.  Maybe you can, too.  But that isn’t the end of the story...  and that’s especially good to remember as we approach Good Friday and Easter. 

Like Easter Eggs, we often find what we are looking for.

Even when it seemed like all was lost – Christ being crucified – God was working out His plan of redemption.  And Jesus knew it.  He was brutalized but not a victim.  The people around the scene at the crucifixion didn’t see it.  It looked like Jesus was defeated.  But Jesus said “it is finished” not “I am finished.”  No one seemed to notice.  He was not down and out, even though that is what everyone else saw in those moments.  The reality was, there was another story to see.  And that is true for your life, too.

No matter how dark things appear, there is hope when Christ gets involved.  He did not stop working out His plan at Golgotha.  He is trustworthy and fully capable of bringing restoration, healing, and wholeness to a life, a marriage, a family, a relationship, to anyone – and I’ve seen all of that, too.  There are miracles all around me, from people stepping up to serve who not that long ago didn’t know Christ at all, to marriages restored, to God’s provision financially in so many areas for individuals, families, and for our church.

 

The King of Kings didn’t abdicate His throne on the cross. 

Jesus was still in charge at the crucifixion, even when it didn’t look like it.  The resurrection confirmed it.  That’s still true today.  In every situation of your life, God is still sovereign and trustworthy.  Even when it doesn’t look like it at that moment. 

This week, look for Christ in the middle of your conflicts. Look for ways to represent the Lord in your relationships and circumstances.  Bring hope to someone by inviting them to go to church with you this weekend!  And watch and see what the Lord will do!

More or Enough?

When is enough, enough?

There are lots of things in our world that cry out for more.  People want more of our time.  Advertisers want us to buy more of their products. Most people wish they had more money.

Several years ago, a study was conducted here in North Orange County, asking people how much money they thought they needed in order to be happy and content.  The results were less than startling.  No matter how much money a household made annually, the average reply was that they thought they needed to make just a little more.

There are times when we need to say, “ENOUGH!”  We often need to look commercials in the face and reply, “I’m content.”  Now, I don’t want to lie.  I like being able to buy things.  I like having the food I like to eat, the clothes I have to wear, and the house I have to live in… I like the stuff I have.  When so much of the world is in need, how much do I really need?  There are times when enough is enough.  But not always…

Sometimes we are in danger of applying “enough” when God is saying to us, “MORE!” 

There are times when we need to cultivate a holy discontent.  There are times when enough is clearly not enough.  Are there enough workers to go into the harvest field?  Are there enough churches to reach the lost and help people to grow in their faith? Are there enough people in the community where I live who are going to heaven when they die?  Do I really care?  Am I giving enough away to support missions?  Have I spent enough time doing what God wants me to do or serving where He wants me to serve?  Have I forgiven someone enough?  Ouch!

When is enough, enough?!

“Lord, thank you for knowing what we need and for your provision. You are our Sovereign Lord!  Please help us to see through our own selfishness to know when MORE is Your heart’s desire for us and when enough is not enough.  Help us to learn to be content when that is what we need, to know when enough is enough, and to learn to trust You… more!”

The Nedlog Rule or Sanctity of Life?

Last weekend we watched this video on the Miracle of Life in our worship services.  It’s powerful.  One of the best I’ve seen on the topic.

“Sanctity of Life” is practically an absurd notion in our world.  All around us we see contrary examples of human lives that are used, abused, or abandoned, and not held in any kind of holy or thoughtful regard.  Whether the topic is abortion, fighting in the Arab world, human trafficking, or ________________ (fill in the blank from today’s top news stories), it doesn’t appear that life is considered to be very sanctified.  But that isn’t how we want to be viewed or treated!

Most people like the concept that their life is special.  My rights, my needs, my feelings are paramount, and I often have an expectation that others should treat me accordingly.  The wise publicist keeps this in mind when promoting almost anything, from fast food to fast cars… you can have things the way that you want them because you deserve it! 

Of course, the only problem is that others may hold me to the same standard of responsibility toward them that I hope they will have toward me.   Call it the Nedlog Rule (opposite of the Golden Rule).  This set of competing expectations is one of the keys to understanding conflict in marriages (and most relationships), but that’s a topic for another day. 

Sanctity of Life may be a crazy concept by today’s standards – but the fact that it is treated with disdain by many people points to some of the fundamental and fatal flaws in a world that emphasizes an individual’s “rights” over someone else’s.   It is in many ways a reflection of pervasive selfishness.

The basis for Sanctity of Life is this: God has created every human being.  Every one.  He put His stamp, His image upon each one that He gave to no other part of His creation.  I’m not against those who want to preserve trees, spotted owls, or gray whales, but those campaigns are not in the same category as preserving human life.  God set His human creation apart and, unlike plants or animals, He has given each one the potential of living with Him forever.  

Not only did God create every person, He loves every single one.  Christ died for everyone!  That includes those who are near death due to age or illness, those who are pre-born in their mother’s womb, and everyone in between.  And if God so loves, that means that those who claim to be followers of Him must walk where Jesus walked – and do our part to SERVE and SHARE His love with a world of people who need it. 

It would do us all good to remember (and to live in such a way that we recognize) that every human being is a unique, unrepeatable, miracle of God!

It Takes Hearing

Our Missions Conference at Rose Drive Friends Church ended last weekend. The theme song for our conference was the one by Casting Crowns called, “Until the Whole World Hears.” 

The first time I saw the music video for UTWWH it moved me to tears (OK. It happened more than once, but you get the idea.).  Why?  I’m not exactly sure.  Maybe because my heart resonates so much with the message and I’m aware that there is so much more yet to do.   I know that God has given to me (and to all believers) the ministry and message of reconciliation.  He’s entrusted that message to us!  He wants us to build bridges of love and SHARE Him with others who don’t know Him yet.

Are there still unreached people groups?  Yes!  Yesterday I corresponded with some of our missionaries in another country who have made contact with just such a group.  The whole Bible has not yet been written in their language and it sounds like most don’t know how to read even if it was available.  But the people seem open to the gospel. 

We don’t have those kinds of language barriers.  At least, not many.  But we have other ones.  I heard today of someone who has lived in the same place for years and who still doesn’t know their neighbors.  Never met them.  It’s tough to reach people and share Christ – to fulfill what God has called us to do – if we don’t even know who the people are around us!  How about you?  Do know all of your neighbors? Getting to know them is a good first step toward investing in that relationship and then inviting them.

In that sense, God has called all of us to be “missionaries.”  He wants all of us to “go” with the gospel to those around us.  But some people we will never reach (because of time, distance, other barriers).  That is why we all need to give financially to support what God is doing around the world. 

At Rose Drive Friends Church, we support nearly 40 missionaries in this country and around the world through Faith Promise Missionary Giving (you can find out more about that by clicking here).   If you’d like to get in on this really good deal, fill out a Faith Promise Commitment Card and send it to sandil@rdf.org.

Let’s keep proclaiming the love of God, until the whole world hears.

What in the World is Going On?!

The devastation from the recent events in Japan is overwhelming.  Bad news seems to ride on the wave of bad news.  The 9.0 earthquake was horrific enough.  Then the tsunami hit.  Now the trifecta looms with the threat of a growing nuclear disaster not seen since Chernobyl and, well, Japan.  

The extreme cold and snow in Japan is almost forgotten by the world in light of the battle against nuclear fallout, but it is not lost on the freezing survivors.

The death toll continues to climb (as of this moment, predictions are that it will end up over 10,000 caused by the earthquake and tsunami).  Displaced, confused, frightened, cold, hungry and thirsty describe the sudden and unwanted current existence for many people from all walks of life.  Over 400,000 are homeless.  Others in more “secure” locations are understandably on edge.  Reports are that as many as 1.6 million homes are now without running water. 

Imagine if everyone who now lives in Yorba Linda, Placentia, Brea, Fullerton, and Orange was suddenly homeless.  That is what is going on in Japan today. 

As you might hope, a few encouraging stories have emerged from the rubble.  An infant found miraculously alive several days after being washed away from its parents.  A grandmother found alive in her home.  A man found alive miles out at sea floating on the roof of his former house.  These stories bring intermittent hope to rescue workers and others.  But the weight of ongoing devastation and fear continues.

Japan is a country in crisis.  We are a world in crisis... in more than one location and more than one pressing topic.  I have heard several people refer to the Last Days and the signs of the end times.  Yes, supposedly the Mayans thought it would come in 2012 (I saw the movie).  We do know that Jesus is coming again and said there would be times like this before His return.  It is on people’s minds.

And yet here I sit overlooking a beautiful, sunny Southern California day.  I’m looking forward to lunch with my wife, a basketball awards banquet tonight, Missions Conference this weekend, and March Madness is in full swing.  What could be better?  To say it’s easy to forget about what is going on in other places is an understatement.

How does all of this fit together?!  Talk about a compartmentalized life!

God wants us to see the big picture.  Did you know that in Japan, estimates are that only 1% of the people are Christians?  There is a physical crisis going on... absolutely.  But as followers of Christ we need to also see that thousands of people are likely to have gone to an eternity in hell without Christ! 

We need to proclaim God’s love to a world that needs it – “until the whole world hears” – in places like Japan, Rwanda, Cambodia, and Yorba Linda.  People need the Lord, and one of the bridges we can build is to help meet physical needs in the name of Christ. 

This weekend in our worship services, we will make commitments to give to missions for the coming year.  Please pray about that with me.  I’m praying for more participants than a year ago.  In addition, we will make available a special “Japan Relief” fund – which we will give to support two solid Christian organizations working there  (you can give directly to them online: World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse). 

God is at work in the world, even when it doesn’t look like it.  He wants us to SHARE Him!  Let’s pray, give, go, and trust Him! 

Cowardly or Courageous?

What does it take to put first things first on a regular basis?  To put your beliefs into practice when it’s easy to do so and everyone else is doing it is… well… easy.  But what about when it’s tough to Worship, Connect, Grow, Serve or Share?  Especially that last one?  As I’ve talked with many people over the last several weeks, it seems that “SHARE” is often the hardest and most convicting of the priorities. 

It takes consistent intentionality, but also courage.

What does it mean to be courageous?   Last week, I heard some speakers and had some experiences which have converged for me in an interesting way.

 At the Catalyst West conference last week (a 2-day gathering of pastors and church leaders, especially focusing on the next generation of leaders), the overall theme was “Take Courage .”  The enduring John Perkins (who looked and sounded as strong and insightful as when I last heard him speak in 1984), gave a message of hope, forgiveness, and said that “courage is doing one’s convictions in the face of fear.”  Christine Cain (my pick for the most fiery preacher of the group) urged that “if you operate out of fear, you will say no when God says go.” 

The consensus favorite message was the keynote one delivered by Andy Stanley.  In a personal and direct way, he focused on three “simple acts of courage that could be tipping points for something extraordinary.”  He said that they are: “1) the courage to stay when it would be easier to go; 2) the courage to go when it would be easier to stay; and 3) the courage to ask for help when it would be easier to pretend that everything is OK.” 

Here is the point of convergence for me.

Last weekend we also began our missions conference at Rose Drive.  We support many missionaries around the world who are doing incredible work.  These men and women have said “YES” to God and were willing to GO when it would have been easier to stay.  Courageous.  In addition, we commissioned and sent out pastors Mark and Stacey Kim and Jesus Friends Community Church – our newest daughter church – who will now begin meeting in Brea at the ECCU building (where we started Friends Community Church 8½  years ago).  Courageous.  They are reaching the Korean-immigrant and Korean-American community around us that we could never reach, but they have left (and are again leaving) a place of relative comfort to do so.  Consistent intentionality and courage combined.  Wow!

How about you and me?

It takes courage to step out and invest in a relationship with a neighbor or co-worker.  It takes courage to begin to pray for them and then to invite them to church or to tell them your story of your relationship with Christ.  But God can help you and me to do it.  It takes courage to pray and take a step of faith to give financially, above and beyond your tithe, to support missionaries and church planters who are similarly taking steps of faith to go.  God can help you and me to do that, too.

When it comes to sharing Christ (and the other priorities), bottom line, courage is saying “yes” to God whatever He asks you to do – to go or stay, give, invite or pray – it’s putting your faith in Him.  Let’s do that this week! 

What do Brett Favre, M.A.S.H. and this Blog Have in Common?

The final episode of M.A.S.H. (airing on February 28, 1983) remains the most-watched program in television history.  It was a big finale, sort of. Turns out, viewership was so high, CBS couldn’t quite call it quits, so they quickly created a new series, AfterMASH.  It continued for two more seasons.  If you follow football, you probably know about Favre’s famous retirements.

Well, this is the last “official installment” to the First Things First blog... I thought.  You may have noticed that a few people have been checking out this site since we started it a few weeks ago (not M.A.S.H standards, but a lot more hits than I think my mom or dad would have been able to make on their own in such a short time). 

I hope that it has been a source of inspiration and encouragement to you – and at least sparked some new thoughts or questions in you about how you could apply the five core values of Worship, Connect, Grow, Serve and Share into your life.  As our pastoral staff was discussing it this week, it occurred to us that maybe there are some people who have sort of started a habit of checking into this blog (and that some might miss it if I quit). 

My plan at this point, depending on the interest and ongoing response, is to continue to make a post to this site on about a weekly basis. 

What I know is that putting First Things First is not something that I only want to do at the start of the year or during a special emphasis.  It’s a year-round, 24/7 kind of thing.  But I also know I haven’t arrived.  I’m still on the journey.  I want to become a more faithful follower of Jesus Christ and learn to make more faithful followers of Him on an ongoing basis.  I hope you feel the same way.

Please let me know what you think, especially if you have any ideas or suggestions!

For example, one observation about this blog by our staff was that some of my posts may have been too long and needed to be cut (one pastor essentially confessed to clicking on the site and not reading everything), so I decided

A Human Doing or a Human Being?

Socrates

Here are some famous quotes on doing and being.  At least some should be familiar.

To do is to be. (Socrates)

To be is to do. (Jean-Paul Sartre, Plato)

Do-be-do-be-do. (Frank Sinatra)

To be or not to be. (William Shakespeare's Hamlet)

Scooby Dooby Doo. (Scooby Doo)

I am what I do. (Martin Buber)

Yabba Dabba Doo. (Fred Flinstone)

I think, therefore I am. (Rene Descartes)

I yam what I yam. (Popeye)

Being and doing. Doing and being.  I have heard some really interesting and creative devotional messages on the concept of “being.”  The idea is that sometimes we get so busy doing things (sometimes even really good things), that we need to take some time to simply “be.”   It’s often an encouragement to rest, to take a break, to experience God’s peace, to meditate on God’s Word, or to spend some time in quiet – much like we have our time of “meditation, communion, and prayer” each week in our worship services at Rose Drive.  The conclusion has often gone something like this: “after all, God made us to be human beings, not human doings.” 

I don’t know about you, but I need those times of rest.  Time to be quite, to listen to the Lord, to pray, to relax... to be.  For me, I get those times in a variety of ways and places: in the evening when I read my Bible before I go to bed; in the morning when I am praying, reading, or writing in my journal; when I’m on vacation sitting and looking out over a beautiful lake; when I’m at the church studying to prepare a message; sometimes when I’m playing golf (I can’t honestly say I experience peaceful “being” every time I’m playing golf, but sometimes... you know what I mean if you’ve ever played.); and I really do experience it often in our worship services.  Again, not always in all of those places, but often.  However, that really isn’t all there is to it. 

God doesn’t only want us to be humans who “are” – He wants us also to be people who do things for His glory and the good of others!

Last weekend I shared a verse in our worship services that has been convicting to me. It’s from John 13:17, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”  Jesus said this to His disciples right after He washed their feet in the Upper Room.  As He performed this menial task, serving them with a towel around His waist, some of them didn’t get it.  They didn’t understand why Jesus would do such a thing.  He didn’t make His point clear until after He had finished doing this act of love and humility.  That is when He said, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you and example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:14-15).  Jesus wanted them to be His disciples... but among other things that meant doing acts of service and sacrificing for one another. 

Bottom line, it wasn’t enough that the disciples knew the right thing... they needed to do it.  So do you and I. 

What does that mean for you today?  What is it that God has been talking about to you in terms of the First Things First emphasis?  Here is what I’ve been thinking about: It’s not enough to simply know that God wants us to Worship, Connect, Grow, Serve and Share.  I need to be doing it.  Actively.  As a part of my daily life.  As a part of who I am. 

I am thankful that many people have shared with me their testimonies of how the Lord has spoken to them during this series.  Many have taken steps of faith to join groups, to serve, to worship, to share Christ, to worship God with greater focus, and to read their Bibles more to grow in their faith.  That is fantastic.  Perhaps I’ll share some of those in a later post.

Let’s BE people who DO what is right.  Let’s aim to BE faithful followers of Jesus Christ, putting His Word into practice in our daily lives more and more and more!

Application of What We Know

The last two weekends of the First Things First emphasis focus on application of what we have been learning about Worship, Connect, Grow, Serve and Share.  Below are the two videos of the final drama presentation and the message.

Cracker Jack and Good News

This year’s Super Bowl showcased some great commercials.  Personally, I liked the Doritos ads (“Grandpa?!”).  I was reminded of other commercials in the past that have had a line in it that has stuck with me. 

One of those is a Cracker-Jack commercial from the early 1970s that received an award from the Cannes Film Festival.  It opens with a man (the dad?) sitting in a chair at home, reading the paper and eating the candy-coated popcorn with peanuts (and a prize).  Then a little boy comes in the back door and announces “I’m home” – as the man hides the Cracker-Jack box in his folded newspaper.  The child walks to the man and stares... knowingly.    The man asks, “What did you learn in school today?” The boy replies, “sharing.”  It’s a simple line that I’ve never forgotten (maybe because I had three sisters and I empathized with the  man’s plight). 

In the end, the man reluctantly hands over the box of tasty morsels to the boy who then ends up “sharing” back some of it with him.  The message I remember taking away from the ad was this: that box of sweet and crunchy goodness is really too good to give away (I think what I was supposed to learn is that “it’s good to share something that is good”).

Sharing. It is something that even the youngest preschoolers begin to learn.  Yet it remains a struggle for many of us to practice no matter our age, especially if what we possess is something we like a lot.  But what about when it comes to “sharing” our faith?  We like our faith, right?

It makes me wonder, are there times when I am reluctant to share my “box of spiritual goodness” with others (the “good news of Jesus Christ”), because it seems too good to share (or I know that they might accept the invitation)?  I know that doesn’t make any sense (the good news was meant to be shared)... or does it, at least a little bit?! 

Could it be that there are times when you or I think that things are pretty well set the way that they are?  What if someone did accept your invitation?  What impact might that really have long term?  Do you know what I mean?  You have your circle of friends, your accustomed place to sit in the Sanctuary, the style of music that you prefer, the place that you normally park, your familiar small group that you’ve been with for a while... and frankly, even though you don’t want to admit it, someone new coming into the mix or having to change any of those things would really not be your first choice.  Of course, you’d never want to keep someone from going to heaven, and if you knew for sure that sharing your faith in Christ would lead directly to someone’s salvation, you would do it (even if it meant changing in one of those areas above)... but you don’t really know that would be the result, right?  Ah-h... but this can be just the beginning of your own version of the folded newspaper.

There are a plethora of other hindrances to sharing your faith.

I’ll admit that it’s easy for me to simply become too busy doing a variety of other good things.  Again, it’s not that I don’t want others to make it into the Kingdom, but it is tough keeping that priority high when other things seem to demand my time and attention.  Occasionally, I’m just plain tired.  By nature I’m not an extrovert.  I’ve learned to become more that way over the years but I really enjoy private time, too.  My tendency in a crowd is not to go around and strike up conversations with people, even though I know that I have the ability to do that.  I suppose when I get honest, there are times when I just flat out don’t make the effort.  (I don’t even like reading what I’ve just written, but can you relate?)  Other times, I do have sort of a fear of failure.  I don’t like being rejected any more than the next person.  I know... “they aren’t rejecting me” and I’m “just the messenger,” but it can hurt a little (and at least be very disappointing) when someone hears my presentation of the gospel and still says, “no.”  Frankly, that has happened many times over the years.  I have had the privilege of sharing Christ with lots of people, and I know that many have said “yes,” but certainly not everyone.

I guess sometimes the question is, how much do I really care?  Do I care enough to get past the spiritual hindrances to go ahead and share my faith?  Do I really care and remember that Jesus loves and died for every person?  Do I look for opportunities to share and take them as God presents them?

Maybe other times the issue is one of definition.

What does it really mean to “share” when it comes to our faith?  For some people it means living a godly life and letting your actions demonstrate your beliefs.  St. Francis of Assisi (Founder of the Franciscan order, 1181-1226) is credited with saying, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” I know it’s a catchy saying and all, but it strikes me that at some point in everyone’s life, they need to actually hear the words of the good news (Romans 10:14) – otherwise the good deeds you perform will come across with an unclear message.  But there is a relationship between those two concepts.   

Doing good can serve as a great bridge for the gospel and communicate that you love and care for someone.  This is INVESTING your life in a relationship... and it has to be genuine.  It has to be the “no strings attached” kind of commitment and care.  However, for them to understand that not only you, but that God loves them, sooner or later someone needs to tell them about Him.  Someone needs to connect the dots between your ministry and your message.  This can happen by INVITING someone: to meet Jesus, to meet other followers of Christ (like at church) where they will hear the gospel message, and/or to hear your personal story of your relationship with Christ.  It’s important to PRAY for someone regularly to come to know Christ and to pray for open doors of opportunity to share with them, too.  Our memory verse for this week reminds us that Paul saw the importance of prayer: “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith.” (Philemon 6a). 

I don’t believe that I have the gift of evangelism, and maybe you don’t either, but this is one of those “Big Rock” priorities that I know must be present in the life of every follower of Christ.  I want to grow in this area of my life.  Let’s not keep the message in a folded up newspaper of activities and hindrances.  News this good was meant to be shared.

Sharing the Drama and Message

Here are the Marionette family and the message about the Rock #5!  Beware, there is a cliffhanger!

Invisible, Man!

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the science fiction story of the man who became invisible through a freak accident and then used that ability to fight crime and do good deeds.  I’m pretty sure I never thought about the negative implications of his powers... people running into you, never being able to make eye contact, and no one asking if they can take your order at a restaurant (unless of course you wore clothes, but then you would look pretty weird). What a bummer that would have been! 

When it comes to doing good, the Bible paints a picture of serving with humility... a willingness to “not be seen” by others.  Like the woman who gave her last two coins without fanfare or the Samaritan known simply as “Good,” if you want to be something special in God’s kingdom you need to be a servant, not aim for accolades or appreciation.  But do you really want to go completely unnoticed?  Always?!

I’ll admit that this is sometimes easy for me, and other times not so much.  There are times when I am happy to serve and help in secret when no one is around and no one sees.  And I just realized that if I were to write down some examples of when I have done that, it would sort of ruin my point!  However, there are other times when I have done something and I think I really do hope that someone notices.  Sometimes it’s something “big” when I have put in a lot of effort but it can also be something relatively small. (My guess is that you’ve felt that way sometimes, too.)

But is it always wrong to want to be noticed?  Is it possible to serve humbly and at the same time be interested in an occasional “Atta-boy?”  Evidently, Paul noticed people who served the Lord and others.  He often mentioned them by name for their labor (like Mary in Romans 16:6) and sometimes when he wasn’t sure if they had fulfilled their duties (like Archippus, to whom he sent the message: “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord,” in Colossians 4:17).  Other times he flat out urged people to notice the work others did!  In 1 Thessalonians 5:12 he wrote, “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you.”  No invisible servants there.  But if we acknowledge and thank people for their service, are we enabling pride to develop in that person?  What are we to do? 

I know that as a pastor, there are a lot of things I do that are pretty “visible” in the church. It’s tough to hide a lot of my “service.”  This may or may not surprise you, but I do receive my share of criticism.  As a rule, anonymous griping gets tossed while other comments I take seriously and I try to respond to them when it’s appropriate.  But I’ll confess that I do appreciate notes of encouragement and words of appreciation (I think most people do), especially when someone tells me that they feel as though the Lord spoke to them or helped them in some way through me.  Actually, that is a humbling experience and a moment of instant worship for me – a time when I silently (and sometimes aloud) thank the Lord.  I know that He is the One doing the work if anything good happens and I’m just given the gift of being a part of what He’s doing.  But is this sometimes just a cover?  Is there some part of me, maybe even just a little, that really just wants to be noticed?

Evidently, this was at least somewhat of a problem in the early church. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul explained that each person is important even though some essentially serve “behind the scenes” and don’t get noticed so much.  Some people must have felt badly about that. That’s why he wrote: “If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.’”  Not only did some feel like their contributions were insignificant to the point of not fitting in, their acts of service were essentially covered up and unseen.  Paul explained that those roles were “treated with special modesty” – not as evident to the casual observer but vital to the health of the body (as indispensable as an internal organ).  It’s a great passage, but Paul wouldn’t have written about it in such detail if going unnoticed didn’t bother at least some believers.  Hm-m.  So, where does that leave us?

I know I don’t have this all figured out.  It looks like scripture can be used to support both invisibility and acknowledgement of service.  But at the risk of oversimplification and cliché-ness, the heart of the matter may be a heart matter.  Motivation.  Am I serving in order to be seen and praised, or am I serving “as unto the Lord” to use my gifts and give help simply because help is needed?  I wonder.  That’s the name of a poem by Ruth Harms Calkin that has been a challenge and an inspiration to me.

I Wonder

You know, Lord, how I serve You

With great emotional fervor

In the limelight.

You know how eagerly I speak for You

At a women’s club.

You know how I effervesce when I promote

A fellowship group.

You know my genuine enthusiasm

At a Bible study.

But how would I react, I wonder

If You pointed to a basin of water

And asked me to wash the calloused feet

Of a bent and wrinkled old woman

Day after day

Month after month

In a room where nobody saw

And nobody knew.

May God help you and me to learn to serve Him and others with true humility – even when no one knows – and may He give us special x-ray eyes to see (and opportunities to thank) the invisible servants around us.



Gotta' Serve Somebody

The fourth "big rock" is SERVE.  Watch below how I address this in my messsage and how the Marionette family begins to deal with this priority as they continue to learn about putting First Things First.

Connecting and Growing in Promiseland

Each weekend during the First Things First emphasis at Rose Drive Friends, Tracy Frazier and our creative drama team have put together a brief skit to help us think about some ideas and themes related to the "Big Rock" I am talking about in the message for that weekend.  In general, the Marionette family is on a journey to learn to put First Things First.  Unfortunately, we did have a couple of technical problems with the sound this last weekend.  Fittingly, I guess, it was the week that focused on "growing" (and sometimes we do grow when things aren't necessarily working out the way we'd hoped).  Anyway, the team is doing a great job.  They are stirring some discussions and helping us to connect with some people in ways that other approaches might not.  Thank you!

Connect and Grow Messages

In case you missed the most recent installments of the First Things First messages at Rose Drive Friends Church, here they are!  Connect and Grow!

Of Growth and Garbage

My sophomore year in college I lived in an apartment with three other guys.  We had a poster in our kitchen which proclaimed: “Growth is the only sign of life.” One of my roommates (or was it me?) positioned it appropriately over our bountiful and often-ripe trash can.  God only knows what grew there.  That quote (and odor) has stuck with me all these years.  The deeper meaning for me has been that I want to be a person that is growing and I want to be part of an organization and group of people that continually wants to grow.  It says to me that real growth doesn’t have a finish line.

I’ve had lots of educational finish lines in my life.  If you count grade school, I’ve graduated eight times.  But of course, you know that it didn’t take me all of those classes to discover what everyone knows intuitively: education doesn’t mean growth any more than knowledge alone means wisdom.  One can help the other, but other factors are involved.  Growth is more than just reaching a milestone of knowledge before pressing on to the next one.

So, what does “growth” really mean for a Christian? 

In short, it means becoming more like Christ.  You were made in God’s image.  Most Christians have heard that for years and would say they believe it to be true.  However, because of sin, a whole lot of gunk and garbage obfuscates that profile.  Left to myself, I don’t look very much like Christ (and neither do you).  To “grow” means to become transformed more and more into His image – to become that person God intended for me to be – “like Christ in everything” (Ephesians 4:15, Msg.).  Wow!  What a concept! 

Becoming like Christ... imitating Him.  That’s a daily kind of thing.  It’s not simply about acting more spiritual, practicing certain religious disciplines, or looking more holy than I used to look.  In fact, everyone knows it’s not about appearances at all.  If it’s not validated by what’s on the inside it’s hypocrisy, and who wants to be a hypocrite? Christian growth is about living life in the mundane activities, the pressure-packed moments, the tired and stressful moments, the times of simple joys, and all of the other occasions – walking as Jesus would walk.  Responding more and more like Him from the inside, out. 

C.S. Lewis once made an interesting observation (Ok, I know... He made lots of interesting observations, but here’s another one that relates to becoming like Christ):

“Our imitation of God in this life – that is, our willed imitation as distinct from any of the likenesses which He has impressed upon our natures or states – must be an imitation of God incarnate: our model is the Jesus, not only of Calvary, but of the workshop, the roads, the crowds, the clamorous demands and surly oppositions, the lack of all peace and privacy, the interruptions. For this, so strangely unlike anything we can attribute to the Divine life in itself, is apparently not only like, but is, the Divine life operating under human conditions.”  (The Four Loves, Intro.). 

In other words, for me to become like Christ, I need to follow His example in all aspects of life, not just those which look overtly spiritual or even sacrificial. 

More than jewelry.

I know that lots of people have gotten burned-out on WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) bracelets and bumper stickers, but that question (first coined by Charles Sheldon in 1896 in his book, In His Steps), really is still a good one to consider.  I think about that question and ask it as a sort of prayer from time to time.  Of course, it’s not just my behavior that matters (what Jesus did), but who I am on the inside that counts.  That is the challenge.

I’ll confess to you, as I have in some of the previous posts, I don’t have this thing wired. I’ve got a long way to grow.  (You probably knew that, but if not, I’m happy to confirm your suspicions.)  I don’t always act the way I should.  I don’t always put “first things first” in my life.  I don’t always treat Jeanine or our kids or our staff or others in the church or our neighbors the way that I would like.  Sometimes I get tired and fed up.  Sometimes the “workshop, the roads, the crowds, the clamorous demands and surly oppositions, the lack of all peace and privacy, the interruptions” of life get to me.  That is discouraging to me.  And then I can even get discouraged that I’m discouraged (can you relate?).  I can say with honesty that I have done my best (and I unfortunately have a number of examples) when I have hurt someone or not treated someone well or when I have known that they have had something against me... I have tried to apologize and as best I could, make it right (that hasn’t happened since earlier today).  I’m not sure what all of that means, except it is a reminder to me that I still have some growing to do.  Sometimes, it all feels like garbage.

Thankfully, God can clean up my messes (1 John 1:9).  Yours, too.  And if He wants me to grow, I know it means that He can help me to do it.  I really like the Message’s paraphrase of Ephesians 4:15 that we are using as our memory verse for this week.  It is a challenge and great reminder for me, and I hope, for you: “God wants us to grow – to know the whole truth and tell it in love – like Christ in everything!”

May God help you and me to grow forward into the future!