Take A Chance

I delivered this message at the Trajexion Conference in Zanesville. 

My keynote message begins with this scripture.  “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” Colossians 4:2-4 (NKJV) 

Notice carefully Paul’s request.  “Praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ.”  All I’m asking for is a chance.  That was Paul’s plea. 

Many of you don’t remember the 1988 World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Oakland A’s, although you have probably seen highlights of one of the most memorable games in the history of the World Series.  Game one featured a showdown between the A’s ace pitcher Dennis Eckersley and a wizened old veteran, the LA Dodgers’ Kirk Gibson.   

“Unknown to the fans and the media at the time, Gibson was watching the game on television while undergoing physical therapy in the Dodgers’ clubhouse.^[6] At some point during the game, television cameras scanned the Dodgers dugout and commentator Vin Scully, working for NBC for the 1988 postseason, observed that Gibson was “nowhere to be found”.^[6] This spurred Gibson to tell Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda that he was available to pinch hit.^[6] Gibson immediately returned to the batting cage in the clubhouse to take practice swings.”  In so many words, Gibson told his manager, “All I want is a chance!” 

The two men battled to a full count.  Runner Mike Davis stole second base.  The crowd was on its feet.  Gibson figured that the next pitch would be a backdoor slider.  He was right.  Hurting and pushing himself, he swung almost entirely with upper body strength.  The ball carried just high enough to make it over the right field fence.  Gibson limped around the bases, pumping his fist, to the cheers of a delirious crowd. 

This historic scene never would have happened had Gibson stayed in therapy, shook his head and said, “I don’t feel like I’m up to it.”  Instead, all he asked for was a chance. 

I may be speaking to the faint of heart today, or the minister bogged down in busyness, or the pastor worried about resource allocation, or the timid soul confused about protocol, or the pessimistic wannabe soulwinner who only sees obstacles.  Paul just says, “pray for a door to be opened!”  I just want a chance to see what God can do. 

The problem with too many of us is that we want a guarantee of success before we ever get to the open door.  We want to see the mature crop in the field before we even put the plow in the ground.  Some even rationalize that the cost of investment is greater than the return on the investment.  We go window-shopping in the book of Acts but walk away with our head down because we don’t think we can afford the goods.  Another sports hero Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!”  

One of the open doors is found in Acts 13:14-16 (NKJV) “But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.” 

God opened the door and Paul boldly walked through it.  The ruler of the synagogue no doubt didn’t know what was about to happen.  Had he known, he would not have allowed it.  I believe God was opening the door through the enemy of the Gospel.  

What were the results?  Acts 13:42-49 (NKJV) “So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region.”   

Paul walked through the door with confidence, but he had no way of predicting the outcome.  All he asked for was for God to open the door.  I have two thoughts I want you to consider as you enter into this conference. 

1.  Just be willing to take a chance. Make up your mind at the outset to do this.  An open door is all you’re going to get before you start.  Walk through the door.  Yes, you should prepare; you should anticipate as many of the challenges as you can; you should count the cost.  But nothing should stop you from taking the chance.  

What if you fail?  That questions keeps many church planters from getting out of the on-deck circle.  It’s not even a legitimate question because you can’t force supernatural things to happen with natural means.  Do what you know to do and leave the results up to God.  Preach faith, pray, follow through, persevere, leave no stone unturned.  Your job is to go; God’s job is to bless.  He’s really good at His job if you will just do yours! 

2.  Remember who is on the other side of the door.  This is not an exercise in futility.  It’s not a gut-check or a faith test.  It’s not even about you.  It’s about them!  It’s about the sinner, the addict, the alcoholic, the man thinking about suicide, the down-and-out, the single mom trying to make ends meet, the confused student, the woman battling cancer.  They can’t open the door from their side.  They’re waiting for you to answer the call.  

“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude 1:20-23 (KJV) 

We want you to succeed.  We want you to see revival and the salvation of souls.  That’s the biggest reason why we have this Trajexion Conference.  But it all starts with a faith venture on your part.  I believe there is an open door in front of every one of us.  Jesus wants to use you to build His church!  

Another Marital Spat

Until today, it had never occurred to me to look up the definition of spat.  I was genuinely surprised.  “A past tense and a past participle of spit.”  (I should have guessed that.)  “A larva of an oyster or similar bivalve that has settled by attaching to a surface.”  (That one, I did not see.) “A cloth or leather gaiter covering the shoe upper and the ankle and fastening under the shoe with a strap: The waiter wore spats as part of his uniform.”  (Way too young to have known that!) “A slight quarrel.”  (Finally, the definition I was looking for.)  War portends breakups.  Fights cause casualties.  Spats indicate a strength of love that endures disagreements without letting them get out of hand.

Some people wonder how my wife and I survived over forty-nine years of marriage and remain happily bonded and on a friendly basis.  The answer is simple—she’s an angel.  Of course, there are different levels of angels: cherubim, seraphim, messengers and warriors.  I’m sure she has had to switch gears from time to time in order to deal with my idiosyncrasies and shortcomings.  (My dad used to talk about the man who called his wife an angel.  “She is always up in the air, harping on something!”)  Not my wife.  She has her feet firmly planted on the ground and she never harps.  She speaks in measured, reasonable, understandable tones.

And yet, some things do rise to the spat level.  Like when I think the thermometer should be left out in plain sight, but she thinks everything should be put away in a drawer.  (I have to guess which drawer.)  Or, when she starts talking to me in the middle of her thought process, using first names or non-specific pronouns, even though I have no idea who, what, when or where she means.  Or, when she asks me a question to which I give an answer, and then, a few moments later, she asks the same question.  (No, she hasn’t forgotten my answer.  It just was not the answer she wanted to hear.)  Usually, after she explains, clarifies and emphasizes her point of view, I see the light and give her the answer she wanted in the first place.  (I’m no dummy.)

Now, I’m doing my best to come up with some things that I do that causes angst on her part, but I’m having trouble thinking of anything.  I can’t imagine there’s anything wrong with holing up in my office for hours on end or forbidding her to so much as run a vacuum or dust my window blinds.  I occasionally act like an idiot on the roadway or give another driver a good scolding (from within my car with the windows rolled up), but those things are pretty normal.  Nothing to see here.  Oh, and I handle the bill-paying, and there are times when I overlook an invoice and get charged a late fee, but I’m always able to pay the fee without serious consequences.  (What’s the problem?) 

The point is this—we keep everything to a spat level. Just this morning, for example, we got on each other’s case for something (I can’t remember what).  When she walked away with a slightly exasperated grin on her face, I totally disarmed her by saying loudly, “I love you!”  That’s how you turn forty-nine years into fifty. 

You Got This—or Not!

I had traveled this familiar road hundreds of times.  Every bend, every dip, every bump—they were all indelibly etched into my brain.  I could afford to pay scant attention to the white lines slipping by and the farmhouses growing and shrinking in my peripheral vision.  Pushing the search button on the radio tuner, fiddling with the heating and air conditioning controls, and—for shame—thumbing my phone screen—were all customary activities as I sped down the highway.  I was utterly comfy and presumptuous to a fault in my routine. 

But on this day in question, I got a later start than I anticipated.  The recent autumnal time change darkened the sky sooner, and I failed to appreciate the temperature drop accompanied by an increase in precipitation.  My travel time put me squarely between the storm startup and the moment the first snowplows and salt trucks were dispatched.  Freshly fallen snow, beautiful from the front room window but treacherous from the windshield of the car, turned my familiar road into a hazard zone.  Those familiar white lines were now obliterated by clumps of the cold powder, and the recognizable landscape disappeared in the smothering storm.   Huge eighteen-wheelers charged carelessly by, spewing slush and spray, forcing me to swerve into the rumble strips on the shoulder.  Cars in ditches and jack-knifed trucks littered the scene.  That which I had become so familiar with turned into a nightmare of guesses, risks and hopes.  

Don’t let familiarity hypnotize you.  As soon as you think that you are firmly in control of life, a simple storm can dramatically upend everything.  You may find out that the strange look the boss gave you one morning will signal a termination slip.  You may find out that the nagging cough you had was not symptomatic of the seasonal cold this year.  You may find out that the foul odor you noticed in the basement was much worse than the occasional dampness you get at certain times of the year.  You may find out that the friends you always counted on betrayed your confidence.  Familiar scenes can become discombobulated.  Things you rarely paid attention to can suddenly loom as the number one nemesis in your life.  No, you don’t got this. 

When the snow falls, when the way grows dark, when you can’t see the road ahead of you, you have to change your approach.  You slow down, you grip the wheel tighter, you quit fooling with the tuner or the phone screen, and you stop mindlessly gazing at the sights across the countryside.  The tractor-trailer rig that you dreaded will look more like a Godsend, blazing a trail in front of you.  

Best of all, God knows how to transform a tranquil highway into a prayer room!

You Matter—For Now

In her customary terse and trenchant verse, Emily Dickinson captured the essence of fame. 

Fame is a bee.

It has a song.

It has a sting.

Ah, too, it has a wing. 

Fleeting fame.  Like youth, strength and significance, it only lasts until the next best seller, viral tweet or trendy style displaces it.  It cannot compete with the prettier face, the faster horse or the nimbler mind.  And, it’s almost always too soon. Fame unceremoniously dumps us before we are finished saying our goodbyes.  

I speak of fame, but I’m really talking about significance or personal importance.  In humankind’s perennial quest to be a player, we all want to matter, to be significant, to have a reason to say, “I belong,” or “I’m still needed!”   Unfortunately, our grip on it is far too tenuous.  It lasts only as long as we can make a meaningful contribution to the lives of others.  Whenever we outlive our significance, we get shunted aside.  The thundering herd leaves the irrelevant in the dust as it paws and pounds its way on to more lucrative fields. 

The struggle for relevancy begins early in the cognitive process.  We seek to please our parents, we strive for superiority among our peers, and then we entrench ourselves in career productivity.  Our report cards, pay stubs, flashy gadgets and envious looks from our fellows validate our significance.  Mid-stream, few of us understand that it is all time stamped.  The illusion of permanence blinds many to the built-in expiration date.  All good things must come to an end. 

This being said, however, the shrinking violet still has some options.  When agility or strength dissipates, force of personality may still assert itself.  When the body can no longer execute the physical plan, the brain keeps on strategizing.  When real authority lapses, the shrewd head remains a repository of sage advice.  When the frontlines beckon no more, the sidelines and shadows offer much needed places of comfort and encouragement for those still in the battle.  When preaching, teaching and ministry gets bequeathed to a younger generation, the potential for wizened prayer warriors grows even stronger. 

And, when all else fails, the elderly know that their money will always assure them of relevancy!  

Jesus and Dow Jones

Ready to make a mint?  Keep reading!  An explanation may be necessary.  We all have a basic concept of who Jesus is, but everyone might not have a grasp of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.  It is the most recognized number representing the value of the stock market in the United States.  Lately, the number is enjoying dizzying heights, setting an unprecedented string of all-time highs.  Here is the definition: 

“The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is an index that tracks 30 large, publicly-owned companies trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ. The Dow Jones is named after Charles Dow, who created it in 1896, and his business partner, Edward Jones.

“Often referred to as “the Dow,” the DJIA is one of the oldest, single most-watched indices in the world. To investors, the Dow Jones is defined as a collection of blue-chip companies with consistently stable earnings that include Walt Disney Company, Exxon Mobil Corporation, and Microsoft Corporation. When the TV networks say “the market is up today,” they are generally referring to the Dow.”  https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/djia.asp 

From my scant knowledge of investing in the stock market, I will share with you some fundamental rules of the way things go.  These are called the “Ten Golden Rules of the Stock Market.” 

1. Avoid the herd mentality.
2. Take informed decision.
3. Invest in business you understand.
4. Don’t try to time the market.
5. Follow a disciplined investment approach.
6. Do not let emotions cloud your investment.
7. Create a broad portfolio.
8. Have realistic expectations.
9. Invest only your surplus funds.
10. Monitor rigorously. 

First, is this article way off base?  I don’t think so.  Jesus didn’t mention the DJIA, but He did teach about investing. 

“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. So, you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore, take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” Matthew 25:24-30 (NKJV) 

Now that we have established that investing has the ringing endorsement of Jesus Christ, I will concede the point that we are not talking about making money.  Rather, we are transferring investing rules to establishing spiritual principles.  Astonishing may be too strong of a word, but the word enlightening certainly applies.  Look at how the DJIA rules shake out to investing in the Kingdom of God. 

• Avoid the herd mentality.  Don’t follow the worldly crowd.  It chases after anything that glitters, regardless of the morality or the reputation of the investment.  Matthew 7:13 (NKJV)
• Take informed decision.  Learn as much as you can about Jesus Christ and His church.  The Bible wasn’t written to be ignored, dismissed or discredited.  “Be diligent [study] to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV)
• Invest in business you understand.  While you gain much from scanning scripture, its best to dig deep and discover the reasons behind stated truths. “O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart. Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things.” Proverbs 8:5-6 (NKJV)
• Don’t try to time the market.  Righteousness is always in season, even when it appears to be losing value.  “By your patience possess your souls.” Luke 21:19 (NKJV) Trust God in every act of obedience.
• Follow a disciplined investment approach.  Be intentional.  Never act according to your wants, desires, lusts or sporadic whims.  They never result in positive outcomes in the long haul. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:22-24 (NKJV)
• Do not let emotions cloud your investment.  Feelings frustrate futures.  You cannot possibly know how something will turn out, so worrying is in vain.  Besides, investing in righteous causes can never be wrong.  “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:7-9 (NKJV)
• Create a broad portfolio.  Don’t get stuck in a rut or a stubborn mindset.  God blesses in different ways for many different causes.  You may have to change your outlook or your preferences.  Be flexible for the Kingdom’s sake.  “And a voice came to him, But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”  Acts 10:13-15 (NKJV)
• Have realistic expectations.  The person who complimented you on your song or sermon will not catapult you to instant fame.  He or she may have just been encouraging you. Your good investment may go unnoticed, but you are building for eternity, not time.  “Therefore, judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.” 1 Corinthians 4:5 (NKJV)
• Invest only your surplus funds.  This is one departure from financial investment that one must make in the spiritual realm.  We have no surplus funds, energy, actions or giftings.  We must give our all. “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; Mark12:43-44 (NKJV)
• Monitor rigorously.  Coasting, drifting, assuming, and smug evaluation leads to a spiritual train wreck. “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck.” I Timothy 1:18-19 (NKJV) 

This world knows how to invest and protect its temporal money supply with more efficiency and proficiency than the church does its eternal commodities.  We are better than this.  Jesus fits very well with the DJIA, if it is in reference to souls.  How is your personal investment program going?  You should at least be doing as well spiritually as you are financially.  This is precisely the message with which the Apostle Paul admonished Timothy.  “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NKJV)

Jesus: Owner and General Contractor

Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build my church …” We think He meant organically, communally, ideologically, theologically.  Understandable.  Notice, He did not use the word “ktizo,” or “create.”  (“Creature” is a New Testament word, but not “create” which implies bringing something out of nothing.)  Jesus’ actual intent was something far more pragmatic. The word “build” is translated from “oikodomeo,” or “house-builder.”  He also said, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.” Matthew 7:24 (KJV). Again, Jesus uses a form of the word “build.” Therefore, we must view His words through the lens of a contractor who is commissioned to build a dwelling place.  This kind of thinking opens a wide range of contractor-type of activities to us.  

I built my present house in 2004, so I am intimately familiar with the process of building, at least from the owner’s perspective.  The contractor’s questions were interminable.  How many square feet? What style and floor plan?  What neighborhood?  What type of soil?  What is the water table, the frost line, the proximity to a flood plain?  Exterior treatment?  HVAC brand and capacity?  Fixtures?  The zoning requirements?  You get the picture.  From my simple perspective, I just wanted a nice house to keep me warm and dry.  The contractor saw a complicated project that demanded planning, coordination among sub-contractors, attention to detail and conformity to zoning and construction codes.  A shed, lean-to, barn, cave or tent would not do.  No housebuilder worth his salt would settle for less than his best. 

The Owner-Contractor Jesus continues to build His church to be something much greater than a simplistic shelter from the storm.  He leaves no void or shortcoming to the plan.  The church of Jesus Christ bears the imprimatur of a master designer, a structure built to meet the diverse and complex needs of those who occupy it.  His family room houses family togetherness where love abounds.  His gourmet kitchen provides a place where nourishing meals can be prepared.  His sleeping quarters give restorative rest for the weary as well as a place to nurse the sick back to health.  His accoutrements bring delight to the tired and stressed of the world.  I can’t imagine that Jesus would build a house inferior to anything that exists in our world.  Let’s look at one such house.

“The world’s richest man, Bill Gates family lives in the exclusive suburb of Medina,Washington,  in a huge earth-sheltered house in the side of a hill overlooking Lake Washington. The house encompasses more than 66,000 square feet which is equal to 1.5 acres. The major rooms include 7 bedrooms, 24 bathrooms, six kitchens, and six fireplaces.  The house is an ultra-modern, 21st century house in the “Pacific lodge” style, with advanced electronic systems everywhere and great interior design. In one respect though it is more like an 18th or 19th century mansion. It has a large private library with a domed reading room. 

“While it does have a classic flavor, it has many unique qualities.  Among the many genius marvels that are integrated into the home for the latest in modern conveniences are revolving works of art.  Floors are pressure sensitive, at any given time family members or security can know who is in the residence by the weight of their footsteps in the home. Lights automatically come on when someone enters.  

“Speakers hidden beneath the wallpaper allow music to follow occupants from room to room. Portable touch pads control everything from the TV sets to the temperature and the lights, which brighten or dim to fit the occasion or to match the outdoor light.  The ornate, paneled library has a domed reading room with oculus (light well), fireplace, and two secret pivoting bookcases, one containing a bar. It’s the fitting home for Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th-century notebook, the Codex Leicester, which Bill Gates bought for $30.8 million. Partly below ground, the reception hall can seat 150 people for a sit-down dinner or hold 200 for a cocktail party. A 6-foot-wide fireplace, faced in limestone, commands one wall. Another wall is dominated by a 22-foot-wide video display made up of 24 rear-projection television monitors, each with a 40-inch screen. 

“The 2500 square foot recreation room includes a sauna, steam room, separate men’s and women’s lockers, and a trampoline room with a 20-foot ceiling. Conference facilities, offices, Outdoor sports, courts, and of course loads of technology.  According to the National Association of Home Builders, the median American residence size is slightly more than 2,000 square feet. Microsoft founder Bill Gates house is more than 30 times that size.”  http://www.billgatesmicrosoft.com/billhouse.htm.  If the world’s richest man can conceive and build a structure as opulent and massive as this for carnal creature comforts, what do you think the Eternal God can build for his beloved church?  

Warning: the gates of Hell will prevail against the Bill Gates of this world.  Not so with Christ’s church!  In addition to all its dazzling features, the mansion that Jesus is building will resist all invasions, repel all invaders and will last for an eternity.  The safest place anyone can find in this world is the church.  Jesus has built in a security system, a hospital, a fortress and a command station that affords protection for all who enter.  Let no one disparage the church as inadequate, obsolete or substandard.  Let no sub-contractor cut corners, pinch pennies or superimpose a miserly design on the church.  Anyone who tries to reduce the church to fit a Section 8 plan on the church has no clue about the true intent of the General-Contractor.  

“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:27 (KJV) 

Putting Martha In Her Place

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.” Luke 10:41 (NKJV)

Martha meant well.  Perceptive, industrious and efficient, her hospitality instincts kicked in big-time, especially with guests as renowned as Jesus coming to her house.  She also possessed a bit of a control freak streak, a trait that made her resent her sister, Mary, for not helping her.  Her complaint to Jesus bordered on petulance, but Christ’s gentle rebuke turned the focus away from Martha’s myopia to Mary’s worship.  No, Jesus did not reject or eliminate Martha’s ministry; instead, He prioritized Mary’s sensitivity as the primary reason for His visit.  Marth’s passion was nice, but not critical.  Mary’s attentiveness to Jesus, however, could not be dismissed.  

Martha’s spirit drives much of today’s missionality of the church.  Denominations have expanded the horizon of the church’s reach to include all things secular—environmentalism, ecological concerns, continuing education, faith-based initiatives, recreational regimens, aerobics, coffee klatches, dance studios and wide-ranging social programs.  Secularists have redefined the church to embrace a temporal agenda, and many church leaders, having lost their way spiritually and theologically, have willingly re-shaped the church’s role in the world to conform to non-church ideologues.  You can get your car fixed, buy groceries, get your taxes done, and you can even lose weight in many misnamed houses of worship today.  Secularism’s proboscis has wiggled its way under the tent and pushed until the whole camel got inside.  Now, Mary’s worship signals a throwback to primeval times when “old-time religion” was in its heyday.  

But, when Martha succeeds, Mary finds herself on the doorstep.  When Martha succeeds, the mission of Jesus looks like better banquets, finer facilities and highly efficient programs.  The world, in fact, is ecstatic with Martha’s church. It hates Mary’s naïve focus on the worship and word of the Master.  If the trend continues, Christ’s purpose in the incarnation to “seek and to save that which was lost” will become an asterisk to the church.  The true church must resist this evolving reformation.  We may not reject or eliminate parachurch ministries or eliminate socially sensitive programs, but we cannot allow them to incorporate the sole reason for our existence.  We must reaffirm the priority of the church to be spiritual in nature, evangelizing the lost and winning souls to Christ.    

Wag the Dog.  In the familiar metaphor of the tail wagging the dog, the secondary or tangential ministries of the church have morphed into its perceived purpose.  Rather than the standard-bearer of the gospel, the church is now a social justice warrior, an advocate for physical and mental health, an activist for the “woke” culture and a facilitator for ecumenism.  Insofar as the church stakes its claim as society’s conscience, these endeavors may have merit.  Whenever such roles displace the founding impulse of the church, however, the byproduct eclipses the primary function of the church.  As I have argued before, 

“All of these philanthropic causes are extremely important, but to make the alleviation of social ills our primary mission subverts the calling of the church. We are in the business of saving souls. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:24-26.

The gospel message is eternal, not temporal. If we stop all wars, eliminate all poverty, feed all the hungry and cure all diseases, and yet do not lead people to Christ, then we will have failed in our true mission. If, however, we succeed in turning people to Christ, their lives will be infinitely better. Jesus stated this principle in forceful terms. “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.” Matthew 18:8-9.  “Everyday Jesus.”

Jesus is the Architect.  Notwithstanding the foregoing assertions, the church remains a complex institution.  When Jesus announced, “Upon this rock I will build my church,” He did not have a cave or a shed in mind.  Indeed, the word “build” comes from the Greek word “oikodomeo,” which literally means “housebuilder.”  Builders of houses know that the project is not done when the walls and roof go up.  Plumbing, electrical work, HVAC, drywall, paint, carpet, and so on still need to be completed.  Likewise, the church beautifully illustrates the plan of a Master Designer.  He has designed the church to satisfy the plenary needs of all He places within its sheltering arms. 

The church in the Bible fulfilled many roles as fleshed out in numerous accounts.  The church is a “city set on a hill,” a “shining light that must not be hidden,” a “sheepfold,” a wayside “inn” to care for the sick and wounded, a “house of prayer,” and many other metaphors describe Christ’s multifaceted church.  It is not one-dimensional.  His vision went far beyond a singular broadcasting station for the good news of salvation.  The church is as colorful as its constituents, as varied as the manifest needs of society, and as resilient as the agape love of its Creator.  

But all the varied components of the church service one central purpose: the worship of the one, true and living God!  As enthralled as Martha may be with the interesting complexities of the church, she is wrong to allow anything to overshadow the primary reason for its existence.  We must put Martha in her place.  Mary chose the best part.  If we lose the focus of Mary, we lose our very purpose. 

You know you’re a grandfather when . . .

The only time you enjoy spending money is on your grandkids.

You seldom play golf unless your grandkids are playing.

You’re only happy to answer the phone when your grandkids call.

The only people who touch your hair are the barber and grandkids.

You look forward to recitals when your grandkids are performing.

You pay attention to your grandkids grade reports.

Until your grandkids came along, you hated stories about kids.

You don’t get upset when your grandkids mess up your clothes.

You laugh at any joke your grandkids tell.

You let your grandkids laugh at your clothes or hairstyle.

You never talked like a baby until you had grandkids.

You scold anyone who criticizes your grandkids.

You never held a baby more than a minute until you had grandkids.

You never watched a baby breathe until you had grandkids.

You insist on hearing any news about your grandkids.

Your grandkids parents never treat them good enough.

No cheap toys will work for your grandkids.

No one is smarter or better looking than your grandkids.

You never prayed more passionately until you had grandkids.

If these things are true, you have earned the title of grandfather!