Too Busy Not To Pray

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

The Christian life is a process. I don't think anyone would disagree with me on that aspect. Anyone who is alive realizes that who they were in Christ one, ten, twenty, or even fifty years ago is the not who they are in Christ today. As believers in Christ as Messiah we should always be growing in our faith. This means at least taking time out of our day to read Scripture, pray, or even fellowship with other believers and with God.

Now, I will be the first to tell you all that I don't always follow my own advice. There are days that I don't want to read Scripture or pray because I have too much to do. Or as a fellow pastor told me yesterday, "We're too busy not to pray." Yes, that's a Bill Hybels book title. But he is so right. Is my life really so busy that I cannot spend even thirty minutes with my Savior? He is the one who created me and saved me, you know.

But many of us in the Church (universal church and local church) don't miss a beat when we ignore God the entire day or week. But if we were to miss a meeting with the leadership of the church it would be a disaster. Or if we miss a meeting with a client then the stress level raises. Or if the crops didn't get harvested until a week later then frustration sets in. But why do we not feel such urgency with our relationship with God? Is it a spiritual maturity issue? Is it a priority issue?

2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us that it is God who does the transforming of our lives. When I yield to Christ then He begins to put my priorities in place. So, what does this reveal bout my own life?

The Smell of Christ

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (ESV)
"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life."

Last Sunday morning we studied John 12:1-11. In this section Mary pour perfume upon the feet of Jesus and wipes it with her hair. The humbleness of Mary speaks to her willingness to face the danger of such an act (letting her hair down in public was a sign of loose morals) and the expense of her actions (the perfume cost one year's worth of wages). But what I tried to focus on most was the fragrance of her actions and what that means for us.

Then this morning I came across this passage in 1 Corinthians. Paul here is talking about how we are perceived by those around us. Those who follow Christ cannot have any option but to smell like Christ. The fragrance of Christ permeates everything about us. Our actions, language, priorities, relationships, they all will have the smell of Christ. Others who follow Christ or whom the Holy Spirit is working on can smell the beautiful fragrance of Christ on us. But to those who don't know Christ we are an annoyance, old fashioned, and stink to high heaven.

I ended my message with this statement, "Do we have the smell of Christ on us?" We all have vises and we all sin, but as a man who follows Christ I have no option but to live for Him and smell like Him. What other option do I have?

The fragrance of the knowledge of God is all around us and is us. That sounds a little too Star Warsish, but I still believe it is true. What do you think?

I Fail Because It's Not About Me

Last Sunday I had an interesting conversation with an individual (I'll call him John) attending the morning worship service. I have had great theological conversations with him in the past and so I trust him and know that the words he speaks are not to nit-pick but to better be able to express the truth of Christ correctly. In my sermon last week I mentioned that we need to strive to live for Christ in such a way that those around us can see the power and work of the Holy Spirit in and through us (or something to that affect). John came up after the service and mentioned that I used the wrong words to explain my point even though he understood what I was trying to say. He suggested that instead of using the word "strive" I should use the word "yield."

After my initial annoyance of his semantic display I began to understand and agree with his point. Striving puts all the work and effort on my part. We do strive in a sense to live for Christ, but the focus should not be on us but on God. To use the word yield places the work on Christ and the Holy Spirit. It's as if to say that I am submitting myself to Christ, yielding to his dominion over me.

Why am I bringing this us? Through the course of my short life on earth I have struggled with my weight. I went to the doctor last Monday for my first full physical since high school. The doctor said overall I was very healthy, but that I needed to lose some weight (like 50 lbs.) and work out for six days a week or I would have some real trouble when I turned forty. So, over the past three days I have been watching what I eat and trying to exercise every day. I have done this in the past and succeeded but only because I had someone else pushing me. Once that person was no longer involved in keeping me accountable I would fall back into my old habits.

I feel that I am doing well in keeping myself accountable, but I also get the sense that I a attempting to do this on my own strength and effort. As much as I try not to rely on myself I feel I can easily fall back on my old habits once I feel like not working out or want ten pieces of pizza. So, how do I yield to Christ in this effort instead of striving to follow Christ? How do I submit to Him in this? Overall this is a very simple aspect of my life compared to my salvation and sanctification. So, if I can't yield to Him in this part of my life how can I expect to yield to Him in others?

In the mean time, I will continue to work on yielding even though I know there is no simple answer and yielding is never really easy. Is yielding like sanctification? Is it a process?

Wise Sue

1 Corinthians 12:21-26 (ESV)
The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

We all know that a body of believers needs to work together. There is not one member that is more important than the other. Some may do "greater work" (at least publicly) than others, but they must work together to accomplish the goal of spreading the gospel to those who haven't heard. For instance, the preacher is very important but so are the nursery workers. The nursery workers are volunteering to watch other people's children so that those parents might be able to hear the Word preached. Without the nursery workers the parents might be distracted by their kids and miss out on what God is wanting them to hear.

Or I could get more spiritual. Some people are gifted to teach. This could be one-on-one or in a classroom. Others may be gifted in wisdom. Now, usually the one who is teaching is seen teaching by others on a regular basis. But the one called to wisdom may not express that gift as often. I know a woman like that. I call her Wise Sue. She doesn't feel that she is wise, but I have had a number of experiences where she has spoken some very wise words to me in very specific times of need. And she has definitely kicked my butt many times with her words.

So, here is my question of the day: How do we encourage people who are part of the body of believers to step up, use their gifts, encourage the body through that gift, and reveal the glory of God through their gift? As the pastor of a church I feel it is part of my call to equip, develop, and encourage everyone in the body to express their spiritual gifts. How can I do this without having them take a test to find their spiritual gift and be academic about the whole thing?

The Holy Spirit is in the Trunk

1 Corinthians 2:13 (ESV)
And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

Baptist have many traditions that we hold on to dearly: baptism by immersion, communion as a remembrance. And other traditions we don't really admit to. One of these traditions is to put the Holy Spirit on the back burner. We would never admit to doing this, but in reality the Holy Spirit does not play an intricate part in our daily walk. I truly think this is because we have a history of fighting against the charismatic movement. Yes, the my charismatic brothers tend to focus too much on the Holy Spirit and put the Father and the Son on the back burner of the Trinity. But as baptists we place Christ in the driver's seat, reduce the Father to a back-seat driver, and put the Spirit in the trunk hoping that no one in the car hears the muffled voice in the back. Again, as baptists we hold the Trinity high in speech, but in action we reduce the role of the Spirit.

But we can no longer do this. I am not suggesting we grab some tambourines and banners and use them on Sunday morning services(although it might help people get out of their comfort zone). I am suggesting that we teach and preach the Trinity as it is: three equally influential persons of one God.

The Spirit gave the disciples the power to preach the word after Christ was gone (John 20:22). The Spirit gave the disciples the ability to speak in different tongues to add 3000 people the kingdom of God at Pentecost (Acts 2). It is the spiritual rebirth brought upon by baptism of the Spirit that brings salvation (John 3:5). These are just a few examples of the work of the Spirit in history and our lives.

As baptist we must change our understanding of the Spirit from a person of the Trinity that isn't much use today to a power person of the Trinity that changes lives, guides our lives, and speaks to the Father on our behalf.

Too Smart For Their Own Good

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (ESV)
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

Being a graduate of seminary I have come across many individuals who are "smart" by any standard. Many of them are professors and some of them were students. They desired knowledge of God and His Word and in the process of learning over the years they became too smart for their own good. They over analyzed and in so doing sought more complicated answers to very simple questions. Many of us know people like that.

The world and our society is the same way. They seek answers from learned people and take them at their word without much scrutiny. Evolution has been accepted as a viable start to the universe and many Christians have been brought along side in agreement. Take a look at any basic understanding of Evolution and you will see that it goes completely against what scripture teaches. Frank Switzer from Phoenix, AZ has commented that over the years people have "found" the missing link when in reality they haven't or have faked it to create the missing link. Now, why would you have to fake something if your theory is true?

Now, let's take it into the realm of salvation. The world says that we are god and when we die either we vanish into nothingness or we go to a place that we believe exists. This is why the world scoffs at the notion that God came to earth, died for our sins, made his glory known through murderers, fisherman, and common folk, and by putting our faith and trust in him we too can receive eternal life.

In seminary I learned through experience that sometimes the simple answer is the right, true answer. Don't make it too complicated. In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul is talking about how God has used the simple people of the world to reveal his glory and preach his truth. What a comfort to know that our effectiveness in preaching the Gospel to the world is not dependent upon my intellectual knowledge. Yes, we need to and should continue to further our understanding of God, but people coming to belief in Christ is not dependent upon my special words of wisdom. God's glory is revealed through me, despite me. And thank goodness for that.