Religious Multiplicity

One of the most highly debated social issues recently is that of cloning. News began running when Dolly the sheep came on the scene. The more I think about this, the more I think I am in favor of this, and as a matter of fact that the Bible speaks favorably of this. Now, before you begin to inundate me with ethical arguments, hear me out. Paul is the first to speak of cloning sheep.

Listen to his words, "For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church." (1 Corinthians 4:15-17)

On numerous occasions, our Lord Jesus refers to us affectionately as sheep. If you know anything about sheep is this no great complement. Sheep tend to be pretty think-headed and in need of a watchful eye lest they get themselves into trouble. We as sheep are called to be like our Shepherd. In essence, we are to imitate or "clone" Him, and then "clone" ourselves. If you have ever seen the hilarious movie "Multiplicity," you will know that the farther you get from the original, the less like the original. There are a couple of spiritual lessons here of which to take note. First, if we call ourselves Christians, then literally we are calling ourselves little "Christs." So, the closer we stay to the original, the more like the original we will be. Second, we are called to make disciples, so we must reproduce ourselves in others. We are all being cloned. This beckons the question, what are we being cloned into? What we are being cloned into, will be reproduced. So, what are you cloning and who is cloning you? How close are you to the original?

Group Hug!

It has been a few days since I have been available to post anything. Jill's dad has been in the hospital in Houston having a tumor removed from his head, so we have been preoccupied with that, and will probably have periods of the same in the coming weeks. He is doing okay, but the recovery is longer than anticipated as other complications have arisen. We covet your prayers.

This morning I read something this morning that seems to fit what we have been dealing with. Facing tough times alone can make or break you. It was true with my mom before she died, and I believe it is what broke her spirit and led to her early death (she was 64). She had isolated herself from true community, and with the exception of her family, she had no one to walk with in her life. I read this quote by Larry Crabb in Andy Stanley's Creating Community (finished it this morning, good book!) "As our lungs require air, so our souls require what only what community provides. We were designed. . . to live in relationship. Without it we die. It's that simple." I don't know about you, but I have found that to be very true in my own life. I think how well we weathered the roughest times we have faced in our lives was determined almost exclusively by whether or not we were walking through the storm in community with others or not. True community is there to remind us of the Truth of who we are in Christ and God's character.

Our society does everything it can to counter development of true community. Oh it offers many counterfeits, for example, one of Starbucks core values is that they don't just sell incredible coffee, they sell community. They market to a real need in our world, and their profits show they know what they are talking about. The old sitcom Cheers, "where everybody knows your name" theme song cries out what people long for most.

One thing that takes place in a community of believers in Christ that doesn't happen in what the world offers is life change based on the truth of God's Word. I think that is what was experienced in the book of Acts where the church was first born. In chapter 2:42-47, it speaks of them having all things in common, and the result was all the things that we seek to accomplish in the life of the church: true worship, ministry and service, fellowship, discipleship and the end result was that God grew the church. It happened in the context of community, the greek word used to describe it is koinonia.

Unfortunately, we, even in our churches, often do to ourselves that which counters the opportunity to grow in community. We busy ourselves with things that really don't matter in the eternal scheme of things, and our society suffers as a result. Perhaps it is time to simplify our lives, throw off the junk that complicates our lives and pursue that which feeds our soul. Okay, so now it's time. . . everybody. . . group hug!

Too Big for Our Britches

There was a verse in my reading this morning that caught my eye. In Romans chapters 9-11 Paul talks about the sovereignty of God in salvation. Much of his discussion is about how God grafted in the Gentiles (non-Jews) into His chosen people. That for a time He is rejecting the Jewish people so that He may be merciful to us, all the while remembering that Israel is His covenant people. Then Paul makes a statement in chapter 11 that stood out to me. Using agricultural terms in verses 17-22, he describes how Israel, the natural olive branch, had been broken off for a time because of their disobedience and that we, the wild olive branch, are grafted in. Then , in verse 21 he says this, "For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either."

In Texas, we have a saying, "don't get too big for your britches." For you non-Texans, that means don't get too arrogant, because you can get put back in your place. I wonder if we as American Christians have gotten too big for our britches. This morning, I received another e-mail about in the influx of Muslims in America (I get several each week). And while I am concerned about the direction of our nation and its naivete of the fundamental Muslim teachings, it does not surprise me, nor should it you. A short study through the Old Testament should be a quick reminder that God frequently used the ungodly nations to discipline his people.

This reminds me of a story in the Matthew where Jesus was driving out the money changers out of the temple. For years in my immaturity, I thought that it was saying we shouldn't sell stuff at church. However, when you look up the passages Jesus quotes here, he is quoting some Old Testament passages. The first is in Isaiah 56:7. The second is Jeremiah 7:11. If you look at these passages, God is revealing His heart that ALL men were to have access to Him, and instead, these money changers were taking advantage of people prohibiting them from being able to come to Him. Have we become the new money changers? Are we preventing the lost from coming to him?

I find it interesting that those countries we were, for decades, trying to reach with the Gospel, are now sending missionaries to America to reach it with the Gospel. We who have been the senders are now being the receivers. Perhaps we are getting too big for our britches. Perhaps, God is going to, as we say in Texas, take us down a few notches. Gandhi once said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." Church it is time we change some things. I believe that if we continue on the path we are on, we are asking for discipline. It must first begin with ourselves, then our families, then our churches, then our communities, and so on. As I said in a previous post, we must train ourselves in righteousness.

My Holy of Holies

I just read this article by John Ortberg. It is a must read. Click here to read the article. In light of my recent preaching escapade, I found his insights especially chastening.

Live Out Loud, Pt. 6 - Go Make Some Noise!

Today, I will finalize my series which is based on the sermon I preached last week. In an attempt to tie this up, here are some action points on which to move forward:

First, start with the inside. As I mentioned in the previous section, if we start with externals, the result tends to be legalism and Phariseesism. John Ortberg, in his book The Life You've Always Wanted, likens the process to that which an athlete would go through should they want to participate at a professional or Olympic level. You cannot just try harder to be righteous, rather you must train in righteousness. This usually involves developing the spiritual disciplines. Incidentally, if you are like me who either doesn't think in deeply theological circles or need help in getting started in these, I highly recommend his book. His subtitle is Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People. It is VERY PRACTICAL and highly insightful. Here is a list of things to begin working on:

a. Practice Celebration and Thanksgiving - Be aware of all that you have, savor it and begin practicing thankfulness.
b. Practice Slowing - In our fast paced life, slowing down is one of the last things we
do. Instead begin training yourself to not foster a hurried lifestyle. For example, get in the longest line at the grocery store or drive in the slow lane.
c. Practice of Prayer- How do we expect to grow in any relationship without conversation. Paul describes prayer to be a constant open communication between us and God. (1 Thes. 5:17) Don't be fooled into thinking that you can only pray in one place and time.
d. Practice Serving- This discipline has to do with becoming others focused. (1 Pet. 4:9-11)
e. Practice Confession- Keep short lists with God.
f. Practice Hearing the Holy Spirit- "One reason why we fail to hear God speak is that we are not attentive. We suffer from what might be called 'spirit mindlessness.'" (Ortberg)
g. Practice of Secrecy- Ween yourself away from the desire of the approval of others.
h. Practice of Meditation- Biblical meditation is different that what most perceive it
to be. The word for meditation is also "mutter" it has to do with chewing on scripture in such a way that you are mumbling it constantly to yourself. Scripture memory works in here.
i. Practice of Suffering Well- How well we respond in the difficulties of life have tremendous testimony to the authenticity of our faith. People are watching!
j. Practice of a Well-Ordered Heart- Augustine said that a well-ordered heart is to love the right thing, to the right degree, in the right way, with the right kind of love.

If these things become to focus of your life, the next step happens simply as a by-product. Second, let the inside affect the outside. Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

In conclusion, it's not about doing, it's a bout being. Living out loud happens when we see God for who He is, and then we live out our identity in Christ, the works can't help but to show, because it is HIS Spirit's fruit that will manifest itself. And Spirit always seeks to glorify the Father and the Son.

A Toast to Fairy Tale Love

Today, I must deviate from finishing my "Live Out Loud" series that I have been posting this week. Seventeen years ago today, a beautiful young maiden bonded herself in marriage to an ape of a young man. They were clueless, but they were in love. They were encouraged by those around them with uplifting phrases like, "you'll never make it," "you are way too young," and "how are you going to survive?"

Well, we have made it and yes, we were young, but our commitment to each other and to God has sustained us through more trials than I care to repeat. But, I cannot fathom going through our life's struggles with anyone but my beautiful bride. If you were looking for fairy tale love, ours is a different kind of fairy tale. Of course, it is still being written, but nevertheless it has been my dream come true.

Allow me to regale you with tokens of love around our home: laundry, runny little noses, early morning cups of coffee, late night grocery store runs, weekly house hold chores, one of us hunched over the porcelain throne in the wee hours of the night revisiting the evening meal and many other glory free events. Had you talked to us seventeen years ago, our vision for romance and marital bliss would have included none of these. Of we would have had hours per week of passionate love, quiet walks in romantic getaways, vacations galore, etc. But if you have been married for more than a couple of years, you are chuckling with me at the foolishness of this thinking.

Jill and I do life together. She has a servant's heart and is more committed to me than I am to myself. She has weathered many storms at my side, and for the most part, she has just clung more tightly to my arm where many would have released their grip long ago. Now, we are in the stage of young children. Our hours are filled with shaping little minds and training them up in the way that God and wired them to go. So, we scramble for a few moments together here and there. Much of our future, even the near, is uncertain, and yet God continues to flesh out His love and grace on me through her. She is God's love for me with skin on.

She deserves so much more than I could ever provide. Many past anniversaries, like this one, are without luxurious gifts and expensive tokens of love. But I cherish each one. At our wedding, I sang to her Steven Curtis Chapman's song, "I Will Be Here." I would have never known the depth of how true that song is today. Should God tarry in taking either or both of us home, I look forward to the years to come at her said. Perhaps her Galahad is more like a green ogre, but to her once again, I pledge my love. She is definitely getting the short end of the stick.

Jill, my wife, my lover, my partner in life, I love you.

Happy Anniversary.

Your Husband and Ogre,

Tony

Live Out Loud, Pt. 5, Living Inside Out

Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:12)

Verse 12 shifts to the more positive instruction. Most times in scripture you will find that when there is a command to stop doing one thing, there is often a command to start doing something else. In Paul’s writing, he describes this as getting dressed: put off and put on. Here Peter replaces what he just told them to stop doing with what they need to start doing.

Peter tells his readers to "keep their behavior excellent." If we want to live out loud so that we draw others to Christ, we must keep our behavior excellent. So what does this involve? I heard an excellent application of what this looks like in a sermon recently. You can keep your behavior excellent in 3 ways:

1. You must love others. (1 Cor. 13:1-3) A few months ago, I finally watched a full episode of ABC's "Extreme Home Make Over." And while I found myself moved by the outpouring of love for these people, I found myself asking, why can the body of Christ not be more proactive in meeting people's needs like this. Granted, we usually do not have corporate funding to do such huge projects, but we can: mow a neighbor's lawn, offer free babysitting, or anonymously meet a financial need. The possibilities are endless. We should not be out given by the world, but instead many ways we are being blown away by the world. Just keep your eyes open to the needs of other around you and watch for ways you can love them by meeting those needs.

2. You must live and speak with humility. To get the heart of this one you need to go back to verse 10. I don't know about you, but when I am around arrogant people I just want to get away from them- and I sure don't want to hear what they have to say. Perspective is always a good way to maintain a sense of humility. Remember where you were before Christ set you free and you will live and speak with humility.

3. You must learn to suffer well. 2 Tim. 3:12 tells us that we will be persecuted, Christ himself told us that in this life would have troubles. How you cope with suffering can have incredible witness to the Lord's goodness. A dear friend's son who recently, due to a softball accident, had brain surgery. Coming out of the hospital, he tells his dad, "I don't know how people face this kind of thing without Christ." When we suffer it shows the world what we really cling to. I have heard it said that when life's pressure squeezes you, what comes out? Do you become bitter or better.

The next phrase, “among the Gentiles” is vital to understand, as it points out 2 mistakes that unfortunately affect our ability to live out loud. First, too often the church lives like the world lives. We buy what the world tells us to buy, we think like the world tells us to think. We chase after the things the world tells us to chase after. So, why would the world want our gospel if we act as if it had no real impact on our lives. Second, we go to the other extreme and we isolate ourselves from the world. In John 17:15, Christ says that that is not his desire for our lives. We must continue to be in the world, but there has to be a difference in us. There is a balance to be lived between these two opposites. It must begin on the inside and work its way to the outside. Otherwise we begin to look like Pharisees that are described in the following verses: Matthew 5:16, Matthew 23:25-27.

The world tends to look at Christians in terms of what they don’t do rather than in terms of their contributions to the world. Of course I know there are many good things done in the name of Christ, but should it take a natural disaster for this to occur? This is not to say that Christians can avoid the stigma of being separatistic. Being holy means leaving behind many of the practices we once engaged in as unbelievers (see 1 Peter 4:3-4). But since we will seldom find the world eager to praise us for what we avoid, we must also be diligent to do those things which are beneficial and therefore praiseworthy.

Galatians 5:22-25 and Romans 12:1-2 gives us key insight from where our excellent behavior must originate. The end result of a life that is lived from the inside out is God's glory because when they see our excellent behavior, instead of criticizing us for being hypocrites, they will be drawn to the authentic message of the gospel being fleshed out.

Live Out Loud, Pt. 4 - Yelling on the Inside

"Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul." (1 Peter 2:11)
Here in verse 11, Peter addresses in two different ways to begin to live out loud. In verse 11, he focuses on a negative more corrective instruction. We will see tomorrow in verse 12 the positive. He shifts here in this verse from our identity to our responsibility. You can see his passion for what he is about to say in the first few words, “Beloved, I urge you,” He implores them, those of whom are the object of God’s love. He starts here, because we must begin with the fact that we are recipients of God’s love fleshed out through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That in itself should be enough, so he begins with reminding them again of God’s love. He does this 8 times in both of his letters. Then, he goes right back to remind them of who they are, “aliens and strangers” that because of God’s love they are in enemy territory. And because we are on enemy turf, we are being watched. Consider all that is going on today in the realm of immigration reform. Many of us look on with suspicion (and prejudice) on those who are aliens, whether illegally or legally. Aliens have no rights in the land where they live. Strangers are only temporary residents.

He then goes in to the first command that we see in these verses. Everything he is about to say leans on what he has just told them. His command is “to abstain.” The word literally means to “hold oneself constantly back from.” This is the verb, however, we must have an object of the verb, or in other words, “what are we to abstain from?” “fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.”

What are fleshly lusts? NIV translates the words “sinful desires,” ESV “passions of the flesh” basically they are selfish natural appetites. It is what comes natural to us. Fleshly lusts is what rushes to fill the void when God is left out. It is when we experience temptation to satisfy bodily desires in ways contrary to God's will. Fleshly lusts are human desires which stem from our depravity and seek fulfillment outside the boundaries of righteousness. They simply cannot be overcome by human effort and asceticism. They are only overcome by the power of the indwelling Spirit as we “walk in the Spirit.”

For more information of what these can include look at Galatians 5:19-21, & 1 Peter 4:3. These are the things, regardless of which ones we struggle with in particular, that will constantly wage war against us, and in that we can never become complacent. These are the things that we are drawn to when God is not at the center of our focus. This is an intentional act of the enemy. He will kick you when you are down, tempt you when you are most vulnerable. As a matter of fact, one of the most important reasons for maintaining fellowship with the body is so that when we are down, we can pick one another up. But instead, we choose to do it on our own, keep our sins secret, and not air our dirty laundry. Peter describes the enemy later in his letter as a lion who prowls around seeking on whom he can devour. (1 Pet. 5:8) When lions on the pride land hunt they seek those prey which are wounded or weak and separated from the herd. Don't be so naive to think that this doesn't happen in the spiritual realm as well.

Fleshly lusts seek to attract our affections and attention to this temporary world rather than to our true eternal “home.” Abstaining from fleshly lusts compliments our condition as aliens and strangers, who are “just passing through” this world. Are you losing this or winning this war? Living out loud happens as a result from the yelling of our character on the inside that has rejected or held oneself constantly back from.

Live Out Loud, Pt. 3- What Are We Yelling?

The second question addresses our current progress in living out loud. In verse 10, Peter draws a contrast, which has implications to us today. To the readers, he contrasts what they were, with what they are now, "for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY."

His language smacks of the adoption process. When a child is taken out of one environment and is placed into a new environment, it changes their identity altogether. If you contrasted what you were with what you are now, how much difference would there be?

According to a couple of reports, here is how we as the Body of Christ are doing in the realm of living up to the change that has supposedly taken place. In the National and International Religion Report, October 1990, p.8, Gallup Poll. This study said that one third of American adults say they have had a born again experience. The survey finds that there is little difference in the behavior of these born again Christians before and after their conversion experiences. In three major categories – use of illegal drugs, driving while intoxicated and marital infidelity – behavior actually deteriorates after a commitment to Christ. The incidence of drug use and illicit sex roughly doubles after conversion and incidence of drunk-driving triples.

A more recent Barna study (2003) said that 84% of adults claim to be Christian, three out of four say they are either absolutely or somewhat committed to Christianity, and three-fifths say they believe the Bible is totally accurate in all that it teaches and yet many of these people contend that the following behaviors are morally acceptable:

1. cohabitation (60%)

2. adultery (42%)

3. sexual relations between homosexuals (30%)

4. abortion (45%)

5. pornography (38%)

6. the use of profanity (36%)

7. gambling (61%)

8. Research shows that only 4% of adults, and just 9% of born again Christians, have a biblical worldview.

That last statistic basically says that even though we believe the Bible, we either don't know it well enough to line up their lives with it or we don't care! If what we live does not line up with what we profess to believe, there is a serious problem. This is the very heart of what James wrote about in his letter; true faith cannot be without works. A former pastor of mine expresses it like this, "While the authenticity of message of the gospel is not compromised, the credibility of the messenger is. Whether we like it or not, how people see us affects whether or not they accept the validity of the gospel." He goes on to say that if it has little impact on how we live our lives and how we treat one another, why would they [the nonbelievers] want to subject themselves to it? Of course it would be better if they evaluated the message of the Gospel based solely on the person and work of Christ, but they don’t. People take into account what they see in His followers.

Dan Kimball, a pastor and author in California, states in his book, They Like Jesus but Not the Church, that a huge number of the younger emerging generation, and non-Christians in general, have developed certain perceptions of the Church and Christians and will have nothing to do with the church because they believe the following 6 things about us:

1. the church is an organized religion with a political agenda
2. the church is judgmental and negative
3. the church is dominated by males and oppresses females
4. the church is homophobic
5. the church arrogantly claims all other religions are wrong
6. the church is full of fundamentalists who take the whole Bible literally

One of the main problems with these statements is that those who made them, most of them, according to Kimball, don’t even know any Christians. So, they form their opinions based on what they see in the media and movies. That tells me that we, as a church, have failed to engage these people. How many non-believers do you know and have relationships with? Do you treat them as targets or has people? Do you want the media speaking on your behalf? Kimball noted that the bulk of the issues that were raised had less to with message that it did attitude and heart. When we deal with issues of the heart, we deal with the area of spiritual control. Who is in control of your heart? I will discuss the necessary adjustments to make tomorrow.

Live Out Loud, Part 2- Who is Yelling?

Yesterday, my discussion was primarily focused on establishing the need to take an honest look at where our effectiveness lies as the Church in reaching the lost. The first step in Living Out Loud starts with the question, "who is yelling" or rather what is our identity? 1 Peter 2:9, "But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;" Answering this question lays the foundation on which we can build. If we are building on the identity of our jobs, family, possessions, or anything that is temporal, we lose our identity when those things blow away in the wind of life.

According to this verse, who does God say we are? In verse 9, Peter uses language that previously was used to refer to the nation of Israel, however, here, he is not talking about Jews. “Israel was a physical race of people, descendants of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob.” (Thomas Constable) The church, however, is a spiritual race that has been grafted into His Holy nation (Rom. 11). Just as the nation of Israel was to be a "nation of priests who would stand between the Holy God and the rest of humanity," the church has the same task, although there are some obvious differences in function. We are to be the instrument through which the light of God is to shine on those who sit in spiritual darkness. Note the phrases he uses. We are called “a chosen race” which has to do with the identity that is given to us. Secondly, we are a “royal priesthood” which describes what we are to do with that identity in that we are the next generation of interceders for the world (2 Cor. 5:14-21). We are also “a holy nation” which describes the manner from which we are to operate- holy and set apart. Finally, "A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION" reminds us that 1. we are not our own; 2. the price that was paid for our redemption; and 3. from where we get our power to function in this role.

The remainder of the verse tells us of the ends result of all of this. The Greek word for "proclaim" could be translated "advertise." We are advertisers of how great our God is to a world that is in the dark. Our lives are walking billboards for Christ we should “radiate the ‘marvelous light’ into which God has graciously called us. What are we advertising with our lives? I will go into this tomorrow.

Live Out Loud, part 1

This past Sunday, I was privileged to be able to preach in my pastor's absence. Since I have been so focused on preparing for that, I have neglected to post anything recently. So, since I spent most of my time preparing for this sermon, I thought, I would share what I learned in my studies. I will however, break down the sermon into bite sized morsels. The sermon went long, but I feel like I said what God told me to say. My sermon text was 1 Peter 2:9-12. Here was my introduction...

Our culture today, in many ways, mirrors that of the days of Noah described in Genesis 6. I go few weeks without getting at least one email chain letter bemoaning the fall of societal values and the demise of good ole’ fashioned Americana. It is very easy to get down in the mouth and take our eyes off our Savior. However, we should not despair, because “despair is a sin. It is a sin because it denies the sovereignty of God.” The battle is not ours; it is the Lord’s. The people of this world are not our enemies, but rather His name is Satan and his followers. (Ephesians 6:12)

And yet, that is the world in which we live, and that is the world in which we have been called to reach. We can complain about how things have gone, but I believe one of the primary reasons that the world has taken such a dramatic turn into immorality is that we as the Church of Jesus Christ have failed to be Salt and Light in that lost world.

Don’t believe me? Only a few weeks, while attending the Southern Baptist Convention, we learned that we are losing ground. "According to the Annual Church Profile baptisms last year dropped from 371,850 to 364,826" in the Southern Baptist Convention. The church in general is declining the younger you go, the fewer that attend. Consider the following numbers of those reporting going to church:

52% of Builders generation (born before 1946) drops to 36% of generation X
If you are like me, I consider these numbers to be very generous.

The things that the unchurched have to say about us is mostly formulated by what they see and hear from the drive-by media. Do you want the media speaking on your behalf? However, most of these that have critical things to say about Christians and the Church have not even met someone who is a Christian. That would lead me to believe that we, as a whole, are not engaging the lost. Most of the criticisms they have have more to do with attitude and heart than with doctrine.

So, we are faced with making a decision. We can either choose to complain about how things are in comparison to how things used to be (good old days mentality); we can choose to ignore the problem and go on about our own business thinking they are lost and are gonna get what they deserve anyway (looking out for number one); or we can look intently into where we are now and where we are going, and choose to do something about it (biblical response).

The third choice may require that we make some significant changes in our thinking, our methods and our lifestyle. What are you choosing? I believe this text has much to say about how to do this.