Insight for the Journey

This morning I did what I do every morning.  I weighed myself.  You talk about a reality check!  In the never-ending battle of the bulge, daily weighing is like a drill sergeant screaming in your face to “suck it up and keep on going!”

When Deb had seen me step on and off the scale about four times, she chuckled and asked what I was doing.  I said, “I keep getting on hoping it will give me the weight I want!” J

Yes.  Our bathroom scale is flaky.  It can vary as much as ten pounds depending on how you stand and position your weight.  If you get everything just right, you may get the weight you want!

God’s scales are different.  Belshazzar was a selfish and wicked Babylonian King who saw a mysterious hand writing on the wall during a big dinner party.  The scribbled message reminded him, “You have been weighed in God’s balance (scales) and found wanting.”  In other words, your life doesn’t measure up.

I’m glad God is not like our bathroom scales.  He doesn’t just tell us what we want to hear.  Because He is Truth, He speaks truth. 

Sometimes we’d prefer comforting false reports from flaky scales.  But the uncomfortable truth always helps us more in the long run.

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We often evaluate how closely we are walking with God by our circumstances. For instance, something bad occurs and we immediately think, “God must be paying me back for some sin of the past.” Or, “I must have displeased God in some way.” We’d be wise not to judge our circumstances so quickly.

Some “storms” are meant to discipline us. The rebellious prophet, Jonah, refused to obey what God told him to do. So God disciplined him through a storm at sea. Jonah knew exactly why that storm had come. He said to his fellow passengers, “I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you.” Make no mistake, God’s discipline affects us and those around us.  

But not every “storm” is a storm of discipline. In Matthew 14 we are told that Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go across the lake, where they later encountered a severe storm.  Unlike Jonah, these disciples were doing exactly what the Lord told them to do, and yet they still encountered a life-threatening storm. 

Some storms are meant to discipline us and some are meant to deepen us. We’re wise not to prematurely judge the purpose of God’s storms.

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It is quite common to hear praise for Jesus Christ but disdain for His Church. When asked what they think of Jesus Christ, some people will say, “What do I think of Jesus?  Oh…Jesus…He’s awesome!  Wow!  I mean, He’s really cool!  Who could possibly knock Jesus?  He’s the best.  I really love Jesus!”  But when asked what they think of His Church the tone changes dramatically: “Uh…the Church?  Yuck!  I mean the Church has got to be one of the most pathetic things in existence today!” More derogatory adjectives usually follow.

 There’s something about this position that doesn’t jive.  The Bible describes Jesus as the Groom and the Church as His bride.  So, to cast aspersions on the bride while still claiming to love the Groom, seems ingenuous at best.  It’s sort of like your closest friend from childhood, who is still a dear buddy, and he asks you to be the Best Man at his upcoming wedding.  You agree.  At the wedding you enthusiastically do your “Best Man” duties, producing the ring at the right moment, making the toast at the reception and enthusiastically standing by his side. 

But later that afternoon you take him aside for a private word.  You say, “I am so honored to be your Best Man.  What a great day this has been!  You are a really cool guy.  I’m grateful for our friendship and all it means to me.  Even though it’s awkward for guys to say this to each other, ‘I really love you, man.'”  You pause and continue, “But I’ve got to tell you…your bride looks like a DOG!  I mean she is UGLY, dude!  What a despicable woman!  How did you get hooked up with her?”

 Do you think you’d still have a friend?  I doubt it.

If you love the groom, don’t bash the bride. 

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I’ve just engaged in one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling things I do: encouraging Pastors and church leaders.  Hundreds of them were gathered this week at The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, North Carolina.  On Wednesday I did a Seminar for Pastors of smaller congregations on how they can thrive even though facing the particular challenges of a smaller ministry.  Today I taught a plenary session on how to build an evangelistic church.  This session is particularly exciting for me in that I share a lot of what we do at Grace Fellowship.  Finally, I lead the whole group in a brief “Concert of Prayer” where they rejoice in what God is doing and pray for one another.  Cliff Barrows, one of the greatest encouragers I know, concludes the school after that with his final challenge for commitment.

To be honest, many Pastors are struggling.  Some would start another vocation today if they felt released from their calling.  But they don’t feel released.  Because the church is God’s plan “A” for changing the world.  There is no plan “B”.  The happiest Pastors I know are those who serve in churches with people who love them, and who are trying to make a difference.

That’s what Grace Fellowship is to me.  No.  It’s not a perfect church; but it is a good church.  The church body deeply longs to make a difference.  Four special qualities quickly come to mind that make Grace unusual:

1. Grace’s members are highly committed.  One thing almost all Pastors lament, in their candid moments, is the dismal lack of maturity and commitment that plagues churches across America.  Grace has uncommitted attenders as well.  But our membership get’s it.  They are willing to sacrifice for the Kingdom.

2. Grace is willing to change and try new things.  We believe methods are many, principles are few.  Methods always change, principles never do.  We view methods and styles in a practical way.  The question is, “What is God using right now, in this culture and context?”  Only Jesus can build His church, but we must keep seeking the best strategies and methodologies possible to be His co-workers.

3. Our leaders are consistent.  Some of our leaders have now been at it for years, slugging away in the trenches.  But they keep on keeping on.  I respect that!  I love them for it.

4. We keep the main thing the main thing.  As a rule, members of Grace are not quick to fight or quarrel over nonessential matters.  That makes for a very harmonious church.

I love the Church.  And I love this church.  It is filled with real, authentic people who are on the journey together.  That keeps me coming back.

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