I'm done with church. That sounds so weird coming from a pastor and it feels weird to write it. What I mean by it is I am done with the organized church that I see today.
Today, I saw a news story about a bull and horse-riding preacher in Ohio. In the story, the reporter asked him if this was some kind of gimmick to bring new people into the church. The preacher's answer was that Jesus said "compel them to come. He didn't say how to compel them." You can watch the entire story here: http://news.yahoo.com/video/ohio-pastor-rides-bulls-church-084852600.html
This is just one example of the many that are out there of churches attempting to attract new people to their congregations. I have even tried to use attractions to bring people into the church. But, I am tired of doing it and people are tired of our methods too. According to the latest Pew Survey, 23% of the United States are unaffiliated with any kind of religion. They are tired of our gimmicks.
Last week, I attended my denominational meetings in Maryland. Usually the week is spent sitting through business meetings with some spiritual challenges intermixed. But, this week was different. This week, other churches from around the world joined us and we joined together to come up with a new vision for our denomination which states: "The World Federation of Primitive Methodists exists to make disciples
who make disciples. We also have a new Vision Statement: By 2020 we
will be recognized as a global planting movement." This is an exciting time because no longer are we focused on attracting new people; rather, we are focused on a missional movement intended to further God's kingdom on this earth. We are focused on engaging those around us in hopes to bring them close to Christ by the way we live our lives.
Jesus said in Luke 10:2, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." Jesus did not want us to sit in our institutions and do our religious activities in hopes that it would attract other people. Jesus did not tell us to use gimmicks; he told us to get to work. He told us to look at the harvest field and ask God for workers.
Jesus lived, died, and rose again so that we could work not be marketing gurus. Jesus was missional and he called his followers to be missional as well. He did not want his followers to sit back and attract people to the kingdom. The way he wanted his followers to compel people was by living out and preaching the Gospel, and these things take work.
I love the church and I want to see the Church be everything God called us to be. I don't want to see the Church rely on gimmicks and events; I want to see us be missional like our Master was and still is. Last week I was challenged to get my hands dirty not by my denomination, but by Jesus. Let's get our hands dirty together.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Religious Freedom
Unless you live in a hole somewhere or not on social media at all, you have probably heard about Indiana and Arkansas' proposed bills to secure religious freedom for businesses. These bills have stirred up a lot of controversy across the country. There is public outcry that these bills should be vetoed, citing a return to the Jim Crow laws era of our country as a reason. Because I am from Arkansas, I thought I would write a post sharing my thoughts on these controversial bills and how Christians should respond.
First of all, let me say that I am not a proponent of the homosexual lifestyle nor am I a proponent of any lifestyle that is contrary to God's word. On the other hand, I am a proponent of people no matter what is going on in their lives. My goal in life is to serve Christ and to make much of him. What that means is I want everything in my life to be about Jesus and leading people close to Jesus. With that being said, I worry about the proposed bills coming out of Arkansas and Indiana.
In my book Millennial Gospel, I dedicate a whole chapter to moralism. Moralism started in the 1970s with the concept of the Moral Majority. The Moral Majority became a political force bent on restoring this country's moral compass. While the intent was noble, what happened over the years became less so. The Church began to preach morals before Jesus. Christians basically said, "Get cleaned up first and then you can meet Jesus." The problem with this line of thinking and teaching is that it's wrong. Jesus never preached this message. He did preach morals, but he preached embracing Him as Savior and Lord first. The reason he did it this way is because none of us are capable of cleaning ourselves up; only Jesus is capable of doing that. We come to Jesus dirty and stained with our sins, whatever those sins may be. If we come to Jesus in faith, He will be the one to clean us up. Look at the story of the woman at the well in John 4. Jesus started a conversation with her about living water and how much she needed it before he brought up her moral behavior. In John 8, a woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus. The religious leaders wanted to stone her, but Jesus did not condemn her. He treated both of these women as human beings. Now, we can't overlook the fact that he told them to leave their lives of sin, but the only way they were going to do that is by surrendering to him.
These proposed bills will not lead people closer to Jesus; they will do the exact opposite. Jesus never said that his followers were going to need religious freedom. Followers of Christ are set free from sin and death, but not this world. The early church was persecuted heavily because of their faith in Christ. Jesus himself was persecuted for his teachings. Jesus never experienced religious freedom nor did the apostles including Paul.
Speaking of Paul, he was a guy who lived among people whose morals he did not agree with. But, did that stop him from proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel? No! In fact, it motivated him to do it more and more. Also, he was a tent maker who made tents and sold them in the areas he was living in. He probably sold tents to people who worshiped idols, adulterers, drunks, homosexuals, etc. Why would he do this? Because he wanted to use anything he could to lead someone closer the life-changing person of Jesus Christ. Did that mean Paul accepted people's lifestyles? Of course not. He didn't accept his own shortcomings (Read Romans 7). Paul knew that he was not going to change anyone; it was Jesus' job to do the changing.
Moving forward, Christians should not be silent about what they believe in. Paul said in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jew then for the Gentile." We should never back down from God's Word and we have to hold firm to that. On the other hand, we need to make sure that it is God's Word that we are spreading not our own agendas. God loves people. We are all His creation. Therefore, He desires that all will be saved (I Timothy 2:4). So, whatever we do we should do it all for the glory of God in hopes to lead others to him. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven."
When Israel was exiled to Babylon, God told them to make homes there. He told them to settle down and start a new life there. The purpose? So that Israel could lead the Babylonians to the gracious and loving arms of God. We need to use every avenue we can to lead people to Christ. Now, there are certain things that we cannot compromise on nor should we be forced to by the government. But, we also need to remember that Christians belong to a different kingdom, a kingdom that is not of this world. Let us be like Paul, who was a tent maker for Christ. He used his business to lead others to Christ. Just because a product is sold to someone does not mean that we are endorsing their lifestyle or anything else they do. Christians can see it as being a light for Christ.
First of all, let me say that I am not a proponent of the homosexual lifestyle nor am I a proponent of any lifestyle that is contrary to God's word. On the other hand, I am a proponent of people no matter what is going on in their lives. My goal in life is to serve Christ and to make much of him. What that means is I want everything in my life to be about Jesus and leading people close to Jesus. With that being said, I worry about the proposed bills coming out of Arkansas and Indiana.
In my book Millennial Gospel, I dedicate a whole chapter to moralism. Moralism started in the 1970s with the concept of the Moral Majority. The Moral Majority became a political force bent on restoring this country's moral compass. While the intent was noble, what happened over the years became less so. The Church began to preach morals before Jesus. Christians basically said, "Get cleaned up first and then you can meet Jesus." The problem with this line of thinking and teaching is that it's wrong. Jesus never preached this message. He did preach morals, but he preached embracing Him as Savior and Lord first. The reason he did it this way is because none of us are capable of cleaning ourselves up; only Jesus is capable of doing that. We come to Jesus dirty and stained with our sins, whatever those sins may be. If we come to Jesus in faith, He will be the one to clean us up. Look at the story of the woman at the well in John 4. Jesus started a conversation with her about living water and how much she needed it before he brought up her moral behavior. In John 8, a woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus. The religious leaders wanted to stone her, but Jesus did not condemn her. He treated both of these women as human beings. Now, we can't overlook the fact that he told them to leave their lives of sin, but the only way they were going to do that is by surrendering to him.
These proposed bills will not lead people closer to Jesus; they will do the exact opposite. Jesus never said that his followers were going to need religious freedom. Followers of Christ are set free from sin and death, but not this world. The early church was persecuted heavily because of their faith in Christ. Jesus himself was persecuted for his teachings. Jesus never experienced religious freedom nor did the apostles including Paul.
Speaking of Paul, he was a guy who lived among people whose morals he did not agree with. But, did that stop him from proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel? No! In fact, it motivated him to do it more and more. Also, he was a tent maker who made tents and sold them in the areas he was living in. He probably sold tents to people who worshiped idols, adulterers, drunks, homosexuals, etc. Why would he do this? Because he wanted to use anything he could to lead someone closer the life-changing person of Jesus Christ. Did that mean Paul accepted people's lifestyles? Of course not. He didn't accept his own shortcomings (Read Romans 7). Paul knew that he was not going to change anyone; it was Jesus' job to do the changing.
Moving forward, Christians should not be silent about what they believe in. Paul said in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jew then for the Gentile." We should never back down from God's Word and we have to hold firm to that. On the other hand, we need to make sure that it is God's Word that we are spreading not our own agendas. God loves people. We are all His creation. Therefore, He desires that all will be saved (I Timothy 2:4). So, whatever we do we should do it all for the glory of God in hopes to lead others to him. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven."
When Israel was exiled to Babylon, God told them to make homes there. He told them to settle down and start a new life there. The purpose? So that Israel could lead the Babylonians to the gracious and loving arms of God. We need to use every avenue we can to lead people to Christ. Now, there are certain things that we cannot compromise on nor should we be forced to by the government. But, we also need to remember that Christians belong to a different kingdom, a kingdom that is not of this world. Let us be like Paul, who was a tent maker for Christ. He used his business to lead others to Christ. Just because a product is sold to someone does not mean that we are endorsing their lifestyle or anything else they do. Christians can see it as being a light for Christ.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Lessons in Laughing
Have you ever laughed at yourself? There are plenty of times in my life where I have laughed at the decisions I made or the things I said. It is through those times that lessons can be learned through laughter.
Recently, my wife and I were trying to decide on a movie to watch on a Friday night. Our kids were in bed and watching a movie in our quiet house is a little piece of heaven for us. We searched through several movie titles, but nothing caught our attention until we came across a movie called Believe Me. The synopsis sounded interesting to us and we thought we would give it a try. The basic plot is about a college student about to graduate who recruits his friends to help him pay off some unforeseen debt. The debt would keep him from graduating, delaying his plans to attend law school in the fall. He goes to church because he is invited by someone and hears a girl talk about the church's upcoming mission trip to Hawaii (real tough, I know). Sam, the college student, asks the girl after the service about the trip, specifically how much money they had raised so far. The group had to raise $20,000 and they had already raised $14,000 in a week. And, this is where the light bulb goes off in Sam's head.
The rest of the movie is about Sam and his friends creating a fake charity to raise the money Sam needs to pay off his tuition bill. Along the way, the group learns the ins and outs of Christianity even though they don't believe themselves. What's entertaining about this movie is that it takes an honest look at some of the things we do as Christians and encourages us to laugh at ourselves so that maybe we can learn some lessons along the way. Sam and his group take us on a journey into Christianity through the eyes of the unbeliever and what it does is helps us see the things we do in an honest way, challenging us to rethink some of the things we do.
This movie was an honest Christian movie. The one thing I loved about it was that the Jesus moment (if you've seen a Christian movie, you know what I'm talking about) felt real and not forced. Most Christian movies I have seen have a Gospel presentation that seems out of place and forced. In Believe Me, it was quite the opposite. Sam has a real encounter with Jesus and he was not given a Gospel presentation with an invitation to accept Jesus into his heart. He encountered Jesus in a real way, realizing that paying off his school bill was not the ultimate goal in life. He realized that law school was not what life was all about. He realized that Jesus was life.
People need a real encounter with Jesus and if we, his followers, continue to do things that don't make sense to people, the greater the distance between people and the church will be. We need to laugh at ourselves and admit that maybe some of the things we do are a little silly. Being humble enough to be honest with ourselves is the first step in the right direction. The Church in this country needs a new direction. People today want to change the world and the Church was designed to be an agent of change. We don't need more pastors who ask for a new jet or churches who are exclusive social clubs. We need to stop focusing on our numbers and start focusing on people. We need to laugh at ourselves, learn from our mistakes, and let the Holy Spirit teach us and use us to reach new generations for the kingdom of God.
Recently, my wife and I were trying to decide on a movie to watch on a Friday night. Our kids were in bed and watching a movie in our quiet house is a little piece of heaven for us. We searched through several movie titles, but nothing caught our attention until we came across a movie called Believe Me. The synopsis sounded interesting to us and we thought we would give it a try. The basic plot is about a college student about to graduate who recruits his friends to help him pay off some unforeseen debt. The debt would keep him from graduating, delaying his plans to attend law school in the fall. He goes to church because he is invited by someone and hears a girl talk about the church's upcoming mission trip to Hawaii (real tough, I know). Sam, the college student, asks the girl after the service about the trip, specifically how much money they had raised so far. The group had to raise $20,000 and they had already raised $14,000 in a week. And, this is where the light bulb goes off in Sam's head.
The rest of the movie is about Sam and his friends creating a fake charity to raise the money Sam needs to pay off his tuition bill. Along the way, the group learns the ins and outs of Christianity even though they don't believe themselves. What's entertaining about this movie is that it takes an honest look at some of the things we do as Christians and encourages us to laugh at ourselves so that maybe we can learn some lessons along the way. Sam and his group take us on a journey into Christianity through the eyes of the unbeliever and what it does is helps us see the things we do in an honest way, challenging us to rethink some of the things we do.
This movie was an honest Christian movie. The one thing I loved about it was that the Jesus moment (if you've seen a Christian movie, you know what I'm talking about) felt real and not forced. Most Christian movies I have seen have a Gospel presentation that seems out of place and forced. In Believe Me, it was quite the opposite. Sam has a real encounter with Jesus and he was not given a Gospel presentation with an invitation to accept Jesus into his heart. He encountered Jesus in a real way, realizing that paying off his school bill was not the ultimate goal in life. He realized that law school was not what life was all about. He realized that Jesus was life.
People need a real encounter with Jesus and if we, his followers, continue to do things that don't make sense to people, the greater the distance between people and the church will be. We need to laugh at ourselves and admit that maybe some of the things we do are a little silly. Being humble enough to be honest with ourselves is the first step in the right direction. The Church in this country needs a new direction. People today want to change the world and the Church was designed to be an agent of change. We don't need more pastors who ask for a new jet or churches who are exclusive social clubs. We need to stop focusing on our numbers and start focusing on people. We need to laugh at ourselves, learn from our mistakes, and let the Holy Spirit teach us and use us to reach new generations for the kingdom of God.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Larger than Life
If you know anything about comic book people, you know that we don't like change very much. Anytime there are changes to the heroes we love, we freak out. There is an uproar about the new Fantastic Four movie released this summer. Photos are starting to be released of the actors in their superhero suits (you can view the pictures here: http://geektyrant.com/news/four-more-photos-from-fantastic-four-to-fuel-fan-outrage). The problem is that the costumes are not the classic costumes of these heroes. In fact, no one has even seen a 4 anywhere on these costumes. So, as you can imagine, comic fans are not too impressed with these changes. And this is not the only time changes like this have occurred.
Superman has been the hero for me since I was little. But, today, was heartbreaking for me. DC Comics released an image of Superman's new suit and you can see that here:
I understand what they are trying to do: they are trying to make Superman so we can relate to him easier. Putting him jeans and a t-shirt makes him look like an average Joe who happens to have powers. But, I don't want that from my heroes. I want my heroes to be larger than life.
So, this got me thinking today. I got to thinking, "In my walk with Christ, is Jesus larger than life?" Is Jesus larger than life in your walk? Is Jesus larger than life in our churches?
The younger generations are leaving the church or not even thinking about church and one of the reasons is that we have watered down Jesus. Our God is no longer the transcendent God who created the universe nor the one that the Psalms speak of. God is our homeboy and our buddy. God is our sugar daddy that we can ask anything of to satisfy our spoiled cravings and He will give it to us because He wants us to be happy.
We wear the t-shirts that say Jesus is our Superhero then go to church on Sunday, sing funeral dirges, barely keep our eyes open, and anxiously look at our watches to see how much longer the service is. Is it any wonder people don't want to go to church?
I have worn the shirts, barely kept my eyes open, and anxiously wondered when we will sing the last verse of Just As I Am. I still struggle with this attitude at times as well. So, why is God so boring?
I think the reason God appears so boring is because we have portrayed him that way through our actions and attitudes. We dumb down God in order for him to be relevant. We water Him down so that people can relate to him more. But, I don't want to relate to God. I want to be saved by God.
We don't need to dumb down God and people don't want us to either. People want someone that is larger than life. A god who is less than larger than life is incapable of saving us. When we water down God, we make him into our image. And, when we make him into our image, he is powerless to save us because we are more powerful than he is. People are looking for a god who is real and tangible, but at the same time impossible to grasp or fully comprehend. That is kind of God that is mighty to save.
We need to stop putting God in our boxes and surrendering to His majesty. When we surrender to that God, then the thought that He would draw near to us through the person of Jesus Christ becomes almost overwhelming. We can say along with David, "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him" (Psalm 8:3-4)?
I don't want my Superman wearing a t-shirt and jeans and I certainly don't want my God to be anything less than the all-powerful, all-knowing, everlasting, gracious and merciful God of the Scriptures; we don't need anything less than that.
Superman has been the hero for me since I was little. But, today, was heartbreaking for me. DC Comics released an image of Superman's new suit and you can see that here: I understand what they are trying to do: they are trying to make Superman so we can relate to him easier. Putting him jeans and a t-shirt makes him look like an average Joe who happens to have powers. But, I don't want that from my heroes. I want my heroes to be larger than life.
So, this got me thinking today. I got to thinking, "In my walk with Christ, is Jesus larger than life?" Is Jesus larger than life in your walk? Is Jesus larger than life in our churches?
The younger generations are leaving the church or not even thinking about church and one of the reasons is that we have watered down Jesus. Our God is no longer the transcendent God who created the universe nor the one that the Psalms speak of. God is our homeboy and our buddy. God is our sugar daddy that we can ask anything of to satisfy our spoiled cravings and He will give it to us because He wants us to be happy.
We wear the t-shirts that say Jesus is our Superhero then go to church on Sunday, sing funeral dirges, barely keep our eyes open, and anxiously look at our watches to see how much longer the service is. Is it any wonder people don't want to go to church?
I have worn the shirts, barely kept my eyes open, and anxiously wondered when we will sing the last verse of Just As I Am. I still struggle with this attitude at times as well. So, why is God so boring?
I think the reason God appears so boring is because we have portrayed him that way through our actions and attitudes. We dumb down God in order for him to be relevant. We water Him down so that people can relate to him more. But, I don't want to relate to God. I want to be saved by God.
We don't need to dumb down God and people don't want us to either. People want someone that is larger than life. A god who is less than larger than life is incapable of saving us. When we water down God, we make him into our image. And, when we make him into our image, he is powerless to save us because we are more powerful than he is. People are looking for a god who is real and tangible, but at the same time impossible to grasp or fully comprehend. That is kind of God that is mighty to save.
We need to stop putting God in our boxes and surrendering to His majesty. When we surrender to that God, then the thought that He would draw near to us through the person of Jesus Christ becomes almost overwhelming. We can say along with David, "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him" (Psalm 8:3-4)?
I don't want my Superman wearing a t-shirt and jeans and I certainly don't want my God to be anything less than the all-powerful, all-knowing, everlasting, gracious and merciful God of the Scriptures; we don't need anything less than that.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Blurred Vision: A Book Review
Recently I had the pleasure of meeting a new friend, Aaron "Woogy" Wolgamott. He is a youth pastor in the area and has such a great heart for leading youth to Christ. We became instant friends when we met and I am looking forward to collaborating with him in the near future.
I volunteered to read his book Blurred Vision for review purposes. I thought I owed him that since he read a pre-release copy of mine. So, this blog post is a review of Blurred Vision.
The concept of Blurred Vision is to ask Christians if they are seeing things clearly when it comes to their relationship with Christ. In a world full distractions and different philosophies, it can be hard for Christians to see Jesus clearly. It is easy for Christians to veer off the straight and narrow. If you are a Christian that is dealing with these issues, then Blurred Vision is the book for you.
Pastor Woogy takes the reader on a journey through the basic tenets of the Christian faith, but looking at them through fresh eyes. He begins the book by challenging Christians' perspective on things. He asks whether followers of Christ are really seeing Christ for who he is and are their lives reflective of that. In order for Christ and following him to make sense, Christians' vision must be clear on who he is and what the faith is all about.
Pastor Woogy's take on Christianity is fresh and exciting. It is a take that needs to be heard across America in big churches and small churches. The Church in America tends to be all about our religion, but according to Pastor Woogy, Jesus did not die to start another religion. Woogy writes, "We talk a good game, know the right things to say, can pray nice-sounding prayers, and even quote scripture. Yet all too often we stop at only words" (Blurred Vision, p. 10). Pastor Woogy establishes early in his book that Christianity is not another religion; rather, it is a relationship with Christ that should not be defined by what we say, but also by what we do. And, this idea sets the stage for the rest of the book.
Throughout the rest of the book, Pastor Woogy takes a look at worship, treasures, faith, spiritual warfare, prayer, forgiveness, relationships, and truth. He explains each topic in light of not just talking the talk, but also walking the walk. He effectively argues that each tenet of the faith should go beyond what Christians do on Sunday mornings. Christianity is a tangible relationship with Christ and the reason being is so that others will be introduced to Jesus because of our clear vision of Jesus.
Without being too preachy or getting bogged down in deep theology, Pastor Woogy does a great job of explaining what follow Jesus is all about and challenges Christians' perspective on church and the faith. This book is a must read for a new believer or a seasoned believer. It is even a great read for one who might be exploring faith and even Christianity. It can be read by anyone without being confusing and this is a compliment to Pastor Woogy's writing style and clarity on some tough topics.
If you would like to purchase this book, go here: http://pastorwoogy.com/blurred-vision/
I volunteered to read his book Blurred Vision for review purposes. I thought I owed him that since he read a pre-release copy of mine. So, this blog post is a review of Blurred Vision.
The concept of Blurred Vision is to ask Christians if they are seeing things clearly when it comes to their relationship with Christ. In a world full distractions and different philosophies, it can be hard for Christians to see Jesus clearly. It is easy for Christians to veer off the straight and narrow. If you are a Christian that is dealing with these issues, then Blurred Vision is the book for you.
Pastor Woogy takes the reader on a journey through the basic tenets of the Christian faith, but looking at them through fresh eyes. He begins the book by challenging Christians' perspective on things. He asks whether followers of Christ are really seeing Christ for who he is and are their lives reflective of that. In order for Christ and following him to make sense, Christians' vision must be clear on who he is and what the faith is all about.
Pastor Woogy's take on Christianity is fresh and exciting. It is a take that needs to be heard across America in big churches and small churches. The Church in America tends to be all about our religion, but according to Pastor Woogy, Jesus did not die to start another religion. Woogy writes, "We talk a good game, know the right things to say, can pray nice-sounding prayers, and even quote scripture. Yet all too often we stop at only words" (Blurred Vision, p. 10). Pastor Woogy establishes early in his book that Christianity is not another religion; rather, it is a relationship with Christ that should not be defined by what we say, but also by what we do. And, this idea sets the stage for the rest of the book.
Throughout the rest of the book, Pastor Woogy takes a look at worship, treasures, faith, spiritual warfare, prayer, forgiveness, relationships, and truth. He explains each topic in light of not just talking the talk, but also walking the walk. He effectively argues that each tenet of the faith should go beyond what Christians do on Sunday mornings. Christianity is a tangible relationship with Christ and the reason being is so that others will be introduced to Jesus because of our clear vision of Jesus.
Without being too preachy or getting bogged down in deep theology, Pastor Woogy does a great job of explaining what follow Jesus is all about and challenges Christians' perspective on church and the faith. This book is a must read for a new believer or a seasoned believer. It is even a great read for one who might be exploring faith and even Christianity. It can be read by anyone without being confusing and this is a compliment to Pastor Woogy's writing style and clarity on some tough topics.
If you would like to purchase this book, go here: http://pastorwoogy.com/blurred-vision/
Friday, February 13, 2015
Letting go of hell?
Recently I read a blog post by Benjamin L. Corey that questioned the validity of the belief in an eternal hell. The post listed 25 verses that disproved the traditional view. You can read the post along with his whole series on hell here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/formerlyfundie/category/letting-go-of-hell-series/
There is a resurgence of an idea that all will be saved eventually and that hell is only a temporary stop on one's way to be saved. Here is the problem with letting go of the traditional belief in hell and embracing a more universal idea that hell is temporary and God will save all in the end eventually.
1. Without an eternal hell, eternal life is not a big deal.
Jesus came to die on the cross for the sins of the world. That is what is clearly taught in the Scriptures. If you don't have the time to look you can simply read John 3:16-17 because that is what those verses refer to. Now, if Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins and the penalty of those sins was just nonexistence, then it seems like a lot of effort for very little reward. Paul said in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Paul makes a distinction between the wages of sin and the gift of God. If the wage is less than the gift, it makes the gift seem outlandish. It makes it seem like Jesus was trying too hard. But, if the wages of sin is eternal death, then the gift of God looks amazing, awesome, great, etc. You get the picture. If Jesus' sacrifice does not save us from something horrible, then his sacrifice almost seems in vain.
2. Without hell, God ceases to be God.
We like to see God as a loving and gracious God, which He is, thankfully. But, we don't like to think of God as a judge, which he is, thankfully. Not only is God a judge, but he is a righteous judge. What this means is that God judges fairly. Now some may not agree with that because they will look at our faith in Jesus and the benefit of that faith and cry foul. They will look at our beliefs and say that God does not judge fairly because believing in Jesus gets us off the hook. But, Jesus shows just how fair God is in his judgment. What Jesus did on the cross was die in our place. Those who believe in Jesus are saved because Jesus took the punishment that we deserved. The wrath of God was poured out on Jesus because Jesus became the very thing that God hates, sin. II Corinthians 5:21 says, "God made him who knew no sin to become sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Did you catch that? Jesus actually became sin for us. What this means is that the punishment our sins deserved was taken by Jesus. Isaiah 53:5 and 10 say, "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed...Yet is was the Lord's will to crush him...So, God treated sin like it should be treated, making him a just judge. So, if someone does not put their faith in Jesus, that person remains in their sin. So that person must face the just judge and receive what sins deserve. So, if there is no literal hell, then God is a liar and not a just judge. Imagine if a person murdered someone close to you and the judge said to him, "You know, it's okay. Just don't do it again. In fact, you'll never get in trouble for murder." Would you consider that judge just? Of course not. Then why should we expect God to be any different?
3. Temporary hell means we are saved by works.
If we believe that hell is just a temporary stop to purge all of the bad stuff out of us so that God will be pleased with us, then hell is nothing more than purgatory and we can be saved by our merit. That is completely contrary to Scripture. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you are saved and this not of yourselves for it is the gift of God not by works so that no man should boast." We are not saved by works, but by grace. We can do nothing to earn the favor of God, not in this life or in the next one. A temporary hell goes against the clear teaching of Scripture that we cannot save ourselves by earning salvation.
4. An eternal hell makes eternal life that much sweeter.
Jesus came to offer us a new life, an eternal life. Eternal life means nothing if the rejection of it means we cease to exist or that we can earn it in a temporary holding cell. When faced with the unimaginable, a way out looks that much sweeter. Now, that is not to say we should use hell to scare people into heaven. Those tactics do not work and our contrary to Scripture. Those are the tactics of the Westboro Baptist Church who I strongly oppose. But, the truth needs to be told and not just part of it. The whole truth needs to be told and even the harshest truth can be told in love. The reality is that the wages of our sin is death and that death will not end until we pay that wage. And, that is a wage we can never pay off. That is why Jesus came. He came to show us a better way. He came to show us a more excellent way. He came to show us that we could have life and have it to the full. He came to show us mercy, love, grace, forgiveness, light, etc. All of those things look so much sweeter when compared to the other side of the coin.
I am a pastor and I don't like talking about the reality of hell. But, I know that if I don't, then I will be withholding the truth. I want to make much of Jesus and in order to do that, I have to declare the whole counsel of God and not shrink from it (Acts 20:26-27). Some may say that I am intolerant and not with the times. Some may say that I hate people and do not love. Well, I love people too much to withhold life-saving information from them. Sometimes the truth is hard and it hurts, but the alternative is worse.
There is a resurgence of an idea that all will be saved eventually and that hell is only a temporary stop on one's way to be saved. Here is the problem with letting go of the traditional belief in hell and embracing a more universal idea that hell is temporary and God will save all in the end eventually.
1. Without an eternal hell, eternal life is not a big deal.
Jesus came to die on the cross for the sins of the world. That is what is clearly taught in the Scriptures. If you don't have the time to look you can simply read John 3:16-17 because that is what those verses refer to. Now, if Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins and the penalty of those sins was just nonexistence, then it seems like a lot of effort for very little reward. Paul said in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Paul makes a distinction between the wages of sin and the gift of God. If the wage is less than the gift, it makes the gift seem outlandish. It makes it seem like Jesus was trying too hard. But, if the wages of sin is eternal death, then the gift of God looks amazing, awesome, great, etc. You get the picture. If Jesus' sacrifice does not save us from something horrible, then his sacrifice almost seems in vain.
2. Without hell, God ceases to be God.
We like to see God as a loving and gracious God, which He is, thankfully. But, we don't like to think of God as a judge, which he is, thankfully. Not only is God a judge, but he is a righteous judge. What this means is that God judges fairly. Now some may not agree with that because they will look at our faith in Jesus and the benefit of that faith and cry foul. They will look at our beliefs and say that God does not judge fairly because believing in Jesus gets us off the hook. But, Jesus shows just how fair God is in his judgment. What Jesus did on the cross was die in our place. Those who believe in Jesus are saved because Jesus took the punishment that we deserved. The wrath of God was poured out on Jesus because Jesus became the very thing that God hates, sin. II Corinthians 5:21 says, "God made him who knew no sin to become sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Did you catch that? Jesus actually became sin for us. What this means is that the punishment our sins deserved was taken by Jesus. Isaiah 53:5 and 10 say, "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed...Yet is was the Lord's will to crush him...So, God treated sin like it should be treated, making him a just judge. So, if someone does not put their faith in Jesus, that person remains in their sin. So that person must face the just judge and receive what sins deserve. So, if there is no literal hell, then God is a liar and not a just judge. Imagine if a person murdered someone close to you and the judge said to him, "You know, it's okay. Just don't do it again. In fact, you'll never get in trouble for murder." Would you consider that judge just? Of course not. Then why should we expect God to be any different?
3. Temporary hell means we are saved by works.
If we believe that hell is just a temporary stop to purge all of the bad stuff out of us so that God will be pleased with us, then hell is nothing more than purgatory and we can be saved by our merit. That is completely contrary to Scripture. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you are saved and this not of yourselves for it is the gift of God not by works so that no man should boast." We are not saved by works, but by grace. We can do nothing to earn the favor of God, not in this life or in the next one. A temporary hell goes against the clear teaching of Scripture that we cannot save ourselves by earning salvation.
4. An eternal hell makes eternal life that much sweeter.
Jesus came to offer us a new life, an eternal life. Eternal life means nothing if the rejection of it means we cease to exist or that we can earn it in a temporary holding cell. When faced with the unimaginable, a way out looks that much sweeter. Now, that is not to say we should use hell to scare people into heaven. Those tactics do not work and our contrary to Scripture. Those are the tactics of the Westboro Baptist Church who I strongly oppose. But, the truth needs to be told and not just part of it. The whole truth needs to be told and even the harshest truth can be told in love. The reality is that the wages of our sin is death and that death will not end until we pay that wage. And, that is a wage we can never pay off. That is why Jesus came. He came to show us a better way. He came to show us a more excellent way. He came to show us that we could have life and have it to the full. He came to show us mercy, love, grace, forgiveness, light, etc. All of those things look so much sweeter when compared to the other side of the coin.
I am a pastor and I don't like talking about the reality of hell. But, I know that if I don't, then I will be withholding the truth. I want to make much of Jesus and in order to do that, I have to declare the whole counsel of God and not shrink from it (Acts 20:26-27). Some may say that I am intolerant and not with the times. Some may say that I hate people and do not love. Well, I love people too much to withhold life-saving information from them. Sometimes the truth is hard and it hurts, but the alternative is worse.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Take Me to Church
Last night was the Grammys. My wife and I watched some of it, but not all of it because we have other, more pressing priorities (i.e. Walking Dead and Downton Abbey). One performance I did see was Hozier's performance of "Take Me to Church." I was interested in the performance because I wanted to know exactly what the song was about. I didn't catch all of the lyrics last night so I looked them up today.
The song is a metaphor about the singer leaving the faith of his youth. He uses the metaphor of a woman to represent his journey away from God so that he could reclaim his humanity. Hozier grew up in Ireland and what he remembers about church is that it was repressive and handed out burdens to people that they could not bear on their own. He did not speak of church in the light of grace, freedom, forgiveness, salvation, etc. Is this surprising that he would feel this way towards church? No.
Hozier wants to go to a church where he can be free to be who he is. Hozier said about the song, "It's an assertion of self, reclaiming humanity back for something that is the most natural and worthwhile" (quote taken from interview on http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=32921). Hozier sees humanity as the thing that is natural and worthwhile rather than church. And, honestly I can't blame him.
For too long the church has put more burdens on people than lead them to the lifter of burdens. Jesus said to the religious leaders of his day, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers" (Luke 11:46). What do you think Jesus would say to His church today? I think he might say something similar. Now, this is a generalization, but it needs to be heard. Not all churches are like this because there are many churches who are leading people to Jesus. But, the church as a whole in this country and in other countries has been putting burdens on people's shoulders rather than pointing them to Jesus who wants to take their burdens.
The song that Hozier sung last night at the Grammys should be a wake up call for the Church. Hozier represents a generation that sees the church as nothing but a burden that they don't want to bear. They see humanity as the end-all-be-all. Humanity has the answer for everything and this life is all we have. But, as Switchfoot says, "We were made for so much more, have we lost ourselves?" As humans we bear the image of God and as Christians we are clothed with Christ. Christ came to lift burdens because he said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls." Jesus came to lift the burdens of sin, guilt, shame, death, and more off of our shoulders. As his followers, why should we add burdens on people's shoulders? Jesus has taken our burdens and his shoulders are big enough to take other people's burdens.
The song is a metaphor about the singer leaving the faith of his youth. He uses the metaphor of a woman to represent his journey away from God so that he could reclaim his humanity. Hozier grew up in Ireland and what he remembers about church is that it was repressive and handed out burdens to people that they could not bear on their own. He did not speak of church in the light of grace, freedom, forgiveness, salvation, etc. Is this surprising that he would feel this way towards church? No.
Hozier wants to go to a church where he can be free to be who he is. Hozier said about the song, "It's an assertion of self, reclaiming humanity back for something that is the most natural and worthwhile" (quote taken from interview on http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=32921). Hozier sees humanity as the thing that is natural and worthwhile rather than church. And, honestly I can't blame him.
For too long the church has put more burdens on people than lead them to the lifter of burdens. Jesus said to the religious leaders of his day, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers" (Luke 11:46). What do you think Jesus would say to His church today? I think he might say something similar. Now, this is a generalization, but it needs to be heard. Not all churches are like this because there are many churches who are leading people to Jesus. But, the church as a whole in this country and in other countries has been putting burdens on people's shoulders rather than pointing them to Jesus who wants to take their burdens.
The song that Hozier sung last night at the Grammys should be a wake up call for the Church. Hozier represents a generation that sees the church as nothing but a burden that they don't want to bear. They see humanity as the end-all-be-all. Humanity has the answer for everything and this life is all we have. But, as Switchfoot says, "We were made for so much more, have we lost ourselves?" As humans we bear the image of God and as Christians we are clothed with Christ. Christ came to lift burdens because he said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls." Jesus came to lift the burdens of sin, guilt, shame, death, and more off of our shoulders. As his followers, why should we add burdens on people's shoulders? Jesus has taken our burdens and his shoulders are big enough to take other people's burdens.
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