A True Seeker Sensitive Moment

As you may know from reading my blogs, I am not a fan of the “seeker-sensitive” movement; however, I am willing to make a small exception in believing in its effectiveness when it is truly practiced in a way which is glorifying to the Lord. I write this on the heels of having attended Rock the Lakes, which was the Franklin Graham crusade that came to Milwaukee this past weekend. As par for the course, there were thousands in attendance stretching across a beautiful park on Lake Michigan. By the looks of the crowd, there were people from all walks of life enjoying the sounds of the incredible music played by various professional Christian artists. Normally, this is where the argument for the need to be “relevant” to unbelievers as many would claim the necessity of having a “hook” when you go fishing (for men). But the last time I went fishing, I had to use more than a hook in order to catch a fish----I had to use the proper bait. And this is the difference between the flawed version of “seeker-sensitive” and the version that aims to bring glory to God.

There was one common element which ran through the crusade on Sunday which greatly lacks in the church’s attempt to engage “seekers” who come through their church doors. Each band that approached the stage as well as Franklin Graham did not detract from making one simple truth known to all who were within ear shot of the massive speaker systems---We are all SINNERS and we are all LOST without JESUS! Unfortunately, the modern day seeker churches fail to promote the idea that people who don’t know Jesus are actually sinful people who do horrible things because of their sin. They try to convince people that the Christian life is one of excitement and is able to help us through our journey of life. In attempts to continually promote this “exciting life” they have to add all of the bells and whistles to the church service so that seekers and attendees will not suffer from boredom and somehow discover that Christianity is at many times a very difficult life to live.

Testimony after testimony came from the platform of how Jesus rescued sinners from the dangers of hell. And while the music may have drawn the crowds, there was not mistaking the message or purpose for Whom these musicians were playing for. Franklin Graham followed up a few of the bands and basically did two things in his message. He used Scripture to show that we are sinners in need of a Savior and used his testimony to let others know that he is no different in his need. Maybe this is a forgotten idea in the church today. While the enemy continues to prowl like a hungry lion, we too often forget that it is the “blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony” which overcomes the enemy’s attempt to detour the work of the Lord. The result was astounding as hundreds came to Christ.

The night was finished off by Michael W. Smith. Dusk had settled on the lake front and the beauty of a clear sky was above the crowd. At this point, many would have opted to have a “celebration” for the weekend’s events but God was not finished. I remember the days when Michael was more of a “performer” than “minister” as I have been to several of his concerts in the late 80’s and 90’s. This Michael is anything but the man I had seen back in those days. He led the crowd of thousands in a time of unbridled worship before the throne of grace. There was no sense of time, no sense of relevancy to the crowd---only the desire to touch the heart of Father God. And then something even more amazing happened. God began to draw people to Him. They paused for a moment as they felt the Lord was calling the prodigals back home. The result could have only been orchestrated by God as many heard the call of the Father to come home. I was fortunate to talk to a young man who had heard the sound of worship and which drew him to the crowd. It was simply inescapable. He knew the voice of the Father and he knew that his Father was calling him back home.

I cannot help to think of John 12:32 which states “But I (Jesus), when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself.” This is the true formula of being a “seeker-sensitive” church. The only need which we need to be “sensitive” to in the lives of unbelievers is the simple fact that they are sinners and need Jesus. I saw this in action this weekend. Jesus was lifted up above the earth-----man was not the primary emphasis---and as He was glorified through unhindered and unadulterated worship, men were drawn to Him! If we would truly worship the Lord without aiming to consider what outsiders may think about “our church” and wholeheartedly worship the Lord, the result would be that men would be drawn to Christ. No program, no “music,” no state of the art production will ever suffice to do what a worshiping church will do in proclaiming the true Gospel---we are sinners and need Jesus----to win the world around us. Thank you Franklin Graham and Michael W. Smith for not holding back in proclaiming “Spirit” and “Truth” to a city who desperately needs God!

"A Time to Kill"

Imagine yourself as being of sound mind with a genius-like intellect and wisdom beyond your years. Imagine that you are also a person of unlimited creativity and incredible understanding whose mind is able to process detailed concepts in a variety of subjects. You are a person of “know how.” You are a person who seemingly has all the answers. You, however, have one major flaw that keeps you from achieving all of the things in which your mind can conceive. Your body is completely paralyzed!

            Dallas Willard wrote, “The human body was made to be the vehicle of the human personality ruling the earth for God through his power. Withdrawn from that function by loss of its connection with God, the body is caught in the inevitable state of corruption in which we find it now.”[i] Much like a life in which the body is paralyzed but the mind is fully functional, is the Christian who attempts to have a full life in the Spirit yet neglects to discipline the body in which the Spirit dwells. In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul explains that it is in giving our “bodies” sacrificially unto the Lord for His purposes, that we can come to enter into a true “act of worship” (Romans 12:1). The “sacrifice” that the Lord requires is one that the body is diametrically opposed to in function and purpose. As it craves only to please itself with the allurement of this world, in God’s economy, the body must be sacrificed through self-discipline to deny what it desires and to embrace its purpose for the kingdom of God (see Ephesians 4:17-20). It is only through understanding the body’s role in the spiritual life that one can come to apprehend the necessary disciplines which spiritual formation requires.

            Sacrifice, in a modern sense, can be described as the giving up of something costly or valuable in regards to a religious expression of worship. Generally, when one thinks of “sacrifice,” images of a helpless creature bound on a slab of rock awaiting a gruesome and violent death comes to mind. Once the knife has been plunged into the victim and its blood spilled upon the ground, the sacrificial ritual temporarily ends until the demands of one’s religion calls for another act of appeasement. For those who serve the Lord, however, sacrifice takes on a much different meaning. Although the Old Testament system of worship called for the sacrificial system as a tangible act of repentance and obedience, the reality of sacrifice was to remind the people of God that true sacrifice involved not just the giving up of one’s possessions, but the giving of one’s life for the sake of worshiping the Lord. 

            The major question that surrounds the idea of “spiritual formation” is “What must one do in order to obtain a Christ-like life?” It is certain that becoming like Christ isn’t something that just  “happens” nor is it a result of making up one’s own conclusion as to what becoming like Christ requires. Too often, the idea of sacrifice for the Christian is practiced more as a concept than it is a way of life. The spirit may be willing but the “body is weak” (Mark 14:38). Although the Lord knows that we as humans live in a fallen state in which our bodies take on corruption, He, in light of His “mercy,” has made it possible for the body to live in submission to the spiritual disciplines. In essence, Romans 12:1 admonishes us to make our “whole person” something that can be presented for the purposes of entering into the worship relationship with God.[ii]

            From a personal experience, I can attest to my failure in making my life a “living sacrifice” for the Lord. For several years, I had struggled with the issue of fear in my life. It became such an issue in my life that it eventually led to anxiety and panic attacks on a routine basis. Eventually, it destroyed my ministry and my marriage. As I ventured upon the road to restoration in my life, I continued in my battle with fear. Although I came to the place where I was once again in ministry, fear continued to keep me from fulfilling the will of the Lord for my life. Rather than sacrificing my concerns to the Lord, I gave them over to fear. Last year, at a silent prayer retreat, the Lord revealed to me about the importance of “building His temple.” He showed me that each time I refused to discipline my mind and body in regards to fear, it was like removing a stone from His temple; however, if I would bring my body into submission to what His power and presence offers my life, I would continue to become a vessel in which His glory could be revealed; thus, living in the will of the Lord for my life.

            As Paul said, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world…” which in light of spiritual formation denotes for one to deny what is naturally responsive in our flesh. Rather, the apostle says that we must “be transformed by the renewing of my mind” which suggests that a new way of thinking about and responding to life must take place. In order for us to come to know that Lord as He desires us to know Him, in living in “His good, pleasing, and perfect will,” we must discipline ourselves to “sacrifice” our natural tendencies and adopt a habitual response to life through the work of Christ that has been accomplished in us. If we cannot do that, then in reality, we cannot truly worship the Lord as our flesh will constantly remain at the forefront of all that we do. As Oswald Chambers eloquently said, “What I must decide is whether or not I will agree with my Lord and Master that my body will indeed be His temple.”[iii]

            Just as we must become vessels of discipline which displays the life of Christ in our whole person, so must we maintain a disciplined life which reflects Christ in the world in which we live. Ephesians 4:17-20 suggests that the way of life for a Christian must be separate in every way from those who live without Christ. As we present ourselves as “living sacrifices” to the Lord, He requires that the sacrifice be one that is “holy and pleasing” to Him. Holiness requires separation from the common and the embracing of the sacred. The type of separation in which the Lord requires from us is not only found in the “transforming of our minds” but is also found in not “living as the Gentiles do…” For spiritual formation to be a reality in our lives, we have to first recognize our body’s tendency to indulge our appetite for life. The act of worship must include an understanding that the Christian life implies that “there are attitudes and activities that are definitely not pleasing to God.”[iv] This is where discipline is needed as from a natural standpoint; consequently, we will always have the tendency to gravitate towards indulging our flesh. Again, Paul suggests that to avoid this, it must begin with our “thinking” (Eph. 4:17). 

            If failing to discipline the body can keep us from the desired life of spiritual formation then the life that surrounds the body can be equally effective in diminishing the life of Christ in us. If we allow the allure of the world to entice our desires, then in one sense, we make a mockery of the work of Christ in us (“For you however, did not come to know Christ this way”). Not only are we called to live a disciplined life but also a separated life----separated from the ideology, philosophy, psychology, and society of the worldly perspective. Ungodly people can live morally disciplined lives; however, they cannot live separated unto the Lord. In other words, one can live disciplined and not separated in this world but one cannot live separated without the discipline to do so. Paul gives us a simple reminder concerning our spiritual formation in Ephesians 4:17-20: We cannot know Christ if we choose to live a life un-separated from this world.

            To put all of this into perspective, imagine the paralyzed body once again. However, it is not your body that cannot function as it should but your child’s. You look at this little life before you and you dream as to what it could become----if only. You see your child running through a field on a cool autumn day with a kite trailing behind flapping in the gusting wind. You see the smile on the beautiful face as your dog trips him up and the two of them wrestle around in a pile of leaves. You return the smile because you are grateful for the one thing that matters: your child is experiencing life as he should, unhindered and unbridled.

            Spiritual formation is the difference between a life that is paralyzed and a life that is experiencing everything that a child of God should. Where does it begin? What must we do to move beyond a life of paralysis and begin to truly live? The answer is simple, yet difficult. It requires of us sacrifice and separation. In quoting Willard, “ Anything with life in it can flourish only if it abandons itself to what lies beyond it (sacrifice), eventually to be lost as a separate being, through continuing to live on in relation to others. Life is inner power to reach and live ‘beyond.”[1] The “beyond” that we must strive for is the life offered to us in Christ. A life of true worship and relationship in knowing God “beyond” anything we could ever conceive is made possible through the pathway of “sacrifice” and “separation.” The only question that we need to answer is if we are willing to exchange the life of paralyzed living for a life that is able to “reach and live beyond?”

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[1] Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York: HarperCollins, 1988), 56.

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[i] Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York: HarperCollins, 1988), 42.

[ii] John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965), 110.

[iii] Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest (Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 1992), 355.

[iv] David Peterson, Engaging With God (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 17.

The Wardrobe of Worship

As a father of seven children, there are certain expenses that are necessary in maintaining the care for my family’s well being. Although Jesus stated in Matthew 6 that we should not be concerned with “what we wear,” as a good parent, it is my obligation that I provide appropriate clothing for my children. Among my offspring are three boys, ages three to five years old, which are now fully capable of dressing themselves. They need not worry about the provision for their wardrobe; they only need to be concerned with wearing what I have provided for them. The problem, however, is their constant attempt to dress themselves in clothing which no longer fits. Shirts decorated with icons of their past and worn out undersized pants are among their favorite choices which become the catalysts of the daily struggle between their independence and my authority.

 In Colossians 3, the Apostle Paul was faced with a similar situation. The church of Colosse was facing the temptation of living out their faith in an earthly “fashion” rather than in a heavenly “fashion” which had been given to them by their Father in heaven. For the believer, the garments of our earthly fashion no longer fits because we have been given new clothing which has been fashioned for our new image. Paul’s admonition to “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col. 3:2), provides the context for the struggle which those in Colosse faced and consequently, the same struggle in which all believers face on a daily basis: what should I wear?

            All men have been clothed in the wardrobe of the human nature. In Colossians 3:5-9, Paul describes those things which are inherently a part of each individual’s humanity. As he reminds the Colossians that “You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived” (v. 7), he expresses the idea that within one’s humanity, one has the tendency to live life clothed in sin that encompasses all of man’s desires and thoughts. Paul cites “idolatry” as being the sin in which unrestrained humanity is found guilty of their indulgence of the earthly nature. Whenever one exercises the attitude of satisfying one’s needs by “manipulating the elements of creation,” they “succumb to idolatry.”[i]  Paul is emphatic on the idea that those who have been given a “new nature” in Christ Jesus can no longer “put on” the wardrobe of the flesh. Instead, Paul gives three “imperatives” that must happen in the life of a believer if he is to “take off” the clothing of the earthly nature. [ii]

            The strongest of the imperatives is to “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature…” (v.5). More literally, Paul is inserting the idea that because the believer has been given a “new life, hidden in Christ,” (v.3), one must “mortify, exterminate, slay utterly” with a great sense of urgency, the sinful nature.[iii] There is the idea of an exchange that must take place in order for “life” to be evident in the believer. The believer must be willing to deny the natural desires, impulses, and cravings that accompany the self-serving life and choose a life that exercises the self-denial of the natural choices prone to humanity. Paul adds to this idea in a second imperative that inserts that one must “rid yourself” of the things that dominate the attitudes and speech that is rooted in the flesh (v.8). He then includes the imperative, “do not lie…”(v. 9) in which he emphatically condemns the “sin of falsehood” perhaps to emphasize the hypocrisy of having a Christ-like image but living a fleshly existence.

            From a practical perspective, the “putting off” of the sinful nature is a necessary discipline for obtaining the life that is clothed in Christ. This discipline, however, is not easily acquired. As Dallas Willard explains, the believer has a difficult time harmonizing the “whole self with the will and personality of God” and the process of doing so is not simply done for us by the grace of God but is something in which “we must act.”[iv] Therefore, the Christian must ever be conscious of the dichotomy that defines his life on earth: death enshrouds him but life engulfs him. The call to “put to death, rid yourself, and do not lie” must be seen as deliberate actions which must be exercised against the “old self.” Paul argues that because the believer has been given a “new self,” he must “take off” the old self. The imagery is one of being a “dirty, worn out garment that is stripped from the body and thrown away” in exchange for a “new suit of clothing.”[v] In reality, one must make the moment by moment choice to deny the idolatrous worship of self-will, self-indulgence, and self-preservation in exchange for the renewed life that is brought about through the self-sacrificing life that seeks to know God (v. 10).

            The ability to transform one’s life from being clothed in the garments of death to being dressed in the wardrobe of life is found in the quest of knowing God. Paul offers a solution as to how to change the practices of the former life by putting “on the new self, which is being renewed in the knowledge of its Creator” (v. 10). It is in the quest of knowing God that the “new self” in Christ is able to take predominance over the “old self.” This transformation, in which a “new person pervaded by the positive realities of faith, hope and love---toward God primarily and therefore toward all men and women and creatures,” becomes evident and the “positive transformation of the self, justice, peace and prosperity can result as God’s rule is fulfilled in human life.”[vi]  This can only be accomplished, however, in the acceptance of one’s need to once again be fashioned in the image of his Creator and choosing a life that is guided by the knowledge of God.

             Because the believer has been given a “new self” in Christ, in a sense, there is now the obligation to wear the proper wardrobe that fits the new life. As Oswald Chambers explains, “Whatever we may be doing—even eating, drinking, or washing disciples’ feet---we have to take the initiative of realizing and recognizing Jesus Christ in it. Every phase of our life has its counterpart in the life of Jesus.”[vii] Just as one can “put on” and “take off” the garments of the flesh, the believer now has the choice to “put on” the garments of the Spirit in every situation of life. Paul cites aspects of the fruit of the Spirit in describing the spiritual clothing as being “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love” (v.12-14). These are not mere “goals” which one should attempt to attain, but rather, they are realities that can be apprehended by virtue of one’s “new self.”

            As one considers the new life that has been given, there must be an understanding of the reality of now having a “new self” and the natural tendencies of the “old self” which still exist in the believer. The reason for putting to death, ridding yourself, and not lying being contrasted with putting on, clothing yourself, and putting on love is for the simple fact that as a believer, it is not possible to wear the garments of both the old self and new self together----a choice must be made. One already has the “old” garments in their possession by virtue of one’s humanity; however, one now has been given “new” garments to wear in place of the clothing of the old life. In order to wear the “new,” one must exercise the disciplines of self-denial and embrace a life of being God-dependent. Again, it is in the quest of knowing God that one comes to gain the necessary discipline, strength, desire, and passion to live the life which forsakes the old garments and wears an entirely new wardrobe.

            Like my children, who struggle each day desiring to wear the clothes of their old life that has passed away, I too am faced with the same struggle. As I decide what I should wear, it begins with realizing that I must strive to please the one who has given me new wardrobe. What does He desire that I clothe myself with? The disciplines of prayer and study of the Word of God begin to point me to the heart of my Father and what he desires for my life. The fact that I patiently wait upon Him, to hear His voice and to know His leading, helps me to learn to tune out the voice of my natural tendencies of my flesh. When I am caught dressed in the garments of the old life, I need to be quick to repent, giving Him the old garment so that it can properly be disposed of. I have to come to the realization, which because I am now a “new person,” the wardrobe of my past no longer fits my life properly. I now wear a wardrobe of worship. The old wardrobe should feel awkward and uncomfortable, and in actuality, it should look ridiculous. The importance of disciplining my life in a way that I can strive to know the Lord more will allow me to stay in current “fashion” in wearing the wardrobe of worship---the “new self.”  If I can do that, then perhaps, people will one day say, “You look more and more like your Father each day.”

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[i] John N. Oswalt, The NIV Application Commentary: Isaiah (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003),  312.

[ii] Frank E. Gaebelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Colossians (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), 211.

[iii] Ibid., 212.

[iv] Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York: HarperCollins, 1988), 68.

[v] Frank E. Gaebelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Colossians (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), 213.

[vi] Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, 221.

[vii] Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 1992), 196.

Israel, The Church, and Dilapidated Wineskins.

Over the last few years, I have examined an ever-increasing awareness within some factions of the church towards "ministry" to Israel. I say "ministry" in the broadest of terms as some of what I have observed has bordered on the strange, bizarre, and even heretical. Even more, people like talk show host Glenn Beck, has publicly taken a Biblical stance on our need to support Israel as a nation and promoting the idea that Israel is at the center of what is taking place in the world. Let me preface this week's blog by first reminding us that Israel has a significant role in the end-times events as recorded in the Bible; however, somewhere along the way, I believe that we have grossly misinterpreted what our role as the church is in ministering to this nation. With that said, my concern is one of end-times deception taking place, especially through our worship, by using this gravitation towards "Israel" as a means to promote a much larger agenda.

The kind of activity which concerns me is a renewed emphasis in bringing in the worship of Judaism into the framework of Christianity. What has started as the church's interest in participating in sedar meals, has now transpired into "Bless Israel Services" where worship is filled with Old Testament symbolism and rituals. When Jesus came to the Jews in the first century, he made something very evident. With a vivid illustration, Jesus made it very clear that the picture of worship was going to be changed. What was celebrated in the past and how worship was celebrated, was going to be obsolete because of the work He would accomplish as Messiah. In so many words, Jesus said, "The new wine of Christianity cannot fit into the old wineskin of Judaism---it simply will not work!" (See Mark 2:18-22).  Yet, in many of circles of worship, we introduce Old Testament aspects of worship as if they still maintain the power and stigma they did when used in the context of Judaism. Let me insert a disclaimer at this point. I believe that our expression in worship when we come into the presence of a Holy God is something that has never changed. The rituals and symbols of worship, however, have changed between the Old and New Testaments. And this is where we have gone astray in our theology of worship.

There are some that believe by us using various symbols in worship---the shofar, banners, menorahs, prayer coverings, and the incantations of prayers said in Hebrew, that these will somehow perpetuate the worship experience and because we are "blessing Israel,"  God is somehow extra pleased that we are going to the extent to be "Jewish" in order to show our commitment to His "chosen people." There are even Messianic movements which are seeking to become "Torah compliant" so that somehow, God will be more pleased by their worship. Many in this movement believe that we must observe the feasts of the Old Testament and by neglecting these feasts, we cannot receive the full blessing of God upon our lives. I have even known people to participate in Jewish synagogue worship and have attempted to convince me that the presence of the Lord was there! In the end, those in this movement go to great lengths to make non-observers of these things somehow feel less "Christian" by their lack of participation in Jewish worship.

But what is the bigger picture? Believe it or not, I believe that this push to incorporation of some of  the Old Testament aspects of worship is a part of a bigger end-time movement towards a one-world religion. The biggest lie which many Christians unknowingly have subscribed to is in believing that Judaism worships the same God as Christians----nothing could be farther from the truth! By believing that, we are essentially saying that Judaism worships "half" of the truth. They accept our "God" but do not accept Jesus as being God. And in a strange way, we're okay with that. If we choose to believe that then the downward spiral begins. We unknowingly deny the Trinity and we would then also have to believe that Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, and basically any other mainstream religion all worships the same "God." If worship does not see Jesus Christ as being God (after all, Jesus said, "If you have seen me, then you have seen the Father"), then it is not worshiping the same God as Christians do. By us accepting Judaism as a valid form of worship minus all of second half of the equation, then we are embracing what God has already condemned.

This theology actually pushes Christ out of the worship picture. By subscribing to a return to the feasts, torah, and rituals of Old Testament worship, we are denying the fact that Jesus was the fulfillment of these things. Although I have already mentioned a particular issue in "Worship that Deceives Part 1," we need to be on guard against any theology that submits Old Testament ideas and imagery without seeing it's fulfillment in Christ. We as the church do not need the "symbols" of Old Testament worship in our practices---we have become the embodiment of the Old Testament symbols through Jesus Christ who lives in us! I don't have to say my prayer in Hebrew to add an extra special blessing---God gave the New Testament church it's own language for worship in the upper room when they were" filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the spirit enabled them" (Acts 2:4). The slow infiltration of accepting the worship of the synagogue to blend in with the worship of the church begins the slippery slope towards Ecumenical-ism.

I am beginning a class on Islam in the fall and I have recently received one of the books required to read in the class---the Qur'an. In the introduction of this newer translation, the author wrote, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all worship the same God--they only have different prophets. Believe it or not, there is a movement of worship that is trying to unite all faiths on a common ground. (If you don't believe me, find out what Rick Warren is up to these days.) The enemy is using our own Scripture against us in making us think that the command to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6)means to embrace Judaism giving it a certain privileged honor among the church. The truth is, our ministry to Israel is not one of embracing their way of life but in showing them "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" which only the church can do. We are not to be participants in their worship but we are to be the prophets which expose the errors of their ways. We are not going to win Israel to the Lord by showing how much we accept their worship which God has rejected. We can only win them through the proclamation of the truth! (Romans 10:1-21). Remember, the temple veil was torn in two not just to show man that they had access to God but to also show Israel, that God was no longer there in their worship.