The Difference between Amazement and Wonder

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Revelation 5:13-14

Revelation is a fascinating book. It has become subject to many interpretations. Many books have been written and sermons preached about the signs, symbols and wonders found in the apocalyptic ending to the New Testament. Although I would never deny the significance of the details of God’s sovereignty as revealed in Revelation, I am captured most by the scenes of worship. More importantly, I am captured by the One worshiped. It’s not unusual for me to speak of these scenes as “awe-inspiring”. When I ponder the portrait of the Savior on the throne Revelation 5:13-14, I understand why “the elders fell down and worshiped.”

We live in a culture filled with thrill seekers. We are addicted to energy drinks. We are caffeine junkies. We crave excitement and entertainment. We wait with baited breath for the next big thing to amaze us. Is that good? I must confess that I have never really considered the difference between amazement and wonder. Without getting too caught up in semantics, there is a deep message in the difference.

The Difference between Amazement and Wonder…“Wonder and awe do us good precisely because they stun and mute our spontaneous energies. They literally paralyze us so that we become reflective by conscription. Amazement does the opposite. It turns us into mindless cheerleaders, irrespective of what is right or wrong or what we actually value.”

Ronald Rolheiser, Sacred Fire

It’s easy to read Revelation and become “amazed”. We have to guard against such a reading. Rather, we should read Revelation and pause and ponder. We should become awestruck – paralyzed for the moment at His majesty, power and glory. We should reflect on God’s eternal plan and purpose for humanity…and we should worship Him for who He is.

Vicarious Learning

Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write and exhort you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all.

Jude 3

I am a believer in the importance of “leading by example”. Leadership authors Kouzes and Posner suggest that one of the greatest truths of leadership is “You either lead by example or you don’t lead at all”. However, not all examples are positive. I believe it is important to learn “what not to do” as well as “what to do”. Jude is a short letter in the New Testament. If you’re reading through the New Testament, it’s easy to skim Jude as you press toward the final book. But, Jude is packed with examples of “what not to do”. The letter opens with an admonition to contend for the faith. One way to contend is to pay attention to those who have not finished well.

How many examples are required to make a point? Jude is divided into a mere 25 verses. Yet, in those 25 verses, there is an impressive list of bad choices. Consider the A, B, C’s of disobedience: Angels who abandoned their home, Balaam’s greed and Cain’s murder. Then, move on to Sodom and Gomorrah, the rebellion of Korah and the unbelief of those who came out of Egypt.

So, what is the point? It’s really straightforward. If I am going to contend for my faith in God, I need to learn from these examples. Most of the time, I am looking for good examples to follow. However, Jude provides a great reminder of vicarious learning. I can learn from the mistakes of others. It’s one of the reasons I enjoy reading the ancient stories found in the Old Testament. Even my greatest heroes teach me lessons through their victories and their mistakes.

Proving the Will of God

Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

There are so many deep messages packed into this passionate plea from Paul the Apostle. He points us all toward faithful obedience to the will of God. It’s not always easy to determine the will of God. But, the prerequisites are easy to understand. I need to present myself to God as a sacrifice. That requires me to acknowledge that His will is more important than mine. It’s helpful to remember that Jesus taught us to pray for God’s will to be done in our daily lives. Also, Paul teaches us to resist being shaped by the world around us. Rather, we need to crave a different kind of change. God can help transform me from the inside out. The transformation of God’s presence and power affects decision-making. God’s presence in my life has affected my life in a significant way.

Yesterday, I made a difficult decision to step aside from full time pastoral ministry at Heritage Fellowship Church. This has been a prayerful decision for Lynn, Nick and me.  All along the way, we have been sensitive to the guidance found in Romans 12:1-2. I love my church family at Heritage Fellowship and it is not a decision that was precipitated by a problem or a crisis at the church. It has been a privilege to serve as senior pastor for nearly 10 years. We leave with immense gratitude for the love and care provided by our church family. The decision to leave Heritage is a decision to “prove” what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. I am grateful for God’s direction in our lives and I look forward to the opportunities that He has given us to continue to serve. As I teach, write and invest in developing others, I will do so having been blessed by my experiences at Heritage. Also, Lynn, Nick and I are very happy to continue to reside in Knoxville as we serve the Lord.

21st Century Idolatry?

1 John 5:21

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

John is known as the “beloved” disciple of Jesus. It’s not surprising that “love” is a primary theme in the letter that bears his name. John teaches that “God is love” and “we love God because He first loved us.” Throughout this short epistle, John connects “love” with “life”. If I love, then I will live in a way that demonstrates my devotion to God. My relationship with God and my relationships with others will be a consistent reflection of God’s love. After painting a pretty clear picture of what that kind of life looks like, John wraps up the letter with a terse admonishment:  “keep yourselves from idols.” It’s important to connect the dots from the 1^st Century to the 21^st Century. Otherwise I will think I’m in good shape because I don’t have a carved up image of a god sitting on my hearth. I don’t think idolatry is less a problem today than it was then. Although it’s nothing to brag about, I think our culture is very creative when it comes to manufacturing idols. Timothy Keller reminds,

Because we can set up idols in our hearts (Ezekiel 14: 3– 7), we recognize that “making an image” of something is not necessarily a physical process but is certainly a spiritual and psychological one. It means imagining and trusting anything to deliver the control, security, significance, satisfaction, and beauty that only the real God can give.

So, how do I connect John’s message about God’s love and my need to reject idolatry? I have to realize that there is no substitute for God’s love. God’s love is unique. For example, only God’s love has the capacity to cast out my deepest fears and insecurities (1 John 4:18). I need to be willing to examine my life. What is my first response when I am afraid?  When I feel my security, significance or satisfaction is threatened, where do I turn? I have learned that it is during those times I am particularly vulnerable to idolatry. It’s so easy to turn to someone or something and seek peace or affirmation that only God can give. John’s final words to his spiritual “children” are powerful. Don’t look for a substitute for God. There is not one.

A Fruitful Life

2 Peter 1:5-8

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s a pretty big promise - “you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Do I want to live a fruitful life? Yes, of course I do. It’s such an extravagant promise I find myself drawn toward the promise at the expense of the prerequisites. Real fruitfulness takes time. This is not a “no-bake” recipe. This list of ingredients is folded into my life on a daily basis. My “faith” becomes “faith” when it is tested. Until I have said “no” to temptation, “self-control” is not a significant part of my character. Real “love” cannot find expression in isolation. It begins in relationships that are safe and comforting and matures when manifested toward someone who seems to have nothing to offer in return.

What about the promise? Am I guaranteed a fruitful life? Perhaps there is a hidden promise. It’s not the promise of fruitfulness that is greatest. Fruitfulness is very important to me. But, the source of fruitfulness is much more valuable. As I read through this list carefully, I must confess that Jesus Christ is my source and inspiration. The list begins with faith and ends with love. My faith is in Christ. I love because Christ first loved me. The greater promise in this passage is that the character of Christ will increase in my life. When that is true, my life cannot be barren or unfruitful.

Without a purpose, life can become hollow…I’ve concluded that the metric by which God will assess my life isn’t dollars but the individual people whose lives I’ve touched.

 

Clayton M. Christensen

Bread of Life

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18)

Sometimes I stop reading before I finish a book. Sorry to admit it. Are the final words really that important? There is an echo in my head from teachers long that a proper conclusion is designed to “tell ‘em what you told ‘em”. Well, if you have already told me then I don’t want to read it again. In the case of reading through the short epistle known as 2 Peter that would be a tragedy. I’m glad I read the last verse.

How can I describe my life with Jesus in just a few words? 2 Peter 3:18 answers the question. A healthy life with Jesus is characterized by growth in grace and the knowledge of Him. This imperative verb form doesn’t read as if growth is optional. It is a powerful directive aimed in my direction. The letter closes with a personal admonition – “Paul, don’t forget to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus”.  

Is it possible to live a life that is contrary to this recipe for life in Christ? Of course it is. Look within. Look around. Malnourished souls abound. Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life”. His declaration is non-negotiable. True life is found in Jesus. Only Jesus satisfies.  Craig Dykstra notes,

“We can turn everything from computer chips and laser beams to legal briefs and leveraged buyouts into daily bread. The bread that we feed on is the bread of business and busyness and boredom, a bread known both in and out of the church. This bread will not satisfy our deepest hunger.”

Dykstra continues,

“We are hungry without fully knowing it, needy but unaware, in exile but unable to remember another home. We need to recognize our true hunger – hunger not for the things we can make, buy, and consume but for another kind of “daily bread”, a daily bread we do not produce and cannot control all by ourselves.”

I am beginning to understand this hunger. I am beginning to recognize these intense cravings. If your spiritual stomach is growling, it may be a sign. I hunger for growth in grace and the knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Building a life

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)

For the past few months, I have watched a large construction project across the street from our church building. The project began with demolition of the old structures and preparation for the new. The “Grand Opening” is scheduled in the near future. I remember when I first learned the identity of the primary structure. Identity is important. Once I heard the news, I was able to respond to the question -  “What is being built?”  It’s an appropriate question and I’m never surprised when I am asked.

Should I be surprised if I am asked the same question with regard to my life? Probably, it’s a question I should be asking myself on a regular basis.  What kind of life am I building? One of Jesus better-known disciples offered some coaching a long time ago. Peter wrote, “We are being built up a spiritual house.”

Just like the project across the street, my life has included some “demolition”. I feel like I have been leveled out a few times too. Obviously, a spiritual house is not built with bricks and mortar. Rather, a spiritual house is built using “living stones”. Building with “living stones” can be a little tricky. Structural integrity is essential. My structural integrity is directly related to another living stone, Jesus Christ. Certain aspects of my house are predetermined by the Master builder. The “plans” show a spiritual house, a holy house and a house that offers up acceptable worship to God.

There is one aspect of Peter’s description of life that leaves me deeply moved. Occasionally, I have been in a Home Depot and watched a builder inspect lumber. Several times, I have seen the process unfold. The best pieces are selected, the others left behind. Peter mentions both aspects. He mentions “rejection” and he mentions “selection”. I expect to be among those pieces of lumber rejected. I am not strong enough or straight enough. I am filled with imperfections and weaknesses. But, Peter reveals two aspects of the same marvelous truth. Frist, I am not rejected. Second, Jesus was. Because of God’s grace I am both “chosen” and “precious”. Seems impossible. Yet, it is possible because Jesus was rejected on my behalf in order to make a way for me to be chosen. He took on all my imperfections and bore my rejection for me. Now, together with him, I am being built into the kind of house that pleases God.