The Need for Better Men

“We are constantly on a stretch, if not on a strain, to devise new methods, new plans, new organizations to advance the church and secure enlargement and efficiency for the gospel. This trend of the day has a tendency to lose sight of the man or sink the man in the plan or organization. God’s plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God’s method. The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men.”

-E. M. Bounds 1907

The words of E. M. Bounds ring true even today. They were first penned in 1907, but today at the close of 2007 they are a prophetic voice. A century has passed and we still delude ourselves. We tell ourselves that the problems we face in reaching the lost are bad methods, bad programs, bad administration, bad organization, and bad plans. In the past century, we have witnessed the Sunday School Boom, the Mega Church Movement, the Business Model Approach, the Small Groups Methodology, the Emerging Church, and the House Church Shift. All were new ways guaranteed to help the Church reach the lost. While each of these methods and movements has been helpful, they have not been the key to reaching our world for Christ. They have fallen short. Or maybe, it wasn’t them. Maybe, we have fallen short.

Bounds points out “men are God’s method. The church is looking for better methods, but God is looking for better men.” We have abandoned the hard task of being better people for the quick fix of better methods. The task God has set out for us is the hardest task known to man, the task of becoming like Christ. Praise be to God that he does not leave us alone, but sent his Holy Spirit to transform us. But, this transformation is a cooperative event. We must commit ourselves to the hard task of character formation in partnership with the Holy Spirit. Only when we commit to becoming better men can we expect to begin to see God’s method move forward. God wants to use each of us to reach the lost. Are you ready to be used by God? Are you ready to be a better man, woman, teenager, husband, wife, son, daughter, and human being? God is ready. Are you? Am I?

The Doldrums

For the last few months, I am been in the doldrums. I have been going through the motions. I have been living, breathing, and moving; but I have not been right. It felt like I was walking through a fog. I was moving but without direction or knowledge of where I was going. It felt like a dream I often have. The dream is of me sleeping and desiring to wake up. I realize that I need to awaken but for some reason my eyes won't open. My brain is functioning like I am wide awake, but I am unable to see anything. I fight and struggle to wake up but to no avail. I am blind. As I reflect on this dream, I wonder if this wasn't a mere dream but a vision of my reality for the last few months. I was awake but not really. I don't know the exact reasons for this, but I have some guesses. I believe I have been under spiritual attack. I believe I had forgotten my passion. I believe I had been running to others for strength. I know that I had been neglecting my Savior. But, the doldrums have passed and sight has returned. Last week, God broke through the fog and reminded me of where my true strength resides, only in him. Finally, I have returned. I am back and ready to retake my place in the line fighting against the enemy. I will stand in the gap. I will stand firm in God's mighty power. Who will fight alongside me?

Jars of Clay

This was written for my Church's Newsletter, but i thought it would be good to post on here as well.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

One truth God has been teaching me for a while is that he delights in weakness. God loves to take the times we are weak and use them for his glory. He hungers to take our weak moments and show us that he is near. In the text above, Paul is saying that the treasure, which is the gospel, housed in jars of clay, which is us. Jars of clay were simply what they sound like pots made of clay. They were not perfect. They were not the strongest. They were breakable. But, God put his treasure in these breakable jars so that his glory would be seen. In their breakability and weakness, he would be their strength. In the last year our congregation as a whole and as its individual parts has been pushed to the breaking point. We have been hard pressed on every side. We have been perplexed. We have been persecuted. We have been struck down. However, we have NOT been crushed. We have NOT been despaired. We have NOT been abandoned. We have NOT been destroyed. None of this has been by our own power or strength, but by the Power and Strength of the Lord. “My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness.” We have been weak and near breaking, but Christ’s power is made perfect in our weakness. IF we can rest in his power and his strength, then he will continue to bind us together and heal us.

Doorless Cafes and Stained Glass

My favorite painting is by Edward Hopper. It is called Nighthawks. It is a scene of a New York Café with 3 customers and 1 man working behind the counter. Two of the customers, a man and a woman, are sitting close together with their hands almost touching. The other customer is a man sitting on the other side of them all by himself. The interesting and intriguing part of this painting is that there are no doors into the café. The interior of the café is well lit and inviting, but no one can come in or leave. The refreshment and relaxation the café could offer to the outsider is unavailable. People can only pass by and look in but never participate. This café is for insiders only.

Another piece of art that I really appreciate are the two giant stained glass windows in our sanctuary. They have vibrant color and detail. Each of them portrays an awesome story from Scripture. One shows that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and the other shows his appearance to Mary Magdalene after his resurrection. These are beautiful windows, but that is when they are viewed from the inside. When you look at them from the outside, they appear dull and lifeless. The vibrant color is not seen. The detail cannot be perceived. They convey the message that their beauty is only for those on the inside, not for the passerby. Similar to the café in the Nighthawks painting, these windows are only for the insiders. Yet, Christ told us that we must be focused on the outsider. He came to seek and save the lost (those outside). He told three parables in Luke 15 about this focus. The searcher’s focus in each parable (lost sheep, lost coin, lost son) was on finding what was lost. The searchers did not stop until they found what was lost. The search was their sole focus and priority. The father scanned the horizon continually until he saw his son returning. Then he ran (which was a no no in his day for him to do) to his son. The searchers were relentless in their pursuit. When we look at our beautiful stained glass windows, let’s appreciate their beauty, but we can’t stop there. We must be motivated to focus on bringing more people inside so that they too can appreciate their beauty. Our pursuit of those God loves (all people) must be relentless. We cannot become a café for the insiders only; we must be a loving family for outsiders to meet God and become a part of his family.