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“The Unsettling Solution to Just about Everything” by Andy Stanley

28 Jun

Dear God, I first heard this sermon six years ago. I remember being struck by it and thinking it was one of the best evangelical sermons I ever heard. Now, nearly six and a half years later, I am preparing a Bible study for nine days from now that is supposed to be more evangelical and “make-a-decision-to-follow-Jesus” in nature. I have some thoughts I’ve been considering and praying through, but I want to go back to this, take some notes, and see if there is anything here you would have me incorporate into what you’re leading me to. So with that said, I am going to listen to this real time and then take notes on the things that strike me along the way. I’m also going to consider them and think about them through typing my thoughts to you. Please, Holy Spirit, sit with me in this time. Guide me. Teach me. Comfort me. Lead me.

“I don’t know why everybody wouldn’t want Christianity to be true.”

  • Right off the bat, this is his first statement within 20 seconds of the video starting. It’s the one thing I really remember from this sermon. He’ll go on to say he can understand why people have a hard time believing the virgin birth, resurrection, and miracles in between and such are true, and he can see why people don’t want the Christianity lived out by a lot of modern American Christians to be true, but he cannot understand why someone would read the Bible, see the Jesus of the New Testament and everything he taught and offered and not want it to be true. That’s a great thought. So before I listen to what he says, what are the things about Jesus I want to be true:
    • I want to think that you loved me that much that you would sacrifice Jesus, a piece of yourself–your Trinity–to an earthly existence and horrible death–for me to be in relationship with you and made whole.
    • I want to be loved by others the way they love themselves.
  • You know, it’s funny. I think those are the two main things I want to be true about Jesus and what you gave me through him. Heaven? Sure. But that you loved me that much that you came for me. I want that. That I could move in a world or community where the people loved me like themselves? Sign me up. Yes, that’s what I want.
  • Now let’s hear what Andy says that stands out to me:
    • “People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive.” – Blaise Pascal (17th-century mathematician)
    • “Grace” The word that made Jesus and makes Christianity attractive. “Grace is what we crave most when our guilt is exposed.” Me here: What drew David to God wasn’t his need for power but his appreciation for who God was and his grace. “Grace is what we are hesitant to extend when confronted with the guilt of others. Especially when they’ve hurt me or someone I love. “Grace for me is extraordinarily refreshing. Grace for others is extraordinarily disturbing.” “GRACE IS THE UNSETTLING SOLUTION FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING.” Me here: Link to Sermon on the Mount, Lord’s Prayer, forgive me as I forgive others.
    • Definition for “grace” is undeserved, unearned, and unearnable favor. “We can’t recognize or receive Grace for what it is until we’re convinced we do NOT deserve it.” It can only be experienced when there’s an imbalance and you’re on the negative side.
    • Christianity is unique because of Grace.
    • God had to show up in Jesus. We would have never know the grace of God without the presence of God.
    • John 1:14: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” “Jesus never watered down the truth and he never turned down the grace.” He called sin sin and then he laid down his life for the sinners.
    • Matthew 9:11-13: And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Me here: I think I need to hold on to this for the lesson.
    • Terrified woman caught in adultery. Jesus: Truth and Mercy. “You are guilty (Leave your life of sin), but I don’t condemn you.”
    • If you never get there intellectually, you should want this to be true.
    • If the kingdom of heaven was only reserved for the righteous, we (including David) would have no hope.
    • “Does God hear the prayers of sinners? Yes, those are the only kinds of prayers there are.”
    • Like life, Grace is not fair. It is unsettlingly better than fair.
    • Great sinners who were extended great grace: Peter and Paul.
    • Jesus knew justice and consequences would crush us. That’s why he came.
    • Why wouldn’t anyone want this to be true.
    • Luke 16:16: The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached and everyone is pressing into it. [seems a little out of context]
    • Grace is an invitation. “I know all about you. The good and the bad. And I want you to follow me. But be warned. If you follow me, I will lead you away from your sin. And, no, I have not forgotten about your sin. It’s better than that. I will remember all of it and I love you anyway. Now come. Follow me. Me here: I’ve got to use that as my closer.

Father, thank you for leading me to this sermon in the winter of 2018. Thank you for using all of these little things here and there throughout my life to prepare me for different moments. I offer all of this to you. I offer my life to you. I offer worship to you. I am grateful. I will follow you. I do follow you. Oh, I am so full of love for you right now. In this moment. Tears in my eyes. And I am normally wary of an emotional response to you because I am afraid it might be something artificial and not real, but this is just a moment where my emotions are high and I just want to lean into you. Thank you for being there for my leaning.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 28, 2025 in Musings and Stories

 

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Luke 12:35-40, 49-53

24 Oct

49 “I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! 50 I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. 51 Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! 52 From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against.

53 ‘Father will be divided against son
    and son against father;
mother against daughter
    and daughter against mother;
and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law
    and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’”

Dear God, we can’t read these verses without reading the context of what came before it. All of this started with Jesus warning the people to be ready like a servant who awaits his masters return and must always be ready:

35 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. 37 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! 38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.

39 “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

Once again, our subject headings make some things convenient, but they can remove passages from their context if we let them.

This has always been a hard passage. Why does Jesus come across as so angry and vindictive in verse 49? Well, it’s partly related to the people not being ready when the master (Jesus) came and also knowing the truth of what was about to happen to him. And what was about to happen was incredibly destructive and then re-creational. But it would divide. It did divide. It still does.

I was listening to a recent Andy Stanley sermon this morning about Jesus being who he said he was. And I’ve seen my faith in that message divide members of my own family. I’ve literally seen children be hostile with parents over their faith. And it’s hard to watch. And when I read these words of Jesus they both aggravate me and comfort me. They aggravate me because I think, Why does it have to be this way? Then they comfort me because I see that it will simply sometimes be this way.

This passage also reminds me of the pressure and even anxiety Jesus felt about his earthly future. He certainly didn’t want it to happen. He didn’t want to be beaten and crucified. He wished the atonement cold have happened another way. But let’s for a moment say it could have happened another way and his death and resurrection wasn’t necessary for that, then what would have differentiated him in history? Had he just lived taught, and then been assumed into heaven, how would he have ever been remembered. It’s the crucifixion and resurrection, and how they inspired the people who witnessed this miracle to then go to the world and proclaim it that made the difference. It was Their witness to this story that made the Gentiles take notice. It is the reason I am sitting here this morning.

Father, there are times I look around and it seems like the world is on fire. And maybe it is. Maybe you’re breaking us down to our bare essentials so you can build us back up, once again, in your image. Maybe you want to love and inspire us through some setbacks. Through some suffering. Maybe it doesn’t matter who wins the presidential election because either way the world is spinning away from you, and we need just a little more leash before we are ready to come to the end of ourselves, repent, and come back to you. Show me the role you have for me in all of this. Show me how to love and inspire my wife. Show her how to love and inspire me. Show me how to love my children and my family. My coworkers. My friends. Everyone within my sphere, show me what to do.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 24, 2024 in Luke

 

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“Do you know Jesus well enough to reject Him?” Father Mike Schmitz

26 Apr

Dear God, I watched this video this morning, and I thought it was excellent. Yes, this is a Catholic priest, Father Mike Schmitz, speaking, and, yes, his messages is originally designed for a Catholic audience, but the foundation of the message is for anyone who has walked away from or intentionally kept themselves from Jesus. “Do you know Jesus well enough to reject Him?”

It reminds me of something I’ve heard Andy Stanley say more than once. When someone tells him that they have left the church, his question back to them is, “Who was it? Who was the person who offended you and drove you away? Because it probably wasn’t Jesus or God. It’s almost always a person who was not a good reflection of Jesus.”

In this case, Father Mike’s encouragement is pretty simple. Spend some time with Jesus for 30 minutes a day for a month. Read the red letters in the gospels. For Catholics who believe in the presence of the host, go to the tabernacle and spend 30 minutes praying to and reading about Jesus. Spend time in your presence. Get to know the real Jesus and not the poor imitations one might see in the people of the church.

I had a long text discussion with a close friend yesterday about our culture and its decline. He shared a Fox News story with me about how the pendulum has swung and two-thirds of the public is now in support of the right for women to have an abortion. I bring this up in this context, because it feels to me like so many on either side of the issue simply don’t know Jesus well enough. In my opinion, those who are pro-life don’t understand that Jesus never persuaded anyone through coercion, and those who are pro-choice don’t realize that Jesus really does care about each and every child throughout their entire life. But the more I personally spend time with you in these settings the more you slowly transform me into being more Jesus-like.

Oh, my Jesus. Oh, my Father. Oh, my Holy Spirit. Oh, my God! Help me to be a better reflection of you today. Help me to love to start by worshipping you well. Help me to then love everyone around me well, starting with my wife and children, but then moving to those around me who need help, those who are my friends, and those few who consider themselves my enemy. Help me to be a lover and generous to all of them. Do this for your glory. Do this so that your kingdom might come and your will might be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 26, 2024 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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P.S.P.S. (Prayer, Service, Persuasion, Suffering)

11 Apr

Dear God, I was listening to an interview between Andy Stanley and John Dickson last summer and that the 40-minute mark Stanley asks Dickson about a quote in his book about how the early church strove to emulate Jesus. Dickson then said that Jesus used four tools and four tools only to influence his world–Prayer, Service, Persuasion, and Suffering–and that is all he left us as well. I didn’t want to lose that concept so I memorized the acronym P.S.P.S. Obviously, it has stuck with me.

So, it’s been about nine months since I first heard that interview. How am I doing?

  • Prayer: I think I am doing well with my quality time with you, but I don’t do nearly enough in intercessory prayer, either for individuals or societal/world issues that should have my prayer cover. I’m sorry for that. I need to come up with a better system for intercessory prayer. My wife is very good at that. I am not.
  • Service: I have actually worked different service things into my life. I could always do more, but I do have some things outside of my work, which is inherently service-oriented, that help me directly touch lives that might need my input.
  • Persuasion: This one is always tricky. I think my life directly influences a lot of people around me. And I think I am able to use that to get people to consider you more. But do I do enough?
  • Suffering: I really don’t have anything here. I mean, yes, I have some sorrows in my life. Some broken relationships. And at least one of them has at least some linkage to my faith. But for the most part, I don’t know what suffering is. Is this a problem? Is no suffering a sign that I’m not putting myself out there enough? Persuading enough? Serving enough? Praying enough?

One interesting thing I noticed as I did this list is that doing all of these things isn’t only good for the world around me, but it is good for me as well. If I pray more–good for me. If I serve more–good for me. If I persuade more–good for me. If I suffer more–good for me. All of these things, even suffering, will help refine me into being more and more Jesus-like.

Father, help me to be mindful of this today. Help me to love you well. Help me to find time to pray for others and your world. Help me to jump into service. Help me to be bold and loving in my persuasion. And help me to not resist or avoid suffering if it means doing something you called me to do.

I offer all of this to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 11, 2024 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories, Uncategorized

 

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The Attractiveness of Jesus

31 Dec

Dear God, my wife and I had dinner this last week with a young woman who is still in her teens. She’s really terrific, but she is still…searching. I think she’s finding herself. She’s graduated from high school, and is doing some college, but she’s young and unsure. I don’t perceive she has any use for organized religion or a formal relationship with you, but there was one thing I noticed about her that struck me: tattoos and jewelry with Christian imagery. A cross chain. A cross in the midst of wings. A large tattoo of rosary beads. I don’t even think she knew what she was was of rosary beads, but she thought they were pretty.

As I thought about it later, I went back to the talk I heard several months ago by John Dickson and Andy Stanley about the faith and Christian life Jesus authored vs. what Christians end up living (the 43:45 mark of this video). There is something so unique and beyond genius about what Jesus taught us: love your enemies, forgive those who harm you, serve the poor, love you with everything we have, etc. I think there are people who are searching out there and they know at the root that there is something to what Jesus taught us and the path he offers us to you that is the right thing, but they can’t bring themselves to embrace it because of how Christians have represented that path.

I told my wife it reminded me of the movie Jesus revolution. There is a scene where the hippie evangelist is talking to the traditional pastor, and he’s describing the hippies of the late 60s and early 70s (my paraphrase): They are looking for God. They just don’t know they are looking for God. And they are looking in all of the wrong places. And when they find him they are amazed!

I have a friend who shared this with me just a couple of days ago (names deleted for privacy):

“We spent the afternoon and evening with [a family]. Their daughter and live-in boyfriend are here from [another state]. It was obvious that [the parents] wanted their family to be in proximity to us because of our faith life. I kind of dreaded being with them because I knew of [the daughter’s] very liberal bent. She identifies as non-binary and has no point of reference for Christ. However, I immediately felt comfortable and easily connected with [her and her boyfriend]. We spent the evening engaged in lively and energized conversations about God, the world, and other things. We left their house with full hearts and grateful for the opportunity to simply leak out life with the beautiful bonus of observing [the parents] not holding back the joy of their [recent] salvation and their faith journeys. It was a truly beautiful experience.”

I replied, “I think you found to be true what Paul and Jesus taught. It is easy to show Jesus’s love to the lost. And to even be non-judgmental about it because they are lost. It’s when they see our love and come to faith that the Holy Spirit can start to work on them and earnest conversations can begin. But I think [the daughter and boyfriend] would have been very comfortable with Jesus so they were comfortable with you and [your wife] too.”

Father, as my friend puts it, help me to be leaky for you. Give me a bucket that leaks out your fruit into the world. Whether it be on my relatives, my friends, or even strangers who read this prayer I share with the world. You, Jesus, showed us an amazing glimpse of how the Father intends us to live. Holy Spirit, guide me into that. Guide my wife as well. Show us your path.

I offer this to you in the name of my Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 31, 2023 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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“Has Christianity Done More Harm Than Good?” John Dickson

03 Jul
This is a link to Andy Stanley’s interview with John Dickson about Christianity’s impact on history. I recommend the entire interview, but the parts I am referencing start at the 38:50 mark.

Dear God, I just finished listening to this interview Andy Stanley with North Point Community Church did with John Dickson. Apparently, about 15 years ago in Australia, there was a debate between people who think religion has harmed the world (particularly Christianity) and those who thought it had helped the world. In pre- and post-debate surveys, the overwhelming consensus among the attendees was that it had harmed the world. The debate did nothing to move the needle. How sad.

The tools Jesus gave us

I could go on an on about the interview and what he said, but if there is anyone who actually reads these prayers I do to you, I highly recommend listening to the entire interview. With that said, at the 38:50 mark, they start talking about one of his main theses in the book. It is that Jesus gave us a very limited set of tool to use to transform the world around us.

  • Prayer
  • Service
  • Persuasion
  • Suffering

It feels like the American church today has added influence and power to that list. Why? Because we are afraid, I think. I think we are afraid of not being able to persuade. I think we don’t really believe in our message to the point we can articulate it and offer it to others. No, the easiest thing to do is force them into our way of thinking. To gain power over them. To protect ourselves from them by any earthly means necessary. We have forgotten that we’ve already won the war. Satan might win today’s battle. Someone might harm me in some way because of my beliefs, and I might feel like I lost today. But I have won. I have won in you. I have won my loving you with all of my heart and loving others.

It’s the singer, not the song

The other thing that struck me (to the point of giving me chills) comes at the 43:15 mark. Dickson talks compares Jesus’s Christianity with a genius piece of music, “Bach’s Cello Suite in G Major, Prelude.” Jesus’s Christianity, even more so than Bach’s piece, of course, is perfect. What Jesus aspired us to through faith in him was perfect. It was attractive to humans because it was so good. The problem has been people’s interpretation of it ever since. If Jesus’ Christianity is the song, then Christians are the singer.

Dickson took two cello lessons and then recorded himself trying to play the Bach piece. It was lacking, to say the least. It didn’t communicate the intricate nuances or the beautiful structure Bach wrote. In short, he butchered it. But then he played a professional cellist (maybe Yo Yo Ma, I don’t know) playing it the way it is supposed to be played and the brilliance of the piece is obvious, even to the most novice of listeners.

To quote Mr. Dickson from the interview: “If you have been hurt by the church or by an individual Christian, it’s because Christians haven’t played the melody. It’s not because the melody isn’t beautiful. And I reckon, if you have been hurt by the church, every genuine Christian in this building and watching on would want to say to you straight and look you in the eye and say, “We are sorry. We are sorry that we haven’t loved like Christ loved us. And we beg you, despite our poor performance, to see if you can hear the melody again: ‘Love your enemies.’ ‘Do good to those who hate you.’ ‘Bless those who mistreat you.’ A melody Jesus took all the way to his cross for us.”

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, there are times when I want to use more power and influence to expedite me getting my way. Prayer, service, persuasion, and suffering are too slow. But at the end of the day, they are all you gave me. They are the only tool you gave me. And as soon as I start trying to use other tools I start playing notes to a different melody than the Christianity Jesus taught us. I am sorry. Hel me to be patient in your victory and to lean all of the way into prayer, service, persuasion, and suffering as the only melody I try to play for your glory–for your kingdom to come and your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I pray this through Jesus’ name because he taught us how to love you and he gave everything so I could be here this morning,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 3, 2023 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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What does my sin cost?

13 Jun

Dear God, I was listening to a sermon from Andy Stanley this morning, and he used an illustration that was excellent. He was trying to frame the idea of what my sin costs God and how I can’t relate to it, and he used an illustration of his daughter from when she was three years old. Apparently, he had bought a new car and it was a really pretty deep green. He came out one morning and saw scratches on the hood. They were deep scratches that went all of the way through the paint. He was certain one of his children had done it through he process of elimination, so he marched the three kids out to the garage and put them next to the car. That’s when his three-year-old daughter looked at him and said (in a three-year-old voice), “Daddy, I practiced my letters on your car with a rock.” Stunned he sat there and wondered how to communicate the value of her mistake to her. He looked closer and could see that the scratches were capital A’s. How could she understand what it would cost him to fix this? There was no way for her to pay for it. There was no way for her to comprehend it. He said he knelt down and simply told her, “Please, don’t practice your letters on Daddy’s car again.” She said, “Yes, sir, Daddy,” and went away to play.

Father, I am this simple child. I have no idea how to even know what my sin really costs you in the way of how I harm others, myself, or your plan. But I will do my best to take your instruction from your Holy Spirit as I go and be grateful for the forgiveness Jesus offers through his life, death, and resurrection. Thank you, Father. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I pray all of this through that grace which you so richly gave me,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 13, 2023 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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The Fundamental List

12 May

Dear God, I was driving to visit a friend this morning, and I listened to this sermon by Andy Stanley. It’s part one of a series he’s doing called “The Fundamental List.” He’s basically breaking things down into what do Christians have to believe in order to be considered Christian vs. the things that we sometimes feel are important, but might be more open to interpretation. He started with Jesus talking with the disciples in Matthew 16. He asked what the word on the street was about him: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13 NLT) When they tell him that people think he is a prophet come back such as John the Baptist, Elijah, or Jeremiah, he turns the question more personal: “But who do you say I am?” That’s when Peter gives us our first fundamental: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16 NLT)

So what does that mean “if” it’s true. Now, I’m not questioning its veracity. Of course I believe it. But do I appreciate what that means? If the Jesus that is recorded in the New Testament is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, then I should really learn from his example. I should love richly, forgive easily, and be a discomfort to anyone who is legalistic and focusing on the “Non-Fundamental List (whatever that may be).

I have to say that my soul has felt a little unsettled the last couple of days. I’m not exactly sure why. I’ve been on vacation, and I think part of it might be that I’m just not great without much structure and I just did several days at the beach with no structure. I need days that are more intentional in some way. Perhaps these unstructured days are good for me in that they make me appreciate the structure and the day-to-day work when I get it back.

I also had an interesting visit with a friend today. Part of it was good and part of it was hard. He said some things to tell me that were hard to hear. On the one hand, I wanted to dismiss them because it was a hospital visit and he was heavily medicated, but on the other hand, he was unfiltered and I was trying to discern whether or not you were trying to tell me something through him. I cannot tell right now in this moment, but I pray that you will lead me to the answer over the next few days.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I cling to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Without that, without his life, death, and resurrection I am wasting my time. I have nothing to offer you, but Jesus offered it for me. Now please lead me. Guide me. Use me. In the words of the praise song, “Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Break me. Melt me. Mold me. Fill me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.”

I pray all of this through your grace and in your name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 12, 2023 in Matthew

 

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God Wins

23 Apr

Dear God, the other day I was writing down what I was thankful for to a friend and I found myself saying, “God wins!” It’s been a hard week of loss. It’s been a sad week. It’s been an absolutely tragic week for one family I know. So what did I mean by, “God wins!”

I think it starts with the idea that our human view often sees winning as a zero sum game. If I win, that means someone else has to lose. If I get elevated then someone else gets put under me. Yes, there are win/win situations, but in life the world sees winning as power, control, and, ultimately, happiness. “If I’m not winning then I’m not happy.”

Almost three years ago, in August 2020, Andy Stanley gave a sermon that really struck a chord with me. It was called “Not In It To Win It.”

It was about the political environment and how the electorate had become intent on winning at the other side’s expense, and how Christians were getting caught up in this worldly view of winning. He went on to describe what you mean by winning. He talked about Jesus heading to Jerusalem for what would be his beating, crucifixion and resurrection. To the world–especially before the Sunday resurrection–this looked like losing. To the disciples it looked like losing too. But in your calculus, everything happened the way it should happen so I could win.

My wife and I have a great sorrow in our own lives. It’s a situation we don’t understand. Frankly, it feels like losing. It feels like we have lost huge. But we were talking about it recently and wondering what kinds of people we would be right now without this “loss.” Who would we be? Would we be more judgmental of others? Would we be proud and haughty? Would we be as dependent upon you? Are you using this “losing” in not only our lives, but in the lives of those who are part of our sorrow as well? My hope is in the idea that you didn’t cause this pain, but you are certainly using it to form us all into who you long for us to be in you and for your purposes.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I pray that you will not let the pain and sorrow of this week be wasted. For everyone who has touched this story, heal them. Love them. Draw them into yourself. Comfort them. Grow them. Protect them. Protect marriages, siblings, friends, and extended family of those involved. Use this for your good in our community. Show me my role. Please, don’t let this be wasted.

I pray all of this in your holy name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 23, 2023 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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The Church is Soft

20 Sep

Dear God, I heard two different pastors today say, in essence, “The church is soft.” The first was Andy Stanley’s September 13, 2020 Sermon (Be Rich 2020). Here is a quote from it:

“[Questions regarding COVID-19 that ask if these are the end times or if God is punishing us and we need to repent] are not the kinds of questions that first-century Christians asked when faced with similar circumstances. And, just my opinion, I think our fascination with these kinds of questions reveal, in some cases a limited knowledge or a limited understanding of history and of the suffering that people in other parts of the world have had to navigate for generations, and that many people were navigating in this generation before the appearance of COVID-19. Which makes me wonder–perhaps the question we all should be asking is this one: Why, why do Americans, and I’m including myself, why do Americans have such a low pain threshold? Because we really do, don’t we? Me included. And part of the answer to this question is, ‘We are so blessed. We are so resourced. We’ve been so protected.’ And those of you who have traveled to different and difficult regions of the world, you know this to be the case. You know that us Americans have high expectations of how we expect or deserve to be treated. We don’t want to be told no. We feel like we have the right to do pretty much whatever we want. In fact, think about this. The fact that fights have broken out and guns have been drawn over wearing a face mask in Walmart, on airliners…I mean, that should tell us a little something about our low tolerance for discomfort.

Later, I was mowing the lawn and couldn’t decide what I wanted to listen to, so I pulled up some recordings I have of Chuck Swindoll teaching a survey of the different books of the Bible. This was probably recorded in the 1981-ish time period. In the one on Acts he said:

“May I interrupt this time to say something straight to all of us? I don’t think we are tough enough in this generation. Now there are some beautiful exceptions, and you who are tough, you who are resilient, you spur us on when we get weak. But for the most part the church is getting a little flabby. Getting a little lazy. We get a little persecution that washes over us and, oh my, we’re ready to close up the book, and walk away and say, ‘Leave it to somebody else.’ I long for that pioneer spirit that didn’t just simply make this country great, but it made the church great. Some of those soldiers of the cross. Those warriors of the land. Those who refuse to lay back and let the responsibility rest with just a few off there in the limelight. People who rolled up their sleeves. Stout-hearted Christian men and women who put it together and stayed to the task. If you find yourself a little lazy, a little laid back more than you once were. If it’s beginning to bother you get a big dose of the book of Acts.

The order in which this all came up for me this morning was first listening to Andy Stanley’s sermon based out of Acts while I was working out and then I decided to listen to Chuck Swindoll’s survey of Acts while I was mowing the lawn. It’s interesting that both of them, when comparing the modern American church to the church in Acts, said the modern American church is soft.

I still think back on an editorial I read for a Christian back in the 2016 election cycle. He said that Christians in America have made an idol out of the Supreme Court. We vote for a President who we think will nominate the justices we want, and then we sit back and wait for them to do our work for us. There are two problems with that strategy: 1.) We abdicate our need to get involved and 2.) the conservative-leaning court often votes against what the conservatives wanted (e.g. it was a conservative court that ruled on Roe v. Wade). For for pro-life Christians, are we ready to do the work to support women and help them NOT choose abortion and, should something happen and abortion be outlawed in parts of the nation, are we ready to step up and work to help those children and their mothers?

Another question is, should church leadership hide from religious persecution. Should we want a government that will protect us as Christians, or should we want to experience the struggle of the church against the culture because it is the struggle that makes us stronger? As Swindoll put it, we are flabby. Said another way, we are fat and happy, and that’s a dangerous place to me. And when I say, “We,” I’m right in there with the rest. One of my biggest weaknesses as a leader at work is that I shun risk for safety. How much does my desire for safety limit my willingness to hear what you might be calling me to do.

Father, help me to not run from risk, but to prudently determine your will for me. Help me to shun self-pity when it comes to how I (or my church) am treated by society. Help me to embrace the responsibility to innovate under your guidance and provision. Help me to accept personal failure if it means advancing your Kingdom.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 20, 2020 in Acts, Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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