The Pilgrim Pastor

Often, an unwillingness to accept change in a Church is synonymous with an unwillingness to give up control.  We are called in the local Church to mutual submission to Christ and one another, not the assertion of our wills.  We are to seek His will.  Not our own.

Pilgrim Pastor 

This is from a column that I contribute to the Suffolk News Herald.  It can be found here and is commentary on a local event in the life of a great church with an unfortunate happening with its shepherd:  Suffolk News Herald 

The modern cynic is right. Religion is a social ill.That is how I began a recent ministry publication, “Don’t Go to Church!” You see, though I am the pastor of a church, though I have spent more than the last decade of my life profoundly and personally invested in religious education at the highest levels, even though my wife and I have dedicated the core of our very existence to the propagation of the message of Jesus, I am not a promoter of religion as it is commonly understood.

Crazy, right? Pastors aren’t supposed to talk this way, and if they do, shouldn’t they do it behind closed doors, with the lights off, late at night when nobody is around? Surely they are not supposed to write this way and then publicize it in newspapers. Maybe not, but look around the religious world. My heart aches for authenticity in a religious atmosphere chock full of impostors and peddlers of snake oil.

You don’t have to look far to see that religion is constantly proving itself unworthy of adoration. What makes the religious headlines? Scandal. Some religious leaders may prefer to just blame the media, saying “They only report the scandalous!” But that charge is repudiated, and the media is freed from such accusation by the sheer volume of scandal abounding on the religious landscape. The media is not to blame for pointing out the obvious.

This is Christmas, and my heart breaks over the fact that religious scandal so often detracts from the beauty of the one whose reputation it seeks to promote. Jesus rejected religion because of its potentially corrupting power. He accused the religious leaders of His day of being “white-washed tombs, clean on the outside but inwardly decaying.” (Matthew 23:27) The local church is an imperfect vessel. Nevertheless, it contains the perfect, forgiving, superabundant, love of God.

Jesus came to bring the revelation of the love of God into the world, not the institution of a new religion, at least not in the conventional sense. True Christian religion is revolutionary by nature. It is the story of love so amazing as to be excessive. Jesus crashed into this world with a radical sort of love unparalleled in all of human history. That’s the story of Jesus and on the basis of His extravagant love, authentic concern for humanity, and willingness to sacrifice everything in order to authenticate that love, He, not religion, is worthy of adoration. Religion at its best is a sign pointing to something greater; a roadmap to a location of ostentatious appeal.

Imperfect religion, with its self-exalting attitudes, duplicity, and flawed love can actually be detrimental to the elevation of humanity. On the other hand, Jesus who was highly exalted, the Son of God, lowered Himself all the way to the manger in Bethlehem in order that He might be highly exalted in sacrifice on the cross.

My friend, in light of religions short comings, may I suggest that you look only to the cross to see what the love of God and true religion looks like? It looks like Jesus dying on the cross for the sake of the very ones who put Him there. That’s true religion. That’s the way God loves us in Jesus.  Religion is imperfect, because imperfect men are its fiduciaries. This Christmas season, please don’t permit the imperfections of men to keep you from the perfect love of God. The imperfections of me and my fellow “religious practitioners” are only evidence of our need for the faultless love God offers, and He offers that for free through Jesus, to whom religion points, albeit imperfectly. 

Pilgrim Pastor... pointing to Jesus and trying to stay of the way...   

I read about an engineer who was responsible for building great factories said that all such construction is now planned with the machines that are to be housed in the factory in mind. The walls and floors of the buildings are constructed so that a machine can be built into the very foundation and structure of the building, rather than set in as an afterthought.

This is the way the Lord builds believers into Christ. We are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, and in Him all the building is fitly framed together, so that it “groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2:20, 21).

That is surpassing even the modern engineers. They can frame their building and foundation and machines together “fitly,” but they cannot make the building “grow.” The true believers are fused in Christ and grow in Him together with Him and together with one another.  Church is not a place we go.  It is a thing that we are!

To print this and others of my growing collection of published tracts, go to PrintMyTract.com.  

I have been reading and watching the accompanying video to the book “The Outsider Interviews.”  The book is at times difficult to read and the interviews on DVD are likewise tough to view.  The book focuses on real world interviews with honest people ranging from atheists, agnostics, recent converts to Christ, and disaffected Christians – all of them sharing their thoughts on difficult questions the Church faces today.

Why don’t you go to Church?  What do you think of people who tell you about Jesus?  When you go to Church do you feel welcomed, loved, or judged?  Sadly, many of those interviewed have a negative impression of Christians as quick to judge, slow to love, and disinterested in building genuine relationships prior to attempting to convert someone to faith in Jesus. 

Watching these videos feels a little like watching a hidden video of myself if someone had recorded me secretly during my worst moment(s) in life.  Sometimes it is tough to look at who we actually can be in our worst moments and even harder to look at who we really are; especially if it is not who we intend to be.  Because of the negative impression of what passes for Christianity in our culture many new converts choose not to call themselves Christian!  They prefer terms like “Jesus Follower, Believer in Jesus, Jesus Seeker,” or some other phrase which encompasses an authentic seeking of the “With-Jesus-In-Jesus” life over the maintenance of tradition alone.

It’s easy to pick apart the culture.  It’s a lot harder to look in the mirror.  Friend, if you are a follow of Jesus, a Christian, today allow the poor impression that many have of the Church to at the very least drive us to consider how we might be more authentic, simple in our faith, followers of Christ who are genuinely interested in the lives of others, enter into relationship with them, love them, and see what God can do with simple honest love for the world.

Jesus had compassion on you and me!  Looking like Jesus is our mandate and it has a great deal more to do with compassion and sincere love for the world around us than it does with the maintenance of our traditions and idols…

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36 NIV84)  Jesus recognized the peoples need to be shown the way to God in love!

"I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.” (Mark 8:2 NIV84)  Jesus honestly cared about the real world needs of the people and met them at their need!

Being a light to the world is not a mundane duty, it is the privilege which God extends to the Church as He allows us the great joy of participating in gathering the nations into a love relationship with Himself…

Pilgrim Pastor… chipping away at the idols in my life, looking for the core of love for God and compassion for all people…

Spurgeon once stated that “When you see a man with a great deal of religion displayed in his shop window, you may depend upon it; he keeps a very small stock of it within.”  For the last several weeks I have been studying and preaching through sermons dealing with the contrast in the Bible between true and false religion.  In the process I have either discovered or become more acquainted with several important biblical principles on the subject.

In fact, this sermon series has prompted my desire to preach another sermon series on the biblical underpinnings of the Congregational Way and why it matters so much to true religion in biblical terms.

When you boil down what makes biblical religion true religion you find out that it is barely even appropriate to call true religion by that name.  Religion becomes potentially a very ugly term which Christ followers rightly abhor!  False religion is about pride.  Legalism is the exercise of so many fools who think themselves both humble and wise – which is evidence that they are neither.

It’s a funny thing about humility, as soon as you think you have it, you boast of it and it vanishes.  Wisdom similarly flees from those who are foolish enough so as to boast of having attained it. 

Pure religion is the activity of God glorifying Himself in us.  Listen to that statement.  Re-Read it.  Pure religion is the activity of God glorifying himself in us!  Pure religion begins and ends with God, not me! Not you!  Not them!  God alone is the chief object of worship, glory, and authority. 

In other words, God glorifies Himself in us to the extent that we recognize His worth and as a consequence we submit to His will and put His worth on display.  The central task of the preacher is to put the glory of God on display in worship and teaching and to encourage God’s people to do the same in their lives.  Our religious obligation is to rest in God’s sovereign provision of grace and allow His grace to work and reign in our lives.   

In Colossians 1:27-29 the Apostle Paul writes that “God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ. Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me.” (NET)

Off with false religion!  Off with legalistic devotion to rites and rituals!  Step into the riskier waters of allowing love to reign, grace to work, and God to be glorified in us…

Pilgrim Pastor… repenting of my religion… 

I have now fully transitioned to my new assignment from the Lord as Pastor of Cypress Chapel Christian Church in Suffolk, VA.  This is a wonderful church!  It is filled with down to earth and genuine people who love God, their Church, and their Preacher.  That’s what folks call a Pastor in the South – “Preacher.”  Surely there is more to the Pastor’s role than preaching, but it is a central part of his role and it is right at the heart of the trust relationship that exists in healthy churches.

I have and continue to work hard to hone preaching skill.  I read journals, listen to other preachers from local pastors like me to evangelists to well known preachers.  My Doctorate is in expository preaching.  There are always tools and techniques to be added and adjusted.  Novice to veteran preacher alike knows the value of strong oration.  In some sense, we “make a living” with our words.

There is one thing that cannot easily be taught.  I am convinced that it is this one thing that eludes many who are unsuccessful or only moderately successful in their preaching ministry.  It is intangible and it grows.  Trust.  The most successful preaching grows out of a life of integrity, faithfulness, and godliness. 

Great preaching is great because the window into the soul and heart have been opened both in the hearer and in the preacher through mutual trust.  Out of sincerity of life the preacher earns the right to ask the hearer to open her heart to the Word of God which the preacher earnestly presses into the audience.  In honest willingness to hear the truth of God the audience invites the preacher to open up not only the Word of God but His life and heart to share what impact that Word has had upon Him.

Preaching is a dance, not a science.  Deep preaching flows from many things: quality technique, theological education, strong spiritual formation, valid exposition of the Scriptures, dependence upon the Holy Spirit, the supernatural work of God.  All of these matter but trust is the spark which ignites them.

I love being called preacher.  I love it because I love preaching and I love God’s people.  I love it even more because it alludes to the deeper things of this dance of serving and shepherding a fellowship of Christian believers – a dance of trust that ushers in a life of growing in Christ together!

Pilgrim Pastor… depending upon the Lord to deepen the life of faith in the local church… 

The Gospel is too marvelous, too mysterious to be contained within or restrained by any systematic theology.

Truth matters.  Yes.  We are commanded to search the Scriptures and gain knowledge of them.  Yes.  However, the Gospel, the nature of God, the mystery of God incarnate in Jesus, Immanuel God with us, is far too grand to fit neatly, nicely within our Calvinism, Arminianism, Amyraldianism, etc. etc. et.al.

These systems organize the biblical data and point to the truth but, they only represent ideas which emerge from serious study of the truth.  The truth itself is not contained within these systems but represented in a shadow sort of way, by them.

Biblical Christianity is following Jesus.  Biblical faith is reckless abandon to the one who so recklessly showers us with His love, grace, and mercy.  Study?  Yes.  Replace intimacy with God with knowledge about Him?  Never. 

“And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11 NET)

Pilgrim Pastor… abounding in grace… rebounding it to the world around me…

Here is a great question that came to me recently: How do we treat a brother or sister in Christ who has sinned egregiously, been hurtful to the local fellowship of believers (local church), wounded us personally, greatly sinned against God publicly, or otherwise fallen after they have repented of their ways and sought to return to the fellowship of believers? This answer is broad and applies to any Christians in the local church facing this (or a similar) situation.  We all want unity, but are willing to work for it?

Choosing not to sit in the place of judgment of this man frees the Holy Spirit to work in the situation, it is the biblical command, and it allows the love of Christ to prevail.  The Bible instructs us to act in love. When we are dealing with a situation where others have accepted our brother’s or sisters’ repentance or at the very least; have acknowledged his confession of repentance and are moving forward under the assumption that his confession is genuine, we must work toward reconciliation with our brother or sister in Christ.  Unless and until their actions show that they are in fact unrepentant, the Body of Christ is obligated to work toward reconciliation. 

Even if it remains fresh in our heart – which would be understandable – the words of Christ found in Matthew 5:23-24 apply.  “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (NIV)  Our role is not to take the place of judgment. (Luke 6:37)  That is God’s role alone with our brother or sister in Christ.  (Psalm 75:7)  To say that you are to pretend as though nothing has happened is not the right spirit.  The question naturally arises, “am I supposed to pretend as though nothing has happened?”   To say that you are to pretend as though nothing has happened is to suggest that you are continuing to judge this man but hiding your feelings of judgment for the sake of going through the motions of forgiveness. 

If we are going to have peace in these situations we are going to actually have to forgive.  That may sound very easy to say and much more difficult to do!  Even if the offense is serious, but all sin is serious and if he is truly repentant then God has forgiven Him.  If God, who is the supreme judge and holy and righteous and always just, has forgiven him, who are you or I to withhold forgiveness?  Did not Jesus command us to forgive our brother who sins against us not seven but seventy times seven times?  Jesus is saying that our lives must be characterized by radical forgiveness.   (Matthew 18:21-35)  That is not easy, but it is freeing for us and makes room for the Holy Spirit to work in the situation.  When we remain unforgiving we stand in the place of God and most often our negative spirit, our actions, and our deeds cause further distance between us and God and the person whom we are holding in judgment.   A lack of forgiveness harms us and it harms those we do not forgive. 

If we are not at a place yet where we are able to offer genuine forgiveness to our brother or sister in Christ then perhaps do not fellowship with them until you can; that is, if we are not able to at least offer the love and forgiveness for them that we are praying for God to grant to our heart.  Consider a genuine and honest handshake coupled with a sincere statement that you are praying for him and hope earnestly that this situation may soon be healed.  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35 NIV)

Remember that at all times within the body of Christ, though we are prone to stumble and will at times fail in this, we should always be seeking the Lord and striving to allow love to prevail in our hearts, our homes, our local church fellowships, and in our relationships with the world.

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:16-21 NIV)

Pilgrim Pastor... seeking to share the radical forgiveness that this sinner has received...