Is the Gospel Powerful Enough to Bring Contentment?

Recently, in my study of 1 Timothy, I grappled with the teaching in chapter 6 about how Christian slaves should live. It challenged me. Why didn’t Paul come right out and denounce slavery? Why didn’t Jesus condemn it? Why the instruction on how to live as a slave?

The Bible does speak against slavery in several ways. Even in 1 Timothy (1:10) Paul included slave traders with murderers, adulterers, and perverts as rebels who oppose the gospel. In the Old Testament, a fugitive slave wasn’t to be returned to his master, but be given refuge (Deuteronomy 23:15). To kidnap a human and sell him to another was deserving of the death penalty (Exodus 21:14). Mistreatment of slaves was forbidden (Exodus 21:20). Those commands alone show the ungodliness of the slavery practiced in American history, and the human trafficking that occurs today.

Still, the fact that the New Testament focuses more on how to please God as a slave than it does condemning slavery, made me wonder. John Stott addressed it this way: “The main reason is that slavery was deeply embedded in the structures of Greco-Roman society….to dismantle slavery all at once would have brought about the collapse of society.” 

Perhaps a vital truth is being emphasized, over above an obvious evil. Since believers are called to a life of quiet, peaceful obedience (1 Tim. 2:2, Rom. 13:1-2), job #1 for the Christian slave was not rebellion, but pleasing God even in that difficult situation.

If overthrowing social structures is not the first order of business for the church, how does this apply to other issues we face? What about homosexuality? Because the Bible teaches that homosexuality is wrong, Christians might be tempted to respond by vigorously opposing the removal of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy, or angrily warring against gay marriage, or by mistreating, denouncing, or ignoring gay people. A more Christ-like response would be to treat homosexuals you know with dignity and love.

The reality is that the power of the gospel should transform you. The gospel is not the weapon to use so that you can forcefully change others, or change your society, or even change your situation. When the gospel transforms you, it will be demonstrated in how you respond to whatever circumstance you are in. That is the message of Philippians 4 “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” 

My Misplaced Hope

My life gets off track and I feel like quitting when my hope is in the wrong place.

• When my great hope is that people like me, that means when someone doesn’t like me, I get depressed.
• When my highest hope is that I have financial security, that means every rise in prices, every unexpected expense, every decrease in income is devastating.
•   When my hope is all wrapped up in a healthy, loving family, that means sickness or dysfunction or infertility or divorce puts me into a freefall.
• When my hope rests in my security and comfort, then the threat of an earthquake or flood or terrorist attack keeps me up at night.
• When my highest hope is in relationships, then the loss of a friend, a betrayal, a breakup leaves me empty and desperate.
• When my hope is in my own ability, and then I come in 2^nd or 12^th, or I’m not the one chosen, it crushes me.
• When my hope is resting on my level of self-esteem, then every time I’m mistreated, taken advantage of, disrespected, ignored, it throws me into a pit of despair.

My hope is in danger of being shaken, stolen, or drained away unless it is resting on the living God (1 Tim 4:10). It is hard work. It is a struggle to keep my hope in the right place. Because I’m human, I tend to pile my hope in other places. They may be good places, like church or home or work or achievement. So it takes some effort to drag my hope off the wrong pedestal, and stack it all on the Lord. Other voices call for my attention and trust. Other passions creep into first place.

For this I labor and strive, that I have put my hope in the living God.

Why Are You Really Working So Hard?

Some of us live in a state of exhaustion. Why are we working so hard? Ask yourself if your weariness has anything to do with trying to make everybody happy. Perhaps one reason you work so hard is to keep others from being disappointed, to satisfy their complaints, and so they will not think less of you or who you represent.

Nothing will change for the better, until you constantly ask yourself who you are trying to please and why. As a Christian and as a pastor, there is only one right answer. I always work hard and do my best, but no one else, other than God, knows my limits. Only I know the totality of my job. Instead of trying to satisfy everyone’s expectations, I resign myself to the fact that some people are going to be disappointed in me. But as long as I am doing my best before God, I am much more able to live with that. I set limits for what I will or won’t do and try to stick with them. If there are expectations that go outside those limits, then I will compensate in another way. 

For years I lived with people putting guilt on me to change my vacation, to disappoint my family, to work 7 days, to do them ‘just this one favor’. Now I refuse to let that guilt control or motivate me. I limit the number of evenings I will go out in a week. I limit the number of outside speaking engagements I will do in a year. I limit the number of responsibilities I accept. I am very careful about responding to “emergencies.” Because I have found that there are far fewer emergencies than people think that cannot wait until morning. “I’m sorry, but I’m not available right now” works great.

No one else can do that for you. No one else will stop your self-destruction. Instead they will applaud your work ethic all the way to your grave. So when someone comes at me with an expectation or a request, I first filter it through the “who am I trying to please and why” question. If I know God is satisfied with me, what else matters?

Get the Shame Out

Anne Heche is well-known for her acting roles, and for her personal life, including a 3-year relationship with Ellen DeGeneres. A few years ago, Heche revealed she was sexually abused by her father from when she was a toddler until age 12. She says: "I did a lot of things in my life to get away from what had happened to me. I drank, I smoked, I did drugs, I had sex…. I did anything I could to get the shame out of my life.''

We all experience shame over things we’ve done and shame over things done to us. No one is exempt. How do we get the shame out of our lives?

In Joshua 5, we find 2 million Israelites ready to cross over into the Promised Land. They are on the edge of victory. Before that could happen, God called for an outward demonstration of commitment to him. Circumcision. Once they did, God makes this pronouncement:

Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." So the place has been called Gilgal to this day, (Joshua 5:9).

Obeying God today removes the shame of yesterday. 

God can break you free from the mockery of past failures. God can roll away the reproach of your past so it no longer defines and limits who you are. Submit to God and you can put Egypt behind you. Yes, you have failed in the past. You have not measured up. You have not trusted God. You have not been faithful. But the question is, Will you obey today?

Obey today, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else calls you. Obey today, and it doesn’t matter what they think of you. Obey today, and it doesn’t matter what you once did, or what you once were. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. In Christ you are free and the burden is lifted. Don’t let the weight of incomplete obedience hold you back. Don’t allow the chains of hurtful memories, or fears, or failures to drag you down. Obey today, and the Lord God Almighty will roll away the reproach of yesterday.

Is Your Church Like Minor League Baseball?

After visiting four minor league baseball parks, I noticed a trend. They were all frantic in their attempts to get people through the gates. I categorize the efforts this way:

1.       Gimmicks. Some parks offered free food, all you could eat, for the price of admission. Two-fer Tuesdays and Thirsty Thursdays were about drink specials. Gifts thrown to the crowd included commemorative towels, Frisbees, tee shirts, hot dogs, pizza, and footballs.

2.       Amusements. There were costumed characters, participation games, races, and themes like “Nerd Night”. Lots of entertainment that had nothing to do with baseball.

3.       Pettiness. The sound system and video displays denigrated the opposition. When the other team hit a home run, body function sounds were played. Belittling chants and songs aimed at humiliating the visiting side were popular.

Clearly the focus was not on baseball, but about making losing baseball interesting. Absence of victory produced this desperation. With the teams mired in the basement, baseball was no longer enough incentive.

While the gimmicks, amusements, and pettiness attracted a few people, the efforts were no help to the players. Almost everyone on the field seemed to be going through the motions. The bench was silent as players said little to cheer each other on. The managers appeared disinterested. No one seemed to be playing for anything. In one game, the most passionate person on the field was the home plate umpire.

Does your church display similar signs?

1.       When do giveaways, special guests, concerts, or contests become a desperate attempt to attract an audience, rather than accomplish kingdom work?

2.       When does the drama, the song list, the funny video, the egg drop from a helicopter devolve into mere entertainment instead of a proclamation of the truth?

3.       When do put-downs of celebrities, politicians, other churches, other preachers, or cultural practices actually distract from the life-transforming good news of Jesus?

The missing ingredient is the reality of victory. “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous,” Psalm 118:15. Without it, people drift away, worship leaders and preachers become self-seeking, passionless, or misdirected. Leave the gimmicks, amusements, and pettiness to losing baseball teams. Celebrate the victory that is ours through Jesus Christ.

Every Worship Event Must Have--Part 2

One person’s music is another person’s noise. Regardless of individual tastes, take a moment to appreciate the musical accompaniment of King Hezekiah’s worship service in 2 Chronicles 29. Cymbals, harps, lyres, and trumpets are the instruments listed. There may have been others. Since Hezekiah followed King David’s procedure, that meant there were 4,000 instrumentalists. That’s a good sized orchestra or band. Ever heard that many instruments playing at once? Harps and lyres sound quiet. Cymbals and trumpets do not. 4,000 of anything is going to be loud.

As thousands of animals were killed, skinned, cut up, arranged on the altar, and set on fire, the people began singing with the instruments playing (29:27-28). Imagine the commotion, the distractions, and the odors. Sight, sound, smell; all of these things happened at the same time. Once the offerings were over, everyone knelt down and worshipped. In this description are important elements of worship.

Celebration and Sacrifice are indispensible to Worship.

With our songs and music and offerings and respect, God is honored. When you come to worship, it involves celebration, whether loudly or quietly or both. We can’t keep quiet for a whole service unless we ignore Jesus. Yes, we need to mourn over sin. Yes, we need to be still and know that he is God. But we are on the other side of the redemption story. Jesus has come and so the silence is broken. Jesus is alive and so there is forgiveness. That has to be celebrated with sound. Martin Luther said “Music drives away the Devil.” As God’s people we celebrate that sin, death and Satan have been defeated by Jesus.

And when you come to worship there must be sacrifice. If your sacrifice is that you just decided to show up, that is ego-centric.  

In 2 Chronicles 29, worship happened while the music was playing, and after it was over. Worship happened while the sacrifices were being offered, and when they were finished. Worship happened when the choir sang, and when everybody sang, and without any singing at all.

Now is the time you desperately need to connect with God in worship. Your ability to worship is not dependent upon the songs used. Your ability to worship is not dependent on the instruments played, or whatever sounds and sights are included. Your ability to worship is not even dependent on the words that you hear. Worship has to do with your willingness to bow down and place the one, true God back on the pedestal of your life. Push down the pretenders and deceivers, topple the intruders and diversions, dethrone the obsessions and desires that have taken his place. Lift him high and bow down low, give him your praise and worship, because that is what he made you to do.

Every Worship Event Must Have--Part 1

3,998. That’s the number of bulls, rams, lambs, and goats offered in 2 Chronicles 29. The animals were butchered. As the blood poured out it was collected in bowls and drizzled on the altar. Blood and gore everywhere.

The people placed their hands on the goats before the slaughter. In this way the people said, God we are sorry for what we’ve done. Accept this sacrifice, forgive our sins, cleanse our lives. One event, almost 4,000 animals killed. There were so many, the job overwhelmed the priests and they brought in family members to help. Bizarre as it seems to us now, there are parallels.

Blood and Cleansing are indispensible to Worship. Without blood and cleansing, all you have left is entertainment or ritual. That’s because God still requires a blood sacrifice. What changed is that he provided it for us, once and for all, with Jesus. He was slaughtered, poured out his blood, and for those who trust in him, our sins are washed away. The Bible says that sacrifice of Jesus makes us holy once for all. Take out the cross, and all we have left is a community event, a concert, or lodge meeting, or a pep rally. But through the blood of Christ we enjoy all the blessings of God.

And we have to come clean too. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin. Worship gives us the reminder that the dirt that comes into our lives can only be dealt with through him. Any worship event is a big waste if we don’t use this time to confess the junk that is interrupting our connection with God. If we just look forward to some good music or to fellowship with some friends or hearing something that inspires us, then we will not have worshipped. We’ve got to experience cleansing. “Dear God, I fell short of your glory this week. I was angry and said things I shouldn’t have when I didn’t get my way.” “Lord, I’ve given time and attention to everyone but you this week.” Whatever the garbage is, confess it to God and know his forgiveness.

I don’t get to visit many churches. For the few I do, I am amazed at what I’ve witnessed. In one great service at a mega-church, there was not a single song that mentioned the name of Christ. At a small church, I heard the condemnation of abortion and the need for Christians to take a stand. There was no mention of the blood and cleansing that makes worship possible.

Hopefully those are anomalies. No matter what style of worship you appreciate, no matter which church you attend, without recognizing your need of the blood of Jesus and the need for personal cleansing, there is no worship.