The Foolishness of God

Who Knows Your Heart?

2009-07-09T10:56:00.003-05:00

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a year since I’ve written a blog! Life has been busy with milestones and changes. Ben turned 21 and graduated from Belmont University, Stephen completed his first year at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee, and Julie and I celebrated our 25^th wedding anniversary. After working two jobs for nearly five years I left my position with the State of Tennessee to join the staff of Grace Community Church full-time as Director of Administration. Life and work are still busy but hopefully I can time to find post more often.

The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.

Proverbs 14:11

I recently attended the funeral for the father of a friend of mine. It seems for me the last few years have contained an unusually large number of deaths. Some of the deceased I knew better than others, a few I really didn’t know at all, but each funeral brought to my mind others who had passed away throughout my life. My dad went to be with the Lord in 1991, so I know some of what my friend was experiencing with the loss of his father. At the same time I realized that neither of us could fully understand all that had gone on in each of our hearts and minds. “I know how you feel” can be sincerely spoken, but is never completely true.

We have friends and family who we would say we know pretty well. Some people are more open than others, but we can’t see all that’s inside them. We think we know ourselves better than anyone, but the truth is that we don’t fully understand our own hearts. Jeremiah 17:9 says “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”. Mark Sanford, Michael Jackson, Steven McNair, Sarah Palin, a serial killer in South Carolina; current news stories that demonstrate in various ways that we never know just what is in the heart of a another.

There is only one who knows the deepest part of us. Jeremiah 17:10 says “ I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind”. God knows our highest joys and the deepest disappointments of life in a way that no one else can. Yet sometimes He is the last to whom we come with our struggles. Some hold them in, even hiding them, not wanting others to see, while secretly longing for someone to share them with. Others hold nothing back, openly sharing the most intimate details with anyone who seems to have the slightest interest and sometimes with those who show no interest at all. One builds walls and moves deeper into isolation. The other bares the soul as a relief valve for temporary comfort. Neither find the healing they need.

That’s not to say that we shouldn’t share our lives with each other. Galatians 6:2 tells us to “Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ”. We are to be a part of each other’s lives in a way that brings each of us honestly before God. We can encourage and exhort each other through prayer and the Scriptures, asking the Spirit of God to bring change to our lives. I heard a song the other day by the Indigo Girls that reminded me of how much we all need the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The lyrics were a perfect reflection of how our culture perceives life.

I'm trying to tell you something about my life

Maybe give me insight between black and white

The best thing you've ever done for me

Is to help me take my life less seriously, it's only life after all

Well darkness has a hunger that's insatiable

And lightness has a call that's hard to hear

I wrap my fear around me like a blanket

I sailed my ship of safety till I sank it, I'm crawling on your shore.

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains

I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain

There's more than one answer to these questions

pointing me in crooked line

The less I seek my source for some definitive

The closer I am to fine.

We go to the bible, we go through the workout

We read up on revival and we stand up for the lookout

There's more than one answer to these questions

pointing me in a crooked line

The less I seek my source for some definitive

The closer I am to fine

This is the cry of the world we live in. The cry of hearts that no one knows the joy or bitterness of.

There is truth to be found. In a person: Jesus Christ. He knows our hearts like no one else. Not only does he know our hearts, he completely understands every emotion and experience of our lives. Hebrews 4:11-16 says it best: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hey Jude

2008-02-27T22:22:00.000-06:00

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
Jude v. 3

Hey Jude,
I’ve read you’re letter, and as the pastor of one of the most popular, fastest growing, and talked-about churches in the area I feel I should respond. I just gotta say that your message and approach aren’t going to work in our time and culture. Your “faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” is way out of style. I’ve learned by experience some things that work and I’d like to share them with you:

Convenience: We’ve learned to remove all the barriers that would keep anyone from being inconvenienced or uncomfortable when they come to our church. It’s all about you from the time you pull in the parking lot until you rush out the door to beat the lunch crowd. We tout ourselves as a place for people who hate church and the hypocrites who go there. We are real people, and real people always take the easy route. Our Saturday evening services are packed out every Fall, so no one has to make the choice between church and the Titans.

Coffee Bar: We started with one pot in the lobby and it didn’t take long to find out we needed more flavors. Things really took off when we had an outside vendor come in to sell name brand coffees. It’s enhanced the fellowship so much that sometimes we have a hard time getting folks out of the lobby and into the auditorium or small groups.

Great Music: Yes, it’s SHOWTIME and we’re proud to do it with excellence and plenty of volume. Doesn’t matter what genre of music you enjoy, we’ll hit them all on a rotating basis. Just sit back and listen to some of the most talented musicians and vocalists in town. We’ll even throw in a few non-Christian songs along the way so it doesn’t feel too much like a worship service. And if the music gets too loud for you we have ear plugs you can pick up on your way into the auditorium.

Technology: If it’s cutting edge, we’ve got it. You’ll never find us behind the times. We’re willing to spend whatever it takes to stay with the latest trends. Everything is on the big screen so you don’t miss a single detail. The videos and graphics we use are eye catching and attention grabbing, and always leave you wanting more.

Relevant Topics: Many churches do this, but we have it down to an art. You know, all truth is God’s truth, so we use whatever we can to keep things interesting and fresh. We don’t want anyone bored with the same old stuff. We’ve almost finished my sermon series “Big Brother: Learning to Live Together in God’s House”. The clips we used from the TV show really brought home some great points to us about love, acceptance, and harmony within the Body of Christ. I’m still studying for my next series: “South Park: Spiritually Shocking”. I’ve decided not to censor the language in the clips we’ll be showing; it adds to the power of the truths we can learn from those humorous little folks as they interact with each other and in the world around them.

Cool Leadership: We’re fortunate to have a staff here that is second to none, and I think I can say without reservation that they are the coolest bunch of people I’ve ever worked with. No one has any religious or theological hang-ups, we just love people and want to be part of seeing them living fulfilled and happy lives. As pastor I’ve learned what it means to be all things to all men. I can play whatever part is necessary to relate to whoever I need to at the time; the only role I won’t cast myself in is that of a typical church leader. I’ve found that people love a renegade who prevails and refuses to accept a mediocre life. And I have to confess that I’m getting really attached to my big loud bike and black leather jacket……. I just hope they never go out of style.

This letter is, of course, completely fictitious. Unfortunately the attitudes, ideas, and most of the examples are factual.

But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Jude v. 17-25

God and a Gremlin

2008-02-06T22:17:00.000-06:00

I recently found a picture of my first car: a 1972 AMC Gremlin. Purple; the factory color was called Wild Plum. Black vinyl interior with a bench front seat. No air conditioner. Three speed manual transmission with a 232 CI straight six engine. Not exactly the most popular car to have in 1978, when most of us guys were reading Wheels and Deals weekly and scanning the used car lots for a late 60s or early 70s muscle car we could afford. The Gremlin belonged to my parents, was in pretty good condition, got good gas mileage, and they didn’t want much money for it. Beside those things, I thought it held some possibilities of becoming a “cool” car. It was surprisingly fast through its first two gears and definitely different in appearance. The addition of an AM/FM 8 Track player with tri-axial speakers, new carpet, bucket seats, Hurst gear shift, fog lights and floor mats with a cartoonish devil and the phrase “Dirty, Mean, and Nasty” made my little car respectable enough to keep me satisfied.
Unfortunately, those floor mats were an accurate description of my life at the time. After 17 years of going to church and always being the compliant child and outstanding student, the second half of my senior year in high school found me making choices that led to me living a double life. I never missed church on Sunday and never missed an opportunity on any other day of the week to do whatever my flesh pleased. The Gremlin was my transportation to and sometimes the scene of many of my exploits.
This went on for nearly two years before God brought me to repentance and began to change my life from the inside out. Although my life was dramatically changing, the Gremlin remained much the same, the exceptions being that I got rid of the floor mats and replaced the 8 track with a cassette player. Some time later I covered the fading purple with a nice bright blue paint job, but the biggest change in the car was the way it was used. I now drove it to church with purpose and passion. It was transportation for younger guys in the youth group to church, fellowships, and early morning Bible studies. The car that was once the scene of ungodliness was now filled with prayer, conversation, and music that brought glory to God.
Eventually I had to let the car go after many years and miles, but the memory of it makes me smile and give God thanks, because it reminds me of His grace. When God brings redemption He takes those things considered common and despised and uses them as only He can. He takes the things that were formerly used for the kingdom of darkness and brings them into the kingdom of His dear Son, transforming them by His glory and for His Glory.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:9-14

Dare to Drive the Speed Limit

2007-10-15T12:44:00.000-05:00

Drive the speed limit on the interstate of your choice in middle Tennessee and see what happens. You probably already know some of the possibilities; you could be honked at, tailgated, cursed, glared at, and gestured to and nearly everyone will pass you at varying speeds. It seems that even driving in the far right lane no longer offers safe haven. You should be prepared to speed up or get out of the way to accommodate anyone who has a problem with your obedience to the speed limit.

Today’s world reacts in the same way to those who follow Jesus Christ and live their lives according to the teaching of Scripture. Those driven by materialism, money, success, pleasure, and power all roar by, shaking their fists in ridicule at the way we live. They ignore the truth of God, refusing to admit that the speed limits are for all of us. How should we react?

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.”
Philippians 2:12-16

Fast Food

2007-10-12T08:24:00.000-05:00

Fast food restaurants. The original concept was a quick, inexpensive meal in a casual setting. The first ones were hamburger joints, but in time new players entered the game featuring chicken, fish, tacos, pizza and even roast beef sandwiches. Each had their own specialty, sometimes with a few variations, and this is what defined them. Name a restaurant and something in particular would come to mind.

It wasn’t long before competition forced many fast food restaurants to rethink what they were doing. Medical and dietary research also revealed some less than flattering facts about some very popular products. In response, companies began making changes in order to appeal to a larger number of people. Expanded menus were common. The place you used to go for burgers and fries now had chicken, fish, and a selection of salads. Somewhat healthier alternatives were offered to attract customers and keep them coming back. Buildings were renovated inside and out to be more attractive and comfortable. The latest computer technology was installed to get out orders more accurately and quickly. Payment by credit card and access to wireless internet soon were common. Companies designed everything for the convenience of the customer. The message was clear: Come here and get just what you want. Get it when you want it and how you want it. They also began advertising in different ways. Rather than compare themselves to the competition, they created the illusion of need by showing the “benefits” of their products. Their objective was to make you feel like you were missing something or that your life was not complete unless you were buying what they had to sell. Was it a good strategy? Apparently so. These businesses continue to thrive although it seems there’s one on every corner.

Although it was a good strategy for convincing people to come eat at a restaurant, unfortunately this marketing concept is now being used by many churches and ministries. The idea is to create a particular environment to have a broader appeal. The message: It’s all about you. You can dress like you want. We’ll play music that you like. You’ll be impressed by our use of technology. You’ll hear a message that will be relevant to you. You won’t be pressured. You’ll feel comfortable. Everything about this church is designed with you in mind. You’ll see that we are good people, happy people, maybe even cool people, and you’ll like us so much that you’ll come back again and again. Eventually you’ll understand that you too can become exactly like us and that you’ll be much happier if you do.

This man-centered approach quickly turns the gospel into a product tailored to improve your life. The invitation is to take Jesus on your own terms and let him meet whatever needs you may feel like you have. It’s comfortable, it’s cozy, there is no pressure, and it’s all about making sure you’re satisfied in the end.

As Paul wrote in Galatians 1, this is another gospel that is really not another. He referred to those who added the keeping of the law to the gospel, but I see more subtraction than addition in today’s gospel. Repentance is now simply changing your mind about the way things are and deciding that you will act differently so that your life will be improved. Faith has become a mystical word that means you believe God wants you to be happy and living your best life now. The Scriptures are selectively understood as words to inspire us to excellence in all we do.

The result is the same as with fast food. It’s not healthy. Our appetites are dulled for truth and for holiness. And it’s not really inexpensive, it’s just cheap. It makes us fat and lethargic. We have nice buildings, the latest technology, slick presentations, great music, great organization, skilled communicators, and interesting topics, but do we have the power on God on our lives? I fear that marketing techniques have replaced the work of the Holy Spirit. We must return to the gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority Let no one disregard you.
Titus 2:11-15

Why Blog?

2007-10-09T11:48:00.000-05:00

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.
Acts 17:16

Why am I blogging? Aren’t there enough blogs out there covering every conceivable topic? That may be so but, like the apostle Paul, my spirit has been provoked within me. I’ve not observed the same types of idols that he saw as he walked the streets of Athens, but things I’ve seen, read, and heard lately have stirred within me concern, sadness, and at times even anger. Sometimes it’s almost laughable and it would be funny if it weren’t so pitiful. I’m talking about the current state of the Church. Do our souls pant for God as the deer pants for the water brooks? (Psalm 42:1) Do we rejoice in the way of God’s testimonies as much as in all riches? (Psalm 119:14) Do we live as aliens and strangers in this world? (Hebrews 11:13, 1 Peter 2:11) Do we persuade men because we know the fear of the Lord? (2 Corinthians 5:11) Are we looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus? (Titus 2:13) Are we the salt of the earth and the light of the world that Jesus spoke of? (Matthew 5:13-16)

When the world looks at us, what do they see? Best I can tell they see all sorts of things; good, bad, and ugly. Just click the remote and you can watch a parade of televangelists and gospel singers who look and sound like bad caricatures on a Saturday Night Live sketch. At the other end of the spectrum you can click your mouse and read the blogs and web pages of those who attempt to be contemporary, cool, and cutting-edge, who want you to know that Jesus can make your life just as complete and fulfilled as you would like it to be.

Have we become like the Laodicean church, thinking our lives are wonderful when in reality we are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked? (Revelation 3:14-20).

This blog is a call to repentance. A call to read, dwell on, feed on, and obey the Scriptures so that we may be equipped for every good work. A call to be filled with the Holy Spirit, that we may be holy as He is holy. A call to go and make disciples of all nations. It’s a call to me, to you, and to all who name the name of Christ.