storiesofvalue

100% Kingdom

Our generation has re-acquainted itself with kingdom thinking.  Not that the idea ever vanished from the church’s consciousness, but a profound shift has taken place, as well as a greater focus on the meaning of kingdom.  Simply put, many believers are now less concerned about creating a single place where people come to find Christ, and more intentional about expanding the kingdom everywhere they go.  This doesn’t mean people have stopped constructing church buildings or inviting the community to attend special events on their campuses. Rather, it suggests the place a church gathers for worship is seem more and more as a home base for the mission and not necessarily a destination.

You may be familiar with the terms “attractional” and “missional” that help define these two ministry philosophies; that of drawing people to a place or taking the place to the community.  We must be careful with labels because they can mischaracterize ministries that have discovered their own unique blend of these two approaches within their particular environments.  It is also possible to misrepresent ourselves in our effort to be perceived as a part of a trend.

Yet, the conversations created by considering the models we use for sharing Christ have a way of purifying our kingdom definitions and aspirations.  In the same way we hope people see a true picture of Jesus in our individual lives, we also want them to view the church body as His possession and not the creation of any man.  Whether we choose to be attractional or missional in our methodology, or some combination of the two, we must be thoroughly convinced the process belongs to Jesus.  Twice in His Beatitudes Jesus promises “the kingdom of heaven” to those who follow His teaching.  It is both a reality and a blessing when we surrender the throne of our hearts to the King of Kings.  But maybe it would be helpful to spend a little more time examining the biblical concept of kingdom, especially since our involvement in it impacts our spiritual formation as citizens.

You may already possess a similar appreciation for this important section of scripture.  In proverbial eloquence, Jesus uses these few short statements to challenge our perception of reality as it relates to heaven and earth, and to cause us to think about the insurgence of His kingdom here.  In fact, before we examine the Beatitudes, we will spend some time painting the bigger picture He had in mind.  While Jesus’ words convict us on a personal level, they also lay a foundation for our corporate kingdom citizenship.  Just as it matters how we produce food for a hungry world, we must also understand the environment in which these spiritual truths were intended to function.

Our goal is to represent Jesus in the purest sense, and although it is unrealistic to think we will do so all of the time and in every way, He has nevertheless considered us capable of pursuing this purpose.  The possibility our world might see Him as He is depends on our willingness to let Him permeate our being.

Blessed are we if we hear and understand, and a blessing we will be to others.  But first, we must catch a panoramic glimpse of the kingdom.  We must also pour out the contents of our hearts and eliminate anything that obscures the glory of our Lord who is remaking us from the inside out.

“Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them” (Matthew 5:1-2).  Have a seat with Jesus and listen now.  The time you spend with Him on the mountain might help you see Him as never before.  And once you do, you will never be the same.

The Beatitudes are familiar to believers and non-believers alike, and phrases such as “the meek will inherit the earth” have made their way into popular culture.  My deeper appreciation for them was developed many years ago when I purchased a used edition of Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones’ large work, “Studies in The Sermon on the Mount”.  I have since learned Dr. Jones’ book was a compilation of sixty sermons preached at Westminster Chapel in London over a period of a little more than a year.  The Beatitude portion accounted for thirteen sermons, which is extensive considering the brief wording of these important statements.

In his introduction Dr. Jones suggested the Sermon on the Mount was the “best means of evangelism. Surely we all ought to be urgently concerned about this at the present time. The world today is looking for, and desperately needs, true Christians. I am never tired of saying that what the Church needs to do is not to organize evangelistic campaigns to attract outside people, but to begin herself to live the Christian life. If she did that, men and women would be crowding into our buildings. They would say, ‘What is the secret of this?’”  Something tell me Dr. Jones knew the meaning of “100% Jesus” long before organic was cool.

The Beatitudes might well be viewed as core values for the Christian life and the foundation of every moral and ethical application that follows.  Indeed, this is how I see them.  They are the two greatest commandments in longhand, and every time I study them I discover new truths I somehow overlooked before.

The scriptures tell us everything we need to know about Jesus from an academic perspective, and He is revealed to us on a deeper level when we accept Him as Lord and Savior and receive His Spirit.  The gospels show us how our walk with Jesus impacts every facet of our lives, and the remainder of the New Testament helps us apply His teachings in our church family, our homes, and our community.  Jesus didn’t address every issue we face in our modern world specifically, but He did give us the principles we need to respond to all of them.

It is difficult to identify any one portion of the Bible as the starting point for a pure, organic approach to following Jesus.  It is important to know the prophetic and historical context of His appearance, as well as the facts related to His death, burial and resurrection.  We should see Him as King of an ever-expanding kingdom on earth, and the Suffering Servant who died that we might live.

I believe it is safe to rule out approaches that make Jesus a vehicle for our personal agenda, whether political, social or personal.  While it is probably impossible to be completely self-aware of our behavior along these lines, at least we can avoid any overt attempts to make the person of Jesus fit our motifs.  I realize this danger is inherent in my choice of the organic movement as a metaphor for my thoughts here.  There are those who believe Jesus had a particular dietary directive for His followers.  If He did I don’t find it in the Bible, and I will go ahead and confess I will eat about anything that doesn’t move if it tastes good.  If you can accept my weakness in this respect, read on.

I have always thought the portion of scripture known as The Sermon on the Mount is a great place to begin one’s walk with Jesus.  It is a profound summary of kingdom life, and is at the same time highly principled and grounded in reality.  Then, within this important discourse can be found something we refer to as The Beatitudes.  The term “beatitude” is a Latin word expressing happiness.  The idea behind the designation is the fulfillment Jesus can bring into our lives when we pursue His Father’s will with our heart, mind, soul and strength.

This is where I have landed in my personal quest for a pure reflection of Jesus.  I hope I am never so arrogant to call my witness to the world “100% Jesus.”  Yet, this is my target.  My life-long goal is to see Jesus more clearly, that I might understand His Father’s will more distinctly, and a result reflect both the Father and the Son more accurately to a lost and dying world.

It is natural for us to follow the path of spiritual industrialization.  We only have so much time and energy, so we want to be a part of a church with a clear vision, innovation, recognizable brand, and a defined path.  Since Jesus told us to make disciples, it stands to reason we would want to be in a place where they are being churned out in masses and the kingdom is growing exponentially.

I have witnessed the opposite.  There are churches with no vision and no plan for making disciples.  This doesn’t necessarily mean the people in them lack a sincere love for Christ and His mission, and sometimes a catalytic event or person can provide the spark to get things moving again.

It is neither right nor wrong to seek either of these soils as the place to invest our lives.  But whether we are a part of something dynamic or choose to grind out our faith in a setting where we must constantly kindle the most basic passion for Christ’s commission, the question of what we are producing still comes back to us.

The desire to reflect “100% Jesus” is to stand apart from and at times transcend our environment.  Whether we are surrounded by highly creative and committed believers, plugging along with those who have grown complacent in their mission, or pouring our lives out to the “least of these” in the shadows of urban decay or a third world country, the first and most important question we must ask is whether or not the Jesus they see is the Jesus of the Bible.  It is a given we will never reflect Him perfectly, but at least we can represent Him accurately.  It is alright to tell the world, “This is not who I am yet, but it is what I hope to be.  It is also what I want to share with you.”

Once we take responsibility for our own reflection of Jesus, it dawns on us (if it hasn’t already) we are actively making disciples everywhere we go.  Whether we are a part of a clearly defined, visionary path in a growing church, an instigator in a floundering ministry or an ambassador in the bellows of abject poverty, our responsibility to the mission is greater than a single focus.  What about our homes, our workplaces, and our own neighborhoods?  How do we view the cashier who rings up our morning caffeine?  When our doctor walks into the examination room are we only concerned about whether or not he will make us well, or do we wonder whether or not he is well in his soul?

Please understand we all need a structure or program as a context for making disciples.  If we deny this reality we are deceiving ourselves.  Even those who say they just want to “go with the flow” or “let the Spirit lead them” had declared a methodology.  Industrialized Christians get with the program.  Initiators tell others to get with the program.  Ambassadors take the program to those who need it.  But in all of this, the key is not the program, but the Person.  Do they see Jesus?  And which Jesus do they see?

We will bring greater clarity to these concerns later, but it is important that you know it is not my intent to critique the modern church.  Technically speaking, there is no difference between the church today and the church of New Testament.  It is the living body of Christ, composed of those who have been cleansed by His blood and are connected to each other through a common bond of grace.  What has changed is our context and the structures we have created to fulfill the Great Commission in our age.  Although I think it is possible for a strategy to be inherently ungodly, the true character of the church always resides ultimately in the heart of every believer.  It is easy to speak in institutional terms and complain about ways in which the church has lost its way, but we must remember if we are in Christ, we are His church.  If the church is not what we think it should be we should not be so quick to absolve ourselves of personal responsibility for its trajectory.

This is my focus: Christ’s church as it relates to our personal faith and mission.  While we cannot separate our work from the collective body, neither can we ignore the unique role God has given each of us in our individual journeys.  The Apostle Paul touched on this truth in his letter to the Philippians when he wrote, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13).  As the church, we move together in obedience to the gospel, but in our own person we seek God’s purpose for our lives.  It is true the church body can have a worthy structure, and still not produce the fruits of the Spirit in its members, but if its members are living for Christ, the body will surely reflect His glory.

Therefore, the greatest contribution any of us can make to the Lord’s church is to be the best reflection of His grace possible.  If we establish this as our goal, the stewardship of everything He has given us for kingdom work will follow.  I realize the fellowship we have with other believers in the church is essential in this process, but at some point we must all decide for ourselves what kind of Christian we are going to be.

Of course, the idea of organic is much broader than food production.  It includes environmentally friendly practices in lawn care, building supplies, and the more scientific designations of materials that decay over time and those that don’t.  There is even such a thing as organic thinking which focuses on a holistic approach to human interaction.  However, the practice of organic gardening and farming is what most people think of when they hear the term, as these constitute the platform for the modern organic movement.

The organic movement emerged in response to the industrialization of farming in the 1940s when synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers became commonplace.  Since this time other controversial methods have been introduced such as irradiation, growth hormones for livestock, and genetic engineering.  Not long ago the discovery of some genetically modified wheat in Oregon set off a firestorm of panic and led a Japanese wheat importer to cancel a major order.

Consumers are not only concerned about inorganic plants, but also their impact on other consumable goods as the work their way up the food chain.  For example, people want to know how much pesticide travels from the grain a cow eats to the milk she produces, and finally to an infant who is nursed by a mother who eats and drinks dairy products.

You may be wondering why I am spending so much time processing the organic issue, especially as it relates to our walk with the Lord.  To explain my rationale, I need to return to the 1940s and ask a rather basic question: “Why did farmers introduce synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers to their fields?”  There are some obvious biological answers to this question, but I think there is something even more fundamental. Farmers enhanced their techniques to produce more food, more quickly, for more money.  While it should be noted these modern innovations don’t guarantee a bumper crop or prevent natural disasters, they do help offset farm losses incurred in the bad times. 

In the same way, the modern church is living in a time of spiritual industrialization.  This is a personal observation with positive and negative implications.  It is a positive sign when we respond aggressively to Christ’s statement, “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35).  Why would we not want to be reaching more people, more quickly, to reap greater kingdom growth?  The Lord has given us unparalleled resources, and to fail to use them would put us in the category of the man who hid his one talent in the ground and was condemned for his foolishness.

On the other hand, in our effort to make the most of what God has given us, we must be careful we don’t evaluate success by numbers alone regardless of the size of our ministry.  Please don’t misunderstand.  I think it is easy to excuse our laziness in sharing Christ by saying the church isn’t about numbers.  Indeed, reaching the world with the gospel is about numbers, because there is no better way to measure our progress.  Yet, if we are careless it is possible to unwittingly poison our spiritual well and spoil the soil for future generations of believers, should the Lord tarry.

Dear Morning Devotion Group: Today we start a new study called 100% Jesus.  I hope you enjoy the journey.  Blessings, Larry Jones

Introduction

It took me a while to catch on to the organic food movement.  I understood the basic principles, but not the urgency.  This might be due partially to my upbringing and the long summer months I spent as a child on my grandparents’ farm in Kentucky.

We were organic before organic was cool.  My grandfather raised most of his vegetables in a huge garden behind a chicken house, and some of his beef came from a steer he raised on fresh grain.  Our meat and vegetables were supplemented with bass, bream and catfish from local farm ponds, and an occasional rabbit or squirrel.  Fruit came from apple trees in the yard, wild blackberry patches and a neighbor’s plum tree.

We didn’t live totally off of the land.  Once a week we made a pilgrimage to the local Winn Dixie to stock up on household items, and staples like cereal, milk and cheese.  Our food on the farm also had a little help.  No, we didn’t pile on the fertilizer.  Instead, my grandparents collected leaves in the fall, let them compost in the winter and plowed them into the garden with the rotor tiller in the spring.  But we did use pesticides.  Every few weeks my grandfather filled a small leather bellow with white powder and “dusted” the garden.  I’m not sure what was in the dust, but fortunately I don’t have any residual twitches or deformities today.

Yet, even though everything I ate wasn’t organic and the word wasn’t even in my vocabulary, I did grasp the difference between packaged food and the fresh stuff from my grandparents’ farm.  I figured my grandparents were just saving money by raising their own food.  I had no idea we were so advanced!  I also learned to respect the land, be kind to the animals we were planning to eat, and work hard with my hands.

Maybe this is why it took me a while to get the organic craze.  I assumed everyone knew the difference between farm fresh and processed food, and tried to eat as well as possible.  I had no idea how corrupt our food supply had become and how little the average person understood about soil, plants and produce.  In the Garden of Eden, God delivered the first lesson in agriculture to Adam: “Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food” (Genesis 1:29).  He didn’t say anything about potato chips or cattle injected with steroids, but in His omniscience He surely knew it would come to that.

Dear Morning Devotion Group: This is the last post for “The Father and the Bride.”  A new study will commence Monday.  I have already edited all of my posts into the form of a single manuscript.  If you would like the whole thing to read let me know.  Blessings, Larry

The Apostle John’s vision of the Lamb’s supper reminds us that day will be more about “why” than “what.”  When I was a child, I was mostly concerned with the “what” of life’s celebrations.  On my birthday I wanted to know what I was going to receive and what we were going to eat.  As I matured I came to realize the best parties are about purpose, not presents.  Even though my wife and I planned birthday parties for our own children, while they looked forward to toys and cake, we were focused on showing them how thankful we were to have them in our lives.  Of course, some adults never outgrow the self-centeredness of childhood, and some children put adults to shame with their generosity, but the difference between these two attitudes is nonetheless distinct.

Some believers obsess over the details of Jesus’ return and devise carefully thought out schemes through biblical interpretation.  While there is value in discerning historical seasons as we wait for the end to come (Matthew 24:32), the details of the “what” can consume us with human pride.  On the other hand, when we fasten our eyes on Jesus, the “why”, we care a whole lot more about being with Him than figuring out exactly how we are going to get there.

In the long walk of love, everything we do is for Jesus.  He gave Himself up for us to present us holy and blameless before His Father.  He continues to protect us from the evil one and sanctifies us through the indwelling Spirit.  From time to time we catch a glimpse of some great truth and make better sense of the days ahead, but in the end we just want to be with the Lord.  Our hearts resonate with the Apostle Paul who wrote, “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.  Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  We live by faith, not by sight.  We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it” (2 Corinthians 5:5-9).

It will be a feast the world has never seen nor could have seen.  Evil will be cast down, suffering will end, and we will join with the praise of the multitudes as our Bridegroom wipes our tears from our faces.  Our fears and failures won’t matter anymore.  They will vanish when our faith ends in sight and grace gives way to glory.

The Father loves the Bride and gave His Son up for her.  The Bride loves the Father and the Son, and waits patiently for the announcement of His return.  Until then, she walks by faith and invites others to join with her.  And in her heart, she is already there, standing at the eternal altar with the One who gave His life.  Until then Jesus!  Until then!

Party Time!

We return now, at last, to the feast.  Everyone has been waiting for this moment!  The “room” Jesus promised He would prepare for us is complete.  A great multitude is shouting, “Hallelujah!  Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!”  Twenty-four elders and four living creatures have fallen down before the throne of God to worship Him, and they cry, “Amen, Hallelujah!” (Revelation 19:4).

In a much different place those who persecuted the saints and opposed God’s will are suffering the consequences of their actions.  God has avenged the blood of His servants and the smoke from their place of torment goes up forever (Revelation 19:3).  The punishment is severe, but expected, for though God gave His own Son to offer salvation, His judgments must ultimately be true and just.  Those who have suffered rejoice in the justice of the Almighty and again they shout “Hallelujah!”

Someone at the throne wants more and incites the crowd, “Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear him, both small and great!”  Like a mighty waterfall or a fierce storm the multitude responds, “Hallelujah! For our Lord, God Almighty reigns!  Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come and the bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:6).

She stands there in fine linen, bright and clean.  Gone are the pain of persecution and the heartache of lost loved ones.  They latter were never truly lost.  The Bride stands as the collective representation of Christ’s church; once made ragged by the evil that encircled her, but now found perfect through the blood of the Lamb.

Let the feast begin!  There has never been one like it, just as there is no other like Him!