Irresistible

I am competitive. I want to win! When I was in sales, I was told only the lead elephant’s view changes. So, with everything I try I want to be the best! I wanted to be the smartest personal the most athletic person; and I always wanted to have the upper hand in a debate. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out for me. I mean I wasn’t the valedictorian. When I played sports, I wasn’t the star. I rarely started. However, that never stopped my drive. It just meant I had to work harder. Unfortunately, some of that carried over into ministry. I have admitted that I am a “know it all.” So, imagine for a moment a “know it all” with a bible college degree. As I mentioned last week, I knew how to twist and turn scriptures and I never wanted to lose a debate, especially about Christianity. I had to have the upperhand. So, I went on to seminary and obtained the most ridiculous degree. I now have a degree on my wall that says I have mastered the divine. I have a Masters of Divinity. Seminary really helped me dig deep into scripture. I had one professor that told the class do not dare teach this stuff in churches, it will get you fired. I began to salivate because to me that was the good stuff. I wanted the arguments that no one really talked about. I wanted to Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. Forget all that doing so with gentleness and respect. I was prepared to win an argument!

Well, it turns out, people did talk about it. People knew about literary criticism, higher and lower criticism. It turns out this was a well known thing. In fact, people have been examining the Bible and its claims for some time. In fact, Stanley quotes Steve Green and Tom Hilliard who say,

“More people have more questions about the origins, relevance and authority of the Scriptures…the steady rise of skepticism is creating a cultural atmosphere that is becoming unfriendly–sometimes even hostile–to claims of faith. It is an increasingly hard pill to swallow that an eclectic assortment of ancient stories, poems, sermons, prophecies, and letters, written and compiled over the course of 3000 years is somehow the sacred ‘Word of God.’”

He says, that is the bad news but shifts to the good news. He writes, “The foundation of our faith isn’t an eclectic assortment of various forms of writings compiled over 3000 years. But the majority of Christians, including me, believe it is.” The problem is…well the internet.

I have mentioned before of a transition of what I am calling, “the death of the expert.” Thanks to the internet being so readily available, any of you can immediately fact check me. In fact, I have mentioned that good preaching isn’t enough to “grow a church.” Why, because you can use your phone and listen to some of the best preachers on an app in your pjs, at the comfort of wherever you want. Sadly, the same is true for stuff that is outside of Chrisitianity. Stanley writes, “Journalists, scientists, and scholars the likes of Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and the late Christopher Hitchens have provided plenty of one-sided commentary that is anti-Bible.” He says, There was a day when our culture held the Bible in high regard, leveraging the authority of the Bible was somewhat effective. Those days are over. How has the church responded?

Skinny jeans and moving lights.The modern church has made church more interesting, but fewer folk are actually interested. It has made the church more attractive, but fewer people are actually attracted.”

So what should the church do?

Stanley’s book, spoiler alert, calls the church to shift away from the Bible as the authority and shift to the resurrection of Christ. He uses cute examples like a birth certificate. Which is more important: the baby or the birth certificate? Obviously, the baby is, not the writing. Andy Stanley has a point. Some parts of the Bible are problematic. Some things are quite questionable. However, I am not ready to say that the foundation of our faith isn’t found in the Bible. In fact, I will tell you, neither is Andy Stanley. Over and over again, he references the Bible he just doesn’t say, “The Bible says…” In fact, I can say with absolute certainty that the foundation of our faith is found in the Bible because the Bible points me to Jesus.

Here is the problem, I don’t always follow what the Bible says. For example, I just mentioned that I liked to win an argument when I felt I was right, but I already said I wasn’t prepared to do so with gentleness. I was right and I knew I was right! Sadly, as it was mentioned in the Faith Forum class, no one ever came to Jesus because I won an argument over them. The writer of 1 Peter tells us to be ready to give a defense, be ready to explain our hope but be ready to do so with gentleness because it will make the slanderer ashamed. 1 Peter seems to hope that the good deeds and exemplary behavior of Christians will shame their slanderers. The good guy wins right?!?

Sadly, that isn’t always the case.Here is part of the problem. Stanley says, “The Bible says there was a worldwide flood. Archaeology claims there wasn’t. The Bible says Israel migrated from Egypt to ancient Canaan. Historians claim they didn’t. For some, if the Bible isn’t true, our faith, like the walls of Jericho, comes tumbling down. Except, archaeologists say the walls of Jericho didn’t come tumbling down, at least not as described in the Old Testament.” Unfortunately, we all know that there are times when the slanderer keeps on slandering. There are times when it seems like the good guy doesn’t win. I think part of the problem is the defense. I think we are defending the wrong thing. I think that is what Andy Stanley is referencing. We are attempting to defend the Bible and its message. Instead, we should focus our faith on what Christ is doing in our lives. Christ continues to shower us with grace and love. Christ continues to sanctify us. Christ continues, as I said 2 weeks ago, making us brand new. Christ continues to love us. In Christ, we all belong!

Unfortunately, and I am speaking broadly here, Churches have got to the point where they want to win the argument. No need for gentleness, be ready to defend our faith. The church defends why it is right! Believe what the church says or get left out! One is right and one is wrong and wrong don’t belong. That was happening to the church in Ephesus. The Jews were saying they were right! They had the Hebrew Bible as their authority. Furthermore, Gentile was a general word. It meant, basically up for anything. The Jewish people had it right and the Gentiles had no standard at all. They were left out. They were aliens and strangers. They didn’t belong.

Our scripture reading in Ephesians paints the picture that the Gentiles were left out in the cold. They didn’t have God and there was no hope of getting God. However, Christ changes all that. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. He made both groups one! He made everyone belong!

For ages, churches have inadvertently made people feel like they didn’t belong. If they didn’t toe the line, do right, act right, be right and you'll be alright. This is why churches still have to have a “what to wear” icon on their websites. People feel like if they aren’t dressed the right way then everyone will judge them. Now, I am glad that this is not an issue here at Faith but we do have a sentence on our website that says it's ok to dress casually. Ephesians helps shift our focus. It reads, “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.” Now, I have to be careful here. This does not mean that there are not standards. It just does away with what separates us. For example in Leviticus 18 it says, You must not do as they do in Egypt. Don’t do like those heathens. Don’t act like those Gentiles. Jesus destroyed that barrier, broke down that wall of hostility. He gave us all peace. He shows us all love. He helps us all belong.

Today, I am so happy to serve a church where everyone can feel like they belong and more than that, they feel the love of Christ. Let us continue to share this amazing love with anyone who will hear it. I mean that is really what our faith is all about. It has always been about Christ’s love and that love is….

Irresistible.

Grace and Peace