Words from an older pastor to young adults...

In April 2008, I went on a weekend retreat with the Young Adult Community at my church in Kansas City. Pastor Tom, the senior pastor, came for part of the weekend and shared with us five regrets he had from his twenty-something years. I have found myself coming back to these ideas from time to time since that weekend, and I have been reflecting on them a lot this past week in particular.

Here are the five regrets he shared:

(1) Driven to personally succeed, rather than energized to serve others.

(2) Thought accomplishment was more important than intimacy.

(3) Viewed the local church as optional, rather than essential.

(4) Bought into the Western, Greek idea of life balance (i.e. balanced compartments), rather than the Old Testament, Hebrew idea of life cadence.

(5) Thought about the Christian life as more about getting to heaven, rather than bringing heaven to earth.

Tom's pastoral ministry today focuses on service, intimacy, the essential nature of the local church, life cadence, and bringing heaven to earth.

What do you think? Do you see any of Pastor Tom's five regrets in your own life? (I know I do.) What can we do individually and as a community to grow more like Jesus in these areas?

Reading Round-Up

RJS has an on-going piece over at Scot McKnight’s blog about “missional campus ministry.” She is a professor at a large secular university (not a Christian college) who has been involved in academia for 28 years as a graduate student, post-doc, and professor. Check out her thoughts here: Parts I, II, III, and IV. What do you think?

Here is a good op-ed piece on credit card use in America.

Check out this artwork made with an iPhone using an application called “Brushes.” Pretty neat stuff!

At just 28-years-old, Jon Favreau (President Obama’s top speechwriter) makes an annual salary of $172,200 working in the White House. Hmmm, maybe I can put my future communications degree to some good use after all... :-)

Is the Internet melting our brains? “No,” says Dennis Baron, professor of English and linguistics at the University of Illinois and author of the forthcoming book, A Better Pencil. He explains why such hysterical hand-wringing is as old as communication itself.

Jesus' Ink...Part Two.

So my last post asked whether or not Jesus will have a tattoo, when He returns. The conclusion is really no conclusion, we are just going to have to wait and see.

So what about tattoos? What if you have a tattoo? What if you want a tattoo? Are tattoos Christian? Are tattoos a sin?

Tattooing is a controversial issue in society today, without the addition of Christian ethics and morals. To start with (so you understand my perspective), I have a tattoo. Actually, I have several tattoos.

I think a better question than the ones listed above would be, is a tattoo right for me? In our culture tattoos aren’t looked at the same way as they were maybe just a few years ago. For me tattoos were and are right, I have chosen to get them to represent specific areas and times in life I want to remember. I do however caution getting tattoos, it is a permanent expression; make sure you want to express that forever. There are some other things to take into consideration such as possible side effects and even the possibility of a disease, so be wise about your decision.

A tattoo is a personal decision, one to make wisely and not hastily. As Christians we need to realize we live in freedom with Christ, but we do not have a license to sin. The bible is clear about many things that are without a doubt a sin, however tattoos are a grey area. Leviticus 19:28 says, do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark you skin with tattoos. This verse was specifically needed to combat the worship of pagan Gods and ancestor worship. Furthermore we are not bound by the law to have a relationship with God because of the Sacrifice of Jesus.

What if you want to get a tattoo to glorify God and speak of your Christian testimony? Why not, the bible declares your body is a temple (2 Corinthians 6:15), so you are just putting out the sign, right? I know many people who have the salvation story tattooed on them, from the fall of man to the risen Christ and it is an amazing testament to their dedication, they can never hide their light, their ink declares their victory in Christ and I applaud their decision to live life that loudly for Christ.

I think the best way to look at this is, if you feel like tattoos are wrong, then they probably are wrong for you, but I would caution you in redirecting people who feel they are right. If you feel tattoos are right, then they may be right for you and I would caution you about trying to redirect those who believe it is wrong. The only thing we need to agree on is Jesus is our Lord and our God, everything else is gravy.

Jesus' Ink

Earlier today I Twitted asking if Jesus would have a tattoo when he returned. Revelation 19:16 says, on his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

Everyone said yes, He would.

It looks like it, although there are several approaches we can take to look at this verse. 1. Jesus has Ink! 2. Jesus has a Sharpie and he wrote it on His leg. 3. It’s not a tattoo or Sharpie but a supernatural expression of a worthy title.

Then there is another view, that the word “thigh” is incorrectly translated and should actually be the word “banner.” The words “thigh” and “banner” are almost exactly alike in Hebrew and a translator could have had a difficult time reading a poorly written manuscript. One could also argue that the Old Testament law stated not to mark your skin (Leviticus 19:28.) The NLT version actually says “On his robe at his thigh.”

All these different views add up to Christians disagreeing on something, but lets try to find some common ground. First lets agree this is not a major point of contention or eternally significant in anyway.

I am going to take the fifth standpoint; I don’t really care. Sure it would be cool if Jesus has a Tattoo but I think we are missing the point. More important than Jesus’ ink is the fact He is coming back to claim His people. He is actually, in this context, coming to establish His 1000-year reign.

We need to look at who Jesus is, not what He may or may not look like, it is easy to get caught up in the non-essentials but we can’t let them distract us from the essential elements of our faith. Revelation 19 should be a call to action, to make as many connection points with people as possible, to share with them who Jesus is.

The Fear of the Lord (Malachi 2:1-3:5, 3:16-4:6)

I. Introduction

A. Why do we do reckless things? Why do we make stupid decisions? Why don’t we show more compassion toward others? Why are our daily routines and life pursuits so often all about us?

It has been said that what you think about God is the most important thing about you. Maybe the key to answering the questions above is to examine ourselves and what we think about God.

B. Notice the many references to “honor,” “reverence,” “awe,” and “fear” in the text: 2:2, 2:5, 3:5, 3:16, and 4:2.

C. Movie clips from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe:

1. The camp bowing down before Aslan (beginning @ 7:00 mins)

2. Susan & Lucy stroking Aslan’s mane (beginning @ 3:05 mins)

3. “Not safe, but good” (beginning @ 6:00 mins)

In the story of Narnia, the great lion Aslan is a kind of Christ-figure.

In C. S. Lewis’ book, The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe, the character Lucy asks: “Then he [Aslan] isn’t safe?” Mr. Beaver replies: “Safe? [D]on’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you” (81).

What we think about God ought to cause our hearts to bow down before him as King. The Lord is not safe, but he is good.

D. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:7).

Wisdom means basing the decisions we make and the actions we take solidly on our past experiences, our present circumstances/responsibilities, and our future hopes and dreams (HT: Andy Stanley). This is what the book of Proverbs is all about. And the key to wisdom is what we think about God.

II. Israel does not fear YHWH because they do not know who he is (2:1-17)

Israel no longer takes YHWH seriously. They do not fear the Lord. The priests bring blind, crippled, diseased, and blemished animals to offer as sacrifices. The men of Judah are divorcing their first wives and intermarrying with foreign women who worship foreign gods. Israel is withholding tithes and offerings, giving only a part of what the Lord has required. They even dare to question God’s justice, saying that evildoers prosper.

Do they know who God is? Think about it. If they truly knew who God is, they would take him more seriously. If they truly knew the Lord, they would fear the Lord. In vv. 1-3, God admonishes the priests for the posture of their heart. They do not honor God. He says that they have failed to follow the example of Levi (vv. 7-9). He says to them: “‘And you will know that I have sent you this admonition so that my covenant with Levi may continue,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin” (vv. 4-6).

What does it mean to stand in awe of God? I think the image from The Chronicles of Narnia of the entire camp bowing down before Aslan the King says it all.

Levi stood in awe of YHWH, but the Levites of Malachi’s day did not. This is because they clearly do not know YHWH (see v. 17, where they question his justice). We must know who God is. This is absolutely imperative.

III. Because Israel does not fear YHWH, they will be judged (3:1-5; 3:16-4:6)

A. How we relate to God is a serious business. Malachi pleads with his people to guard themselves in their spirit and repent of breaking the covenant God made with their forefathers. God warns them that if they do not repent, they will be judged. The messenger of the covenant (that is, Jesus) will refine the Levites (3:2-4). In the Day of the Lord, arrogant and evildoing men will burn like stubble (4:1).

Justice is “what is right.” What is right is determined by what God says (Torah). What God says is determined by who God is (just, holy, loving, triune, etc.). So the nature of God determines what justice is. God is “what is right” (source, accessed August 13, 2009).

If you remember, those who had prospered in Babylon were now using their good fortunes to take advantage of fellow Jews who were less fortunate by lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest (usury). This was a great injustice and, as such, it violated the very nature and character of God. God promises that the messenger of the covenant will judge the people of Israel for all of their injustices (3:5).

B. I think one reason we struggle with what we think about God is because he is not physical. Susan and Lucy had a real, live, physical lion ... a potent reminder of who Aslan is. But we do not. It is like there is nothing for our senses to grasp onto.

Israel’s response in 3:16 is striking: it is all about the posture of their heart, yet they preserve their response in a physical scroll, something they can hold onto.

IV. Conclusion

Donald Miller says: “If you ask me, the way to tell if a person knows God for real, I mean knows the real God, is that they will fear Him ... It seems like, if you really knew the God who understands the physics of our existence, you would operate a little more cautiously, a little more compassionately, a little less like you are the center of the universe” (Searching for God Knows What, 38).

V. Regen Reflection Q’s

A. “Our God is not safe, but he is good.” What do you think about this statement?

B. In what ways may you have taken yourself too seriously? In what ways may you have taken God too lightly?

C. What do you think of Israel’s response to God in 3:16? How can we model this kind of response in our own lives and community?

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The Gospel in Action

It still surprises me when I see the Gospel in action! As disciples and followers of Christ it is our job to set the very words of Jesus in motion. It’s God’s desire that we act out the words he took the time to inspire. Yesterday I went to hang out with and get to know a guy who I feel God is setting apart to be a world changer. Aside from that something else caught my eye. The life of a twenty something is usually one busy day after the next, with work, church and social commitments begging all of their waking attention. So when I see them spending their time doing what God called us to do, it reminds me why I do what I do. It is a renewal for me; it inspires me to be more Christ-like myself. I love when the people I influence, influence me.

I left this post intentionally vague for a reason. The point is Jesus works in small doses, when we act on the behalf of another out of love we act on Jesus. The kingdom of Heaven is expanded in inches and when we share our time with those around us, our light can’t help but shine. We may not be able to heal physical sickness with a touch, but we can mend brokenness with our time. Make a difference in someone’s life today with your time.

Giving God Our Best (Malachi 1:6-14, 3:6-12)

I. Introduction

A. Illustration: Texting while driving

“Fourteen states already ban texting while driving, though three states, including New York, have passed measures that have yet to take effect. A spate of reports has highlighted the dangers of distracted driving. A study released in late July by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that truck drivers face a risk of a crash or near crash 23 times as much when texting than when not doing so. A study from the University of Utah using a driving simulator found that college students faced a crash risk eight times as much when texting” (New York Times, accessed August 16, 2009).

“David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, estimates that only 2% of people are able to safely multitask while driving” (TIME Magazine, accessed August 16, 2009).

In order to type a coherent sentence, texting gets the best of your attention, while driving gets whatever attention is leftover. You simply don’t have the capacity to give your best to both.

B. In life, we all have responsibilities (work, school, etc.) and relationships (family, friends, etc.). Like texting while driving, the fact is that we will give our very best to some of these things, and everything else will get whatever time, energy, talent, emotion, etc. we have leftover. Something or someone is getting your best. Something or someone is getting your leftovers.

II. Giving God Our Best (1:6-14)

In v. 6, YHWH issues a scathing rebuke to the people of Israel, and the priests in particular. He is their father, yet they have not shown him honor. He is their master, yet they have not shown him respect. YHWH brings this charge against them: “It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.” How do they respond? They play innocent. “How have we shown contempt for your name?” Even the religious leaders of Israel do not fear YHWH.

In vv. 8, 13-14, we see that they are bringing blind, crippled, diseased, and blemished animals to offer as sacrifices. This says something about the posture of their heart towards God. What audacity! They would never think of giving such a gift to their fellow man or to the governor over them. There is no fear of the Lord to be seen here. They are not giving God their best. They are giving him their leftovers.

Do you give God your best, or do you give him your leftovers? Do you live for God halfheartedly, secretly hoping he will not notice? What is the posture of your heart?

III. Giving to God Generously (3:6-12)

Last week, we saw that YHWH says to Israel: “I have loved you.” He then goes on to trace this love all the way back to Jacob. Here in chapter three, YHWH says: “I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendents of Jacob, are not destroyed” (v. 6). It is because of his unchanging love that YHWH spares Israel despite their sin and folly and rebellion. “‘Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty” (v. 7). This is the key verse for the book of Malachi. This is God’s heart for his people.

YHWH levels another charge against Israel: “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me” (v. 8). Once again, Israel plays innocent. “How do we rob you?” He tells them that they are robbing him by not bringing in the whole tithe. They are holding something back. How we relate to God is a serious business. In the book of Malachi, the people of Israel take themselves too seriously, and they take God too lightly.

If only Israel will give generously and bring in the whole tithe, God promises that he will bless them abundantly (vv. 10-12).

God is generous. He gives us life and breath and everything else (Acts 17:25). We are made in the image and likeness of God, so we should be generous too. We should give God our best and give generously of our time, our talent, and our treasure.

IV. Application

A. Time

1. LOVE: We need to give generously of our time to invest in loving relationships. Paul Hiebert, late professor of mission and anthropology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, says: “Alicja Iwanska, a Polish anthropologist, pointed out how difficult [it can be to understand all people as fully human]. In a study of Americans of the Northwest coast, she concluded that they divide their world into three broad categories: ‘scenery,’ such as the mountains, weather, and strange places, which provide the staple for most conversations; ‘machinery,’ such as tractors, cars, books, pencils, and other items used to do a job; and ‘people.’ She found, however, that they tended to see American Indians as ‘scenery’ and transient laborers as ‘machinery.’ Only friends and relatives were really ‘people’” (Hiebert, Cultural Anthropology, 41). Maybe one reason we have such a hard time loving people is that we do not see them as God sees them. We need to repent and give God our best in loving the people he has created.

2. SERVICE: We need to give God our best by cultivating and practicing a servant’s heart. There are opportunities to serve all around, but we must discipline ourselves to take those opportunities. Jesus was a servant (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45), so anyone who claims to be his disciple likewise ought to be a servant.

B. Talent

1. INSIDE THE LOCAL CHURCH: If you are part of a local church family, you should seek out ways to put your gifts, skills, talents, and abilities to good use there. How can you support the life and mission of your church?

2. OUTSIDE THE LOCAL CHURCH: Whatever gifts, skills, talents, and abilities you possess are not yours to keep for building your own kingdom. They are yours to give away in building God’s kingdom. What is your vocation? What might be the intersection of your vocation and the kingdom of God? Are there ways you can be more kingdom-oriented in your day-to-day living?

C. Treasure

1. THE LOCAL CHURCH: If you are part of a local church family, you should give generously of your finances to support the life and mission of the church. You can write a check or set up a monthly electronic funds transfer (EFT). Whatever the case, you should create margin in your budget for both planned giving and spontaneous giving.

2. THE COMMON GOOD: Disciples of Jesus should be the best kind of citizens and contributors to society. Loving our neighbor dictates that we work for the common good. We have incredible resources for giving generously to help the poor and needy, both at home and abroad. Write a check. Sponsor a child. Get involved in micro-finance loans. There are all kinds of ways that you can make your money work for the common good of society.

A report in the journal Science said “a team of economists and psychologists at the University of Oregon said they found that donating money to charity activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure” (Mitchum, “Warm Glow of Giving Isn’t Your Imagination,” source, accessed June 20, 2007). God created you to be generous! Once again, this includes both planned giving and spontaneous giving.

V. Conclusion

Think about it: the times in life when you have felt most fully alive are times when you were giving, not times when you were taking. God created you to be generous! So when you give, you feel his pleasure. Giving is, in many ways, the pathway to human flourishing.

God is generous. He gives us life and breath and everything else (Acts 17:25). We are made in the image and likeness of God, and being generous is part of bearing his image. The story of YHWH and Israel in the book of Malachi reminds us that we should give generously toward God and give God our best.

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