Daily Grace
How Lukewarm is too Lukewarm?
Did he really say that?
I recently read Francis Chan's book entitled "Crazy Love". He is a pastor and author that I admire and respect. His church gives away 55% of their money. He has walked away from fame and fortune to follow the plan of God. He has kept himself financially and morally clean.
The book,"Crazy Love", is a challenge to the church to be committed and sold out. He especially focuses on the passage in James 2:17. "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
He challenges the reader in the following ways:
"Are you willing to say to God that He can have whatever He wants?"
"Do you believe that wholehearted commitment to Him is more important than any other thing or person in your life?"
"Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter unless it is about loving God or loving people?"
Fantastic! All believers need to be challenged on these things.
Then he moved into a profile of the lukewarm, stemming from the passage in Revelation 3:16 where Jesus speaks to the church of Laodicea. "So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."
The following are parts of the profile of those Francis Chan calls lukewarm in his book.
"attend church regularly"
"give money to charity and church"
"choose what is popular over what is right"
"don't want to be saved from sin, but from the penalty of it"
"rarely share their faith with their neighbors"
"will serve God and others within limits"
"think of life on earth more than heaven"
"thankful for luxury and comfort and rarely give to the poor"
"want to do the minimum to be good enough"
"are concerned with playing it safe"
"feel if they belong to a certain political party they are safe"
"don't need to trust God if something happens, they have savings account"
"sin less than average but are not very different from typical unbeliever"
I found myself identifying with some of these statements. I appreciated the deeper call to commitment Francis challenged in me.
Then he said it....
Francis Chan said people who are lukewarm are not even saved.
On page 84, he says, "To put it plainly, churchgoers who are "lukewarm" are not Christians. We will not see them in heaven."
"Francis, am I saved?"
"Are you saved?"
"Is anyone saved?"
"How lukewarm is too lukewarm?"
"What is the line?"
"Do I jump back and forth over that line; in and out of salvation?"
I was challenged on some of the above areas.
Am I not saved if sometimes I choose the popular over what is right or if I think of life on this planet more than heaven?
I say "Amen" to calling the church to deeper commitment and application.
I say "Amen" to admonishing obedience, even radical obedience.
But not saved?
Have we removed the scandal and mystery of grace? Is salvation becoming something that we earn by our lack of lukewarmness?
Is it now a formula : Jesus + not being lukewarm = salvation?
If so, how much "not being lukewarm" is needed to still be saved?
How do we know when we have done enough to have confidence and assurance?
Anytime we add something to Jesus, it is a work.
Anytime a work is in the equation of salvation, it becomes about us not about God.
Perhaps not being lukewarm should be a response to grace, not a requirement.
I realize I am stepping into dangerous ground. To disagree with a man whom I greatly admire, who has a radical obedience; may be foolish.
I doubt anyone would encourage me to do this as a way to gain followers of this blog. Disagreeing with a a book that has sold a million copies is not a recipe for success.
But, I must.
I don't think we can remove the scandalous nature of the grace of God and turn it into a formula.
Click here for Part 2 of this post. I will look at the lukewarm passage in Revelation and offer some further thoughts on Crazy Love. I will clearly show that I DO NOT want to encourage a lukewarm Christianity
Related Posts:
Tipping the Scale
7 Minutes a Day in Galatians: Intro
7 Minutes a Day in Galatians: 1:1-10
How Lukewarm is Too Lukewarm? Part 2
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
3 Deadly mistakes in missions (and life)
"Poor people are lazy."
"You must eat snakes and play with lions(if you live in Africa)."
"Americans are fat."
People are famous for making assumptions and stereotypes. Often they are extremely painful.
We recently had a time on our missions campus of sharing different perspectives from various cultures. We laughed, we cried, and we felt each other's pain.
I was reminded of three things that I know to be true. It is also these three things that I need to be challenged to regularly apply in my own life in missions.
1. Avoid Assumption
I know plenty of lazy rich people and even a few thin Americans!
No one wants to be boxed in by assumptions. When they happen in a cross cultural setting, it is easy to become isolated and critical. Victory comes when we don't see each other by our nationality, skin color, or economic status; but rather as people.
I don't do things because I am American, I do it because I am Chris. Similarly, to assume all Africans are the same would be foolish.
Anytime we jump to conclusions, we run the risk of bringing division. Every story has two sides and every situation has different perspectives.
2. Avoid Generalization or Stereotypes
One of the main ways we attempt to explain differences on our campus is by saying something is "Western" or "African". The question begs, who is that talking about?
Europeans would not consider themselves the same as Americans, although both are labeled, "Western". And which of the 50 plus countries in Africa are we speaking of, not to mention countless cultures and tribes? Some Egyptians identify themselves with the Middle East, others are proudly African, while still others are divided within the same towns as to who they are like.
There is often a lot of pain in stereotyping. It is something I have tasted myself. I am very aware of the image that Americans have abroad. I see my loud, obnoxious countrymen a mile away. Yet, there is always a pride and honor in where you come from.
I am allowed to say I don't want to be like the American stereotype, but if someone else says it; it brings pain.
3. Speak the positive more than the negative.
It is easy to point out problems or fault. But, how much do we express the things that we love about a place or a people? When I share about Africa, do I speak of the problems and issues only? Or do I speak about the treasure of the continent and its people?
Even on the small things it matters. I am a coffee lover and I enjoy whole bean, fresh roasted coffee. The typical coffee in many parts of Africa is the kind you stir in hot water and it dissolves. The way I express this difference is important. When I arrived, my type of coffee was "real" coffee. Until a friend asked me why I said that. He told me he had been drinking "real" instant coffee all his life. It seems small, but the subtle statement is that "my way is better than yours."
Of course we need to give each other grace in these things. Everyone prefers "their" way. We all want the familiar over the unfamiliar. Yet, if we can grow in hearing statements the way others would, things will go better.
The common denominator: People
(Photo from Stock.xchng.com)
When you work cross-culturally, you have to overcome many barriers. But even within your home nation, these truths need to be applied.
People are people everywhere. If we apply these truths to our workplace, marriage, or church; things will go better!
When is the last time we made an assumption as to a co-workers motives?
How often do we make stereotypes about ethnicities or people of different social circles?
How much time do we spend criticizing our church compared to speaking out life?
Listen to your conversations today and see how many of these things you walk in. Having new eyes and hearing with new ears is the first step to change.
3 Secret Fears of a Missionary
I know, you never have days like this.
Even as a missionary, when something does not go your way, the emotions and doubts come. Those secret fears we have buried deep inside of us raise their head and whisper their lies.
Here are three lies that we deal with as a family on the missions field.
1. Can this be our home?
We came home the other day to a "For Sale" sign on our home that we rent. We knew it was coming. Yet there it was, screaming loudly, "You have no home."
My son saw it as he came home from school and immediately began weeping for twenty minutes. We moved to South Africa when he was one, and into our current home when he was two. This is all he knows. All his memories are attached to this structure of concrete and brick.
It awakened in us a long seated desire to own a home, to be able to plant down roots. Doing this in the nation we serve is something significant. It shows we are serious about being here, not merely passing through.
We began looking at homes. We renewed our efforts to fundraise. We investigated financing options for foreigners.
Things seemed to be heading in a positive direction, and once again we were thwarted. The house we were looking at was sold a mere minutes before our offer came in.
Today we find ourselves back in a familiar position. Transient. The fears begin whispering....
2. Will our kids resent us for this choice?
This one is obviously related to the first, yet different. We have often played a scenario out in our minds that has our oldest son growing up in South Africa and having it be home. Then, he turns eighteen and is forced to leave when he is no longer on our visa, since he is an American. He would be forced to return to the US, his "home" country, but he would be a stranger in his own land. He would have no knowledge as to obtaining a job or a driver's license, much less understand the culture and the slang of the land of his birth.
These scenarios lead us to speculation. Do we need to return for a season so our boys can learn both lands and make their own choice?
The scenarios are plenty and the answers few. But at the root, lies a secret fear that we will one day be resented for our choices.
3. Are we having an impact?
I suppose this is a basic human question. It is most definitely one related to life in ministry. But, when you have left family, friends, and country to serve; it seems to come up a bit more.
Of course there are the victories and the newsletter headline type of days. But often, missionary life is one of faithfulness in the ordinary. We attend just as many or more meetings than if we worked in the US. We deal with all the problems common to working with people. Problems like disunity, assumption, and gossip. It is these days where the secret fear raises its head....
Is this leading anywhere?
Will our efforts last after we leave South Africa?
Are we really making a difference?
The whispers are there, they really never go away.
As I close my eyes at night, I am able do so with peace. Not because these secret fears are answered, but a peace that comes from doing our best to be faithful to what God has called us to. Someday we want to look back over our time in South Africa and say we were faithful.
The best description I have heard of faithfulness is to "put one foot in front of the other." Don't stop, don't quit, just keep walking. It reminds me of the title of Eugene Peterson's book, "Long Obedience in the Same Direction
I trust that as my family walks on this long, slow path, those secret fears will fade away.
What are the whispers that you struggle with in missions, leadership, or just life?
Related Posts:
3 Deadly Mistakes in Missions
Flush Those Good Works : Galatians 1:11-24
(If you are coming to this feature on nosuperheroes.com for the first time, it might be helpful to start with the first posts in the study of Galatians. Links are found at the bottom to all other articles in this series.)
Paul's conversion was a radical one. It has the stuff of a best seller.
Galatians 1:11-24 (Click here to read the passage)
Jesus knocked him off his horse, blinded him, and radically changed his life (Acts 9:1-19). Paul was on his way to persecute believers when God stepped into his path (Acts 7:58 and following). It was such a radical change that everywhere he went, people announced him as the former persecutor who s now preaching the message he tried to destroy(23).
Radical.
But the biggest transformation was moving from a system of works to one of grace.
Paul was trained as a Pharisee. He would have memorized the first five books of the Bible by the age of twelve. Everything that he did was based upon the rules.
Look at his own description of his life in Phillipians 3:4-9
“...though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”
We see Paul listing all the outward attributes and qualifications he could boast of. He speaks of his culture, his passport, his religious training and accomplishments. Look at how he explains these things that could be considered ‘gain.’ In verse 8, the word he uses to describe these qualifications is ‘rubbish.’ The Greek word for this is “skubalon.” I don’t know many Greek words, but this one is quite memorable. Skubalon is what is thrown to the dogs, or dung. Paul is saying that his long list of outward accomplishments is worthy of the sewer. Flush them down the toilet! Our greatest human accomplishments stink when compared to the work of Christ. Righteousness does not come from striving or living a privileged life but through faith and is a gift of God. We can never add to the work of Christ by our own efforts.
This is why Paul is so passionate in his battle against works. He knows adding works to Christ is another message altogether.
He has lived it. He knows it is a dead end street. The Galatians cannot fall into focusing on skubalon.
What is the skubalon we get stuck on? What areas do we take pride in, that need to pale when compared to knowing Christ?
Related Links for 7 Minutes a Day: Galatians Series
Introduction and Summary of the book
Galatians 1:1-10
Portions of this entry were taken from Death of the Modern Superhero, Copyright 2010
Keeping Ministry Attractive to your Children
"When I grow up, I want to be just like Daddy!"
There is nothing better as a Dad than to hear your kids say they want to do a job similar to yours. Both my sons have recently expressed a desire to be either Bible teachers or missionaries, just like good ol' Dad.
Having just guest posted on Christian Supermom yesterday, I've been thinking about things in terms of parenting. It led me to consider what we've done as a family in missions and ministry to make this attractive to our children. We've all heard horror stories of P.K.'s (Pastors Kids), M.K.'s (Missionary Kids), and W.K.'s (Whatever other ministry oriented kid turned out bad).
While my wife and I have a long way to go to declare success, here are some things we have been practicing to keep missions appealing.
1. Priorities
I can hear all the above mentioned K's shouting "Amen". Most families with the dreaded K syndrome, are linked to more time, energy, and focus being placed on ministry than family. It's fashionable to say "family first", but much harder to live that out. It will require making sacrifices, many schedules, and constantly re-evaluating the season your family is in.
Billy Graham, when looking back over his life and ministry, had one regret. He wished to have spent more time with his family. You can read about it in his autobiography, "Just As I Am"
2. Boundaries
Going hand in hand with priorities, is making decisions to keep boundaries. Since our children are young, we have made the decision for only one of us to attend evening meetings. We want to place a priority on the boy's routine. This also gives each one of us the chance to have some quality time with the two boys before bed.
There are little choices that need to be made like this each day. Your checklist never gets fully accomplished, so something has to give. I am currently reading a book by Andy Stanley I bought in response to his leadership podcast. In Choosing to Cheat, Andy shows how everyone cheats. You will either rob your family of time or you will create that time by trimming things in your ministry.
3. Protect them from some of the Ugliness
On several occasions my wife or I, have stopped friends from telling horror stories of crime or human failure in front of our children. They will learn the ugliness that missions brings soon enough. We do not want to keep them in a bubble, just ease them into real life. Living on the mission field, they still have to confront issues of crime and poverty in their own childlike ways.
4. Involve them
Seemingly contradicting point #2, this is the balancing act of parenting. Our kids love being involved in the ministry. They recite testimonies from our weekly staff meetings, know the people we work with, and put their faith with ours when we dream bigger than ourselves.
My wife was a pastor's kid when she was growing up (still is actually). She recounts with fondness sitting at the top of the stairs, eavesdropping on board meetings. Her father was excellent at involving her, even asking her opinion on things. He made ministry attractive!
5. Advertise them
Ok, this might sound a bit like exploitation. Hear me out.
Present your mission as a family mission. When we are at home visiting churches, we always bring the kids on stage with us. In our newsletters, there is always a corner for what is going on in their lives. We've found that other young families in churches connect with us, and have become a part of our team.
6. Be Positive
Your children will know more than anyone if you really do not love the people you minister to or the nation you are in. Love what God has called you to and they will too.
Do you have anything to add to the list? What makes ministry or missions attractive to your kids?