Tag / God’s Kingdom

by Greg

It’s Not About Church

It’s about Jesus.

That may seem simplistic, but I really believe it’s true.

If you’ll permit me… I just need to lay down some thoughts I’ve been working through on this.

The Kingdom is not about what we can do (with or without Jesus’ help). Life as a follower of Jesus is not about going (or NOT going) to the Sunday morning gathering – or any other one really. It’s not about making the stuff we do together more effective, better, more focused on Jesus, more fruitful…

It’s really, truly, only, about him.

This truth has just been in the forefront of my mind for many weeks now, seeing it in various ways at various times… through books I read, stuff I see in Scripture, conversations with friends…

It’s just about Jesus. He did say, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Focus in on that last one. He is life. In John 17:3, Jesus said, “This is eternal life: to know you the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.” (I added the italics…) 😉

We squabble over what parts of “Christian” life are most important. We quarrel over doctrines and even “worship” styles and preferences. We know the Scriptures because we think they have eternal life, but the Scriptures point to Jesus. (See John 5:39.)

How does that look? How does the church live life together … just as the body of Christ? I’m not sure. Not sure I’ll ever be sure. But I am sure that we put a lot of other stuff in the way that doesn’t need to be there. We work so hard at being the church, we just need to know and follow Jesus, and he will shape his church. That doesn’t make sense in the world, but I really think it does in the Kingdom.

Sorry for the brief rant. I must be bothered by something these days. (Remember the rant on tips from a few days ago?) I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I do love the idea of living life together (real, everyday life) with other believers not under the banner of some “local church” or denomination or whatever… but just as believers, excited to follow Jesus as he leads and to share that life with others.

That’s so the church… and at the moment in our lives, it seems to be muted by all the other stuff we call “church”. Looking forward to the next season of life where we see Jesus building his church all around us.

by Greg

The Icing on the Cake

Last night I was discussing Sunday morning worship services with some friends who lead such an event and said something in a way I am not sure I had prior to that. I think the general thinking had been there, but the thoughts came out more coherently than I expected.

We were talking about the desire for people to really worship – which is a rather nebulous concept, I suppose – at least, in some visible, tangible way for each person there to connect with God in a meaningful way. Be it an experience, a thought, perhaps even an emotion… some authentic expression of their hearts to God, and/or something received from him.

As we discussed possible changes to the setting which might allow people the freedom, or a better opportunity for that to happen, I just realized… we’ve been here before.

Lots of churches in lots of places have tried changing the configuration of the stage, of the chairs (even going from pews to chairs), the lighting on stage, the lighting in the room – all with the goal of facilitating more participatory worship. But mostly, to no avail.

The problem is the mindset. We come expecting to be served something. We come for the good teaching, perhaps the good music. Whatever it is we’re coming for, the general mindset (even if it’s not intended) is that something will be given to you at that place, during that hour. The goal these guys had in mind was that everyone would come together and bring something. To engage. Participate. But until that is the mindset going in, it’s probably not going to happen.

I was talking with a friend a few weeks ago now who also leads such events. He was feeling the same thing. When he is leading people in singing songs of worship to God, he does not see the engagement of their hearts through their faces. That’s not always the best gauge, but he’s probably right. There’s not always the full heart connection that he’s looking for in that setting. We talked about all the reasons it could be, but I thought (and told him) probably the main one is that he’s looking for something in that one hour that is not necessarily true the the rest of the week – the other 167 hours.

If we want engaged, participatory, worship/celebration – we need to assemble worshippers.

We know what worship is. It’s not the music. It’s not the service we attend. It’s not any number of positions, incantations, genuflections, or meditations. All of those can be worship, but Romans 12 says to, “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” A life lived everyday with God, in close relationship with him (see my previous post below) is the main goal, and from whence worship originates.

For so many years we’ve tried to get people to live everyday life with God through the one hour service at the end of the week, when really, that should be the culmination of a week lived with God – then that hour would be great. We’ve been doing it backwards.

I’m not sure exactly how we get to the point that the large group gathering is filled with believers who are living in, learning from, and just enjoying close relationship with Father every day of their lives. The only way is, I suppose, to, “make disciples of all nations,” as Jesus told his first group of followers to do.

Right now we “feed” people. We prepare tasty meals of truth applied nicely to life-lesson sandwiches. We sprinkle in some good music, maybe some other relevant media to spice it up a bit. And then, we send them home, until the next service. When they come back for more. Perhaps instead of feeding, what might work better would be to focus on helping people learn to be disciples. To learn to “feed” directly on the Source – the Bread of Life, the Living Water. He is who we follow, not anyone who might teach us about him, or help us “worship” him. It’s all about him.

I still don’t think there is any structure we can create, and programs we can organize that will accomplish this. I still believe we are made to relate. And in relating – as brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, rather than any spiritual hierarchy – we can pass along what we have learned (and are learning) as we consistently follow God’s will, and live in close relationship with him.

I believe that as we do that, as we help people become disciples of Jesus – for real – then the church will thrive, and any large gatherings of the church will be joyous celebrations of the Life that is in us. Every day. Not just among us one hour of the week. That is just the icing on the cake!

The good news is, God is with us. Everywhere, every day.

by Greg

Christianity

Christianity is not about learning to live within the lines; Christianity is about the joy of coloring.

That is a quote from the chapter I read this morning from Dangerous Wonder. Jen & I were talking about this last night, how too often Christians are so concerned with what happens after we die, that we miss out on living life here and now.

Jesus was telling people about the kingdom of God once, and he said, “God’s kingdom is right here with you” (Luke 17:21 – link is to Amplified Version) As I read that line recently with our boys I envisioned Jesus pointing to his chest, meaning that the kingdom of God is more of a perspective … a way of thinking, living, interacting with God, the world around you, and others. It’s a heart issue.

I just liked the quote and wanted to share. May your day be full of joyful coloring!

by Greg

Faith Without Doubt

If you ask God for something specific (and do not doubt), that is faith.

If you do not receive what you asked for, but you remain unwavering in your trust of your Father, presuming that He knows better than you, and by not receiving what you asked for, you are actually better off … is that the epitome of faith? Or is it just back-door doubt?

I’m really trying to figure that out.

by Greg

Subtle Difference

Today the boys and I read the very familiar paragraph in Matthew where Jesus says with the Ask, Seek & Knock stuff. God wants us to come to him and he wants us to know that he’s listening. And that’s amazing.

But the part I noticed is something that I have also been thinking a bit about recently.

At the end of the paragraph, Jesus says, “Treat others as you want them to treat you. This is what the Law and the Prophets are all about.” (Matthew 7:12)

I have said that many times to my kids, and that is really how I want to live my life. Thinking about other people like I’d want them to think about me. Treating them as I would want to be treated. I actually forgot that Jesus said “That’s what the Law & Prophets are all about” regarding this phrase. The other phrase I frequently use is “Love God, Love people.” which is taken from another time Jesus said that, “Everything God has said up until now is summed up by that.”

When he says that, it seems to me that we should listen.

But then, I have been challenged recently that thinking that way, and trying to live that way is still a bit religious. Though the motivation may not be from guilt, or a desire to earn God’s favor, it is still about what I do. How I must change. How I must be. And certainly, on one level, that is good and right. When we do what is right – the way life is supposed to be lived – then life is good, and things work out the best way they can. Mostly.

Could a possible (subtle) alternative could be to focus on our relationship with God, rather than what we do after that? Could it be an even more healthy view of the Kingdom if we could say, “I am loved, and so are you.” Do you see the subtle difference? I’m honestly not that sure I do, but a part of me does. The difference seems to be in the focus. One focus is still on what I can do, the other is focused on what God has done and is doing. He has restored our relationship, and he leads me every day, and he puts other people around me that I can love as I have been loved. Doesn’t he?

It could just be semantics, and I know that I am prone to thinking too much on things at times. But the funny thing is, the more I “think on” this, the simpler it gets. Perhaps that is the true way of the kingdom.

Live loved today. I think when we do, then we are best able to really love back, and love out.

by Greg

Pondering

There are a few things that I am currently pondering regarding life with God and his church. I thought I’d just jot them down here, in a sort of short hand way. Perhaps you are pondering them as well and might add to my ponderings, but really I am putting them down here to look back later and see what I was pondering in 2008. 🙂

  • Worship:
    Do we need to publicly and corporately set God apart from all else, with or without musical aid?
  • Evangelism:
    Should I have more of an urgent desire to help people know they are loved by their Father?
  • Praying:
    With other people, I mean. How do I make an ongoing conversation with God easily flow into conversation with other believers – and my family.
  • Communion:
    It’s important to some people. Really important. But to me, just meaningless. Does it matter? How?

The things I am beginning to understand more: (and usually write about here)

  • Freedom:
    For me, and giving freedom to others.
  • Grace:
    For me, and treating other people with grace.
  • God’s love:
    Again, for me, and learning to give that to others.
  • Reality of God’s presence:
    Learning to live with Jesus every day.
  • Who Jesus is:
    The Word of God, my brother, God in flesh, “watching” him interact with people in the stories of the gospels

When I look at those lists, the first one mostly just seems silly, but to many people – including me for much of my life perhaps? – they are not silly but almost essential. Funny how perspective changes. Who knows the lists might change again after a while. They might be completely different. We’ll see.

by Greg

Freedom

A couple times this weekend, the concept of freedom came up in conversation. It was in relation to the church, and life together as followers of Jesus. And really, it starts with life as an individual follower of Jesus.

When speaking with some friends who are equally saddened by the focus of the American church on numbers and programs and an institutional view of discipleship – and yet, who strangely feel the need to still be part of that social structure – we talked about freedom. One friend brought up the scripture where Jesus says he came to “set us free“. He said that it really helped him break out of the “need” – the obligation – to be at a worship service on Sunday mornings. He realized that he was not free. And God helped him realize that through that Scripture.

I think that’s true for a lot of people. And much beyond their attendance at weekly (or more frequent) worship gatherings. It does not mean that you are not free if you “go to church” on Sundays. It could, but it doesn’t inherently mean that. Where we lack freedom is in really understanding that God does not want us to live life out of obligations to him, but in relationship to him.

I was reading a little book to my boys that paraphrases scripture verses, and one we read last week was taken from the verse in Micah that says, “…and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” The last part caught my attention this time. What God “requires” is that we walk (humbly) with him. He wants us to just follow him. To be with him. Every day.

God doesn’t want us to always do what’s right just because it’s right. He wants us to learn to be like him. To live in the freedom of not having to perform for him, to earn his love, or his favor – or to avoid the fires of Hell. What he wants is for us to love as we have been loved. (Love God, and love your neighbor.)

All of the above “requirements” were also written/said during a time when Jesus had not completed the restoration of our relationship with Father God! That’s so great! While people were toiling under this idea that sacrifices and following rules would somehow “gain favor” with God, God was telling them, no… just be fair, just, merciful, and follow humbly in his steps. Pretty cool.

Yet today, even though Jesus has once and for all abolished the code of law that restricted and even enslaved us, we still live as slaves to sin and the law. We do not experience the freedom of his grace, and his full and complete love. We don’t live as children but as slaves (as that linked passage above refers to). That permeates every bit of how we relate to our Father, and I’m learning more and more that it’s not how he wants it to be.

He wants us to walk with him. He calls us friends. He has adopted us as his children, full heirs of everything he has. And he is not a Father who demands strict obedience at the end of a punishing hand, but the Father of the prodigal son who allows us to choose to follow him, to humbly receive his love and live in his freedom.

I’m not sure how we can really break out of the cycle of feeling the need to please him, or even the obligation to “get it right”, but oh how I long for that in me, and in you. Shame is a powerful thing over us, and causes us to submit to God out of obligation and out of a perceived relational “debt”. But there is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus. The Bible tells me so.

It also tells me this:

If the son has set you free, you are free indeed.

by Greg

Willow Creek Repents?

I saw a quick post by a friend today linking to an article about Willow Creek perhaps “repenting” of it’s church/business model?

I don’t think it’s that groundbreaking, as it seems WCCC is just going in a different “business” direction, but it’s still pretty interesting to see them find that the super elaborate programs aren’t all that helpful in people walking daily with Jesus. (Admittedly, I scanned the article quickly … will read again later, but I think that was a major part of it.)

“The Show” as I like to call it (not necessarily derisively) has been the main focus of the American church for so long… would be interesting to see such a key player in that take a different direction. (Again, I think they’ll just figure out another way to make a business model of life with Jesus, but… that’s just me)

Here are a couple of articles I have posted here in the past that may be relevant:
The Important
Quantifiable

by Greg

Jesus Is Staying at MY House!

The boys and I are reading through the book of John now, and this morning we read the story of when Andrew met Jesus, and introduced his brother (Simon Peter) to the Messiah! He was very eager to let his brother know that he had found the Messiah. Not sure if he could have understood how Jesus thought of such a term, but he was certainly excited about it!

The part I thought was a bit different today was the strange question asked of Jesus. The new followers asked Jesus, “Teacher, where do you live?” So, he showed them. They came over to his house.

Ian thought that was as odd as I did, and reasoned that perhaps Jesus was staying with some friends. (Jesus said somewhere else that he had no “place to rest his head”, and we know that he’s on the road at this point, too.

The interesting thing was not that he was staying with friends, the interesting thing to me is how there’s no star power to Jesus. We have no account of him staying with the most important people of the day. We don’t know much about it. But to me, that’s what stands out.

When we talked about that, I thought in my head, “How cool would it be if Jesus stayed in our house??” But then I realized I was succumbing to “star power”.

Jesus is not concerned with popularity. He never sought the limelight, nor did he have “too little time” for people not on his agenda for the day. That’s so backwards from what we do today. Often elevating people to levels they should not have to maintain on their own.

It seems like having Jesus stay with you was an instant free ticket to heaven. Seems like someone housing him would have mentioned Jesus’ temporary place of residence. But, they don’t. And Jesus continues to be a transient.

It’s amazing how differently we all can see Jesus, and who he was, what he was doing here. That’s something I hope to get from reading through John again. I want to see Jesus for who he is, and learn more about him that I don’t already know. I want to see stuff that I have never seen before.

And I am confident that I will. I’ll try and share some of those nuggets with you here.

by Greg

Be a Christian!!

My brother-in-law is in town, and so the days are filled with funny little sayings. He’s the master of calling people (mostly) benign little names. Slightly poking fun at all those around him. It’s hilarious!

My favorite from this trip has been calling out the religious affiliation of those around him. 🙂 He will proclaim someone a Christian (or not) based on whatever they choose to do—or not do—in a given situation. For instance, my sister chose to not eat the squid that their neighbors brought over as a gift, and as he retold the story to our kids he said something like, “Aunt Tara wouldn’t eat it, but I was a Christian and ate the squid.”

As far as I know, eating squid does not come into play when determining one’s religious affiliation. But it does get a good laugh!

Now, the weird part is, we know what he’s talking about. We know that to be a Christian means sacrificing yourself for other people. It means doing the right thing, even if you don’t want to. Being a Christian means that you consider others better than yourselves. Being a Christian means you act like Jesus. Right?

Well, here’s where I read too much into my brother-in-law’s jovial remarks. 😉

I know he does not intend any deep meaning to be conveyed by the remarks, and I am certain (as we had a conversation regarding this) that he does not think that doing the right stuff—and not the wrong stuff—makes you a Christian. But the fact that he said, and that we knew it… reveals a deep underlying misunderstanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Most people do think that Christianity is a set of moral principles to live by. Jesus said a bunch of stuff that we should do or not do, and he even gave us an example of what to do by the life he lived here, recorded in the Gospels. But if we stopped there, at just the things Jesus did, or the things he “commanded” us to do… then we miss the whole point.

I love the way a friend interprets the story of the man who came to Jesus, asking “what must I do to be saved?” The man is described as rich and powerful. Jesus first tells him, keep the law. (Which we know from other parts of Scripture is not what we “must do to be saved”.) The man says arrogantly, “I have! I’ve done all that!” He obviously has been trying hard to do all the right stuff, but was still not convinced he was “good enough”, which is a major failing of religion: you can never be “good enough”.

So Jesus says, “OK, well, then sell everything you have and give the money to the poor and come follow me. That’ll do it!” But as you’ll recall, there is not one other place in Scripture where Jesus (or anyone else) says we must sell everything we own and give the proceeds to the poor to be saved. I’ve always thought that what Jesus saw in this man was his love for material wealth, and was calling him to sacrifice that for the Kingdom. That’s the “Christian” thing to do, right? Well, how many of you “Christians” reading this have done that? Everything? Yeah. Right.

What my friend sees in the story is not Jesus adding more rules for us all (or even just this man) to follow in order to “be a Christian”, he sees a man who thinks he can earn his way to heaven, and so Jesus sets the bar even higher, with the hope that he will someday see the futility of his efforts and let God be the one to make him whole. “OK, you (think you) have done all that… well, now you have to do this.” It is the futility of religion. It will never be enough.

But some people define Christianity—including their own—as how you act. Do you choose to sacrifice your own desires or wants for those of the other people around you? Do you stop and help a stranded motorist on the highway? Do you give some change (or a meal) to a beggar on the streets? Do you make a donation at your local grocery store at the checkout line? Do you help your friends move when they have no one to help them? Do you make a concerted effort to visit people who are alone? Do you not throw away food, because of the starving kids in India?? Do you take your shopping cart back??? 🙂

The list could go on and on, and unfortunately for many Christians, it never ends. They are not as much compelled by love—as Paul said, “Christ’s love compels us”—but by a drive to do the right thing. To maintain their status as a “Christian” by doing what is expected of them as a Christian. That’s so sad.

See, it is true that all of those things are good things. Those are all things that Jesus might do. And, if you think of being a Christian as being “Christ like”, well, then that seems like a good thing. But I think the heart of the matter is the heart. If a person is doing all of those things, but only to retain the sense of spiritual status as a “Christian” (or even just feeling that they “have to” because it’s the “right thing to do”) I think they are missing out on the core of what the Kingdom of God is all about.

When Jesus was asked, point blank, what is the most important commandment, he replied, “Love God, and love people. Everything in the law and prophets is summed up by that.” (My paraphrase.) Jesus didn’t say, “You know that ‘No other Gods before me’ one… yeah, that’s the most important.” And he didn’t say, “They’re ALL important, mister! Why do you think I said them????” He said, “Everything you’ve heard me say to do or not do can be accomplished by simply loving God, and loving the people around you as much as you love yourself. Drop the selfish ambition, and really care about other people the same way you would watch out for yourself. Then you’ll be keeping the law”. (Again, my paraphrase.)

If we do the right thing, but do not have love… we’re missing the whole point. (Today is paraphrase day!)

Christianity is about rules. Being a follower of Jesus—a child of God, a member of his Kingdom—is not. It’s about loving God, and loving people. When you do that, you are by default keeping the “rules”, but with a focus on people, on the relational aspect. When you keep the rules to keep the rules (because it’s the “right thing to do”) it’s almost more about you than about the people who benefit from you keeping the rule. You are doing it to maintain your “righteousness” rather than for the benefit of the person you are “doing the right thing” for. You know?

The heart of the matter is the heart. You can’t always tell a Christian by what they do. That can be faked. But the Bible says you can tell us by how we love each other. And that can’t be faked. At least, not for very long.

So, while my bro-in-law, Josh, will continue to proclaim people’s religious convictions based on how they handle various situations, rest assured… it’s just all in good fun. 🙂