Build your way to greatness?

I've been working out of town lately and with all the extra drive time I haven't been able to set aside much time to contribute to the blog.  When I normally would be working on the blog I'm either spending time with the family or trying to catch up on sleep!  Thankfully no one needs to rely on a person to receive from God.  He's willing to use anything to speak to our hearts:  animals, nature, signs, or even things sent in the mail.

Case in point:  Zed hasn't played baseball for a year and is about to turn 11.  Because of this it was strange to receive a brochure in the mail seeking serious baseball players aged 13 to 18 for a national tryout to be discovered by college scouts!  It was a catch-phrase at the bottom of the page which caught my attention which read, "Build your way to greatness."  I rarely can take things at face value even when reading a brochure!  It is almost a natural habit for me to look at things from a biblical, spiritual perspective.  Can a man spiritually build himself to greatness?  Is that even desirable?

Jesus said that if a man wants to be great in the kingdom of God, he must be the servant of all.  In baseball or sports, natural talent goes a long way.  Some do not have the natural dexterity, skills, or body-style to be great at baseball.  No amount of training can overcome some of the obstacles many face to become a professional athlete.  But it is true that very few if any become great in their field without dedication, hard work, and good training.  A man cannot become a good Christian by trying hard because all men are wicked by nature.  We must first "build" upon the foundation of Jesus Christ and take heed how we build.  Whatever materials we choose will have a great impact on the strength and integrity of the structure.  A man cannot possibly build his way to greatness.  We don't have the tools or materials to build anything of eternal value.  Those who humble themselves who will be exalted by God.  It is He who cleanses us of sin, makes us righteous, fills us with His Spirit, empowers us to perform His will, and will usher us into eternal glory.

It is God who makes a man great.  The way the world gauges greatness is completely opposed to God's view.  A man might be well-known and famous on earth but Jesus might say to such a man, "Depart from me!  I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness!"  There may be a man or woman hardly anyone knew in life or remembered in death to whom Christ says, "Well done, good and faithful servant!  Enter into the joy of the LORD."  Nothing is as rewarding as serving the great God and Creator of heaven and earth.  He is great, and He makes great all who follow Him. 

Park Outreach

This Saturday past our church put on a "Children's Festival" at a neighborhood park for a couple of hours.  It was wonderful to see many people from our church fellowship ministering Christ's love to the community.  There were crafts, balloon animals, interactive games, face painting, Gospel bracelets, caricatures, and snacks.  Opportunities abounded for handing out Gospel tracts or simply having a talk.

It was a beautiful reminder of how the Body of Christ is intended to work.  All of us have different gifts, talents, and passions, and the Holy Spirit brings them to life through unique personalities.  God has given us various abilities for a single purpose:  the glory of God.  By the grace of God we are who we are.  Not all are evangelists, teachers, administrators, or able to physically carry trash cans full of water balloons.  But every Christian is filled with the love of Jesus and an ability to share that love with others.

As neat as it was to see the Body of Christ in overt operation, it was amazing to see kids and families from different ethnic backgrounds join in the fun.  There is a world of people right down the street who may not have ever experienced the love of Jesus through an Otter Pop, a balloon sword, or turtle.

It will take more than one afternoon to prove our intentions were greater than just a humanitarian exercise.  People are motivated by all kinds of reasons to help others.  Even in the church people have various purposes in their service.  Our prime focus is not in simply helping people but saving them through the power of the Gospel.  Feeding a man's stomach will only prolong his eventual death:  if his soul feasts upon the Bread of Life Jesus Christ he will live forever in heavenly glory!

I want to be the kind of Christian who is in it for the long haul.  The Christian walk is a 24-7 lifestyle, not just for a couple of hours on Saturdays or Sundays.  I remember a missionary talking about what the locals call "hallelujah Christians."  They show up with things to give away, songs to sing, and a message to give, say "Hallelujah!" and never come back!  God, help me never to forget that I am a representative of my Savior and King, Jesus Christ.  Even when you are my only witness, may I stay true to you!

To Live is Christ

There is hardly a sin more needless or tragic than bad preaching.  In an attempt to be relevant, some sacrifice truth.  Others, though they speak truth, do so without applying the text in a way that impacts the hearers.  The preacher's work is not to stimulate minds but engage hearts through the Holy Spirit's anointing and power.  Charles Spurgeon lamented of those who missed the mark in his day:  "For instance, the great problems of sublapsarianism and the supralapsarianism, the trenchant debates concerning eternal filiation, the earnest depute concerning the double procession, and the pre- and post-millenarian schemes, however important some may deem them, are practically of very little concern to that godly widow woman, with seven children to support by her needle, who wants far more to hear of the loving-kindness of the God of providence than of these mysteries profound.  I know a minister who is great upon the ten toes of the beast, the four faces of the cherubim, the mystical meaning of badgers' skins, and the typical bearings of the staves of the ark, and the windows of Solomon's temple:  but the sins of business men, the temptations of the times, and the needs of the age, he scarcely ever touches upon." (Lectures, pg. 75)

What is the point of preaching if you miss the point?  I have been mulling over how we Christians tend to think like Christians and only see things from our point of view.  We think it is imperative to prove Jesus is the Christ while unbelievers see no need for a Savior in the first place.  Some preach over people's heads, and some preach only to themselves!  The pulpit is not an opportunity for a preacher to let the world know what he thinks but to hold forth what God says.  But let us not think that sermons are reserved only for pulpits.  Our Christian witness during the ordinary mundane activities of our lives is quite possibly the only sermon some people might be exposed to.

Christians, like most people, tend to think that if we just had all our facts straight with a little "shock and awe" we could convince anyone to our position.  This is simply not true.  Very little of the great quantity of soul-work is done in minutes.  Often it takes years - years of not saying things, but living a life for Christ which demonstrates His love to others that makes a huge impact.  Facts do not save people from hell and pithy sayings cannot change a man:  it is God who does that!  It is God who makes a man, opens his eyes, and transforms him too.  If we are willing to allow God to change us, He'll also change others through us.  It is a change which begins in the heart and reverberates through the soul by God's grace, not because we memorized the "Roman's Road."  If we talked a little less and did a little more our sermons would have more substance worth chewing on.

Jesus wasn't just a preacher:  He was a doer.  His works opened doors for Him to speak.  People heard of all the things He did and were intrigued to hear what such a Man had to say.  It is one thing to have an opportunity to speak for God's glory:  it is another thing for people to want to listen!  Proverbs 18:16 says, "A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men."  Jesus is the greatest gift I have ever received.  When we choose to live for Jesus we share Him with the world.  A man's words can be disputed and debated, but an entire life lived for God silences even the harshest critics.  Let your righteous life of purity weigh upon the consciences of God-hating men.  That way Jesus will do all the talking.

Year in Review

My first post on this blog was July 8th, 2009.  It's amazing to think a year has passed since I started posting.  To be honest, it feels like much longer.  I suppose 200 posts in a year isn't too shabby!  It has been a cathartic exercise to share what God puts on my heart in this format, and I hope you have been blessed as I have.

In looking back over the past year, much has changed.  In July 2009 I was the youth pastor at Calvary Chapel El Cajon and heading off to summer camp at Green Valley Lake.  What followed camp was the realization that our (my wife and I) ministry with the youth was fulfilled.  I resigned my position in September and left for a two month trip to Australia.  To make a full year very short, I came back to the States and we sold our house.  Laura and I went for a two week trip to Australia this year and we are awaiting word on a possible ministry opportunity on the east coast.  It's remarkable how much has happened and even more amazing the work that needs to be done.

If I had to sum up some things God has taught me during this year it would be the importance of being Spirit-led in everything.  It is so easy to walk by sight and not by faith.  It is natural for us to rely on the opinions of others, experience, and our own abilities rather than trusting God to fulfill His Word.  We are often like Sarah, who suggested that since God said Abraham would sire a son and she was barren to take Hagar the Egyptian as a concubine.  Ishmael was the product of that union, and Abraham loved him.  But that was not God's way.  No, God informed them:  in spite of Abraham's impotence and Sarah's barrenness they would have a son together.

I have grown a lot in patience, especially since the last two trips to Australia.  There are often long spells between communication with my Aussie mates and if I did not grow patient I would go insane.  It seems for years now Laura and I have not been able to plan because we don't know - and when I say we don't know, I really mean that!  We do not know how, when, or where God will use us in Australia for His glory.  But we constantly go back to the things we do know:  I am called to preach and will be sent, and our affections, interest, and desire continues to grow for the people of Australia.  There is an insatiable longing in my heart which cannot be explained outside of the love of God.  The depth of this love shatters logic.  Whenever we are tempted to doubt, God confirms his word yet again.  I will cite two recent examples of this.

I walked into our office/den the other day to see a paper drawn by my eldest son Zed, age 10.  Drawn in pencil, a picture of "Ned Kelly and his Gang" sat on the desk. There was Ned Kelly wearing the famous armor, guns blazing.  (The part I loved the most was the legs riddled with bullet holes!)  If someone had stumbled upon this drawing, one would have assumed Ned Kelly was a common subject of mine or I put the boys to bed every night with the famous shoot-out and hanging that marked the end of Ned Kelly's life.  The fact is I haven't mentioned that name in months and because the story has been rehearsed maybe once or twice by me in the last year at most, I was pleasantly surprised!  I am so proud...and blessed to have kids who are so excited about Australia.

Just yesterday I sat down to an e-mail from Schmap which is a website that has pictures of tourist destinations around the world.  It turns out a picture of Coogee beach in Sydney I uploaded to flickr was chosen to be on the short list of potential pictures to be used on their website for that location.  The picture may or may not be used in the most recent Schmap edition, but I find it amazing that someone would choose my picture for that location.  (Thanks Fiona for taking us!)  Just when we think it may be an impossible dream, the reality of God's Word is sent home to our hearts again.

Thanks for reading and joining us in the wild ride of our lives:  following Jesus at any cost!  May we be completely spent for His glory!