Musings on Culture Making

I have been reading through the book Culture Making by Andy Crouch, which was first recommended to me by my friend Josh Gove from his inexhaustible list of textbooks he's reading for Bible college. It caught my attention because I have been prompted to think about the role of my profession and its relationship with my on-going purposeful faith walk.

This is not new. My earliest musings focused on people and how my interactions with them were important in the kingdom of God. When I worked on-site at Intel in Folsom, it was the first time I'd ever worked in a large company environment and the sheer number of individuals that I was involved with was somewhat overwhelming. God showed me how each of the many and varied people I dealt with was important--probably more important than any project I was working on. It was a learning season.

But then there was the work itself. I once jokingly described my work as getting paid to solve elaborate cross-word puzzles. Intricate, absorbing but ultimately just a relatively small number of ones and zeroes plugged into a chip. Not related to people. There were no helpful books like Tim Keller's Every Good Endeavor to walk me through linking the creative and productive aspects of labor with God's divine charter for me. I sort of stumbled into it.

How to create? That is a new question I am ruminating on in my spare cycles. It is not just something unique to the Christian sub-culture in America, which is almost universally defined by (as Crouch puts it) condemning, critiquing, copying or consuming that which is produced by others. In fact, in many fields, creativity is less about pursuing truth and more about rebelling against the status quo. The need for significance often drives us to seek a noticeable separation from what is already out there. That separation from what is seems more important to us than closing the gap with what ought.

Crouch talks about these two positive roles as the artist and the gardener. The search for the undiscovered truth and the cultivation of the discovered. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around it and apply it to the mundane chores of writing code and editing specifications. I'll let you know what I find out.

Colossians 3:9-10: Beyond the Grace of Soap

Recently when my family and I were riding a bus in Ireland to our destination, a man boarded and sat immediately in front of me, disheveled and smelling of sweat. I remember thinking, Here is someone in desperate need of the grace of soap. My mind wandered: soap is readily available, surely he noticed, who goes out in public without an armpit double-check. Then it hit me: we all stink. Stores spend aisle after aisle stocking products designed to conceal this pungent, fundamental fact. Deodorant, anti-perspirant, cologne, perfume, air freshener, etc. In fact, if we weren't all so focused on spraying or wiping or spreading or applying these products every waking 24-hour protection moment, we would probably be used to the fact that we all stink and would be unaware. But once the first person tried to hide it, no one wanted to smell our body odor.

In many ways, we try to apply this strategy of the grace of soap to our spiritual lives, trying to hide the fundamental fact that we all sin--that we all stink. Dallas Willard, in his book The Divine Conspiracy, calls it the gospel of sin management. We ignore it, we hide it, we mitigate its effects, we try to only enter situations where it won't show, we excuse it, we emulate the lifestyle of the stink free. All of the while, denying the fact that we are all stinkers. When we see sin break through, in all of its destructive power, in someone's life, we all think: they should have applied more soap--more forgiveness--more careful rule following.

But the strategy of Christ is fundamentally different. It is the grace of regeneration. As Paul says: "...since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." (Colossians 3:9-10)

The problem with the gospel of sin management it that it accepts that sin (stench) is fundamental and that the means of better life is keeping sin under control. But Jesus offers a different strategy: regeneration.

Imagine for a moment if we could be genetically re-engineered so that the pores in our skin no longer secreted stench-generating liquids. Not all at once, but gradually. Fundamentally changing who we are and how our body works.

This is exactly what the gospel does. It brings to bear God's life-giving, regenerating Spirit in our lives so that, bit by bit, sin is not the natural product of our lives. Paul said it this way: "For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." (2 Corinthians 2:15)

Yes, we still need to wash. But we can cooperate with the Spirit's transformative work, not settling for sin-as-the-new-normal in our lives. The man in the next seat on the bus is a stinker. And so am I. Only God's grace (for which I get to take no credit) makes me or him improve.

SDG

What Made Jesus Happy? (Luke 10:1-24)

What Makes Jesus Happy

Luke 10:1-24

Introduction: A Divine Joke (vs. 1-4)

We have been slowly making our way through the third biography Jesus found in the Bible, the one written by Luke, and this week we come across one of God’s jokes. It is found part way through the 10^th chapter:

²¹ At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. – Luke 10:21

Sometimes we miss the jokes in the Bible because we always think we have to use these big sounding church words. You know, the kind of words that other people use when they have to pray in front of church or something. We forget how to pray: If we’re by ourself hanging off a cliff we pray: “God help me I’m in trouble. Amen” And start praying like “O Lord God Almighty, king of kings and lord of lords, if though mightst in thine eternal benevolence extend thine hand of mercy to meet me in this my grievous and trying time of tribulation.” That happens to Bible translator to. Let me give you Tim’s translation:

²¹ Just then, Jesus got the joke relayed to him by the Holy Spirit and burst out laughing, “I have to give you credit, Father, you really are the master. That was a good one. You slipped it right past the experts and handed it straight to the newbs. Smooth, Father, really smooth—just like you wanted.”

So God the Father and Jesus are having this little private joke and then Jesus realizes that none of his friends—the disciples—got the joke. So he takes them aside and tells them the punch line to the joke. You ready for this? Here it is:

²³ Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen.²⁴ I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.”

Oh wait. Here’s the Tim translation:

As soon as they got away from the paparazzi, he said: “You are the newbs. But, because you are with me and doing stuff for me, you scored the back stage passes to the kingdom of God that make the pope and president drool with envy.”

So, how to we get in on this? How do we score the back stage passes? How do we get the amazing, inner-workings, behind-the-scenes look into what God is doing? And why does it make Jesus happy? Well, let’s go back to the beginning of the chapter and see if we can pick up some clues:

Our Stuff Isn’t What Makes Jesus Happy (vs. 1-4)

¹ After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. ² He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ³ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.⁴ Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

If you remember, this is actually the second time Jesus is sending out people. The first time he sent out just his twelve closest friends—the apostles (in fact, that’s where the got the name ‘apostles’)This time he’s sending out six times as many. The first time, he sent them out alone. This time he sends them out in twos. But one thing remained the same: they weren’t supposed to bring supplies: no clothes, no supplies and this time, they couldn't even try to sponge off the people they might meet on the road.

So whatever it was that made Jesus happy wasn't their stuff.

There are people who come into life situations with all sorts of advantages. Maybe they come from a good family—a mom and dad who stayed together and didn’t fight too much--maybe they had money, maybe they went to good schools, and moved on to good jobs themselves with good connections. It seems like they have all the advantages in the world.

But whatever we think we bring into the situation, that’s not what makes Jesus happy. Jesus, I have a Ph.D. Jesus, I can give a lot of money. Jesus, I’m connected to the right people, let me introduce you. Jesus, I have experience.  Jesus, I can solve that problem. Everything that we would put on our resume, doesn’t make Jesus happy.

That’s why he asked the disciples to leave that stuff behind. Because they would have missed the point. Just like us.

Our Popularity Isn’t What Makes Jesus Happy (vs. 5-12, 16)

So if it isn’t our stuff that makes Jesus happy, what was it? Well, let’s read a little bit more:

⁵ “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

⁸ “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. ⁹ Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹² I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

Jesus himself was traveling so he sent out these teams into towns ahead of him to prepare for his ministry. Some people might not like Jesus. Some people might like Jesus. They had to map out which areas were ready to meet with Jesus and then facilitate Jesus’ ministry there.

But, whatever it was that makes Jesus happy, it wasn’t because they were accepted or popular in these towns or successful in persuading them about Jesus.

We are not responsible for making people like Jesus. Instead, we responsible to meet people, figure out if they are ready and, if so, arrange an introduction with Jesus himself. His power and his persuasiveness will ultimately be what they must welcome or not welcome. That’s why Jesus said, in verse 16:

¹⁶ “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

That’s why he asked the disciples to go ahead of him and talk to people. Because it wasn’t about whether they liked the disciples—whether they were acceptable—it was about whether they liked Jesus. 

Our Experience Isn’t What Makes Jesus Happy (vs. 13-15)

So Jesus wasn’t happy because of their stuff, or because they were acceptable. So what was it? Keep reading:

¹³ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴ But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.

Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum were part of Israel—Jewish cities-- where Jesus performed big miracles, in previous chapters, where he healed people and fed the 5,000 men with two loaves of bread and five fish (Luke 9:10-17). On the other hand, Tyre and Sidon were both pagan Phoenician cities that Jesus didn’t go into.

So, whatever it was that made Jesus happy, it wasn’t because they received or saw one of his miracles.

God does do miracles. They are like street signs, telling us to pay attention to what God is saying. If we are healed, but forget the healer; if we are provided for, but forget the provider; if we are rescued, but forget the rescuer, then we miss the point.

Missing the point of the miracle makes you miserable.

Jesus wasn’t happy because they got to see his miracles.

Our Expertise Aren’t What Makes Jesus Happy (vs. 17-20)

It did matter what stuff they had, it didn’t matter how acceptable they were, it didn’t matter if they’d seen a miracle and, it turns out, it didn’t matter that they had performed a miracle. None of these seemed to be what made Jesus happy. Read along with me:

¹⁷ The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

¹⁸ He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

You might remember the last time they tried to cast out demons (Luke 9:37ff), they couldn’t, and Jesus chewed them out for it (vs. 41). This time they went out, and they could. They are stoked. They are happy. Now, it kind of looks like Jesus is being a kill-joy here. But he’s not. He wants them to be happy, he just wants them to anchor their happiness in the right place.

Jesus isn’t happy because they could perform miracles. He says: you will do this and even more because I give you the authority. I was there when Satan was kicked out of heaven and fell to the earth.  Do you know how you did that? Because you were tight with me! When amazing things happen through us in our life, it is tempting to claim credit for it.

But Jesus wasn’t happy because of the miracles we do (because it wasn’t our miracle anyway). Jesus is happy because of our relationship with God. Look what Matthew said in another place in the Bible:

²² Many will say to me on that [judgment] day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! – Matthew 7:22-23

Our Position Isn’t What Makes Jesus Happy (vs. 23-24)

So it’s not our stuff. It’s not our popularity. It’s not our experience. It’s not our expertise. Next we find out it is not our position.

²³ Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

The disciples are confused by Jesus’ joke. They don’t get what makes him happy. So he takes them aside to tell the punch line. That “blessed” can be translated “fortunate” or even “happy” You should be happy because you see what you see. Because people with bigger titles, like “king” and “prophet” wanted to see and hear what you got to see and hear. But God didn’t show it to them.

When I went to work at Insyde, my current job, one of the conditions was that I would get the title of CTO. So they offered me the position of “Chief Technical Officer” I said “No, no, not Technical. It should be Chief Technology Officer” So they gave that to me. I wanted to be the CTO.

So I may be the CTO to the PC industry, but for Jesus  those kind of titles don’t carry any weight. There is only one title that Jesus pays attention to: disciple. A disciple is a student, not just of what a teacher says, but also his way of life. Jesus doesn’t reveal himself to CEOs and Presidents and Popes. He reveals himself to disciples.

Conclusion: What Made Jesus Happy?

Jesus is happy when ordinary people move out because they know an extraordinary God. Ordinary people don’t get their happiness from their stuff, their popularity, their experience, their expertise or their position. They are only happy that they have a relationship with Jesus.

¹¹ And not only that, but now we are also very happy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we are now God’s friends again. – Romans 5:11 (NCV)

We want to hold handfuls of those things up to God and insist, “See what I did? You should love me because…” But that’s not grace. It is anti-grace. Grace is God liking you because he likes you because he likes you. Period. There’s no little asterisk. No fine print. Jesus did everything that was required.

Imagine enrolling in medical school and on the first day of your first term they shake your hand and give you the diploma. You are confused and try to give it back, insisting that you have not completed the course work required. The dean smiles and says it’s all right; the valedictorian fulfilled all of the perquisites for the M.D. program on your behalf and you start at the hospital immediately in the place he specifies. You protest, saying it isn’t fair, that the diploma is worthless, that you don’t like the terms and conditions, that patients will be hurt, that the valedictorian is out of touch with reality, and so you rip up the diploma and decide to start a different program elsewhere. Or you can gratefully accept the diploma, use the amazing resources offered by the hospital and seek to grow into the position you have been given.

Don’t you see the joke? Why Jesus was laughing? Why he was happy? Because God has let a bunch of first year medical students loose in the hospital. And it’s working. As long as they go and pay attention to their teacher, Jesus. 

Missed Opportunities (Luke 9:51-62)

Missed Opportunities

Luke 9:51-62

Introduction: Determination

In a garage in 1976, a group of guys started a computer company that would change the world. You've probably heard of the two Steves involved: Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. However, there was a third founder of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) who wrote the first partnership agreement, wrote the manual for the Apple I and even drew the first Apple logo. That man was Ronald Wayne.

The reason why you probably never heard of Wayne is that less than two weeks after founding Apple and receiving a 10% stake in the company, he sold his Apple stock for $800. (He reportedly got another check later for $1,500 to forfeit any claims he had against the company going forward.) Today, his stock would be worth more than $55 billion.

Why would Wayne bail on Apple so early? He had been burned before. An earlier venture of Wayne's buying and selling slot machines fizzled and left him paying back creditors for two years. When Jobs began taking out loans to fulfill their first order, Wayne, who as a partner would be liable for any debts incurred, got skittish and sold his stake.[1]

Ever regret a missed opportunity? Ever wonder about a “what if”? There was a glimmer of possibility. We saw it just for a moment, had an instance to choose, and then it was gone. We are haunted by what could have happened.

What made you miss? Maybe it was a previous bad experience (like Wayne at Apple) that made you want to play it safe.  What made you miss? Couldn’t decide quickly enough. You thought about it, but then you were too busy. Or maybe the path to opportunity was too difficult. We all have those moments. What would have happened if we had taken the other path?

Jesus met a lot of people like us. Ordinary people. He told them about his plan—he called it the kingdom of God—with him at the center. He made extraordinary claims: that he was God’s chosen one—the Messiah—God in the flesh. Then he made an offer: come and follow me.

What an opportunity! Some joined Jesus, but others let him pass by. Why? What was their reason? If we can see their excuse, maybe we can recognize it in our own lives before and accept Jesus’ offered opportunity.

We pick up the story in Luke, the third of four biographies of Jesus found in the Bible, in the 9^th chapter, starting near the end, in verse 51:

⁵¹ As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

First, Jesus had determination. Luke says he “resolutely set out”. Christmas started the plan, but Passover was the conflict, Easter the climax and Pentecost the resolution.  Jesus’ life was not an accidental juxtaposition of personality, religious ferment and political turmoil. Jesus knew his place, he knew the promises, he knew his part in it and he was determined to push through to the end.

Second, he had a deadline. Luke says, “as the time approached” The “time” that Jesus was concerned about was the annual festival of Passover, a celebration of God’s rescue of the nation. It was a time of annual pilgrimage. Jews from all over the Roman Empire would return to take part. Jesus’ disgrace on the cross would be public, his return to life would be public and many of these Jews would witness this and carry it home with them.

Third, he had a destination: Jerusalem. He “set out for Jerusalem.” Jerusalem was the center of religious and political life for the nation of Israel. The temple was there. The Jewish leaders were there. The Roman governor was there. The crowds were here.

This is Jesus’ story. His story has a theme—a message—a story that says to God: “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

At some point, Jesus’ story intersects our story. He invites us, “Come. Follow me.” Join my story. Change the world with me. We have a choice, to join him or turn him down.

People do turn him down. In these next few minutes, let’s take a portrait of those who turned Jesus down in the last part of this chapter. Who were they?

Don’t Like His Destination (vs. 52-53)

Sometimes people turn him down because they didn’t like his destination. Take a look starting in verse 52.

⁵² And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; ⁵³ but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.

Jesus was determined to get to Jerusalem for the festival of Passover. But he did most of his preaching and healing in northern Israel, called Galilee, and southern Israel, around Jersualem. In between north and south, was Samaria, inhabited by Samaritans. The Samaritans believed that Passover should be celebrated at Mount Gerazim, not in Jerusalem. So, they weren’t interested in Jesus and his story because they didn’t like where he was doing—his destination.

We like our where and when and how. We like to be the main character in our own story—our own movie. Deliberately or accidently, we move Jesus into the role of best supporting actor, or extra, or non-speaking part and remove him from the credits.  But any other story than Jesus’ story leads to disappointment.

Maybe, we have centered our life around successful career, or healthy family or secure retirement or experience. Jesus invites is to put his plot—his story—his purpose at the center. “Come. Follow me.”

Get Distracted By Pride (vs. 54-56)

Sometimes people turned Jesus down because they didn’t like his destination. Others tended to be distracted because they want to be “right”. Look at verse 54:

⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” ⁵⁵ But Jesus turned and rebuked them, ⁵⁶ and they went to another village.

They wanted respect. They decided to be Jesus’ enforcers. Notice how they divide the world into “for” and “against” “in” and “out” “with us” or “against us” We are with Jesus. We are special, ‘cause we saw the trans-fi-gur-ation. We are “in” You don’t welcome Jesus. You are “out” You are second-class kindling.

Notice how they are distracted? This is no longer about Jesus and his mission. It is about us and our mission to appear important. Those Samaritans didn’t respect us Jesus, so let’s toast them. Earlier, it was John who was worried that other disciples were able to cast out demons in Jesus’ name (Luke 9:49). Later, it was James and John who wanted the prime seats next to Jesus in the kingdom (Matthew 20:21)

We do this, too. We like being right. We like to appear right. Because it means that they (whoever “they” is) are wrong. We are so angry at “them” Most people don’t think of Christians as loving so much as angry.

Every ounce of improvement in our character is grace. If we could improve due to our willpower, our purity of character, or our superior smarts, then we might have some reason to brag, saying we worked harder or better. But we and they are fundamentally unable to improve without God’s grace. We are all together, humbled by our inability, but blessed by God’s ability.

Encounter Discomfort (vs. 57-58)

People turned Jesus down because of his destination. They distracted by wanting to be right. Next, some turn away from Jesus because of discomfort:

⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” ⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Tonight, when you get back to your house, there is a knock on the door. Outside are men, obvious foreigners, unshaven, dirty. Some are obviously enforcer muscle types but one says he’s a preacher.  They ask if they can spend the night.

Remember, Jesus didn’t get welcomed by the Samaritans. So they went to the next village.  Maybe nobody opened the door there for the son of God. They don’t want Jesus and they certainly don’t want his scruffy friends. So you sleep out on the porch, or in a doorway, or maybe in the barn or under a tree.

How many of us abandon Jesus’ story because we don’t like the way people look at us when we say we are Christians. We’re embarrassed. Or we don’t like that God leads us through a tough time. Or asks for first dibs on our time and resources.

Is God more important than your comfort, or is comfort your God? [Lent]

Demand Other Priorities (vs. 59-60)

Some don’t like his destination. Some get distracted by pride. Some find it too difficult—too much discomfort. Others try to demand priorities. Look at verses 59 and 60:

⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” ⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

This incident is not about a funeral or respect for parents. This incident is actually about who is “first”

Jesus says to him, “Follow me” and the first words out of his mouth are, “Lord, first let me…” Don’t you see the contradiction built in to those words? He calls Jesus “Lord” But when you “follow” someone you are not first. You are, by definition, second.

He wants to set the terms of his “follower”-ship. He wants to dictate to his “Lord” the where and when. He wants to fulfill his own mission, then he’ll tack Jesus’ mission on to the end. First, Jesus, let me make sure my situation is stable. First, Jesus, let me have my fun (because the life with you is uncomfortable and/or boring). First, Jesus, let me make a name for myself. Then I’ll join you. But don’t wait up for me, because there might be a little delay.

Jesus says to us:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33

Doubt Our Choice (vs. 61-62)

We don’t like his destination. We get distracted by pride. We find it too difficult—too much discomfort. We demand other priorities. Finally, we doubt. Look at verses 59 and 60:

⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” ⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

There’s that word “first” again. This incident is not about family. This is about doubts. Jesus called this man’s name, “Come! Follow me.” Initially excited, but then he starts to have second thoughts. Discerning his thoughts, Jesus tells him: you can’t serve the past and the future at the same time.

I am not a farmer. But Helen grew up in and among rice farmers and she told me that when you plow a field, you place a stick at the end of the row. You get a straight row when you line up the handle of the plow with the stick between the horns of the carabaw (water buffalo). But looking back over your shoulder will produce a crazy, wavy line.

Barry Cooper, in his article in Christianity Today, asked: Would you prefer to make an ironclad, no-turning-back choice, or one you could back out of if need be? Do you ever find that you're afraid to commit? Do you reply to party invitations with a ''maybe'' rather than a ''yes'' or ''no''? Do you like to keep your smartphone switched on at all times, even in meetings, [because you might miss the other conversation you could be a part of] …  Will you focus on the person you're talking to after a church service, or will you look over her shoulder for a better conversation partner? If so, you may be worshiping the god of open options. – Christianity Today, [2]

In Jesus, your best days are in front of you. Where you are going is not found desiring where you have been. Leave that behind. Grab ahold of Jesus with both hands and don’t let go.

Conclusion

Let’s wrap this up. We have lots of excuses why we don’t pursue Jesus whole-heartedly. But that’s what they are: excuses. We will all be asked: “What did you do with Jesus?” Sorry, God, too busy. Sorry, God, too hard. Sorry, God, got distracted. Sorry, God, wasn’t sure. Jesus passed by and we missed him.

Mike Smith was an executive in charge of evaluating talent for Decca Records when he traveled to Liverpool, England, to listen to an up and coming band. He was impressed. The band had unmistakable talent, so he brought them to Decca's London office for an audition on New Year's Day 1962. The band played 15 songs, went home and waited for an answer.

When they finally heard the answer, Decca's famous reply was that, "guitar groups are on the way out" and "the Beatles have no future in show business".[3]

How would you like to be Mike Smith? Or Decca Records? Well, Jesus is more famous than the Beatles. Today Jesus is passing by. Today, you have the opportunity to join him. He is inviting you now, just like he did then: “Come. Follow me.” The Bible says:

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. – 2 Corinthians 6:2b

Where will he take me? I don’t know. My life has already been unexpected. And I get it wrong. But I do know that every time I am troubled, I search for Jesus and line myself up behind him.

Imagine for a moment. What would your company look like if God was running it? Would your products change? Would your salaries change? Would your profit margins change? How about school? What would it look like? Would the subjects change? Would the goals change? Now, your entertainment, your family, your marriage, your church. Take this opportunity to follow Jesus, so he can transform them by his presence in you.

Where Jesus is going is where I want to go. What he is doing I want to do. Pray with me: “Jesus, I want to take advantage of the opportunity you give me, to find my part in your plan. But Jesus, I am easily distracted and easily discouraged. Today, give me the willpower and the strength to overcome anything that comes between me and you in every part of my life. Thank you that your life and death provided the way for me to do that. Amen.”

---

[1][1] 5 Costly Missed Business Opportunities, Brian Reed (April 26, 2012), http://www.investinganswers.com/personal-finance/rich-famous/5-costly-missed-business-opportunities-4244, retrieved on February 12, 2013

[2] Are You Worshiping the Idol of Open Options, Barry Cooper, Christianity Today Online (February 15, 2013), retrieved on February 17, 2013

[3][3] 5 Costly Missed Business Opportunities, Brian Reed (April 26, 2012), http://www.investinganswers.com/personal-finance/rich-famous/5-costly-missed-business-opportunities-4244, retrieved on February 12, 2013

How to Defend Myself (2 Corinthians 11:30)

How do you defend yourself? In my limited lifetime, I have been accused of many things: upstaging other people, arrogance, exceeding my authority, callousness, incompetence and more. Both privately and in front of churches, people have critiqued by behavior, my intelligence, my beliefs and my character. Truthfully, I am blind to many of my own faults and all aware of too many of my virtues.

Like grit in my teeth, the comments of people bother me. Sometimes I want to respond. Sometimes I should respond. But I am not sure how to handle it, because my self likely taints any response. So I read again Paul with great interest in the later part of his second letter to the Corinthians (chapters 10 to 13), where he writes to address various critiques that have been leveled against him.

There is a tone of hurt in Paul's words. But he returns again and again to this thought:

³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. - 2 Corinthians 11:30

Pride hides weakness by displays of strength or, if that fails, by diverting attention. But Paul draws attention to his own discomfort, embarassment, struggles and hurt so that God's power and God's ability to transform lives will be highlighted.

One time I was feeling irritable and someone made a comment--a mixture of truth and ill-will--that made me burn inside. Knowing my own tendency in these situations, I had earnestly prayed that God would allow his character (rather than my own) grow and show thorugh in my life. In that moment, the lie of self-preservation was revealed and the peace of God redeemed the situation. I am so thankful. I am still an angry man at times, but God's character manages to win out.

People in seasons of sickness, or in times of intense loss and confusion can be self-absorbed, because that is the nature of pain, to draw attention. But those who let those cracks in their health and surety shine God's sustaining mercy are my teachers. I hope, in my difficult seasons, God may show himself in me as he has shown in them.

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9b

I don't defend my failures. I look to God to redeem them.

¹⁸ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. - 2 Corinthians 10:18

Your Wandering Is Not In Vain (1 Corinthians 15:58b)

Sometimes Christians believe that if they know the will of God, then everything is crystal clear. Pride can misdirect. But it does not follow that all dead-ends are the result of pride. Indeed, wandering often seems to be fully in the purposes of God for our lives. Because God's goal is not ours.

We see a mountain, and we want to know how we will get over, around or under that mountain or, even whether we will avoid the mountain altogether. We don't think that perhaps that any of those alternatives might be correct, because God is not worried about the mountain, but about us and the kind of people we will be by dealing with the mountain in dependence on God. That is faith doesn't move the mountain, faith trusts that God can move the mountain even if it still remains unmoved right now.

This is certainly true in working with a church. How many times have we seen an opportunity for ministry, prayed for wisdom on how to pursue it, consulted wise friends and jumped in with 100% effort. Then it fails. So we take a deep breath, gear up again and jump in again. Failure. And again. And again. We wonder what is wrong. We double-check our motives, our prayer registry, our commitment level. All ok, but no results.

This is why Paul wrote:

Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. - 1 Corinthians 15:58b

There is a tendency to pull back in our efforts, because we think it is not working. But, in fact, it is working...on us. It is not in vain. In fact, this very keeping-on-going helps us fully understand God's love (cf. Romans 5:3-4).

 

This verse reminds me of another similar thought expressed by Paul elsewhere:

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9

The sense is flipped, but the meaning is the same. In the first it is: do A (give yourselves fully) because you won't lose B (results of your labor). In the second it is: don't give up A (doing good) because you will gain B (harvest).

 

The wandering, not the overcoming, is producing what God wants. The very frustration, and how we rely upon God in failure, is the path God uses.

 

How I wish he would skip it sometimes! How I am tired! But faith says the result God has planned is better than the one I envision.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Avoiding The Epic Fail (Luke 9:37-50)

Avoiding the Epic Fail
Luke 9:37-50

Introduction

You want to know how to really fail in life? Just read these two verses with me.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen - Ephesians 3:20-21

Got that? Now do the opposite:

1.       First, you dream small dreams instead of God’s dreams.

2.       Second, power those dreams by yourself instead of with God’s power.

3.       Third, promote yourself instead of God.

Ok. That's it. You can sleep now, you’ve got the main point.

You know I work in computers. One of the most difficult types of failures to debug is called a “priority inversion” It is will a low-priority program grabs ahold of computer resources and then won’t let them go when a high-priority program needs them. Priority inversion has taken down the Mars Rover, it has taken down Windows, it has taken down banking systems, it has taken down my job performance…and let me tell you—priority inversion can take down your life. We let little dreams sabotage God’s dreams for us. We hold so tightly on to our resources that we are not free to grab ahold of God’s resources. We are so worried about our maintaining priority, that we never let God’s priority be promoted in our lives.

It can happen to us. It happened to Jesus’ best friends in the second half of the 9^th chapter of Luke’s biography of Jesus. Four times in twelve verses, his disciples will fail.  From a Bible point of view that’s not a very good ratio. So what happened?

Well, let’s take a look. Turn to Luke, 9^th chapter, starting in verse 37. Jesus is on his way down from the mountain where he was praying, and when he gets down, there is a huge crowd and lot of noise, because of the first of his disciple’s epic fails.

Fail #1: Want To Appear Competent (vs. 37-40)

Look at the next verse:

³⁷ The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. ³⁸ A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. ³⁹ A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. ⁴⁰ I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”

Jesus’ disciples could not cast out a particular demon. Failure #1. The story only makes sense if you look back at the very start of chapter 9, where it says: “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases.” (Luke 9:1) Notice the word “all”. Something has happened. Jesus is frustrated by this, and says so, and then heals the boy and restores the family.

Before we look further at this first failure, just a side comment about demons. When we read passages like this, we might wonder whether this young man’s problem was something like epilepsy and those in Jesus’ time just thought it was caused by a demon. Certainly Christians have been guilty of assigning demonic causes to ordinary events. But look carefully at verse 42. Luke (the author) is a doctor and he notes that Jesus “rebuked” the demon and then healed him. That is, there were two problems: a spiritual problem and a physical problem and Jesus recognized them both. Sometimes, in America, we are so fond of ‘natural’ causes, that we miss the spiritual side of things that many other cultures are aware of.

Why is Jesus frustrated? What was the root cause of the disciple's epic fail with the demon? He mentions two keys to their failure: first, the disciples were a part of an unbelieving generation. That is, even though they had all of the power and authority they needed to do this job (see verse 1), and they had practice (see verse 2) and they had success (verse 6), they were still not confident that it would still work. Second, they were a part of the perverse generation. This means that their desires—their want-tos—their motives—were off-the-mark. That is, they wanted to appear to be competent. Casting out the demon has become about their competence--their abilities--not God's abilities.

Now before we get too hard the disciples, what about us? Most of us aren’t demon experts. But we want to appear like we're competent and capable. We don't just want someone to be helped, but we want to be appreciated as the type of people who help, or the type of people God uses to help. Let me reassure you: You have exactly enough strength to do everything God wants you to do tomorrow. You have exactly enough time to do everything God wants you to do tomorrow. But we hesitate because we doubt God. We procrastinate because all our energy, checkbook and slots in our calendar are taken by our plans, dreams and desires.  Our want-to is broken.

We fail when we want to appear competent, on our terms. We win when we humble ourselves, throw away our plan, follow God's plan and allow God to be competent:

 “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” – 1 Peter 5:5b

Fail #2: Want To Appear Smart (vs. 44-45)

Let’s look at failure #2.

⁴² Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father.  ⁴³ While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, ⁴⁴ “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.” ⁴⁵ But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

Luke tells us that while everyone was excited about the external miracles, Jesus repeats His message to the disciples about His suffering and death, and they still don’t get it. Jesus is trying to prepare them for the time when he is gone, and they must continue the job that he started. Their failure is not so much that they didn’t understand (what’s new?), but that (in verse 45) they were afraid to ask about what they didn’t understand. Afraid of what?

·         Maybe they were afraid to look dumb in front of the others.

·         Maybe they were afraid of Jesus, after he had just chewed them out.

·         Maybe they were afraid to hear the answer, because it might contradict what they wanted. They were afraid of the truth.

There are so many things that I don’t understand. There is such a huge gap between God’s understanding and my understanding. But we can ask.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. – James 1:5

How often I have relied on this verse. God is the creator of good ideas. We just discover them. This is true in my job. It is true in my relationships. It is true in this church. The scariest thought to me is that God would put me through a season of drought of good ideas.

We do not fail for ignorance. We fail for holding on to ignorance and not asking God.

We fail when we want to appear smart. We succeed when realize and rely on God as the smart one.

Fail #3: Want To Appear Important (vs 46-48)

First, we fail when we know what to do but don’t do it.

Second, we fail when we don’t know what to do and don’t ask.

Let’s look at the third failure, found in verses 46-48:

⁴⁶ An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. ⁴⁷ Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. ⁴⁸ Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest.”

The third failure when we want to appear important. The disciples have their spiritual calculators out, punching in the numbers of converts, demons cast out, sick healed and prayers answered, trying to determine who has the highest score. But that misses the point.  We don’t win. God wins. And those points on the scoreboard? They are God’s. He draws people to himself. He rebukes demons. He cures sickness. He answers prayer. It is God’s grace from start to finish.

But then we ask…who got more grace? [sound of Jesus smacking his own forehead]

We even see this in the church.

Francis Chan a pastor from Simi Valley exploded onto the evangelical scene a few years ago when podcasts of sermons he gave at his flourishing, 4,000-member Southern California church went viral. But then in late 2010, he up and quit, saying, "I just want to disappear for a while." One thing that bothered him, he said, was that "even in my own church I heard the words 'Francis Chan' more than I heard the words, 'Holy Spirit.'[1]

Pastors don’t need to hear “What a great sermon!” They need to hear “What a great God!”

It happens to pastors, it happens to us.  We advertise our virtues on the job, so that others notice us. Only the beautiful pictures end up on FaceBook. You spend time with the cool people, so that you’ll at least look cool, too.

Instead of making the mission about me, we need to make the mission about God.  We don’t need to be important, we want God to be important. Here’s what I want to highlight:  lives changed, books written, relationships healed, communities revived, symphonies performed—by God. Does the stories you tell at work or school—or FaceBook--tell a story where you are the hero, or where God is the hero?

We fail when we want to appear important. We succeed when we want God to appear important.

Fail #4: Want To Appear Special (vs. 49-50)

This same attitude of “making the mission about me” led to the fourth failure, in verses 49-50:

⁴⁹ “Master,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.” ⁵⁰ “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Here is the irony. The disciples notice a man driving out demons in Jesus’ name—the very same thing they failed to do back in verse 38—but he is succeeding and they want to stop him!

Why? “Because he is not one of us.” They seem to say: “if we fail, so should they!”  Spiritual envy.  “If at first we don’t succeed, neither should anyone else.”

They are embarrassed and outdone, so they won’t give any credit. The Bible says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15) but the Tim Lewis translation says: “Criticize those who rejoice; make fun of those who mourn.” Some of you have read my translation.

This happens to us. Do you thank God for another church’s growth, another believer’s growing life of faith, another marriage’s closeness or another co-workers promotion? Or does their success immediately cause a critical remark or thought in you?

The disciple’s motto was “Anyone who is not with us is against us.” But Jesus’ motto was “Anyone who is not against you is for you.” Jesus just redefined the win. The win is not what FCC does for God. The win is what FCC and Natomas and Lakeside and Ignite and Bayside and Cornerstone do and beyond, for God. The win is not what Tim does, or Max does or AZ does for God. The win is when God appears uniquely as God.

We fail when we want to appear special or unique. We succeed when we may God appear special and unique.

Conclusion

Imagine an app on your phone that decided that the phone exists for its benefit. That inverts your phone’s mission so that instead of serving you, it serves itself. What do we call an app like that? A virus.

The virus of selfishness and pride always tries to hijack our lives away from God and towards ourselves. The results are destructive. We fail because we take the life that God has given and repurpose it for goals for which it was never intended.  The Bible says:

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. – James 3:16

We know this to be true. The worst and ugliest moments of our lives are the results of our pride. But somehow we return again and again to pride’s destructive influence. It was only the perfect selfless act of Jesus, the innocent son of God given on the cross which can combat it and restore our broken soul.

·         We don’t need to appear smart, because God loves me.

·         We don’t need to appear important, because God loves me.

·         We don’t need to appear special, because God loves me.

·         We don’t need to appear competent, because God loves me.

“Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” – Romans 10:11b

Maybe you’ve realized that your 2013 new year’s resolutions were your plan, self-powered and self-promoting.  Maybe for 2013 you can ask God

1.       To follow God’s dreams and plans instead of yours.

2.       To power those dreams with God’s power instead of yours.

3.       To promote God’s reputation instead of yours.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen - Ephesians 3:20-21

That is the epic win.

Some material from the sermon “Getting It Wrong” by Steven Simala Grant, http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/getting-it-wrong-steven-simala-grant-sermon-on-faults-137584.asp?Page=1 retrieved on January 8, 2013

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[1] The Relentless Passion of Francis Chan, Mark Galli, Christianity Today, posted January 4, 2013. Retrieved on January 12, 2013

As Strong As The Weak Places (1 Corinthians 8)

7 But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. ⁸ But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. - 1 Corithians 8:7
 

This chapter of Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthian church is dealing with one of the controversial topics of Paul's day: eating meat that was sacrificed to idols. Strangely enough, I remember thinking about this back when I was a boy, because a friend of our families was a Buddhist. Each year this friend's temple would put on a giant barbeque, with all the proceeds going to support the temple's operations for a year. Growing up, I never really thought about this, and it was really tasty chicken. But one year, it bothered me that I was helping to support a Buddhist temple. So I asked my family not to buy any for me.

Now, I look back on that and wonder whether it was worth all of the angst I felt at the time. I don't think so. It is chicken. No more, no less.

But this verse has helped me to deal with a lot of other issues in my life, whether books or music or movies or even social situations. Because my conscience is weak. Sometimes the thing itself is not bad, but the associations that I have with it are bad. So, I should proceed no further. Maybe, at some time in the future, my conscience will be strong. At that time, it will be different.

I ran into this again last year when I found that one of my favorite Christian artists had gone astray. The songs had always spoken to me deeply. So I used this test: Were my thoughts being drawn towards God or was I being distracted by this artists behavior? In this case, push and prod as I might, God was still the focus. So I still listen.

I've always thought: I am the strong one, able to look on weakness of other brothers and sisters (see Romans 14). But I am not. I am full of weak places, requiring the mercy of God and my family.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. - 2 Corinthians 4:7

What Will Make You Happy? (1 Corinthians 7)

29 What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
 

"If only I _____ I would be happy." Fill in the blank. If only I...

• Was married.
• Had a stable job.
• Had a decent place to live.
• Could eat 3 meals a day.
• Pray 1 hour a day.
• Could be sure of my retirement.

Whatever you place in that blank defines you, your pursuits, your frustrations and your mental state of mind. And anything other than God in that blank will leave you disappointed.

In the 7th chapter of Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul says, essentially, "If you can live without, live without. And if you can't, then go for it. Either way, don't lose your focus on God." Is it more distracting to be married or unmarried? Circumcised or uncircumcised. Free or not free. Or maybe it is the angst of choosing between the two.

Married, single or undecided can all take you away from God. Rich, poor or middle-class can all take you away from God. Stable job, no job, terrible job can all take you away from God. But they are not the issue. God is the issue. Anytime anything else becomes the issue, it has to go.

Today, we are fretting about something. I have guests coming over tomorrow. My front door doesn't lock. People at my job expect me to be a superstar. Each of those has the potential of derailing my life by claiming to be the ______.  Jesus, you are the only one big enough to fill my _____.