This week, and once in the past month, as well as (Lord willing) a few times coming in the future, I have the privilege of teaching kids at Harvest Bible Chapel York Region. This blog comes primarily from what I taught this week, but also out of other conversations I have had prior to and since then.
This week I taught the kids that when we know how much we owe, we can be amazed at how much God's grace can erase. Catchy right? I didn't make it up. Anyways, the point of the story from Luke 7 was that we should want to worship and love God so much because of what he has done for us - forgiving our sins if we believe and confess those sins (1 John 1:9).
This got me thinking - why don't we love God as much as we should? Why do we do things that rob God of our time, energy, and worship? Think of this week, or even this month. Has there been a time when you have thought that you should pray more or read your Bible more? For me, it's a lot of the time. I do things often that rob God of my affections for him. Sometimes it is blatant, other times I just catch myself thinking, "What am I doing with my time? How is this glorifying God?"
On the car ride back home from teaching kids on Saturday night, five of us got into a conversation about the joys of children and how they worship and love God. Think about it. When we are children, how much do we love God with a truly childlike faith? How much joy do we have in our hearts and minds and actions when we jump around and clap and sing and do crazy actions to songs? But then, as we grow older, we are expected to calm down and "worship God properly" - as if standing there with our hands half raised or in our pockets shows more praise to God.
I will come back to the childlike faith in a sec. For now, I just want to share with you something that was shared with me not too long ago that changed my perspective on worship. Why is it that we don't raise our hands or clap? Why is it that all to often the church is filled with cross-armed people singing half-heartedly? Why don't we raise our hands or get on our knees in worship? When we get to heaven, do you think there will be one single being there not on their knees or hands waving or dancing with joy because they are in God's presence? If we truly believe that God dwells in us, and we expect to meet him every time we worship or pray or sing in church, why do we not act like we want to? Should we not love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and might (Deuteronomy 6:5)? We say and sing that we love God with all that we are, and that we desire Jesus and so many more Christian worship lyrics. Do our hearts match our words? Or do we just worship in a more calm environment and with calmer attitudes. Heaven will be a party. A huge party with one purpose - to worship God. We won't be calm then!
This is where it comes back to the childlike faith and love. Look at the kids in your Sunday school classes. Are they joyful? Or do they have their arms crossed? Are they jumping around and excited to be worshipping God? Or do they look like they don't want to be there? I would suggest to you that we have taught our children these attitudes. When they go to a "grown up" church service, and see adults standing around looking very apathetic and not joyous about being in the presence of God, that's how they think it should be. It goes much deeper than this, but I would also suggest that this is why church is portrayed as boring as kids are growing up and as they become teenagers and adults. What message are we sending our kids? Should we not be MORE joyful than the children, because we TRULY understand the depths of our depravity and the eternal suffering that we have been saved from?
(Note: I am not advocating wildness in the church. I am saying there should be far more than most churches do, but also far less than other churches do. If what is happening is robbing God of glory because the focus shifts to humans, then it is not honouring to God. Honestly, I don't know where the happy medium is, but I would say that it is more than standing with your hands in your pockets or tweeting)
Think of this: How often have you heard a friend or family member say that they love someone else or even something else? It could be a couple in your work, school, or church. It could be in a movie. It could be the fact that I love peanut M&M's. How often do we say those things, or hear them being said? Now think of this: How often have you heard this week how much someone loves God? How much do we talk about our first love? We love others deeply and aren't afraid to show it (and there is nothing wrong with that), but we seem to be afraid to show how much we truly love God.
One of my favourite hymns (mostly due to hearing my mom sing it very beautifully while I was growing up) is Amazing Grace. I am pretty sure you all know it. Let me ask you - how sweet is the sound? How amazing is that grace to you? Does it consume you, or does it only come to your mind Sunday morning when the preacher reminds you of it?
Let me confess to you that it is not always all encompassing to me, as much as I desire it to be. As I have already admitted, I do things to rob God of all of the glory that is due him from my life. It's hard to do everything for God's glory. It's hard to love God as much as I should sometimes. I pray that would not be the same for you. I pray, as Jesus said to Ephesus, that you would return to your first love. Have the joy of your salvation renewed. Be in awe of what Jesus did for you, and what he continues to save you from. Glorify God because of it.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
The Great Commission
The other day, I found out through the grapevine that two of my really good friends just got engaged. So, I figured I would text him and say congrats, as well as make a joke, because that's just what I do. I texted him and said, "Newfie news travels fast. Congrats bro." After some jovial chuckles and me telling him how it got it me, he made this comment: "Man! If only the gospel spread that fast!" I am not sure a better comment could have been made by him. After a few more "congrats" and "happy for you guys" and other things were said, we stopped texting.
But then I got thinking...why doesn't the gospel get spread that fast? Why are we, as Christians (I always include myself in these, so I am not pointing fingers) so excited when people get engaged or have a baby that we tell everyone we know and the news truly spreads like wildfire? The same can be said of gossip. We are so quick to share juicy secrets or even good news about someone, but how excited are we to share the gospel? I would venture to say that some Christians, even at Tyndale, have not shared the gospel with a single person in their whole lives. Why? Why are we not as excited about the true Good News as we are about people getting engaged or someone's dirty laundry that gets aired out because of "concern" for that person?
At Tyndale, there is a hall dedicated to Oswald J. Smith, who was a hymn writer, pastor, evangelist, and one of the founders of The People's Church on Sheppard Avenue. One of the quotes on this wall goes something like this: "Why should anyone hear the gospel twice before everyone has heard it once?" Think back on this past week. How many times have you heard the gospel? How many times have you shared it? I am willing to bet that they are many in the former column, and few in the latter.
This is not a call to go to Third World or developing countries, because I certainly know that life isn't for everyone. Even doing a Sunday school class can be a conduit for preaching the gospel - those kids need Jesus, too! Just share it with someone!
Some of you might say, "I am not done my degree yet, how can I preach the gospel?" or "I am just not cut out for evangelism." or even "I give money to missionaries, isn't that enough?" Preaching the gospel is not optional - it's a command given by Jesus. It's not based on a degree or money, or even the lack of boldness you have. It's based on the power of God through you, in preaching the gospel to the people who have not yet accepted Jesus as the Lord of their lives. I am sure most people who read this could quote me the Great Commission, but I will paste Matthew 28:18-20 here for those who don't know it. "And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” "
So why don't we get exited about the gospel? And why don't we share it? These are questions on my mind, and I know I am perfect at neither one. What does it mean to glorify God with this? Can we ever justify not sharing the gospel? Can we justify not being excited because the great debt that we owed to God because of our sin was paid for in full by Christ being nailed to the cross? If our answer to either of those last two questions is ever "yes", I would say our hearts have been somewhat hardened to the gospel, and that is a dangerous path to be on.
Sources say that Christianity, in all of it's denominations, has around 2-2.5 billion people worldwide who call themselves Christians. That is 30-35% of the population, which is so amazing, and praise God for that. However, what if each person shared the gospel with just two different people? Theoretically, the whole world would have the gospel preached to it. I know it's not that easy, and that there are other religions, but that's nothing new. People have been oppressing God's people since long before you were born.
Let's do what God's will is, and spread that gospel like wildfire. Spread that Good News like other news we get excited for. After all, what excuse do we have not to?
It's all for the glory of God.
But then I got thinking...why doesn't the gospel get spread that fast? Why are we, as Christians (I always include myself in these, so I am not pointing fingers) so excited when people get engaged or have a baby that we tell everyone we know and the news truly spreads like wildfire? The same can be said of gossip. We are so quick to share juicy secrets or even good news about someone, but how excited are we to share the gospel? I would venture to say that some Christians, even at Tyndale, have not shared the gospel with a single person in their whole lives. Why? Why are we not as excited about the true Good News as we are about people getting engaged or someone's dirty laundry that gets aired out because of "concern" for that person?
At Tyndale, there is a hall dedicated to Oswald J. Smith, who was a hymn writer, pastor, evangelist, and one of the founders of The People's Church on Sheppard Avenue. One of the quotes on this wall goes something like this: "Why should anyone hear the gospel twice before everyone has heard it once?" Think back on this past week. How many times have you heard the gospel? How many times have you shared it? I am willing to bet that they are many in the former column, and few in the latter.
This is not a call to go to Third World or developing countries, because I certainly know that life isn't for everyone. Even doing a Sunday school class can be a conduit for preaching the gospel - those kids need Jesus, too! Just share it with someone!
Some of you might say, "I am not done my degree yet, how can I preach the gospel?" or "I am just not cut out for evangelism." or even "I give money to missionaries, isn't that enough?" Preaching the gospel is not optional - it's a command given by Jesus. It's not based on a degree or money, or even the lack of boldness you have. It's based on the power of God through you, in preaching the gospel to the people who have not yet accepted Jesus as the Lord of their lives. I am sure most people who read this could quote me the Great Commission, but I will paste Matthew 28:18-20 here for those who don't know it. "And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” "
So why don't we get exited about the gospel? And why don't we share it? These are questions on my mind, and I know I am perfect at neither one. What does it mean to glorify God with this? Can we ever justify not sharing the gospel? Can we justify not being excited because the great debt that we owed to God because of our sin was paid for in full by Christ being nailed to the cross? If our answer to either of those last two questions is ever "yes", I would say our hearts have been somewhat hardened to the gospel, and that is a dangerous path to be on.
Sources say that Christianity, in all of it's denominations, has around 2-2.5 billion people worldwide who call themselves Christians. That is 30-35% of the population, which is so amazing, and praise God for that. However, what if each person shared the gospel with just two different people? Theoretically, the whole world would have the gospel preached to it. I know it's not that easy, and that there are other religions, but that's nothing new. People have been oppressing God's people since long before you were born.
Let's do what God's will is, and spread that gospel like wildfire. Spread that Good News like other news we get excited for. After all, what excuse do we have not to?
It's all for the glory of God.
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