The Kingdom, The Kids, & the Cowboys

To Jason, Jim, Grady, Jim, Rick, Kyle, Greg, Chris, Erich, Charlie, John Mark, Jordan, David, Scott, Terry, Larry, Buddy, and Patrick:

You are not a salesman, you are a mediator of God’s Holy Spirit. You are not a motivational speaker, you are a faithful proclaimer of God’s Gospel. You are not a therapist, you are a Christian minister. Self-help tips are not the tools of your trade; it’s the inspired Scriptures. You are not a church chaplain, holding the hands of church people as you go about church business; you are a powerful spokesman for God, confronting sin and calling our Lord’s people to repentance. You are not a comedian, you are a comforter to those who dwell in dark places. Your call did not come from a family member or a spouse or a professor or a mentor, it came from the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth. Your passions are not motivated by financial gain or popularity or prestige, but by the burning desire in your bones to seek and save the lost. Your goal is not to fill pews and collection trays, it is to forcefully advance the Kingdom of Heaven in the hearts and lives of your hearers and in your community.

You guys are so cool.

You give it up every day. Every day. You live it. You breathe it. You assimilate it into every cell of your being and it radiates through every one of your words and deeds to bless with God’s grace every person you meet. It’s incredible, really, how powerful you are. Very powerful. A critical cog in God’s salvation plan for all mankind, a vital link in his eternal chain to reconcile the world to himself and redeem the heavens and earth. You reside in the company of Isaiah and Ezekiel, Amos and Hosea, John the Baptist and Peter and Paul.

It is our God who works in you. And the cool thing is that you know that without a doubt. It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purposes.

I love you guys. All of you. You inspire me to be better.

I pray God’s richest blessings for you and your great ministries in 2011.

Peace,

Allan

“It is not scientific doubt, not atheism, not pantheism, not agnosticism, that in our day and in this land is likely to quench the light of the Gospel. It is a proud, sensuous, selfish, luxurious, church-going, hollow-hearted prosperity.”

What year do you think the above quote was written?

What do you think about the above quote?

We’re flying through Francis Chan’s Crazy Love in our Tuesday morning men’s study here at Legacy. Chapter four, Profile of the Lukewarm, begins with this quote and then outlines, with extensive use of the Scriptures, a portrait of a Christ-follower who’s not all in, a Christian who holds back, a disciple who hasn’t totally surrendered to our Lord:

Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and he is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give him a section of their time, their money, and their thoughts, but he isn’t allowed to control their lives.

Lukewarm people give money to charity and to church as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right?

Lukewarm people don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don’t genuinely hate sin and aren’t truly sorry for it; they’re merely sorry because God is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don’t really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one.

Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves. Their love of others is typically focused on those who love them in return, like family, friends, and other people they know and connect with. There is little love left over for those who cannot love them back, much less for those who intentionally slight them, whose kids are better athletes than theirs, or with whom conversations are awkward or uncomfortable. Their love is highly conditional and very selective, and generally comes with strings attached.

Lukewarm people will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give.

Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America. Just as the prophets in the Old Testament warned Israel that they were not safe just because they lived in the land of Israel, so we are not safe just because we wear the label Christian or because some people persist in calling us a “Christian nation.”

Whoa. These are strong words, huh?

Chan says in this same chapter that if you really, really want to live out a full New Testament Christianity, the American church is a difficult place to fit in. Is that true?

How does my life, how does my church, measure up to David who refused to “sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing?” How do I compare with the widow that Jesus observed giving all that she had to live on out of her poverty, compared to the rich who gave out of their wealth? How well do I follow my Lord’s directives to deny myself, take up my cross, and really follow him? Do I, like Paul, truly desire to share in Christ’s sufferings? Do I really consider others better than myself? Do I genuinely see the needs of others as more important than my own needs?

My Savior came, not to be served, but to serve and to give his life.

What about me? Have I totally and completely surrendered to Christ? Or am I holding something back? Seriously.

More on this tomorrow. What do you think?

By the way, the quote is taken from an article in Forum magazine written by Frederic D. Huntington. In 1890.

Peace,

Allan

Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from prison. He’s chained to the guards in Rome. He’s awaiting a trial that could result in his execution. He doesn’t know if he’s going to live or die. On top of all that, there are other preachers in Rome who are bad-mouthing him. Paul’s brothers and sisters in Philippi are worried about him. They’ve sent money and supplies to him in Rome. They’ve sent Epaphroditus there to check on him. They want to know, “Paul, how are you doing?”

And Paul says, “I’m great!”

“Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel.” ~Philippians 1:12

Paul’s identity is in Christ and his focus is on the Gospel. That’s what shapes and informs Paul’s perspective. Paul comes at everything — EVERYTHING! — from the perspective of what God is doing to redeem the world. Paul sees everything — EVERYTHING! — from the perspective of how God’s using him to accomplish that redemption. And because of this, Paul’s able to rejoice. He sees things the way the Lord sees things. He thinks about things the way God thinks about things.

So Paul has a joyful perspective that radically impacts the way he thinks, the way he talks, the way he reacts, the way he sees everything.

Paul knows that the same same God who used Moses’ rod and David’s sling and Gideon’s pitchers and Joshua’s trumpets and a Roman cross and an empty tomb is now using Paul’s chains. And our God is doing the same thing today in your life, too. He’s using your chains. He’s using your weakness. He’s using your circumstance. Your illness. Your financial situation. Your house. Your relationships with others. God’s using all of those things to redeem those around you.

God is using the very things that right now may have you feeling trapped. God is very aware of those things that make you feel stuck or imprisoned. And he’s using them. He’s using you right now to advance the Gospel!

You do see that, right?

Peace,

Allan

“It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” ~Philippians 2:13

Our Father is the one who shapes our wills and renews our minds and transforms us into the image of his Son. God is saving us by making us like Jesus. Being saved, the process of salvation, is the on-going work of becoming like Christ. Acting like Christ. That’s our salvation.

And our God gets all the credit.

You picked up a homeless man under a bridge today and bought him lunch. Praise God! God is saving you!.

You cheerfully volunteered at Fortress this afternoon. Congratulations! God is saving you!

You didn’t criticize other disciples and other churches today. Yes! God is bringing your salvation to completion!

You’re putting other people first. You’re realizing it’s not about you. Your needs don’t count. Hallelujah! God is perfecting you!

You didn’t argue when sister Smith moved your things in the workroom. You didn’t complain when brother Jones said something weird in his prayer. Amen! God is purifying you for the Day of Christ!

Our view of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, what it means to be a Christian, must be shaped by an understanding that our salvation is a process initiated and carried out and completed by God. But it is a process. It’s a process of becoming more and more like our Lord.

Peace,

Allan

“It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” ~Philippians 2:13

Our Father is the one who shapes our wills and renews our minds and transforms us into the image of his Son. God is saving us by making us like Jesus. Being saved, the process of salvation, is the on-going work of becoming like Christ. Acting like Christ. That’s our salvation.

And our God gets all the credit.

You picked up a homeless man under a bridge today and bought him lunch. Praise God! God is saving you!.

You cheerfully volunteered at Fortress this afternoon. Congratulations! God is saving you!

You didn’t criticize other disciples and other churches today. Yes! God is bringing your salvation to completion!

You’re putting other people first. You’re realizing it’s not about you. Your needs don’t count. Hallelujah! God is perfecting you!

You didn’t argue when sister Smith moved your things in the workroom. You didn’t complain when brother Jones said something weird in his prayer. Amen! God is purifying you for the Day of Christ!

Our view of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, what it means to be a Christian, must be shaped by an understanding that our salvation is a process initiated and carried out and completed by God. But it is a process. It’s a process of becoming more and more like our Lord.

Peace,

Allan

“It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose…” ~Philippians 2:13

283 baptisms since moving to Mid-Cities Blvd. in 2001; 15 already in 2009!

$488,000 given for local and foreign missions in the past 13 months!

760 men, women, and children serving others in Small Groups Church!

22 Give Away Days meeting the physical and spiritual needs of untold thousands!

2 local elementary schools receiving tutoring, financial aid, and Christ’s love!

1 designation as the flagship church for Lifeline Chaplaincy in Tarrant County!

1 watershed partnership with Continent of Great Cities for Hispanic outreach!

On this 50th Anniversary weekend for the Legacy Church of Christ — as we look at all the old pictures, as we tell and re-tell all the old stories, as we reflect on what’s been accomplished here since 1959 — it’s best that we remember every bit of it is the result of God’s work in us. This is the truth. It’s a deeply humbling truth that should give us great pause when considering the many good things done here in the name of our Savior. It’s not you and it’s not me. It’s not us. It is God who works in us. It is God who is shaping our wills, renewing our minds, and transforming us into his image according to his good purpose.

And what is his good purpose? What is his will? All these good works? Heaven? What’s the point while we’re here on this earth? What is God’s purpose for the years I have left here?

“…so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.” ~Philippians 2:15

Happy Birthday to this family of believers at Legacy! Here’s to another 50 years of grateful response to the love and grace of our God in Christ Jesus!

Peace,

Allan