Daily Awe

Paul David Tripp, in his book, Dangerous Calling warns against the danger of “losing your awe” of God. Although Tripp aims his message toward pastoral ministry, I believe his words apply to all followers of Jesus. He issues a challenge. We are to cultivate our relationship with God every day. Without such cultivation we diminish our ministry to those God places in our path every day. Consider Tripp’s words:

“If you are feeding your soul every day on the grace and glory of God, if you are in worshipful awe of His wisdom and power, if you are spiritually stunned by His faithfulness and love, and if you are daily motivated by his presence and promises, then you want to do everything you can to capture and display that glory to the people God has placed in your care.” (p. 138)

Is “worshipful awe” foreign to me? How long since I have been “spiritually stunned” by God’s faithfulness and “daily motivated” by His presence?

Go?

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Matthew 28:19-20

Brennan Manning asks the question, “Is the gospel alive and real to you right now? Or has it grown stale and predictable?” As I consider Manning’s question in light of the words of Jesus, I grapple with more questions. How does it happen? How could I allow the gospel to become stale? The gospel flows to me and through me from the heart of God. Therefore, it is His great love that captures me and motivates me to extend His love toward others. The “Great Commission” seems most daunting when we forget about God’s accompanying presence. Manning addresses our fears.

“It’s natural to feel fear and insecurity when confronted with the radical demands of the Christian commitment. But enveloped in the lived truth of God’s furious love, insecurity is swallowed up in the solidity of agape, and anguish and fear give way to hope and desire. The Christian becomes aware that God’s appeal for unlimited generosity from His people has been preceded from His side by a limitless love, a love so intent upon a response that He has empowered us to respond through the gift of His own Spirit.”

How soon we forget the provision of God. When it comes to obedience, God has not left me to fend for myself. Radical commitment to God is accompanied by the extravagant gift of His abiding presence. More than a Comforter, the Holy Spirit enables, empowers and encourages. 

Before the Great Commission

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

Matthew 28:16-17

Normally, when I think about Matthew 28 the “Great Commission” captures my attention. It’s the hallmark “mission” passage of the New Testament. Because my mind gravitates toward the words of Jesus, it’s unusual for me to give much attention to the verses leading into the great “Go ye” imperative. But, recently I noticed a couple of details. First, the conspicuous number “eleven” in verse sixteen. The unspoken explanation is powerful. Earlier in Matthew, when Jesus commissioned His disciples, there were “twelve” who were named. Now, Judas the betrayer is no longer with them. The second detail is the mention of “doubt”. It’s a formidable word that seems out of place. After all, this doubt surfaces in the midst of a “post-resurrection” appearance of Jesus. It almost sounds matter of fact. When they saw Jesus some worshipped – some doubted.

So why pay attention to these two details? Perhaps it’s the location. Remember, these details are a prelude to the Great Commission. It seems to be a reminder of a struggle that stretches across the centuries. Prior to launching out in obedience; prior to the “disciple-making” adventure, Matthew 28 reminds us that some will go, some will not. Also, it’s a reminder that doubt is real. Should we be surprised that doubt can rise up in the midst of the stark reality of God’s presence? Matthew helps me see the struggle more clearly. Will I worship or will I doubt? Will I obey or will I walk away? By faith, I say, “yes” to Jesus.

Is God Capricious?

While I was on vacation, I took advantage of the opportunity to do some reading. That’s not unusual. I love to read. But, the fact that I was reading fiction is very unusual for me. I was on vacation so a break from the norm was in order. So why am I asking this strange question about God? In the midst of the book I was reading, two characters have a discussion about God. In particular, it was regarding a prayer that was answered and the timeliness of the answer. One of the primary characters in the book implies that God seems "capricious". Adjectives describing God are plentiful. But, capricious is one that seems to be growing in popularity. Most often it is characteristic offered by those searching for a reason to deny rather than describe God. For example, Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) refers to the “God of the Old Testament” as a “capriciously malevolent bully”.  Dawkins is not alone. Much is written today about whether God is or is not. More and more authors flex their intellectual muscles and make conditional statements about what kind of God merits belief and trust.

So, when I encountered the word “capricious” in the book it caused me to ponder. In the book I read the word "capricious" is thrown into the mix with a much friendlier tone. That’s what caught my attention. I’m not surprised when an anti-theist attempts to build a case against God and lobs accusations as support for his or her rejection. But, the musings of a believer or would be believer strike a different chord. I am curious as to whether we have come to expect God to meet our expectations. As a reminder, the definition of capricious is "given to sudden and unaccountable changes in mood or behavior".  After ruminating on the definition a bit, the question becomes more intriguing. Do we desire a God who is accountable for behavior - especially behavior that seems unexpected? Put another way, do I expect to be able to predict God's behavior?  What if, in my estimation, God misbehaves? Sounds absurd when put in such terms. Yet, it's a perspective that's fairly prevalent in our culture. Yes, I'm talking about the church culture.  It may be prevalent, but it’s not at all new. I read Job again recently. I highly recommend putting Job on your reading schedule on a regular basis. It stretches me immensely. After Job had his day in court, God responded. Job contains one of those verses that is rarely scribbled on a card as a "memory verse". We much prefer "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". So here's a different kind of memory verse. Go ahead and post this one on your fridge.
 
“Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?” (Job 40:2)
 
I’m sure I have never said to God, "You are capricious, don’t be so unpredictable!" But I have wrestled with God in prayer (and perhaps some pouting) and I have elevated my expectations higher than I should. I have prayed with the intent "not Your will, but mine be done". Yes, I have wrestled. Somehow, at the end of every wrestling match the scoreboard is the same. God is undefeated. But, is God capricious? 

What happened to imagination?

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I marvel at the imagination of children. Each Wednesday, they stretch me with their comments and their requests. That’s why I love to grab the Play Doh and attempt to respond to their requests. Today it was Papa Smurf! Sometimes it’s well beyond my ability. But, it always makes me smile. As adults, I believe that creativity is a precious commodity. Often it’s lost in our “grown-up-ness” (don’t try to find that in the dictionary). It’s a shame. Carefully consider the following quote.

“Exercising leadership is an expression of your aliveness. But your life juice – your creativity and daring, your curiosity and eagerness to question, your compassion and love for people – can seep away daily as you get beat up, put down or silenced…self-protection makes sense; the dangers are real.” (Heifetz and Linsky (2002), Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading. Ronald A. Heifetz & Marty Linsky. p. 225)

Each and every time I have shared this quote with a group of leaders I have watched how deeply it resonated. You don’t have to be a CEO or a pastor to understand the application. If you have ever allowed yourself to be vulnerable as a leader, you understand. But, don’t let your creativity die. Remember the words of Jesus. In order to enter the kingdom of heaven, we must become as little children (Matthew 5:3). His words remind me to open my heart rather than become engaged in the type of “self-protection” that stifles creativity and trust. Jesus understood that “faith” requires us to recapture some of the essence of childhood. 

Repentance

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

Isaiah 40:3

I have enjoyed studying the time between the Old and New Testaments. The magnitude of change was epic. As always, it’s tempting to insert my perspective into that time period and miss the mark. For example, I already know that Jesus will be born in Bethlehem and walk the road to the cross. It’s intriguing to set aside that knowledge and wonder. What was it like to live in a time with various types of Messianic expectations? How were those expectations shaped by massive political, religious and social culture shifts?

Into the mix, a voice emerged. Before Jesus appeared, God raised up a man to prepare the way. The prophetic description is startling. The man we know as John the Baptist was born to be a voice crying in the wilderness. In the four centuries preceding John, the Persian kingdom gave way to Alexander the Great. The Greek empire fell into disarray. For a period of time, the land of Israel was sandwiched between the forces of Syria and Egypt and suffered at the hands of both. After gaining a respite of autonomy, along came Rome. Then John the Baptist brought a message about another “kingdom”. How do you prepare for the kingdom of heaven? According to Matthew 3:2, John said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

John’s message spoke to the need of the moment. But, it’s not a stretch for me to allow this words to pierce my heart this morning. The call to repentance echoes throughout the Old and New Testament and it resonates today. I need to turn to God and recognize that His kingdom is superior to all others. It is a call to turn my focus and allegiance to God. If I’m honest, there is a sense of urgency in John’s message that hasn’t diminished.

Listening

"The key to leadership is making the inaudible become audible and the invisible become visible. The initial mode of leadership is receptivity: hearing, not speaking...You can listen and not hear"   Leonard Sweet

This morning in Preschool Chapel, I continued my talk about "God's helpers". We talked about Moses. In terms of "God's helpers" in the Bible, Moses is a Hall of Famer. So I thought it was about time to put together my best Play Doh rendition and go for it. According to some of the astute art critics in the room, Moses looks like Santa Claus. So, Christmas in July is alive and well. The message today was simple. I tried to encourage the kids to develop something that most of God's helpers seem to have in common. They were good listeners. When God spoke, they heard.

It's funny. My biggest "fear" back when I started doing chapel for these active preschoolers was that I would be unable to hold their attention. I was afraid that they would not hear what I was saying. I was wrong. I think I should be more concerned with our ability to "hear" as adults. Leonard Sweet, in his book, "Summoned to Lead" draws attention to our tendency to "listen" and not "hear". Back in the first century, it was necessary for James to extol the virtues of being "swift to hear and slow to speak". I have recognized that the older I get, the more "hearing" deteriorates and speaking accelerates. It's not a good combination. For leaders in the making, it's a great reminder to cultivate receptivity.