It's always exciting being challenged to be intentional with the Gospel in your community, in good ways and bad. This past Sunday at Renewal Church, we were all given a Bible and challenged to go into our community and give the Bible to a lost person with whom we've had some interaction, as well as to try and share the gospel with that person. I've been praying desperately, trying to decide who I should give my Bible to, which has led me to think about the blessings and difficulties that result from this type of challenge.
Sometimes we need these opportunities, because motivation from without is often the thing that will push us over the edge, getting us to do something that we are deathly afraid of. I know that personally, I am extremely nervous about meeting new people, and on top of that I overthink my interactions with the lost. I have always be overly aware of how I am acting towards non-Christians, and unless I have a good reason to be talking with someone I don't know, I will usually talk myself out of it. For this reason, being challenged in the context of my church to go out and be intentional with the gospel is just the thing I need to actually talk myself into it and take that leap of faith.
However, these kinds of challenges also have the potential to lead to a legalistic mindset about evangelism, where I view my goal of sharing the gospel with a lost person as a chore to be marked off my list instead of seeing it as an opportunity I have to share with someone the greatest gift that I have ever been given. The Great Commission is God inviting us to join Him in His mission to seek and to save that which is lost, and if I allow it, this challenge could turn that opportunity into an obligation.
All of this to say, I hope that each of us who claims Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior would be actively seeking to share the Good News with the lost, not out of a mindset of obligation and legalism, but out of a heart of compassion for the lost and thankfulness for the opportunity that God has given us to help His mission succeed!
Removing the Shroud of Self-Deceit
I deceive myself a lot. I tell myself that I could do anything that I want. I tell myself that I could fulfill my calling in the ministry, become a famous rock musician, become a respected author, and become a Youtube phenomenon with millions of hits per video. The truth is, though, that I have been gifted by God to fulfill His purposes for my life. Maybe His will for my life includes all of these things and more, but I'm deceiving myself when I tell myself I can do "anything".
Unfortunately, my deceitful ways do not end there. I deceive myself with pride when I assume to have any ability in myself to be perfect or good. My flesh is sinful, and I could never be strong enough to completely overcome my sinful desires and live a life without sin. But for some reason, I try and try to do what's right and overcome the desires of my flesh. It's no fun being deceived, especially when the one deceiving you is yourself. So what are some of the indicators that a person is deceiving his or herself.
There are several verses in the New Testament that address the problem of self-deceit. In 1 Corinthians 3:18, the Scriptures say, "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise." So one indicator that a person is deceiving his or herself is an appeal to false wisdom. In the past few months, I cannot number how many times I've relied on my own wisdom and tried to appear wise so that other people would trust and respect me. Whatever the case may be, I am not wise, and the wiser I convince myself that I am, the more foolish I become.
Then, in Galatians 6:3 Paul writes, "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." Another indicator that a person is deceiving his or herself is an appeal to false worth. Once again, I cannot remember how often I have looked at myself in the past months and thought that I had anything to offer. My confidence in my self and in my abilities is completely unfounded, especially when I look at how often I mess up and fail.
James 1:26 says, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless." A third indicator that a person is deceiving his or herself is an appeal to false words. Just the fact that I talk way too much and speak before I think confirms the self-deceit that I live in. The act of self-control when speaking is a good indicator of whether or not you're deceiving yourself.
The final verse that offers us a clear view of the control of self-deceit on our lives is 1 John 1:8. In this verse the author of 1 John writes, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." So the final indicator that a person is deceiving his or herself is an appeal to false works. When I look at my actions and how I've viewed myself in the past few months, it is depressingly clear that I've focused way too much on the good that I've done and tried to completely ignore the sin in my life. This is probably the most clear indicator in my own life that I've been deceiving myself and that the truth has not been in me.
Fortunately, when I am weak, Jesus Christ is made strong in me (2 Corinthians 12:9). So instead of deceiving myself, from now on it will be my goal to see myself as I truly am, a sinful and weak individual who has nothing to offer, whose life has been ransomed by the blood of Christ and in my weakness Jesus becomes my strength. Only then will Christ be fully able to make His glory known in and through me. To God be the glory, great things He has done (and will do)!
Unfortunately, my deceitful ways do not end there. I deceive myself with pride when I assume to have any ability in myself to be perfect or good. My flesh is sinful, and I could never be strong enough to completely overcome my sinful desires and live a life without sin. But for some reason, I try and try to do what's right and overcome the desires of my flesh. It's no fun being deceived, especially when the one deceiving you is yourself. So what are some of the indicators that a person is deceiving his or herself.
There are several verses in the New Testament that address the problem of self-deceit. In 1 Corinthians 3:18, the Scriptures say, "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise." So one indicator that a person is deceiving his or herself is an appeal to false wisdom. In the past few months, I cannot number how many times I've relied on my own wisdom and tried to appear wise so that other people would trust and respect me. Whatever the case may be, I am not wise, and the wiser I convince myself that I am, the more foolish I become.
Then, in Galatians 6:3 Paul writes, "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." Another indicator that a person is deceiving his or herself is an appeal to false worth. Once again, I cannot remember how often I have looked at myself in the past months and thought that I had anything to offer. My confidence in my self and in my abilities is completely unfounded, especially when I look at how often I mess up and fail.
James 1:26 says, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless." A third indicator that a person is deceiving his or herself is an appeal to false words. Just the fact that I talk way too much and speak before I think confirms the self-deceit that I live in. The act of self-control when speaking is a good indicator of whether or not you're deceiving yourself.
The final verse that offers us a clear view of the control of self-deceit on our lives is 1 John 1:8. In this verse the author of 1 John writes, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." So the final indicator that a person is deceiving his or herself is an appeal to false works. When I look at my actions and how I've viewed myself in the past few months, it is depressingly clear that I've focused way too much on the good that I've done and tried to completely ignore the sin in my life. This is probably the most clear indicator in my own life that I've been deceiving myself and that the truth has not been in me.
Fortunately, when I am weak, Jesus Christ is made strong in me (2 Corinthians 12:9). So instead of deceiving myself, from now on it will be my goal to see myself as I truly am, a sinful and weak individual who has nothing to offer, whose life has been ransomed by the blood of Christ and in my weakness Jesus becomes my strength. Only then will Christ be fully able to make His glory known in and through me. To God be the glory, great things He has done (and will do)!
Perseverance
Giving up is almost never rewarding. Either you give up and have to cope with the guilt of not finishing what you started, or you give up and later start back up right where you ended, the time in between stopping and starting spent worrying about what still needs to be done. Either way, the act of quitting does not produce a positive outcome. In a lot of ways, the individual's tendency to procrastinate is done in recognition of the fact that, once they begin something, eventually they will have to finish it or face the consequences.
Sometimes the Christian walk seems like this, right? Christ has already saved us from our sin, and our justification by faith is whole and complete at the day of repentance. However, those who have been made new in Christ are still in the process of sanctification, a process that will not be complete until Christ returns. So we persevere and strive each day to die to ourselves, take up our cross, and grow in the image of Christ. James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." Unfortunately, it almost never fails that a day will come when we mess up. Our flesh will overpower our spirit (Matthew 26:41), and we ultimately give up running the race. And as the guilt sets in, we find ourselves thinking, "Why even bother? I'm sinful, and no matter how much I try, or don't try and let God be my strength, there will always come a day when I mess up."
The frustration of starting a life of submission to Christ is the reality that we have no control over when our sanctification is complete. The process is complete only when Christ returns. Christ is the "author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). In fact, the entire twelfth chapter of Hebrews is written as an encouragement to "run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). However, we run not to obtain our salvation, because our salvation has already been won by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Nothing we can do will ever save us from condemnation for our sins. Only faith in Christ and the work he did on the cross leads to salvation. And when we believe in Christ, turn to God and turn away from sin, our salvation is then made complete. No mistakes we make after that immediate justification will lead to us losing our salvation.
Unfortunately, this "assurance of salvation" has led some to believe that they are free in Christ to do as they please, as long as it is not expressly forbidden in Scriptures, or even if it is forbidden in the Bible. Shouldn't the believer, instead of seeing their justification as a free pass to do as they please, see justification as the door to freedom from the pressure to be perfect and from the guilt that comes from messing up? A Christian with a proper view of justification and sanctification will not procrastinate, because the pressure to finish what has been started will not exist. We do not begin our sanctification, because Christ is the author, and we do not complete our sanctification, because Christ is the finisher. We are simply called to run and persevere. We've already been justified and Christ has obtained our salvation for us. We are able to persevere and endure each day because the pressure to be perfect is no longer on us. So run the race, endure, persevere, and worry no more about messing up! The pressure has been lifted, God has providentially given us His Spirit, and by His grace we are free to run with endurance the race that is set before us!
Sometimes the Christian walk seems like this, right? Christ has already saved us from our sin, and our justification by faith is whole and complete at the day of repentance. However, those who have been made new in Christ are still in the process of sanctification, a process that will not be complete until Christ returns. So we persevere and strive each day to die to ourselves, take up our cross, and grow in the image of Christ. James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." Unfortunately, it almost never fails that a day will come when we mess up. Our flesh will overpower our spirit (Matthew 26:41), and we ultimately give up running the race. And as the guilt sets in, we find ourselves thinking, "Why even bother? I'm sinful, and no matter how much I try, or don't try and let God be my strength, there will always come a day when I mess up."
The frustration of starting a life of submission to Christ is the reality that we have no control over when our sanctification is complete. The process is complete only when Christ returns. Christ is the "author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). In fact, the entire twelfth chapter of Hebrews is written as an encouragement to "run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). However, we run not to obtain our salvation, because our salvation has already been won by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Nothing we can do will ever save us from condemnation for our sins. Only faith in Christ and the work he did on the cross leads to salvation. And when we believe in Christ, turn to God and turn away from sin, our salvation is then made complete. No mistakes we make after that immediate justification will lead to us losing our salvation.
Unfortunately, this "assurance of salvation" has led some to believe that they are free in Christ to do as they please, as long as it is not expressly forbidden in Scriptures, or even if it is forbidden in the Bible. Shouldn't the believer, instead of seeing their justification as a free pass to do as they please, see justification as the door to freedom from the pressure to be perfect and from the guilt that comes from messing up? A Christian with a proper view of justification and sanctification will not procrastinate, because the pressure to finish what has been started will not exist. We do not begin our sanctification, because Christ is the author, and we do not complete our sanctification, because Christ is the finisher. We are simply called to run and persevere. We've already been justified and Christ has obtained our salvation for us. We are able to persevere and endure each day because the pressure to be perfect is no longer on us. So run the race, endure, persevere, and worry no more about messing up! The pressure has been lifted, God has providentially given us His Spirit, and by His grace we are free to run with endurance the race that is set before us!
Re:grouping
It's an exciting time to be joining in with the mission of God. His Church abroad is growing tremendously, even to the point of sending missionaries to America to evangelize the lost, and the Church in the U.S. is going through a long and difficult process of burning and refining. Following the example of Paul, we have continued to build upon the foundation of the Church, fulfilling the Great Commission. But Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 3:10-13 are still true today:
How glorious and humbling it is to be in the midst of this refining process and to see God's faithfulness to His Word and to His people. Sadly, many churches have been destroyed in the fire, either dead or dying, but God's plan for His Church is not one of damnation but of restoration! Praise be to God, who tests with fire in order to establish for Himself a pure bride! Yes, there will be struggles, trials, setbacks, failures, but all so that God's Church can be refined, restored, and ultimately made perfect at the Second Coming of Christ!
Recently I've realized that the name of the church I am serving at is somewhat appropriate in view of the refining process that God is putting His Church through today. The idea of "Renewal" is central to this refining of the Church. The fire comes and burns away all the excess, and in the end what is left is the perfect Foundation (Christ) and the beautiful Bride (Church) which has been established upon Him. The Church is being renewed!
So what can we do. It's time to regroup. Not only should we patiently observe how God is moving and working in the Church, but it's also time to rejoin the mission of God, to reach every man, woman and child with the Gospel so that in Him they may receive new life. As a part of Renewal Church's plan to connect individuals with God's mission, we will be starting five "re:groups" next week: close groups of believers that gather for the purpose of reconnecting with God's mission and who are working to see the Church renewed. Please be praying as we begin this endeavor and seek to join God in building His kingdom.
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.The rest of the passage goes on to talk about what happens to him whose work survives and to him whose work is burned up, but looking at what is happening in the Church today, it's hard not to see God's "refining fire" burning and engulfing the churches in America.
How glorious and humbling it is to be in the midst of this refining process and to see God's faithfulness to His Word and to His people. Sadly, many churches have been destroyed in the fire, either dead or dying, but God's plan for His Church is not one of damnation but of restoration! Praise be to God, who tests with fire in order to establish for Himself a pure bride! Yes, there will be struggles, trials, setbacks, failures, but all so that God's Church can be refined, restored, and ultimately made perfect at the Second Coming of Christ!
Recently I've realized that the name of the church I am serving at is somewhat appropriate in view of the refining process that God is putting His Church through today. The idea of "Renewal" is central to this refining of the Church. The fire comes and burns away all the excess, and in the end what is left is the perfect Foundation (Christ) and the beautiful Bride (Church) which has been established upon Him. The Church is being renewed!
So what can we do. It's time to regroup. Not only should we patiently observe how God is moving and working in the Church, but it's also time to rejoin the mission of God, to reach every man, woman and child with the Gospel so that in Him they may receive new life. As a part of Renewal Church's plan to connect individuals with God's mission, we will be starting five "re:groups" next week: close groups of believers that gather for the purpose of reconnecting with God's mission and who are working to see the Church renewed. Please be praying as we begin this endeavor and seek to join God in building His kingdom.
Trying Not to Try
I wish I prayed more. I know that's a dangerous way to start out a blog about my church internship, but I'm feeling a little more transparent today. Within the past month, I've developed several relationships with lost individuals, I've encountered some really tough situations, and I've had some really big decisions to make. As a church intern for a church plant in Greenville, SC, it's difficult not to pray, especially when I'm raising my own support and the church has no preexisting structure to speak of. But now that the support is falling into place and the church structure is taking shape, it has become a daily struggle to pray.
I wish I prayed more. I have things in my life that I no longer want control of. The responsibility of praying for God's will and being faithful to God in all things is enough to occupy the rest of my time for eternity. I no longer want to take upon myself the responsibilities of seeing a lost person saved or seeing a church grow or making the correct life decisions. Prayer is a powerful and refreshing way to connect and communicate with the God who saved me from my depravity. I cannot imagine how strong my relationship with Him would be if I prayed more often than to just ask for things or to gain peace when I'm worried about situations in my life.
I recently read the book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala, the pastor of The Brooklyn Tabernacle. The book is a powerful reminder of how God answers the passionate and desperate prayers of His people, as well as a reminder that prayer is not about us but its about God. I want to pray more passionately and more often and more desperately for God to do a work in my life and in the lives of those around me. The problem is, I'm still a sinful human who wants more than anything to feel capable and be able to rely upon myself. Even though I know I can't rely on myself, I still try. I try so hard. And when I fail, I'm broken and seek God. But even after God picks me up and puts me back together, I decide that it may be a good idea to try again. Just to see if maybe this time it will be different. And it never is... I wish I prayed more.
*Jeremiah 29:11-14*
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."
I wish I prayed more. I have things in my life that I no longer want control of. The responsibility of praying for God's will and being faithful to God in all things is enough to occupy the rest of my time for eternity. I no longer want to take upon myself the responsibilities of seeing a lost person saved or seeing a church grow or making the correct life decisions. Prayer is a powerful and refreshing way to connect and communicate with the God who saved me from my depravity. I cannot imagine how strong my relationship with Him would be if I prayed more often than to just ask for things or to gain peace when I'm worried about situations in my life.
I recently read the book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala, the pastor of The Brooklyn Tabernacle. The book is a powerful reminder of how God answers the passionate and desperate prayers of His people, as well as a reminder that prayer is not about us but its about God. I want to pray more passionately and more often and more desperately for God to do a work in my life and in the lives of those around me. The problem is, I'm still a sinful human who wants more than anything to feel capable and be able to rely upon myself. Even though I know I can't rely on myself, I still try. I try so hard. And when I fail, I'm broken and seek God. But even after God picks me up and puts me back together, I decide that it may be a good idea to try again. Just to see if maybe this time it will be different. And it never is... I wish I prayed more.
*Jeremiah 29:11-14*
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."
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