As you are going

Here’s the thing – the Great Commission (Matthew 28) isn’t super explicit. Where exactly am I supposed to go? Are you sure I’m supposed to go?  What if I’ve already gone – do I still need to go? How often do I go? When do I get to stay and make disciples?

The Great Commission starts with the word ‘Go.’ This little Greek word actually means, “as you are going.” I don’t think Jesus command was intended to be a one-time command – it’s an ongoing way of life. As you are going, living, working, doing yard work, attending parties, and raising kids – make disciples. The idea of “go somewhere else” (like on a mission trip) to make disciples is limiting. Yes, we should send people to other places, but for those of us that are here – we should still be going.

I’ve written before that much of Jesus ministry was, “as he was going along.” His ministry is intentional, strategic, monumental, and it all happened as he was going along.

If we’re going to take the latter part (making disciples) of this seriously, it means we may have to alter the kinds of lives we are living. That is, you can’t be making disciples if you’re living at breakneck speed. You probably aren’t making disciples if you aren’t resting. And, if the way you live (how you treat people and spend your money and time, etc) isn’t compelling, you probably won’t get too many followers.

So, let’s go, or keep going, and just think about how we’re going in a new way.

Bigger

Rob Bell has created quite a stir with his new book, “Love Wins.” I propose that our response to Bell’s book says something about how we view the power of the gospel.

Bell, in his typical style, asks provocative questions. The most controversial question he asks in the book is, “is hell forever?” Since the book’s release, I hear two common reactions to Bell’s book, both of which say something about what we really believe about the gospel. Whether or not you have read it, I think these responses are still telling for what we believe (and how people from the outside view the church).

The first response goes something like this, “Rob Bell is leading people down a dangerous path. He’s asking questions that he doesn’t give answers to, leaving the door open for someone to believe something that’s untrue.” My response is – do we believe there are questions Jesus cannot handle? Don’t you think God wants us to know truth more than our pastors do? Don’t you think He can still be glorified (and maybe even sees an opportunity) when we ask honest and tough questions? I hope Christians are more known by our invitations than our answers (John 1:43-46), by the way we welcome than the way we recite or defend – I think the gospel is big enough to handle that.

The second response is, “If hell isn’t forever, then there is no need for evangelism.” This exposes what we really believe a life with God is good for. If we believe the sole purpose of bringing people to Jesus is so that they have a ticket to heaven, we have seriously missed the power and scope and depth of the gospel. Ask yourself, “Even if everyone went to heaven, can I still think of a reason to introduce people to Jesus?” I hope so. I hope Christians believe their savior did and is doing more for them than just getting them a ticket to heaven. This response has forced me to think about how I can articulate Christ has done for me, beyond what he will do for me after I die.

There are a dozen conversations to be had about the content of Bell’s argument. Let’s have them! While we do, I would venture to say the nature of our reaction (anger? defensiveness? fear? opportunity?) says something about what we believe about the gospel.

Creative

In the resurrection, we’ll probably hear Jacob tell a story about a rock pillow and a ladder. Daniel will talk about lions and Ruth about a threshing floor. Noah will talk about a boat, Jonah a city. David a sling, Paul some fish scales, Peter a storm, Mary a tomb, Elijah a whisper, Elisha an axe, Esther a beauty contest, Isaiah a coal, Joseph a dream, and Moses a bush. The story of God’s interaction with mankind is compelling because he is so creative in every story.

Yet, many of us expect God to only connect with us in the same old ways. We get discouraged when we can’t connect to him best in a way we think we’re supposed to. Sometimes, if we don’t like singing or journaling, we feel less spiritual. Very few of our church gatherings empower us to explore how God may connect to us in different ways based on our personalities, the things we’re good at, things we like to do and in our everyday world. He says that he knew us from the womb, don’t you think he has a unique plan to connect to each of us? I wonder if God looks differently at things we don’t think or label as particularly spiritual (i.e. rocks and ladders and beauty contests).

Even more so, very few of our evangelism and outreach strategies are designed with the belief that God can (and does) use incredibly diverse ways to connect to people. The journey to God only goes through one door: Christ. And, can’t he bring us to that door in a number of different ways?

Why arguing is our best strategy

A couple months ago I posted something (It’s Personal) about how I probably can’t (and don’t want to) give you a convincing enough argument to “make” you believe in Jesus.

I was talking to my friend Cody this week about how the gospel is presented in places like Mozambique. They ask for all the deaf people from a village to come, they pray, the deaf are healed, and then they talk about Jesus. Not surprisingly, folks put their trust in God pretty quickly when there is tangible evidence of a changed life. In places where they need God and God shows up, they don’t need a convincing argument.

For better or worse, apologetics are on the decline. More and more Christians feel like it’s complicated, they don’t feel like they have “all the answers,” they aren’t sure themselves what they believe, or they don’t want to tell someone else they are wrong.

Certainly, our best strategy (for lack of a better term) for introducing people to Jesus is the example of our changed life. But is there ample evidence in my life? I presume that about 90% of my life and lifestyle is nearly identical to those around me. If there isn’t enough personal evidence, that is if I haven’t allowed my life to be radically changed by what I know to be true, then maybe the only strategy I have left is to argue.

What if we were truly able to do the miraculous? Imagine if every Christian in your hometown had left for Haiti in the weeks after January 12. What if there were no unadoped children in your county? Imagine the impact of a church full of marriages that lived sacrificially.

What is it about our lives that will force people to stop and go, “wait a minute, something’s different.” I could be wrong, but I doubt that’s going to happen with 10% giving, once a week bible study, and prayer before dinner.

God, would you show the world through us tangible evidence of a changed life.

Making Sense of Prophecy

Emile,

We’re talking about what book to read next and you ask, “why not Revelation?” Hey, Revelation is a great book (seriously), but I’m not too sure it’s the one to start with. Or Daniel. Or Isaiah. Etc.

So, what’s the deal with prophecy? I just heard in church that 1/3 of the Bible is prophecy. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that the Bible is proven true because it has prophecy that is fulfilled. That may be great for someone who already believes in the authority of scripture, but it quickly breaks down for someone who doesn’t buy it yet. Prophecy is so outside our mainstream culture. It seems like the thing of mystics, not of rational people. Here’s a few examples of how our “proofs” for prophecy break down,

Argument: There are prophecies in the Old Testament that come true in the New Testament.

Rebuttal 1: There are prophecies in Harry Potter book 1 that come true in Harry Potter book 7. That doesn’t mean there are wizards running around in London. If I think the Bible’s made up, it doesn’t take much of a writer to make it concur with itself.

Rebuttal 2: Aren’t most of those prophecies pretty open to interpretation? And, aren’t there parts of scripture that do contradict each other, like Proverbs 26:4 and 26:5? (silly example, but there are certainly others)

Rebuttal 3: If I was writing the New Testament and trying to make it convincing, wouldn’t I do a good job (aka alter the story) to make sure they fulfilled what they were supposed to from the Old Testament?

Here’s my perspective. We have tried to convince you that the Bible is real because of what’s contained inside itself. I’d rather you look at what it can do outside itself. Emile, instead of reading the Bible because it’s full of facts, why not read it because it’s compelling? Read it because it is rich, because it is a great story! Read it because it can be life-changing.

Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Fighting for inches

Dear Emily,

Is sharing my faith a sprint or a marathon? Do I need courage to share the gospel with a stranger, or a long life of intentional relationships and integrity and hope-sharing? Although I’m sure the easy answer is both-and, I wonder how to do this with you.

I heard two distinct messages today. One was by a pastor I deeply respect who en-couraged his listeners to speak the gospel boldly, to strangers and co-workers, friends and neighbors. I resonate with his words, I’m not sure being friendly is good enough.

This afternoon I called my grandfather (who turned 74 today) and in our conversation I told him about my constant battle to learn how to be an insider – to live in the world, learning how to articulate what I believe to not-yet-Christians. He said, “it’s not a textbook thing…you’re not going to say one thing to someone and change their life…but inch by inch and little by little, by doing the right thing, you will live it (the gospel) out.” His words echo Francis of Assisi, “preach the gospel, use words when necessary.”

Emily, I’m not sure how to best share my faith and Christ’s hope with you. You are openly hostile to Christians and church and I’m afraid that direct “four law” conversations will push you further away. I’m also afraid I’ll never have the courage (or spend too much time waiting for the perfect moment) to share this crazy idea of a relationship with God with you.

When Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19, and Ephesians 6:19 talk of sharing the good news, how do they mean for us to do it? I do not want our working relationship to pass without you know about God’s redeeming power, but I also don’t want to be another Christian who pushes you away. What does it mean to trust that God wants this for you more than I do, but also to boldly participate in my calling as a Christian to share the good news?

Selling Christ

Dear Tony,

So, you’re not opposed to talking about spirituality. Though I was surprised, I shouldn’t have been. Over the last months I have learned that pretty much everyone is open to talking about spirituality.

I have found that you, and many other college students, enjoy talking about God. It’s a fascinating point of contention, historical debate, and modern-day controversy. Some of your peers enjoy the debate of mediums and perspectives (how God, in their minds, can mean different things for different people). What nobody likes talking about is that there could be one truth, one view of God that is true. Very few people like being wrong about things that are black and white, even less so things they can’t see and in their life have been poorly represented. Today I felt a connection to you while you were talking about discovering God, and about faith. You said, “if God does exist, and I am really looking for him or her, then I will find God.”

The hangup, of course, is the feeling like I need to sell you Christ. How do I naturally move us from hypothetical conversations about a distant being to a personal savior? One of my good friends says that most people like Jesus, but they aren’t willing to sell the farm for Him. I like LeBron James and Bono, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to call them my savior. So, Tony, how do I move us into conversations about Jesus? Why do I feel the need to sell Christ to you? Did you say it best, that if you pursue Him he will reveal himself to you? Or is Christianity something that has to be explained and can’t be figured out without a little help?

What can I say to convince you? Or do I need to? Is there supposed to be a specific order to how all this goes?