Each night in Las Vegas my wife and I walked somewhere. The hotels were absolutely amazing. The fake stuff was pretty impressive too. We saw a fake volcano, a fake Statue of Liberty, a fake Sphinx and a lot of fake Elvis Presleys. People didn't seem to mind. They stopped to watch the fake volcano fake an eruption. They videoed the whole thing and oohed and aahed when the fake magma flowed down the fake mountain. I guess it doesn't matter if it isn't real. I just has to be impressive.
Recently someone told me that his daughter and son-in-law were changing churches. They said the church they had been members of made worship a big production. They didn't feel as if it was genuine any more. They didn't want fake worship. I suppose they are in the minority since this church had obviously decided to go "Las Vegas." Many people must want worship to be a production. Fake seems to work better than real.
Think about it. Do you really believe that the "reality shows" have anything to do with reality? Don't you suppose that they have some contrived drama in them? Do you really believe that it is really about people acting as if they are not being filmed? Or, do you that people who know they are being watched act differently?
However, people watch these shows with a passion. Fake seems to work in attracting people. It seems to all be in the presentation.
So, I am trying to decide. Should I get a dummy, learn to be a ventriloquist and preach my sermons through the dummy? Or, should I learn to balance myself on a high wire and sit in a chair balance on a high wire above the congregation's heads while delivering a sermon?
What do you think? Do think God will care as long as it brings a crowd?
Isaiah 1:12-13 (ESV)
12 “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? 13 Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Church Could Learn a Lot from Las Vegas
I spent three days in Las Vegas this past week. My wife had a conference to attend. I jogged early in the early mornings, walked around and read in the late afternoons. The first night I was too tired to do anything, the second my wife and I walked the strip and the last we went to a show. Through my observations I learned that Las Vegas is doing some things that the church has forgotten or never thought it had to do. The church could learn a lot.
Las Vegas seemed very safe. The number of people and the presence of hotel security and police was evident wherever you went. This should not be surprising. Who would come to Las Vegas or any other place if they believed that it was dangerous? Only dangerous people will purposely come into dangerous places. Las Vegas would be vacant if it was unsafe.
The concern for safety extended beyond physical safety. The dealers at the tables seemed to be friendly and willing to teach anyone how to play a game. Their smiles were inviting. They didn't look down on those who didn't know what they were doing. (I say this from observation rather than participation.)
Unfortunately, most churches are not safe. I don't mean that there is physical danger in most churches but the people who walk the church halls are frequently people who have been to church all their lives. They are familiar with how things should go. Those who enter for the first time will find themselves unsettled by the way things are done. They are afraid of being embarrassed because they have done something wrong. The church people shake their heads and look down on the people who don't know what to do next. So, who will come back to church? People who are already like church people. Who will come back to Las Vegas? Just about anyone. It is a very safe, inviting place.
Las Vegas plans for people to come. Each morning the streets are cleaned. There is no trash, no unpainted places, no broken doors, and no burned out lights that isn't attended to quickly. They know that people are very likely to notice failure. They know that people are impressed with the care that they put into making their city look pretty. They know that people would much rather be in a place where the streets are clean than where they need attention.
The church often overlooks the trash in the parking lot, broken doors, unpainted walls and burned out lights because it is fine with the people who are already attending. In fact, these flaws can continue for months as long as the church exists only for those who are already coming. But the church is the only only organization that exists for the people who are not members. Las Vegas understands that they are not cleaning the streets for the residents but for the visitors. They want people to come back and they just don't want to come back to a dirty city.
Las Vegas has people aggressively passing out invitations to nightclubs or some other type of "girly" show places. I never received any of these invitation but saw the people passing them out and also saw that people had thrown them on the sidewalk. I didn't look closely at these "invitations" but I could tell by the pictures that it involved naked or nearly naked women. I knew that I didn't want any part of it and held my wife's hand as we walked past those handing out the invitations. They wouldn't hand it to us once they saw us holding hands. I suppose they know this method works or they wouldn't continue to hand these out each night.
Why isn't the church this aggressive in getting people to hand out invitations? Why aren't we giving them out to everyone who will take them? Why don't we realize that some people will not come and stop wasting our time on inviting them? It seems that the church could learn a lot about this method of invitation. The people in Las Vegas hand out invitations to tens of thousands of people each night with the hope of some coming to fill their nightclubs. Wouldn't the church have the same results if we passed out tens of thousands of invitations each week? I think so.
Las Vegas taught me a lot. I admire their determination in getting people to come and, then, come back. It is something the church could certainly learn too.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 (NIV)
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
Las Vegas seemed very safe. The number of people and the presence of hotel security and police was evident wherever you went. This should not be surprising. Who would come to Las Vegas or any other place if they believed that it was dangerous? Only dangerous people will purposely come into dangerous places. Las Vegas would be vacant if it was unsafe.
The concern for safety extended beyond physical safety. The dealers at the tables seemed to be friendly and willing to teach anyone how to play a game. Their smiles were inviting. They didn't look down on those who didn't know what they were doing. (I say this from observation rather than participation.)
Unfortunately, most churches are not safe. I don't mean that there is physical danger in most churches but the people who walk the church halls are frequently people who have been to church all their lives. They are familiar with how things should go. Those who enter for the first time will find themselves unsettled by the way things are done. They are afraid of being embarrassed because they have done something wrong. The church people shake their heads and look down on the people who don't know what to do next. So, who will come back to church? People who are already like church people. Who will come back to Las Vegas? Just about anyone. It is a very safe, inviting place.
Las Vegas plans for people to come. Each morning the streets are cleaned. There is no trash, no unpainted places, no broken doors, and no burned out lights that isn't attended to quickly. They know that people are very likely to notice failure. They know that people are impressed with the care that they put into making their city look pretty. They know that people would much rather be in a place where the streets are clean than where they need attention.
The church often overlooks the trash in the parking lot, broken doors, unpainted walls and burned out lights because it is fine with the people who are already attending. In fact, these flaws can continue for months as long as the church exists only for those who are already coming. But the church is the only only organization that exists for the people who are not members. Las Vegas understands that they are not cleaning the streets for the residents but for the visitors. They want people to come back and they just don't want to come back to a dirty city.
Las Vegas has people aggressively passing out invitations to nightclubs or some other type of "girly" show places. I never received any of these invitation but saw the people passing them out and also saw that people had thrown them on the sidewalk. I didn't look closely at these "invitations" but I could tell by the pictures that it involved naked or nearly naked women. I knew that I didn't want any part of it and held my wife's hand as we walked past those handing out the invitations. They wouldn't hand it to us once they saw us holding hands. I suppose they know this method works or they wouldn't continue to hand these out each night.
Why isn't the church this aggressive in getting people to hand out invitations? Why aren't we giving them out to everyone who will take them? Why don't we realize that some people will not come and stop wasting our time on inviting them? It seems that the church could learn a lot about this method of invitation. The people in Las Vegas hand out invitations to tens of thousands of people each night with the hope of some coming to fill their nightclubs. Wouldn't the church have the same results if we passed out tens of thousands of invitations each week? I think so.
Las Vegas taught me a lot. I admire their determination in getting people to come and, then, come back. It is something the church could certainly learn too.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 (NIV)
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
What Should You Do with Sin?
We are wonderfully made. We are made with the image of God stamped upon us. His glory, that pre-glory before the fall, still exists within us. That is why sin is defined as falling short of His glory. We deviate from the holiness intended for us and sin invades our lives.
We know something is missing if we are truly honest with ourselves. We are not walking the path which walks with God. We are making our own way. It is a lonely path for we were never intended to hide in the garden hoping that God would not notice our sin. Our existence was made to enjoy the presence of God.
Yet, many people try to fill the God-sized hole which remains when God is removed. It is a futile effort. No one can fill the infinite-sized emptiness with finite things. Yet, you may try.
You may try distractions. Here, you work or play with such fervor that you hardly notice that something is missing. I noticed a large gash in my elbow in the emergency room after a car wreck once. I didn't even notice the pain because I had gotten so caught up in the work the paramedics were doing on me during the ambulance ride. The pain still existed but I was so distracted that I didn't notice it until later. Sometimes you can be so distracted that you simply do not notice the pain that sin brings.
You may try to redefine sin. You may not realize it but that also means you must redefine God too. You must create a god whose standard fits comfortably within your own lifestyle. Then, you define sin outside of your own lifestyle. You may even declare yourself to "sin" so that you can feel magnanimous about your creation. It makes you one of the people who fall but you at least understand it all because of your superior understanding of this god you have created.
You may just live in your guilt. I hate this for people. You don't need to live in guilt. Living in guilt is paying for something that has already been paid for.
No, there is only one way to deal with sin. It is to accept the forgiveness that Jesus Christ has
provided for it. It is to walk again into God's presence and into His glory. It is to have that God-sized hole filled with the only Person who can fill it.
The story of Jesus Christ is the best news ever. He came to bring us back to where we belong. He didn't come to distract, redefine or ask us to live in our sins. He came to save us from our sins.
John 3:17 (ESV)
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
We know something is missing if we are truly honest with ourselves. We are not walking the path which walks with God. We are making our own way. It is a lonely path for we were never intended to hide in the garden hoping that God would not notice our sin. Our existence was made to enjoy the presence of God.
Yet, many people try to fill the God-sized hole which remains when God is removed. It is a futile effort. No one can fill the infinite-sized emptiness with finite things. Yet, you may try.
You may try distractions. Here, you work or play with such fervor that you hardly notice that something is missing. I noticed a large gash in my elbow in the emergency room after a car wreck once. I didn't even notice the pain because I had gotten so caught up in the work the paramedics were doing on me during the ambulance ride. The pain still existed but I was so distracted that I didn't notice it until later. Sometimes you can be so distracted that you simply do not notice the pain that sin brings.
You may try to redefine sin. You may not realize it but that also means you must redefine God too. You must create a god whose standard fits comfortably within your own lifestyle. Then, you define sin outside of your own lifestyle. You may even declare yourself to "sin" so that you can feel magnanimous about your creation. It makes you one of the people who fall but you at least understand it all because of your superior understanding of this god you have created.
You may just live in your guilt. I hate this for people. You don't need to live in guilt. Living in guilt is paying for something that has already been paid for.
No, there is only one way to deal with sin. It is to accept the forgiveness that Jesus Christ has
provided for it. It is to walk again into God's presence and into His glory. It is to have that God-sized hole filled with the only Person who can fill it.
The story of Jesus Christ is the best news ever. He came to bring us back to where we belong. He didn't come to distract, redefine or ask us to live in our sins. He came to save us from our sins.
John 3:17 (ESV)
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
A Place Where Sin Is Fine
There are, no doubt, many fine people in Las Vegas. Many of those who live here must be very godly people. I'll bet that many of those who visit the city are just as godly. So, what I am about to say is certainly not for everyone.
I came to Las Vegas last night because my wife is attending a conference here. The hotel is fabulous. The city is beautiful. We walked around the city for some time even though I was very tired since my body was still on Eastern time.
We saw lots of normal people. These are those who dressed and acted in a manner I would expect to see in any large city in America. As we got closer to the nightclubs and casinos that atmosphere changed. Many of the women were dressed like prostitutes. They were with men whom I supposed were boyfriends or husbands. I wondered why men would encourage someone they cared for to dress like this in public.
Many of the people seemed to be playing the role of a big shot. I have met some fairly important people in the world and none of them played like they were above the rest of the world. They would not allow others to waste their time but they did not work at appearing more important than others. They just knew who they were. The people we saw also knew who they were. They were just trying to act like someone important.
I think the popular saying, "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" has been believed by the general public. They think they can pretend to be someone, act with impunity and return home without any residual sin sticking to them. So they gamble, get drunk and say they had a very exciting time. They don't realize that our lives are really a sum of our days. Being in Vegas neither suspends time nor right and wrong.
I wonder if these people who have been pretending will continue to pretend when they go home. This time they will pretend that what they did in Vegas made no difference. They will pretend that sin does not stick to their souls.
I have to be careful here. I could very easily start pretending that I am better than the people I have observed. I, too, have been stained with sin though not necessarily in Vegas. I would probably do the same things as these I have mentioned if not for the grace of God.
Yet, I know that there is a place in which sin is fine. There is a place that sin will not matter whatsoever. The place is not Vegas. It is called Hell.
Hebrews 3:12-13 (ESV)
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
I came to Las Vegas last night because my wife is attending a conference here. The hotel is fabulous. The city is beautiful. We walked around the city for some time even though I was very tired since my body was still on Eastern time.
We saw lots of normal people. These are those who dressed and acted in a manner I would expect to see in any large city in America. As we got closer to the nightclubs and casinos that atmosphere changed. Many of the women were dressed like prostitutes. They were with men whom I supposed were boyfriends or husbands. I wondered why men would encourage someone they cared for to dress like this in public.
Many of the people seemed to be playing the role of a big shot. I have met some fairly important people in the world and none of them played like they were above the rest of the world. They would not allow others to waste their time but they did not work at appearing more important than others. They just knew who they were. The people we saw also knew who they were. They were just trying to act like someone important.
I think the popular saying, "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" has been believed by the general public. They think they can pretend to be someone, act with impunity and return home without any residual sin sticking to them. So they gamble, get drunk and say they had a very exciting time. They don't realize that our lives are really a sum of our days. Being in Vegas neither suspends time nor right and wrong.
I wonder if these people who have been pretending will continue to pretend when they go home. This time they will pretend that what they did in Vegas made no difference. They will pretend that sin does not stick to their souls.
I have to be careful here. I could very easily start pretending that I am better than the people I have observed. I, too, have been stained with sin though not necessarily in Vegas. I would probably do the same things as these I have mentioned if not for the grace of God.
Yet, I know that there is a place in which sin is fine. There is a place that sin will not matter whatsoever. The place is not Vegas. It is called Hell.
Hebrews 3:12-13 (ESV)
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Monday, April 4, 2011
The End of the World as We Know It
The world is changing every day. I just read that several businesses I thought could never fail are going down fast. Landline telephone and newspapers are losing business in enormous numbers each day. It shouldn't be too long before any form you complete will be void of "home phone."
Things have changed so much even in my lifetime. I no longer wait for a tv program to come on. I watch it when I like with a DVR. I read the paper on my laptop. I order from the internet. I don't even watch the movies I get from Netflix anymore. I just put them back in the mail. Instead, I watch streaming movies. I really don't know why one is more appealing than the other but it is certainly my pattern.
I text just about as much as I call on my cell phone. I am able to receive several news reports on the same topic daily. I blog to reach a larger number of people than I would my merely preaching. I stay connected with people through email. (I still have trouble with Facebook. I just don't see the point yet.)
I am writing this blog and publishing to the internet at about 30,000 feet right now. Who would have thought I could have this connection to the world as I flew just a few years ago.
Can you imagine someone in a coma for the past ten years suddenly awakening to the world we have today? I suspect he would say the world he knew has ended.
I wonder what will happen to the way we worship and share the gospel. Will people soon gather in clusters around their internet enabled tv's singing and worshiping together. The house church would certainly take a new meaning. The large church buildings would be gone. Even normal worship times would disappear since people could choose when they would meet. I suspect there will be a limited number of people who will be employed in the ministry. Nearly everyone will be a volunteer. They will get their education online. They will do their ministry in the same way.
If this happens, it will make the ministry as flat as other businesses. It will no longer be that a person must have great oratory skills to preach. He or she will be just as spirit-led but more gifted in technology to get the message out. I suspect that "preaching check" will be just as available as spellcheck is now. It will automatically correct a person's bad preaching. Now, this is something I can't wait for!
Yet, it will still take dedicated people to get the message out. It will take people who are willing to preach Christ. It will not change the scripture but the applications will surely change.
Of course, I could be wrong about everything I mentioned. I know one thing though. The determination of the gospel must not wane. The Paul shared with the Corinthians will go forward or the gospel will end. And that would really be the end of the world as we know it.
1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV) 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Things have changed so much even in my lifetime. I no longer wait for a tv program to come on. I watch it when I like with a DVR. I read the paper on my laptop. I order from the internet. I don't even watch the movies I get from Netflix anymore. I just put them back in the mail. Instead, I watch streaming movies. I really don't know why one is more appealing than the other but it is certainly my pattern.
I text just about as much as I call on my cell phone. I am able to receive several news reports on the same topic daily. I blog to reach a larger number of people than I would my merely preaching. I stay connected with people through email. (I still have trouble with Facebook. I just don't see the point yet.)
I am writing this blog and publishing to the internet at about 30,000 feet right now. Who would have thought I could have this connection to the world as I flew just a few years ago.
Can you imagine someone in a coma for the past ten years suddenly awakening to the world we have today? I suspect he would say the world he knew has ended.
I wonder what will happen to the way we worship and share the gospel. Will people soon gather in clusters around their internet enabled tv's singing and worshiping together. The house church would certainly take a new meaning. The large church buildings would be gone. Even normal worship times would disappear since people could choose when they would meet. I suspect there will be a limited number of people who will be employed in the ministry. Nearly everyone will be a volunteer. They will get their education online. They will do their ministry in the same way.
If this happens, it will make the ministry as flat as other businesses. It will no longer be that a person must have great oratory skills to preach. He or she will be just as spirit-led but more gifted in technology to get the message out. I suspect that "preaching check" will be just as available as spellcheck is now. It will automatically correct a person's bad preaching. Now, this is something I can't wait for!
Yet, it will still take dedicated people to get the message out. It will take people who are willing to preach Christ. It will not change the scripture but the applications will surely change.
Of course, I could be wrong about everything I mentioned. I know one thing though. The determination of the gospel must not wane. The Paul shared with the Corinthians will go forward or the gospel will end. And that would really be the end of the world as we know it.
1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV) 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Making Disciples Like Jesus
Matthew 23:15 (NIV)
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
The church has a mandate. She is to make disciples of Jesus. Jesus' disciples are supposed to obey His commandments. It seems simple enough until you read what Jesus Himself did to make disciples.
Jesus preached on hillsides and in synagogues. He preached beside the sea. Each of these people came to hear this teacher tell them things they had never heard before. Many of them came tto be healed. No doubt, many came to see a miracle or even eat from the hand of this miracle maker.
They heard things they couldn't understand. They heard things they didn't like. Many of them hated His concept of eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Many didn't want to have anything to do with Him after that. Jesus let them go. Many of them, no doubt, hated hearing that they could not be His disciples if they didn't hate their own mothers, fathers, wives, children and their own lives. They didn't like turning the other cheek nor elevating humility to a high virtue. They wanted something that took advantage of the world today. They wanted a method of being elevated over others.
The Church often pursues people rather than presents the teachings of Jesus. It doesn't seem to care whether or not people follow Him. In fact, the Church is more about who shows up and gives than making sure it is teaching Jesus' form of discipleship.
Many people ceased to follow Jesus as He taught. He let them go. It hurt Him to let them go. It was more important that the discipleship remained pure than they continue to hang around.
Does this mean anything? I think so. Pharisees pursued people to make them people who sought advantages for themselves. Jesus offered a difficult way of living which rejected this world as home.
Think about it. What kind of disciples are we making today?
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
The church has a mandate. She is to make disciples of Jesus. Jesus' disciples are supposed to obey His commandments. It seems simple enough until you read what Jesus Himself did to make disciples.
Jesus preached on hillsides and in synagogues. He preached beside the sea. Each of these people came to hear this teacher tell them things they had never heard before. Many of them came tto be healed. No doubt, many came to see a miracle or even eat from the hand of this miracle maker.
They heard things they couldn't understand. They heard things they didn't like. Many of them hated His concept of eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Many didn't want to have anything to do with Him after that. Jesus let them go. Many of them, no doubt, hated hearing that they could not be His disciples if they didn't hate their own mothers, fathers, wives, children and their own lives. They didn't like turning the other cheek nor elevating humility to a high virtue. They wanted something that took advantage of the world today. They wanted a method of being elevated over others.
The Church often pursues people rather than presents the teachings of Jesus. It doesn't seem to care whether or not people follow Him. In fact, the Church is more about who shows up and gives than making sure it is teaching Jesus' form of discipleship.
Many people ceased to follow Jesus as He taught. He let them go. It hurt Him to let them go. It was more important that the discipleship remained pure than they continue to hang around.
Does this mean anything? I think so. Pharisees pursued people to make them people who sought advantages for themselves. Jesus offered a difficult way of living which rejected this world as home.
Think about it. What kind of disciples are we making today?
Friday, April 1, 2011
The Bible Cannot Be Understood with the Brain Alone
I have heard many secular people make fun of the things recorded in the Bible. They point to the times when God said to wipe out the inhabitants in the Promised Land so that His people can have their own land and cry foul. They think that sexual abstinence before marriage is ridiculous. They see that abortion is a viable solution to an unwanted pregnancy rather than a life that is ended. Each of these are clear teachings from the Bible.
The problem is that the Bible can't simply be understood with the human brain. It has been God-breathed as it was written. It must be spiritually interpreted to be accurately understood. Those who do not possess a spirit that is alive to God's Spirit simply can't understand it. We shouldn't be surprised when they act like it is foolish because even the Bible says that they will see things from the Spirit of God as foolishness.
That should also make us be cautious about our interpretations. We don't have to listen to the Spirit of God just because we are spiritually alive. Many Christians try to get the Bible to say what they want it to say. They want it to justify something they want to do. It isn't God's will but they try to make it God's will. And their interpretation seems to make sense with their brains. However, it won't pass the spiritual litmus test. The Spirit of God didn't reveal it to them.
Each of us needs to be cautious when we read the Bible. We need to know that it is the Spirit of God who revealed it to us. Otherwise, we can be just as foolish as those who don't understand it at all.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
The problem is that the Bible can't simply be understood with the human brain. It has been God-breathed as it was written. It must be spiritually interpreted to be accurately understood. Those who do not possess a spirit that is alive to God's Spirit simply can't understand it. We shouldn't be surprised when they act like it is foolish because even the Bible says that they will see things from the Spirit of God as foolishness.
That should also make us be cautious about our interpretations. We don't have to listen to the Spirit of God just because we are spiritually alive. Many Christians try to get the Bible to say what they want it to say. They want it to justify something they want to do. It isn't God's will but they try to make it God's will. And their interpretation seems to make sense with their brains. However, it won't pass the spiritual litmus test. The Spirit of God didn't reveal it to them.
Each of us needs to be cautious when we read the Bible. We need to know that it is the Spirit of God who revealed it to us. Otherwise, we can be just as foolish as those who don't understand it at all.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
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