A Warning to Westerners

Author’s Note: I hesitated to compose this article because of its gloomy overtone.  That said, this morning in my quiet time, I was moved very powerfully toward this tone and could not ignore the heaviness upon my heart to write what was going through my mind.

Paul tells the church at Thessalonica, “you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia,” 1 Thessalonians 1:7.  The Thessalonian church became a witness, not only to the lost, but the rest of the church throughout the region.  The preceding verses tell us several things.  The gospel had been clearly presented to them in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Because of this, they became Christ followers as they followed the example which Paul and his companions had lived out before them. Because their faith was genuine, they endured in their faith in the face of persecution and hardship.  And even though they were afflicted, the joy of the Holy Spirit was evident in their lives.  It is no surprise that these people became an example to the surrounding church. Oh that we would do the same!

It is my dream, my ambition in life, to see the church become this vibrant again.  The 21st century, Western church is not lacking in books, in mp3′s, in video feeds of sermons which try to ignite this vibrancy once again.  If you notice, though, the Thessalonians had none of this, yet they shone like the sun to the surrounding region!  We have a glut of authors, we have a glut of Bible translations, yet we are still but an ember, left over from what was once a raging fire, in danger of being snuffed out.  If the Western church ceased to exist tomorrow, God’s church would still exist in other areas of the world, and God’s commitment to save a people from all tribes and nations would still stand fulfilled.  Scary.  We walk a dangerous road in our extra-marital romance with the world.  We, in the West, risk being spat out, just like the church at Laodicea.  Would that we would heed the living Christ’s advice to the Laodiceans:

“17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:17-19

We Westerners are the most literate, Bible inundated, well taught, technologically advanced branch of the church in all of history.  We will be accountable for much because we have been given much.  The preacher of the gospel in the West may be the most frustrated of all men because despite his best efforts, despite his reliance upon the Holy Spirit, he feels like Jeremiah.  The people do not really listen to him; they pay the gospel little mind, if any.  There are precious jewels in the rough to be found (I am fortunate to be a part of one of those jewels), but by far, the experience of many Western preachers is one of frustration, and were it not for their love of their Savior and his church, they would quit at their earliest opportunity.

You need to know, however, that I am optimistic.  I believe that there is a root in the Western church, a remnant, that is experiencing a renewed passion for Jesus.  I am optimistic that the Western church has some future days of great strength yet to come.  But the question we all should be asking is, will the presence of a remnant stave off the judgment which is coming to God’s house?  My answer is no.  If God allowed Shiloh and Jerusalem, two of the most holy and special places on the earth to his heart, to be sacked and ruined, why would we be any different?  If you think that America has some special place in God’s heart, just remember that on top of his mountain, in Jerusalem, sits a mosque.  Am I optimistic?  Yes I am, but I am also aware that any future days of spiritual power in the Western church may come at great personal cost.  Be ready.

Beyond Conquest

In our Sunday Morning Bible study, our small group is going through a study called, Don’t Waste Your Life, by John Piper. I read this book back in 2005, and it really affected me at the core. One of the things Piper says in the book – and I paraphrase – is that being more than a conqueror is more than simply defeating our enemy. Here’s the verse:

Romans 8:37, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

So what more is there than conquering our enemies? When an aggressive nation conquers a weaker nation, they don’t simply leave once they’ve conquered and allow them to rebuild. The conquering nation occupies the land. The conquering nation makes use of the resources they gained through the victory. They make the weaker nation they’re slave. So it’s not enough to simply gain a victory over our flesh or over Satan and call it good. We must make our enemy our slave. We must make our weakness work for us, and not against us. That’s what it means to be more than a conqueror. It is taking those things that would weaken us, those things that would cause us to sin, turning them on their heads and making them make much of Christ instead. It is exactly what Christ was speaking of when He said to Paul, “My strength is made perfect in weakness.” When we do that, even in our weakness, we can boast in Christ. I’m taking my propensity to overeat to task, and making an example of it before the world, for the sake of glorifying Christ. The fact is that even after I lose all my weight, I will still be tempted to eat poorly. But I take that temptation, and put it to public shame by declaring to the world that Christ is of more value to me than food.

So I will end with this question: How will you make your weakness your slave?

Loving the Giver, More than the Gift

It is a hard thing to accept a person’s resignation. It’s not that you can refuse it, but everything inside of yourself wants to protest vociferously to the person resigning. This morning, one of our praise team members informed me of their resignation. I haven’t informed the rest of the team, so I won’t drop the name. There’s nothing wrong, it’s just this person being obedient to the Lord. If the Lord is moving this person, who am I to protest? The Lord is making a change in this person’s life, which requires walking closely to Him. That also means that the Lord is making a change on the praise team, and I need not protest.

Following hard after Christ is fraught with hard decisions. It’s easy to armchair quarterback some one’s decisions, but when it’s you faced with the decision, it’s not always easy. Our emotions are stronger than we’d like to admit. Which is why it is so important that we base our emotions toward things from a love for Christ. If we are singing, then sing because you love Christ, not because you love to sing. If we are playing an instrument, play because you love Christ, not because you love to play. When the moment comes that Christ asks you to change what you do, your inclination will be toward Christ, and not the love of your talent.

I don’t say these things because I sensed them in the person who resigned. I say them because I reflected on what my reaction might be the day the Lord moves me to a different task within His body. I want my desire to obey to completely outweigh my desire to resist change. It may not bring about any fewer tears, but my resolve will be towards Christ, and that will provide the assurance I need in order to move forward.