I'm going to come right out and say it, I love Duck Dynasty! Finally, we have a reality show that is wholesome and does not involve crazy women (or men) trying to find love, teenagers pregnant, or Honey Boo Boo. We finally have a show about a family that is not dysfunctional. They are not seeking fame and fortune. They are allowing America to take a peek into their lives and have a good laugh while doing it.
The most important aspect of Duck Dynasty that I love so much is that they are not ashamed of their faith nor their values. As we all know Phil Robertson, a.k.a. the Duck Commander, is coming under a lot of heat for comments he made in an interview with GQ magazine. You can read the Fox News story about it here:http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/12/18/phil-robertson-suspended-after-comments-about-homosexuality/
Twitter and Facebook started blowing up last night over this controversy. Representatives from both sides have chimed in and I felt like it was my turn to give my perspective on the whole situation.
1. I respect Phil Robertson for saying what he said and the way he lives for Christ unashamed. It may not be politically correct what he said, but aren't we all getting a little tired of having to be politically correct all the time? It's like we have to walk on egg shells every time we have a conversation with anyone. And, the comments he made were about his faith and his opinion on things. Everyone has a right to their opinion. Just because you don't agree with it, does not mean that you have to hate the person. Phil was speaking the truth that he knows from the Scriptures.
2. As Christians, we have to be wise in how we handle this whole situation, especially through social media outlets. We can get very upset and make a big stink about this or we can take a different approach. We have to remember that the One we follow was silenced for what he believed was right. He spoke the truth with love and conviction and he was crucified for it. The leaders of his day did not agree with him and wanted him silenced. Therefore, they went to the utmost extreme to make sure that it happened. They even got the national government involved. The Phil Robertson situation should come as no surprise to us. Jesus said that the world would hate his followers. If we are accepted by the world, then we should reevaluate how we are living. If we want to follow Christ, then the world is not going to accept us because the world did not accept him. So, we can be a squeaky wheel and play the martyr or we can look to Christ for strength to endure and wisdom to know how to continue spreading the Gospel.
3. The church in America needs to change. This may sound contrary to what I have said above, but it's not. We have spent too long trying to attract people to church. That is the model that we live by. Because of that, we have fallen into the trap of compromise. We like when our churches are full because it makes us think that we are a successful church. But, when something controversial comes up, we are tempted to compromise because we don't want anyone to leave. Phil Robertson does not care about the show. He has said so himself in interviews. He does care about the platform the show gives him to preach the Gospel. The church in America should start caring less about the show and more about the Gospel. We are going to upset people if we preach the Gospel that Jesus preached. But, it's not our message or our ideas; it's Jesus' message. He told us to go into the world and preach the Gospel. The apostles died for this message. They didn't care about the show. They cared about Jesus and his Gospel.
Jesus did not die for us so that we could be comfortable. He died for us so that we could live. Life is not easy nor is it comfortable. Life with Christ will never be easy nor will it be comfortable. Thank you Phil Robertson for reminding me of this. I hope and pray that it will remind all us as well.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Is it time for the sinner's prayer to go?
I grew up in Arkansas in a conservative Southern Baptist Church. We had an altar call every Sunday. We would sing "Just As I Am" the whole time people were responding to an altar call (yes, sometimes that would mean all seven verses and then start over at the top!). I did not quite understand what was going on when I was young, but I began to figure it out when I got older. I saw that as people coming to Jesus. They would go to the altar and be led in a prayer called the sinner's prayer. It was a prayer where you confessed that you were a sinner and needed Jesus to come into your life. You would ask Jesus to come into your heart to be your personal Lord and Savior. I would see this done at youth camps that I would attend when I got into college. I even led some people in this prayer or at least was involved in it.
As I have grown older, I began to discover something that went against everything I thought I knew about coming to Jesus: the sinner's prayer is not found in Scripture. I know, shocking right. I remember a student of mine at a Christian school I taught at asked me where it can be found in the Bible and I had to break the bad news to him. So, if this prayer is not found in Scripture, then why are we still using it? Also, if Jesus never told someone to ask him into their hearts, then why are we still doing that?
By stressing the sinner's prayer and asking Jesus into our hearts, we have created a false sense of security. We have made the Gospel and following Jesus easy when they are anything but easy. We teach people that you can say a prayer and be saved. That's it. But, is that what the apostles died for? Is that what people are still dying for today?
I remember going to youth retreats where the speaker would end his message by having everyone bow their heads and close their eyes. Then he would give the invitation and have everyone who wanted to respond to raise their hand. He would also keep stressing that everyone's heads should be bowed and eyes closed. At the time I thought these were amazing God moments, but now I get uncomfortable with them. The reason being is if coming to Jesus is so awesome, then why are we making it private? Why do are we creating an atmosphere where people can hide when they come to Jesus? Jesus said in Luke 12:8-9, "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God." Now, I know that responding to an altar call with no one looking is not quite the same as denying Christ; however, it does start a person's relationship with Christ under an umbrella of secrecy and perhaps even embarrassment that could carry over into that person's living for Christ.
When we push people to answer an altar call, lead them in a prayer and tell them to accept Jesus into their hearts, we are giving them a false sense of security that they are saved no matter what they do. We have turned the Gospel into fire insurance. We have taught people that the Gospel will get you out of hell and that's it. That is not the Gospel.
Jesus told people throughout his ministry to follow him. He did not lead them in a prayer nor did he tell them to accept him into their hearts. He told them to pick up a device of shame and torture and follow him. Luke 9:23 says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." This is what it takes to follow Jesus. This is an everyday decision to do this. We must be willing to identify with shame and suffering in order to follow Jesus. This is the only way we are going to experience the abundant life that is found only in Jesus.
If we want to see people save and changed by Jesus, we need to stop using the sinner's prayer as our only tool. We have to be willing to show these people how to follow Jesus. We have to be willing to build relationships with them so that they can grow in their faith. We have to make them disciples not converts. Converts will fall away, but disciples will endure. To know Jesus is not about just saying a prayer and asking him into our hearts; it's about giving up ourselves to know him. Paul said in Philippians 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Paul didn't just ask Jesus into his heart; he embraced Jesus as his life! Let's lead people to the life giver. Let's take away the umbrella of secrecy and embarrassment and let's lead them to the One who rejoices over His children. Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Is this the God we want to lead people to? If so, then we have to preach the real Gospel. We have to preach the Gospel that says identify with the suffering of Christ so that you can have the best life ever. Let's stop cheating people out of the real Gospel.
As I have grown older, I began to discover something that went against everything I thought I knew about coming to Jesus: the sinner's prayer is not found in Scripture. I know, shocking right. I remember a student of mine at a Christian school I taught at asked me where it can be found in the Bible and I had to break the bad news to him. So, if this prayer is not found in Scripture, then why are we still using it? Also, if Jesus never told someone to ask him into their hearts, then why are we still doing that?
By stressing the sinner's prayer and asking Jesus into our hearts, we have created a false sense of security. We have made the Gospel and following Jesus easy when they are anything but easy. We teach people that you can say a prayer and be saved. That's it. But, is that what the apostles died for? Is that what people are still dying for today?
I remember going to youth retreats where the speaker would end his message by having everyone bow their heads and close their eyes. Then he would give the invitation and have everyone who wanted to respond to raise their hand. He would also keep stressing that everyone's heads should be bowed and eyes closed. At the time I thought these were amazing God moments, but now I get uncomfortable with them. The reason being is if coming to Jesus is so awesome, then why are we making it private? Why do are we creating an atmosphere where people can hide when they come to Jesus? Jesus said in Luke 12:8-9, "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God." Now, I know that responding to an altar call with no one looking is not quite the same as denying Christ; however, it does start a person's relationship with Christ under an umbrella of secrecy and perhaps even embarrassment that could carry over into that person's living for Christ.
When we push people to answer an altar call, lead them in a prayer and tell them to accept Jesus into their hearts, we are giving them a false sense of security that they are saved no matter what they do. We have turned the Gospel into fire insurance. We have taught people that the Gospel will get you out of hell and that's it. That is not the Gospel.
Jesus told people throughout his ministry to follow him. He did not lead them in a prayer nor did he tell them to accept him into their hearts. He told them to pick up a device of shame and torture and follow him. Luke 9:23 says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." This is what it takes to follow Jesus. This is an everyday decision to do this. We must be willing to identify with shame and suffering in order to follow Jesus. This is the only way we are going to experience the abundant life that is found only in Jesus.
If we want to see people save and changed by Jesus, we need to stop using the sinner's prayer as our only tool. We have to be willing to show these people how to follow Jesus. We have to be willing to build relationships with them so that they can grow in their faith. We have to make them disciples not converts. Converts will fall away, but disciples will endure. To know Jesus is not about just saying a prayer and asking him into our hearts; it's about giving up ourselves to know him. Paul said in Philippians 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Paul didn't just ask Jesus into his heart; he embraced Jesus as his life! Let's lead people to the life giver. Let's take away the umbrella of secrecy and embarrassment and let's lead them to the One who rejoices over His children. Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Is this the God we want to lead people to? If so, then we have to preach the real Gospel. We have to preach the Gospel that says identify with the suffering of Christ so that you can have the best life ever. Let's stop cheating people out of the real Gospel.
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