A God big enough to worship

When was the last time you felt awe - the sweaty palms and tightening gut that results when understanding fails and mystery remains? Most of us are quite uneasy with such a feeling. We do everything we can to destroy mystery, to define boundaries, and to find ourselves a place of comfort. In this we are not unlike the ancient Israelis who were camped around Mt. Sinai awaiting the Lord's direction. As the mountain quaked and smoked under His Mysterious Presence, they grew fearful. The Bible tells us - "Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”" (Exodus 20:18-19, NKJV) Later in the saga, when Moses went up the mountain again, after a few days they abandoned the Lord, preferring to make a lesser god - one less intimidating. In one of the more tragic episodes of the Exodus, Aaron capitulated to their demands and made them an idol, a golden calf. The result was amazing! "Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies." (Exodus 32:25, NIV)

Like those ancient Jews, many of us find ourselves discomfited by the God of the Scripture who defies definition and formulas. We read of His exploits and wonder what it means, asking - Who is He really? In response many of us unconsciously adopt images for Him to which we can relate and, in the process, lose the Majesty. God asks "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you ever build me a temple as good as that?’ asks the Lord. ‘Could you build a dwelling place for me?" (Acts 7:48-49, NLT) We must be willing to live with a God of wonder, One who is big enough to worship with our whole hearts.

When we diminish God, when we take away His majesty and make Him over as a tame god, awe disappears.
With the loss of awe comes a loss of moral restraint!

I believe that one of the reasons the Church is so full of sin in our time is that her theology is so impoverished. We sing "Jesus loves me, this I know..." and as precious as that truth is, it is not all there is to know. God, as seen in the face of Jesus Christ, is approachable and that is a treasure for those of us who follow Him. But, God is still the God of Sinai and the God of Whom the prophets thundered. He is the God that John met on the Isle of Patmos who revealed His sweeping plans for the triumph of His kingdom and the destruction of evil. Believer, we need to make a fast from all our pious chatter to ponder the ways of the Most High. In humility we need to admit that God is greater than our understanding and that He always will be! That is not a terrible thing at all. In fact, admitting that God does not live in our back pocket, that He is not exclusively the god of Christian evangelicals or the god of America, will go a long, long way to restoring our love for the world that He loves and serving Him in a way that is holy.

“I am the LORD your God, ... “You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below." (Exodus 20:2-4, NIV)
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"You are awesome in this place,
Mighty God.
You are awesome in this place,
Abba Father.
You are worthy of all praise,
to You our lives we raise.
You are awesome in this place,
Mighty God." Amen.
- Dave Billington

I am not God.

Aren't you glad I cleared that up? Many Americans have a religion that makes it seem as though they are god, with rituals and rules bent to favor their own needs, interests, and prejudice. The glorious statement in the opening chapter of the Bible that reveals God's Creative purposes, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;..." (Genesis 1:26, NKJV) is rewritten by many so that it reads, "Let us make gods in our image!" We can see the results of this trivialization of God all around us. Christianity 'lite' to which about 50-60% of Americans subscribe simply cannot bring about the transformation of character or restraint of self-serving impulses that are required for truly godly lives. Sermons that are little morality lessons wrapped in cute stories about kids don't bring about conviction of sin. Treating the Bible like a collection of Aesop's Fables won't make us godly people.

We need a new revelation of the Transcendent God, the One who stands above the world as the Creator of the Universe, and to Whom each of us will give an account of himself. A person who believes in the God of the Bible, who understands that God is not his peer but his Lord, views all of life through a different lens than the person who sees god only as the Cosmic Buddy, good for making him feel a little better in the tough moments like death. The person who sees God as Creator, as the One who gives divine law and expects those He has created to adhere to that law, begins to grasp that the world is sacramental - that is, it a place where everything reflects God's holiness and where all actions become means of giving Him glory.

Rod Dreher, author of an excellent little book called Crunchy Cons, (goofy name, great book) writes this - "to see the world sacramentally is to see material things, objects and human actions - as vessels containing or transmitting ideals. To live in a sacramental world is to live in a world pregnant with meaning, a world in which nothing can be taken for granted, and in which no one and nothing is without intrinsic worth. If we live sacramentally, then everything we do and everything we are reflects the things we value."

Believer, does pondering the truth about God make you shiver? It should!
Does the revelation that - "Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done." (Hebrews 4:13, NLT) - make you sit up and think about the casual ways in which you're living? It should!

And, once we have felt that fear which the Bible says is the beginning of wisdom, we are ready to be converted, truly saved. The Cross of Christ which provides atonement (complete forgiveness of our sins) makes little sense if God is an impotent being incapable or unwilling to call us to account. But, if we have felt the icy grip of holy terror, we will run to the Cross, embracing Christ Jesus the Savior, with something very much like desperation. Jesus Himself reminds us that "those who are forgiven much, love much!" What, does He mean some of us are more in need of salvation than others? I think not. He means that some of us see ourselves in the true Light of God and realize just how depraved we are, the depths from which we have been lifted- and that only by the grace of God. It is wonderful to say, "Jesus loves me" and it is true, too. But, apart from the revelation of the Majesty of God, the love of Jesus diminishes into a sappy kind of thing, a romantic notion without life transforming power.

Believer, let me urge you to think again about the God you serve.
Is your theology (that's not a dirty word!) sound? Do you know who God is, as He is revealed in the Holy Scripture?
If so, then a holy life will follow as you humble yourself before Him, inviting the Spirit to fill you up and to mold you into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

I remain firmly convinced that right living comes from right thinking; and, that right thinking begins only with the revealed Truth of God.

I am not God, nor are you. Of course, even that statement is ridiculous when written out.
But if your daily choices are examined, who would others determine is your God?
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Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
Wean it from earth; through all its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art;
And make me love Thee as I ought to love.

I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
No sudden rending of the veil of clay,
No angel visitant, no opening skies;
But take the dimness of my soul away.

Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh;
Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear.
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh,
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

Hast Thou not bid me love Thee, God and King?
All, all Thine own, soul, heart and strength and mind.
I see Thy cross; there teach my heart to cling:
O let me seek Thee, and O let me find!

Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
One holy passion filling all my frame;
The kindling of the heaven descended Dove,
My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame. -- George Croly

Learning to be Less

"I'm learning to be less." Now there is one catchy slogan. Not! I don't see the Army selling itself by advertising that they'll teach you to submit to authority, to take orders without question during weeks of demanding basic training. How do they advertise? With an appeal to pride: "Be all that you can be ... in the Army." The Marines recruiting posters don't show pictures of sweating kids pushed to the limits of their endurance, mentally and physically. They play up the elite nature of the corp with this line: "the few, the proud, the Marines!"

Jesus is much more truthful about the cost of being in His service. “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life." (Luke 9:23-24, NLT)

Whatever does He mean, "shoulder your cross?" His first listeners knew all too well. The cross was a slow painful means of execution used by the Romans to keep conquered peoples in line. Outside of major Roman garrisons, there were always crosses alongside the road. They stood like billboards advertising the might and power of the empire, even to the point of death! Jesus borrowed the imagery to talk about subduing our sinful nature, making it responsive to God's will and ways. We can't talk ourselves into being good. We can't educate ourselves into being holy. There is but one way that we can completely serve God. That way? Die to self! Jesus invites us to learn to be less, even to the point of regarding ourselves as dead. The result will be that He can give us real and lasting life, not life that is focused on satisfying the body's endless demands, but life that is focused on doing God's will and entering into eternal life right here, right now.

Shouldering the cross need not be some grand gesture, a move to some remote place of service, or a rejection of all creature comforts like the ascetic monks of the Middle Ages. It is a daily decision to be less, to set aside reputation, self-advantage, pride, and our sense of purpose and place in this world in order to sign onto God's plans and to walk in His purposes. John, the Baptist, the fore-runner of Jesus shows us how. This cousin of Jesus knew early on that he was not the great Messiah, the hope of the godly. He was a powerful preacher and moved great crowds to repentance, to consider God's demands. But, he always knew that Someone else was coming to be the Savior. He announced Jesus with these amazingly self-effacing words.

"The bride will go where the bridegroom is. A bridegroom’s friend rejoices with him. I am the bridegroom’s friend, and I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. I am of the earth, and my understanding is limited to the things of earth, but he has come from heaven." (John 3:29-31, NLT)

Did John always enjoy his role? We cannot be certain since the Gospels do not tell us much. But we do learn this; when the Kingdom didn't show up as John had thought that it would with great power and the end of sin on the earth, he grew disillusioned. He sent some of his friends to Jesus to ask Him, "Are you really the One we expected or did we get it wrong?"

Jesus call to service does involve glory. It's not all blood, sweat, and tears. But times of suffering will certainly come to those who walk the road of life with Him. There will be attacks from the world systems, from the Devil who hates good and God; and even internal struggles with doubt and uncertainty. That when we take hold of what we've learned and hang on, literally, for dear life! That's when raise our eyes to the horizon to catch a glimpse of Heaven, our true home.

Are you willing to reject the spirit of this age which teaches us that the meaning of life is to serve Self?
Are you willing to learn to be less, so that He can become more?

Here's a word from the Word to ponder.
"... of this gospel I was appointed (by the will of a Sovereign God) a herald and an apostle and a teacher.
That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, (embarrassed by my circumstances) because
I know whom I have believed, and
I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us." (2 Timothy 1:11-14, NIV)

Serving for the Joy?

Jake loves what he does for the Lord. He is skilled, faithful, and humble about his place of service. A few years ago the Lord impressed on him that he was to be # 2 on the team, not because he was less, inferior, or without qualification. It was just the will of God. He accepted that obediently and I have watched him function in that role. He's willing to take on grunt work, do what isn't glamorous, and put in sweat time without thanks or recognition. I'm fairly certain that if asked, he'd even step aside from his place without bitterness or rancor. He serves the Lord for the pure joy of serving and it shows. He doesn't ask for thanks, doesn't seek glory, and seldom complains.

Recently I was chatting with another woman about her long-time 'service' in the various churches she has attended over the years. She complained about how one church after another failed to recognize her abilities, about Pastors who didn't give her the place she thought her talents deserved, etc., etc! Now, I know she loves the Lord. She's been a Believer longer than I've been alive, but she is missing the point of ministry. Ministry is never about 'me,' never about what service does for 'me.' True service in God's work is about Him, about His church, about giving away ourselves without a care or thought of cost, recognition, or reward. The tragedy about this dear soul is that her ministries are unconsciously shaped around gaining affirmation, making her feel valued, about 'being somebody' in the big wide world. As a consequence, what she does for the Lord is tainted. It always has a tinge of pride which eventually corrupts the service and makes it less than it might otherwise be.

There is a story in the book of Acts that helps us to understand the importance of forgetting about "me" so we can serve Christ in the most effective ways. It is about a man that the Church nick-named, Barnabas. This man was a learned Christ-following Jew who was very influential in the early years of the development of Christianity. The Bible describes him with these glowing words... "a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. " (Acts 11:24, NLT) This leader heard about a man named Saul who once had been very hostile to Christians, that he had been converted but was finding it hard to find acceptance by Believers who were still frightened by his reputation. So, Barnabas went and found Saul (later renamed Paul) and introduced him to the Church. For the next few years, when people spoke of the team, it was always "Barnabas and Paul." But, the mentor was soon eclipsed by the gifts of his student. People came to refer to "Paul and Barnabas." A few years later, Barnabas slipped into obscurity and Paul went on to be known throughout the Church!

What might Christianity be like today if Barnabas had gone to see Paul and recognized the man's greater gifts and tremendous abilities, only to feel threatened?
What if he saw Paul's potential to become greater and decided that he didn't want the 'competition?'
Thankfully, good ole' Barney didn't see his 'service' to the Church as a means of building his reputation, feeling good about himself, or gaining a place where he could be recognized in this world.

Let me leave you with this challenging parable that Jesus told about service. Think deeply about it.
If you realize that your service has even a grain of pride, of self-serving, of concern for reputation or reward, ask the Lord for forgiveness and for the Spirit's help in developing true humility.

"Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field or tending the sheep. Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, ‘Sit down and eat’? Wouldn’t you be more likely to say, ‘Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I’ve finished my coffee; then go to the kitchen and have your supper’? Does the servant get special thanks for doing what’s expected of him? It’s the same with you.
When you’ve done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, ‘The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.’ ” (Luke 17:7-10, The Message)