More blood please (Ben Myers)
Author: glenscriv
“I offered them Christ”
That was how Wesley and Whitfield would describe their evangelistic efforts. Sounds so simple: just offer them Christ.
And it's so joyous too. Nothing brings home to me the graciousness of my Lord as much as offering Him to others. The availability of Jesus is so tangible when you just lift Him up before people and say "Want Him? He's yours."
But it's so easy to fall short of it.
Here's how:
* We offer them "cool" not Christ
We spend our time reassuring people that they don't have to be a geek to be a Christian. Christians can be trendy too.
* We offer them "credibility" not Christ
We spend all our time reassuring people that they don't need to be brainless to be a Christian. Christians can be clever too.
* We offer them a creed not Christ.
Creeds are essential, I'm not suggesting we can divorce the personal from the propositional. But teaching people 6 doctrines is not offering them Christ.
* We offer them a course not Christ.
Courses are brilliant, I've seen many people become Christians on things like Christianity Explored. But offering a course is not offering them Christ.
Now, good evangelism might have all sorts of apt cultural references and thoughtful critiques of modern assumptions. It will certainly convey creedal truths and if it's followed by courses where Christ is also offered - that is an excellent thing.
But whatever else happens, it ought to offer Christ, oughtn't it? Shouldn't it placard the Person and work of Jesus and ask "Will you receive Him?"
Here's some reasons I think we don't. (And I genuinely say "we" - I fail at this all the time.)
1. We think cool, credibility, creeds and courses are more attractive than Jesus. Of course we'd never say that. We'd rarely dare to articulate the thought. But I wonder whether it's there.
2. We imagine that the gospel is a process rather than a Person. Again, if cornered we'd swear black and blue that faith is an event and the gospel a revelation. But if our evangelism is all processes perhaps we've begun to think of the evangel itself as a process.
3. We don't honestly think people will become Christians. Allied to point number 2, we've bought into some social science view of conversion and reckon that "people are much further back these days" and "we just need to bring them on a few steps towards faith."
4. We don't believe in the Holy Spirit. We don't actually think the power of Almighty God is unleashed when the Word is preached. So instead we trust to the resources of the flesh.
5. We refuse to be as vulnerable as the Lord we proclaim. Paul knew that a foolish message (1 Cor 1:18-25) meant a foolish people (v26-31) and a foolish messenger (2:1-5). But we don't want to be cruciform evangelists, opening our arms to a world who will despise and belittle the word of the cross. We want to show the world how wise and strong we are.
What do you think?
Anything to add?
When being right is oh so wrong
About 10 years ago I wound up in the office of a Christian counsellor. I couldn't believe I was about to confess to depression. Me, a church worker! Me, conservative evangelicalism's next big thing!
The cause? Several very stressful things were happening in my life, but the tipping point into depression was a frustration with the gospel that was being preached around me. And I fell flat on my face in despondency.
My counsellor took me to Jeremiah 2:13 and said (very graciously) I'd been digging some kind of broken well which had dried up. Now I was slumped at this false life-source with a mouth full of mud. He asked what the broken well might be. In an instant I knew: "I need everyone to read the bible the same way I do". Not for the glory of Jesus, but to be right!
I asked "What should I do?" He said, "Give up on it and turn back to Jesus." As soon as he said "Give up on it" my whole flesh rose up and said "Never!" Instantly I knew that this idol had its hooks in me. And it shocked me.
My theological paradigm had become my god. And it was so subtle. Because here's the thing: I prided myself on the fact that my paradigm was uniquely Christ-centred.
But when I identified the pride issue a weight fell off my shoulders. The issue was not the idiots out there, the issue was the arrogance in here. I'd been thinking of it as a complicated issue of theological debate with no way through. In fact it was a simple (but very ugly) issue of plain old sin. And the gospel has a solution for sin.
Someone has wisely said that if you diagnose your problems as requiring anything less than the blood of Jesus for their solution, you haven't diagnosed your real problem. My hour with the counsellor cut through to the real problem. But thankfully the real problem has a real solution. And it's already mine. Or rather, He's already mine. I left that office with a massive weight off my shoulders.
Not that I didn't think the issues mattered any more. They did matter. They still matter. But I looked at them through a different lens.
For one thing, I started pitying the Christ-lite Christians around me - not despising them or competing with them. But genuinely feeling sorry for them and wanting something better for them. I gave up on being the one who would crush them in theological debate and started to think more in terms of sowing seeds and trusting the results to God!
I get this wrong all the time and there's still much of the arrogant young man to me. But I also think God's been teaching me some things about how to live and minister among other Christians with whom I disagree. I'll share a few thoughts in no particular order:
* I love the saying (which I think goes back to Wesley?) that the way to handle opponents is "to out-live and out-love them, out-preach and out-pray them." That's got to be the way forward. And I think it begins with repentance. I repent of trusting in my christocentrism. I turn to Christ!
* If I'm tempted to pride it's good to turn to Elijah's example in 1 Kings 19. And to laugh at myself. "I, only I am left!!" he says, exhausted by his own righteousness! "Ummm" says the LORD "I think you'll find there's thousands like you. Get some rest!"
* I find it very tempting to try and be John the Baptist - a voice crying in the wilderness. But that's not our calling. We're to get around others with the aroma of Christ. And the aroma of 'young hot-prot' is not quite the same.
* When relating to church leaders, get a vision for what's already good about their preaching, leading and ministry. It's so tempting to look for what they do badly and to miss the hundred things they do well. Anything and everything we can rejoice in, we should. Loudly.
* People can change. Not through grand-standing argumentation. But through a drip, drip, drip of gospel juiciness.
* I'm only beginning to learn this one: Usually change happens when people taste the gospel dishes you serve up. If you consistently serve up Christ-exalting stuff that releases hearts into gratitude and love, then people will ask you about the recipe. Don't start with the recipe: "Right, here are the ingredients you need - you've been doing it all wrong. This is the order..." Start by dishing out gospel goodness - then they'll want the recipe.
And now, for the real wisdom on these issues - check out the comments... (don't let me down guys)...
When I don’t desire the LORD… the King does [repost]
Following on from last Thursday's post - Psalms are about Christ. They tell of the interaction between the LORD, the King through Whom He rules, the righteous who hide in Him and the wicked who rebel.
These interactions are pictured from many angles. But one key perspective is for the King Himself to speak. This most often happens in the Psalms 'Of David'.
Of course all the kings reigned under the knowledge that they were simply throne-warmers for the King to Whom universal tribute was due. (Gen 49:10) But David was the most idealized of these kings. The Messiah is often spoken of simply as David. (e.g. Ezekiel 34:23f; 37:25). And David himself is aware of his idealized role. Just before his death he said: "The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue." (2 Sam 23:2) He didn't speak better than he knew, but he certainly spoke better than he lived. In the Psalms the king most often spoke as The King. The anointed one spoke most often as The Anointed One.
Peter confirms this for us in Acts 2. Even when David spoke in the first person he was speaking the words of Christ (see Acts 2:25). Quoting Psalm 16, Peter makes it clear that David was not describing his own experience. (Paul underlines this in Acts 13:36-37). Rather, David "was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ" (Acts 2:30-31).
Does this mean that such Psalms have no application to David? No of course they do - but such application runs from Christ to David rather than David to Christ. This is the nature of the whole of David's life - from shepherd boy to rejected ruler, to reigning king to his death, he is a shadow of the Coming King.
This is my understanding anyway. Whether you take the Psalms from David to Christ or Christ to David, I hope we can all agree that the emotions and experiences of 'The King' are ultimately taken up and owned by Christ.
All of this is just a precursor to what I really want to discuss... What do we do with the Psalmist's intense desire for the LORD?
On one level that's simple - copy it. Be challenged by it. Be inspired by it. Seek it for yourself.
Well, yes, ok. But here's the question - what do I do when I don't earnestly desire the LORD? Because maybe once or twice in your life your white hot devotion to God has dipped below the zeal of the Psalmist. What do you do then?
Here's the first level of my response: When I don't desire God, first I need to see that Christ does. And He does so for me.
What do I mean?
Well take a favourite Psalm of mine: Psalm 63
Here the Psalmist says:
1 O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
Now be honest, doesn't some part of you go "Really? Have I really beheld His power and glory? Really? Have I in the past and will I in the future praise Him so wholeheartedly? Really? As long as I live? Am I perjuring myself here??"
But friend, read on to the final verse...
11 But the king will rejoice in God
These are the words of the king - the king on whose lips are the words of The King. And He has beheld the power and glory of the LORD in the ultimate sanctuary. He is the ultimate, white-hot Worshipper of God. These words are not a guide to human worship so much as a window onto divine worship.
So what should be our response?
Sit back and be awed by The King's desire for the LORD. You don't yet feel such intense passion. Well alright. In the deepest sense you never can match His devotion. But let the King's worship be enough for you. Don't despise his devotion like Michal (2 Sam 6:16). Simply allow your King to offer what you cannot summon up yourself. Know that He offers in your place a worship you could never initiate. And if the Praise-Worthy does not elicit your praise, let the Praise-Giver show the way. In ourselves we could never work up the right response. In Christ we see what reckless and joyful abandon to God looks like.
He is like the first Dancer onto the floor, moved by the Music, laughing and clapping and dancing as we never could. The more you watch Him dance, the more your foot starts to tap, then you start clapping. Pretty soon you'll link arms and join in. The Music itself should get you on the dance floor. But in fact the Music never does - not really. It's the Dancer who inspires, who links arms and who leads.
Read Psalm 63 again. And add your own Amen. For now that is enough. If these words were simply the prayer diary of an ancient near eastern ruler, your Amen would mean nothing. If these were just passionate words from an inspired and inspiring devotee they could only judge your apathy. But they're not. This is the worship of The King. Your King. This is Christ your Substitute, your Priest, your Vicarious Worshipper. He bears your name on His heart as He comes before the LORD in joyful abandon. For now just allow Him to offer the praise you cannot find in yourself. In time you'll join the dance.
For more on Christ offering worship on our behalf, here's a half hour talk I gave recently.
She doesn’t want to share
One of Emma's finest angry comic confessionals...
The reality looks more like this. A gradual, painful retreat, from friends, loved ones and perhaps from your own growing sense that this is getting out of control. You see, that eating disorder doesn’t want to share. She wants all of you.
God’s Mission: Building a Family
This is something I'm using with churches to help them think evangelistically...
Building a Family
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:21-22)
God our Father is building a family. He has always enjoyed His eternal Son, Jesus, in the fellowship of the Spirit (John 17:24). And effectively they’ve said to each other “This is too good to keep to ourselves.” The expansive love of this Family is the reason for everything, from creation to new creation. Here’s the meaning of life: The Father wants many brothers and sisters for His Son (Romans 8:29).
So the Father sent Jesus into the world to share in our life so that we might share in His life. The Son of God became man so that men and women might become sons and daughters of God (John 1:12-14). Believers are those drawn by the Spirit into union with Jesus. Now we call on His God and Father as our God and our Father (John 20:17).
But God isn’t finished yet, and neither are we. From before the world began He has forever been outgoing. That’s what our Father is like and so that’s what His family is like.
In our verse from John 20 this is what we see: The outgoing Lord Jesus breathes His outgoing Spirit onto His followers. Why? So that they will be outgoing. We carry on His life of reconciliation to the world.
Which means three things:
1) Mission is God’s thing.
Our God is more evangelistic than we’ll ever be. We don’t have to whip up evangelistic fervour, we only need to catch His! As we go, we have Him behind us and for us and in us.
2) Mission becomes our thing.
The Risen Jesus could have leap-frogged the church and just zapped the nations with eternal life. But no, He uses us. In fact He insists on using us sinful and weak believers. We are His missionary body to reach the world.
3) Mission is personal.
When Jesus sends us with the divine power of His Spirit, He tells us what it will look like. Not a laser-light display. No, as Jesus was sent, so we are sent. Our life of mission will look like His life of mission. It will be a personal, costly, time-intensive investing of ourselves in others.
What does this mean for us corporately?
Our Father loves the world and wants billions to share in His family life. But He does it through us and He does it personally. The Father sends the Son. The Son sends the church in the power of the Spirit. And the church reaches the world. Personally. If God wanted to beam people up into some blissful state en masse He would send down some impersonal zapping. BAM – India’s converted! But He’s not impersonal. He doesn’t send zapping. He sends persons. As a church we seem to have forgotten about “personal evangelism” but according to the bible all evangelism must be profoundly personal.
What will this look like in my life?
It will look like going out to others. Not in grand, dramatic ways but in everyday, ordinary life. Jesus equips me with His Spirit to go person-to-person with the love of God.
In the next post there will be an exercise to help us think about the people in our lives. Whether they know it or not, they exist to be drawn into God’s Family. And we exist to reach out with His invitation.
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We don’t need good evangelists…
We need a good evangel.
Thankfully we've got one.
But here's what this means:
Evangelists don't need to study evangelism
They need to study the evangel.
But you try telling that to evangelist types!
It’s ok to be drunk, it’s not ok to be fat
In the world’s eyes, it’s okay to be blind drunk, but it’s not okay to be fat.
From my favourite blog in the whole world
I’ll be back
I'll return to this blog next week.
In the meantime, I'm blogging at the King's English
e.g. "Stranger in a strange land" or "Burning bush"
Everyone’s X generations from gospel faith
I've been travelling through a very multi-faith part of the world and reading Genesis at the same time. It strikes me that Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism - every religion - is a corruption of original gospel faith. We haven't all emerged from a primordial soup of basic spirituality and diverged into different expressions of it. The world has degenerated from trust in Christ.
There are many implications of this for engaging in mission. But now I'm in Sydney, it's a beautiful day and I'm off to the SCG to watch Australia extend it's all-forms-of-cricket lead over England to 7-5...