-
Archive of "Outward-Focus" Category
Combining My Journals
Some of you know that I have been keeping (well, "keeping" is an overstatement) two separate web journals for some time now. The ridiculousness of this idea has finally dawned on me… I know, I am slow to catch on, but don’t forget that I’m from Indiana. Anyway, here is the full content (entries and comments) from coastlandblog.com. Coastlandblog has now been decommissioned, but I might write something in this category from time to time, on this site. With that in mind, I’ve added a "CoastlandBlog Archive" section and an "RSS" subscription button to the sidebar.
If you see something in here that impacts you or inspires a comment, I’ll certainly still see it and will be glad to engage in the dialogue.
Peace.
The Kingdom of God is Like… Another South Africa Update
Jesus started so many stories by saying, “The kingdom of God is like…” This trip to South Africa has been an invitation to take part in one of those stories. I have come to a wonderful state of dependence since writing my last update from South Africa. Unless someone feeds me, I do not eat. Unless someone comes to get me, I have no way of getting around. Unless someone is willing to take me in, I have nowhere to sleep. Maybe that doesn’t sound so “wonderful” to you, but trust me, it has been perfect! Stress has been melting off my life since I landed here, nearly 3 weeks ago. I am learning to appreciate Jesus’ words about “take no thought…” If only I could learn to see my life so completely in his hands, as I have come to see it in the hands of my South African hosts.One amazing experience has been the Easter Camp with Fountain Vineyard. This was the twenty-third Easter these incredible folks have packed up trucks and trailers and cars to spend five days in tents and sleeping bags, come hellish heat or high water. They’ve refined the whole endeavor to quite a high art – the campsite is nothing but a school’s soccer stadium when they arrive, but by Thursday there is electricity, hot water, shelter from the elements and plenty of great food. Don’t get me wrong… it is certainly still camping, but they do all they can to make it comfortable. Nothing can burn away the masks and get us down to who we really are like sleeping outside in the rain, showering in the presence of guys you just met and sharing toilets with four hundred other people. It has been said that the only thing worse than having diarrhea is trying to have it quietly in a public bathroom. I concur.
Nothing could have prepared me for Easter Camp. What I mean to say is that no one could have described the sense of love, acceptance, belonging and community that I enjoyed this Easter. In fact, I wonder if it is even possible to understand until experienced… I felt as though I were literally living in the Kingdom of Heaven. There were no walls, no barriers, no hindrances – nothing to stand in the way of connecting with people – nothing to keep us from loving one another and being loved in return. I think Dave Pedersen is among the very few (very few!) genuine Apostles I have met, and his calm, compassionate nature reigned tangibly throughout the camp.I was the speaker for the evening meetings, Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday night. I talked about our willingness to be broken open so that the life of Jesus within us can escape and touch the people around us. I
cannot describe the meetings any other way than to say that there was an impartation. Far beyond mental ascent to an idea, I could see people’s hearts opening and their spirits lunging to grab this concept and make it their own. God is up to something in South Africa! During the morning and evening meetings people were released from demonic oppression, people were physically healed, people received emotional recovery, some were filled with the Holy Spirit. It was the fullness of the Body of Christ at work and on display.I have also been in one of the world’s surfing capitals, Jeffrey’s Bay, and one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth, Knysna. In both places, God seemed to breathe fresh air into the rooms. People began to understand that Outflow Evangelism is something doable, practical and powerful. When we open ourselves to be used by God to do “small things” with “great love,” the world begins to change.
News from South Africa
In the words of the late, great theologian, Bruce Lee (Enter the Dragon)
It is like a finger pointing to the moon… don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory!
Since March 29, I have been “the finger” in South Africa pointing to “the moon” of living in the Outflow. My prayer has been that people would not see me (the finger) but that they would be able to catch a glimpse of the true heavenly glory of flinging seeds of service, love, kindness and generosity. Lord, let Scott be forgotten and let Jesus be remembered!
As I type, I am completing the first leg of this trip. I’ll be flying out of Johannesburg (or JoBurg, as I am now authorized to call it) and landing in Port Elizabeth to spend Easter with the folks at Fountain Vineyard later today. I truly believe that God is up to something in South Africa!
On Saturday, March 31, I led an Outflow Mini-Conference at Valley Vineyard. The response was amazing! Not only did people really “get it,” but they were naturals at “doing it.” We went into a new housing community, still under construction, and gave away chocolate Easter eggs to demonstrate the kindness of God. During the morning discussion I was talking about the value of the seed and that when we shift our focus from getting people to “pray the prayer,” to simply flinging the seed miraculous things can happen. I had no idea how those words were about to be proven! The idea of giving something that people would like to have (chocolate eggs), for free was astounding to most of the people we met. One family asked the group who handed them Easter eggs if they could give their lives to Jesus right there in their home, or did they have to wait for church the next day… Sure, you can give your lives to Jesus right here! There were literally dozens of stories from that one afternoon of seed flinging. God is up to something in South Africa. The best part was when we came back to the church to share stories and discuss what we’d experienced. The room pulsed with energy and the presence of the Spirit. People were already moving beyond “Servant Evangelism” in their thinking and sharing ideas about getting back into that community in powerfully simple ways. My heart was singing with joy because it was pretty clear that “the finger” had not gotten in the way of the true heavenly glory of living spontaneous, Outflow lives.
The next day, Sunday April 1, I spoke at another great church, Hillside Vineyard. God’s presence was so heavy and tangible during worship, the tears poured from my eyes despite my efforts to look "put together" and like America’s official Outward-Focused Ambassador. It was, again, beyond my ability to describe. I have never known the kind of weight and burden (but in a good way) that I have experienced while talking to the people here. There seems to be such a spiritual imperative, such a now is the time mandate on this Outflow message. Gavin, the Team Leader from Valley Vineyard, said on Sunday night that he saw a picture of a giant fan, moved into position by the Holy Spirit. Then he saw the Church in South Africa taking fistfuls of seeds and flinging them into the rotating blades of the fan. The implication being that if we will generously, recklessly scatter the seeds we’ve been given, God will blow them in the right direction.
Of course, there has been plenty of fun too. Check out this picture of me petting one-and-a-half year old lion cubs… They would never let you do this in the US!
Thank God for MTV!
MTV leads the way in Reality TV. They invented the idea a bunch of years ago with a show that is still on the air, The Real World. One of their newest innovations is a reality show called, Juvies. I’m not a big fan of reality TV but this one really captured my attention. Sheryl and I had it on last night. I was stunned to discover that this show is recorded literally blocks from where I lived for 15 years! Any one reading this from Northwest Indiana will instantly recognize the abbreviation, LCJC, Lake County Juvenile Center. Can you believe that? MTV saw fit to film a show about juvenile delinquents in my old hometown. I am less than honored!
But let me explain why: It is not because I’m afraid this show will cast a false, negative shaddow on my old hood. It’s actually because I’m afraid it sheds glaring light on the local churches’ raging ineffectiveness at reaching into the lives of the teenagers that need Jesus. I need to add one more comment before going forward… I consider myself a part of that collective, ineffective local church. I was a pastor at a church just down the road from the set of "Juvies" for nearly 6 years and I didn’t have any influence with those kids. Even worse, I was a youth leader for 2 of those years and never made any connections or relationships at LCJC. I was always busy doing church stuff and to be completely honest, the kids “locked up” in juvie never even crossed my mind. God, forgive me!
I’m not out to point fingers at church leaders in Northwest Indiana – I know almost all of them and count each and every one a friend. We’re all compassionate, dedicated, servants of the Lord, but I know these leaders are just like I used to be… busy. My probing question is: Busy doing what?
During last night’s episode, I cried watching the two, featured kids go through the legal process. Both kids were from two-parent families and both kids were spending their first night behind bars. I guess the ideal situation would be that we reach kids before they get into trouble, but one particular scene broke my heart and inspired my thinking. At one point, the camera captured the entire “population” at a chapel service. As the Chaplain spoke, the camera moved around his audience, and I noticed that about 90% of those kids were giving him their undivided attention and soaking in each word. In fact, one of the “main characters” was later asked by a group of fellow inmates if he was going to play cards with them. His answer: “No, I’m gonna read my Bible.” Thank God for MTV! The Church in Northwest Indiana has just been alerted to an amazing opportunity to serve people in need.
It is extremely difficult for “church” or some Christian leader to gain access to the “world” of a troubled teenager. The opportunity exists because Lake County has gathered a bunch of them in one place. I hate using the word “should,” but it is necessary here… Churches should be beating the doors down, trying to get involved and serve at LCJC any way they can!
The tendency will be to want to preach at them. I think that’s the wrong way to go. They obviously already have their own Chaplain and are probably under certain legal obligations about “religious tolerance.” I can see kindness and practical service making great inroads, though. Instead of trying to jump right in with the “sinner’s prayer,” if churches would take on the long term goal of forging a relationship with the dedicated people at LCJC, great things will happen. In Romans 2:4, Paul asks the rhetorical question, “Is it not the kindness of God that leads to repentance?” One translation reads, “…leads to a radical life-change.” Isn’t that ultimately what we’re interested in? We want to see these kids have a radical life-change.I’m not sure if I’m actually writing to any of the spiritual leaders in Northwest Indiana here or not, but if so, here are a couple of my ideas:
Bring gifts for the LCJC staff: These are people that you can guarantee are under-paid, over-worked and under-appreciated. Find out how many people are working there at a given time and show up with a small gift basket for each person. Resist the urge to throw in propaganda from your church and just keep to a simple, “Thank you for doing what you do… every single day!” message.
Raise money to help in some practical way: If you can get in touch with a leader there, tell him that your church is raising money to help them with a special project they’d like to take on. They will not turn away your money! I noticed on last night’s episode that their basketball court could use a lot of work – maybe that’s an idea.
Here’s the key: It is not that they “need” a new basketball court! The basketball court is not the “end;” it’s the means. I know… they’re criminals. Why should they have a new basketball court? Simple: Because God’s love is extravagant and His grace is based on that lavish generosity, not whether we deserve His favor or not. Think about the statement a gesture of no-stings-attached generosity like this makes to the entire community…
There are so many more ideas… The bottom line is that churches in Northwest Indiana have a great opportunity to make an impact in this harvest field. Is it not God’s kindness that leads to a radical life change?
What Do You Make of This?
Since we’re moving to Florida very soon, I stay current on stuff that is happening in the news down there. I came across this mind-blowing story out of Pensacola…
For those of you who didn’t click the link – here’s the skinny: A church that operates a coffee shop/music venue was in trouble with its landlord because of complaints about the loud music. So much trouble, I guess, that they need to move. Who should come to the rescue…? A local strip-club and its owner! No kidding… the strip club sold tickets to a benefit concert and all proceeds were going to the church, to help them get a new location for their coffee shop and music venue. I know what the Bible says about "the wealth of the wicked," but have you ever heard of anything like this before? I haven’t.
I know this is going to be a polarizing issue in the church-at-large. There will be lots of people questioning the "integrity" of this church if they have such a friendly relationship with a nudie-bar. I have very little details about this story or the church in question… nothing more than I read in the little news item. For that reason, I’m not getting on either side. But here’s what I am thinking:
Jesus was attacked by the Pharisees because he hung around with "well-known and notorious sinners" (see Luke 15:1-2). Here we have a pastor who can actually utter the phrase, "My friend, the strip-club owner." Based on that, surface level information alone, I’m convicted!
Again, I don’t know exactly what to think about this specific situation, but it sure is interesting! I know I want to be the kind of follower of Jesus that could have a "well-known sinner" as a friend. Those who are well have no need of a physician, right?
Transformation: Thinking about Thomas
The last time I wrote here (an embarrassingly long time ago), I was trying to communicate a cycle of growing and changing spiritually. I believe there is an ongoing flow of Recognition – Consecration – Transformation that allows us to take new ground in our own spiritual lives. I left off writing about Consecration.
As I think about Transformation, I’m thinking about Josh and Thomas. When I was in college, I had a friend named Josh Redfield. His dad was a Lutheran Pastor in the Minneapolis area, and Josh was my teammate, an All-American point guard on our basketball team. I’m not sure how he first met him, but Josh befriended a homeless guy named Thomas. Thomas was very uncomfortable to be around most of the time. Of course, he always had a pungent odor, he was missing a lot of teeth, and I’m pretty sure he had several other un-diagnosed mental and physical problems.
At first, we would just see Thomas tagging along with Josh, appearing every so often around the campus. Then, as the basketball season got underway and the temperature in Minnesota started to drop, wherever Josh went, Thomas followed. I’m grieved and embarrassed to admit that Thomas made me more-than-uncomfortable. I didn’t like having him hang around our basketball practices, and I tried to avoid him for a long time. But it turns out that Thomas loved sports and became a North Central University Rams super-fan. He never missed a single home game and rarely even missed a practice.
The Holy Spirit really invaded my attitude about Thomas one night as I sat near him in the bleachers. It was during the girls’ game, just before my game was scheduled to start. The men’s team sat together, supporting our girls before getting into our own locker room to prepare for tip-off. So, of course, Thomas was right there in the middle. I was actually thinking to myself, “Thomas, get out of here! Ahhh! He’s so creepy! Why does he have to be all over us like this?” Pretty lousy attitude, huh?
As our coach gave us the signal that it was time to suit up, Thomas stood to give each player a high-five on his way down the bleachers (as was his custom). To my great surprise, Josh Redfield pulled his wallet from his back pocket and handed it over to Homeless-Thomas! In his regular, soft-spoken manner, Josh said, “Here ya go, brother. Get whatever you need from the concession stand while we’re gone.” I suddenly felt as though I’d swallowed a five-pound bag of sand! The anti-Christ coldness of my attitude was instantly revealed, and I was sick over it (Recognition and the beginning of Consecration).
I believe the Lord used that experience to teach me about the way he loves and values all people. I’m now certain that Josh Redfield was the first person to ever show Thomas the slightest degree of love and kindness. We were all “polite” to him, but Josh loved him. No wonder Thomas kept hanging around! For the first time in his life, he was being accepted and shown kindness. Thomas was later seen in chapel services, hands raised and worshipping the Lord. God was not willing to surrender Thomas, this precious life so afflicted with hardships.
Although Josh Redfield has now been gone from that campus for nearly a decade, I understand that Thomas still hangs out at North Central University. Other students have picked up the mantle from my friend, Josh and continue to demonstrate the loving kindness of God toward a very unlovely guy. I’m sure that there were people willing to preach to Thomas or stuff Gospel tracts in his pockets, but no one showed the extraordinary patience required to love Thomas all the way into the Kingdom until Josh found him. The only way to make an impact on Thomas was the no-strings-attached generosity and kindness of an authentic follower of Christ, my friend, Josh Redfield. It’s a testimony too, I think, to that school and its president that Thomas was never asked to stop hanging around, although he gave them lots of reasons to do so, I’m sure.
I was talking about Josh and Thomas to some friends today and I started to cry – like I do every time I bring it up. I can’t express how deeply changed I am now because of what I witnessed in the life of my friend, Josh. It wasn’t that Josh was such a nice guy – it was that Josh was willing to let the love of Jesus ooze from his life. He didn’t care who it caused him to connect with. The big transformation in my life was to learn that God doesn’t overlook anyone, and that he may want to use me to prove that fact someday. Josh, if you somehow end up reading this, I want you to know that I wouldn’t be the same person with out you. God bless you, Brother!
Lost In The Mall
I have a vivid memory of being lost, as a child. I was in the mall with my dad. I recall standing next to him in an aisle of a department store. He must have walked away, thinking that I had seen him and was following, but I wasn’t. I reached up and touched the leg of the guy next to me… but it wasn’t my dad. It was some other guy! I remember that this strange man smiled down at me. He was probably a wonderful guy and willing to help me any way that he could – at that moment, however, my perception was blurred with panic. To me, he looked sinister. What was he grinning at? What had he done with my father?
I looked around, but in my frenzy I couldn’t find my dad anywhere. Not sure what else to do, I ran to a counter and told the man behind the cash register that I had lost my dad. I was explaining what my dad was wearing and what he looked like when the cashier pointed over my head and said, “Oh yeah, is that him right there?” I turned around and saw my dad no more than 30 feet from where I’d “lost” him. The unspeakable joy and relief that flooded my soul is indelibly etched in my psyche. I wrapped myself around my dad’s leg. I was overwhelmed with gratitude to the cashier who’d known where to find my dad. I smiled and thanked him all the way out the store.
All these years later, I think about my reaction had that experience been a little different. What if the man who first smiled at me had offered to let me come live with him? “I’m sorry you lost your dad, but I’ll be your new dad,” he might say. “We have a swimming pool, and I’ll buy you a dirt bike. You can have chocolate cake for dinner and all the Nintendo games you want.” Would I have gone with him? Is there any news that could have possibly been good enough to wipe away the agony of being lost and separated from my father? Of course not! All I wanted to know was, “Where is my dad!”
Now the cashier on the other hand, I would have followed him anywhere. I had described my dad to him and he seemed to know exactly whom I was talking about. Even though it was only an instant, I trusted him. He pointed out my father. I felt rescued and relieved. I wonder if this little story bears any likeness to the internal situation of people who are “lost” in this world.
I think the attempts by smiling strangers to share the “Good News,” and bring people to some unfamiliar new place called “church,” where all their greatest wishes can be satisfied, are viewed with skepticism. They obviously don’t realize it, but people who are separated from their Heavenly Father are clouded by darkness and panic. Jesus told Nicodemus that people not-yet-connected to God, “love darkness rather than light…” In Proverbs chapter 4, Solomon says that people shrouded in darkness don’t even know what makes them stumble and fall through life.
At their core, people apart from the Lord are hurting, confused, lost and in need of help – but they don’t know that! When Christians come along and say, “You’re confused; you’re lost and in need of help,” it’s offensive. As far as these people know, they’re just like everyone else. When evangelistic attempts make the evangelist look and sound like his life is all together and perfect, it seems bogus. The Good News just comes off sounding like “I’m better than you,” and I don’t think that approach has ever been effective.
Remember the cashier who was able to point me to my father? Our simple acts of kindness in an Outward-Focused lifestyle point the way to a reunion with a loving Father. Jesus said that no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). It only took an instant for me to trust that cashier because he was able to point me to my father. Faith to believe in salvation and faith to really listen to the Good News is awakened within people once we’re able to show them what God is really like through the kindness of Jesus Christ.
I think that Jesus was trying to explain what God is really like when he told the story of the lost son, in Luke 15. I’ve written about that story before – you most likely remember how it goes. Near the end, when the younger son has returned home to beg for a place as a hired servant, his dad runs out to the edge of town to meet him. Before the young man can even get to the end of prepared speech, his dad does three things that help us see the way the Father really wants people treated.
- He hugs and kisses his “lost” son. I think everyone has room to grow into a more compassionate, affectionate person. Someone from whom I’ve learned a great deal about Christian affection used to say, “Let the Kiwanis shake hands. Hug folks!” But aside from actually hugging people, how can your attitude and your demeanor communicate open arms and a compassionate heart? Ask God to give you ideas. He’ll gladly do it.
- He put a new robe on his shoulders and a new ring on his finger. I think the application here is simply, give things to people. Be generous. Most of us already think we’re generous because we would give to someone if the situation presented itself. Real generosity creates the situation. Plan it. Carry things with you for the express purpose of giving them away to people. Right now, I have a supply of Tic-Tacs with me just for giving away. Every time we leave the house, someone is getting a little box of Tic-Tacs.
- He throws a party in his honor. This is all about environment and you may not have complete control over it. Think about your church. If you did attract someone to come to church with you because of your affection and generosity, would you be bringing that person to a place that would accept and welcome and celebrate him? If not, don’t bring him to your church!
Invite people to your house. Bring them along to gatherings with your other friends. Invite them to a small group meeting, but don’t let religion get its ugly hooks in people before they even have a chance!
Me, the Pharisee Part 2
I wrote last week about my realization that no matter how outward-focused I want to be (and am becoming) there remains a Pharisee in me. If I allow this religious, Pharisee attitude to influence the way I think, the way I speak and the way I behave I will actually keep people from entering the Kingdom of Heaven. I’ll push them away from Jesus, maybe unwittingly but away nonetheless.
I believe that Luke chapter 15 provides us with a parable designed to expose and eliminate that internal Pharisee. To really understand the parables, the first question we should always ask is: “Who is the audience?” In the case of the parables in Luke 15, the audience is the Pharisees. They were offended because all the tax collectors and sinners were gathered to Jesus and He was receiving them. Now, before you convince yourself that this can’t be you, you’d never complain about anyone coming to Jesus; let’s look at one particular part Luke 15, the parable about the Prodigal Son. I believe that each person mentioned by Jesus in this parable teaches about an attitude that shuts up the Kingdom of Heaven and keeps people away. The obvious exception is the father in the parable. The father in Jesus’ story is not automatically God, the Father. The father of the two young men in Jesus’ parable is our model for how to be the kind of person who draws people to Jesus. His actions shouldn’t be construed as the stuff God would do, but should actually be considered the stuff that God wants us to be doing.
In Jesus’ story, the younger son converts all of the goods from his father into spending money, he moves away from home and begins to blow his fortune. One translation of Luke 15:13 calls it “riotous living.” Wasteful living. There are people who waste what they’ve been given. They waste the help you provide them; they waste the advice you give them; they waste the money you loan them. They’re wasteful, destructive… prodigal. Have you ever been one of those people? If so, you can easily relate to the sick feeling in the bottom of this young man’s stomach as he begins to realize what he’s done and how much his foolishness has cost him.
My first year in college a kid that I kind of knew already came up to the same school as me. We weren’t really friends. I didn’t know him very well and he was annoying to me. He didn’t know that, but I didn’t like to be around him. Well of course, this kid requested me as his roommate for our freshman year in the dormitories. I’m ashamed of how I handled it, but the truth is, I tried my best to distance myself from him. He would go around telling people we were from the same church and that we’d known each other for a long time. I hated that!
This kid did have some problems – he started living a “prodigal” life. He would oversleep and skip classes. He racked up a huge phone bill and had to sell his own plasma to try to pay his bills. The problem was, once he actually had some money in his wallet, he usually wasted most of it by going out to eat or buying himself a new hat or something instead of taking care of his bills. I guess because of our “connection,” his riotous living began to reflect upon me. People used to ask me about him. Why did skip all his classes? Why did he waste his money on pizza and new clothes? Why was he always surfing the Internet instead of doing his homework? I don’t know!
I’m sure now that this desperate young man was under the constant burden of shame because of his own behavior. He was probably sleeping late because of depression and despair. He probably spent his money on food and new clothes out of a sense of sheer hopelessness. He’d never be able to pay off his mounting bills anyway so why not enjoy a little momentary pleasure? My fear for my own “reputation” and my own personal insecurity kept me from really being a friend to this guy – a friend that he desperately needed.
I distanced myself from him because of his prodigal living. I kept him away from me and never once showed him any compassion. I’m ashamed of this now, but I used to lock him out of the room in order to further distance myself from him. I wanted people to see me being cruel to him so that they’d understand I wasn’t “like him.” Sometimes I’d make it easy for other people on the floor to sabotage his stuff or play some prank on him (of which he was a regular target). My attitude was driving him away at a time when he was so filled with self-destructive emotions he didn’t need anyone to accentuate how screwed up he was. As was inevitable, he was dropped from school because of his overwhelming debts. I know that it wasn’t me alone; the entire Christian community that surrounded my roommate let him down. His wastefulness was viewed as some sort of indictment against all of us. It was like we just had to reassure ourselves that we were better than somebody. “I thank God that I am not like other men…” Do you recognize that famous Pharisee-line?
When I think back about that time of my life now, do you know what I realize? My roommate wasn’t annoying – I was immature. I was right about one thing; he wasn’t like me. He loved to the unlovely. He was compassionate, out-going and very bold. There was one other loner on our floor who was also picked on and laughed at… guess who his only friend was. Yep, my prodigal roommate.
Me, the Pharisee Part 1
Pharisee. That’s a dirty thing to call someone if you travel in Christian circles. They’re the bad guys. The "religious" people. The know-it-alls; the hypocrites. You can probably think of someone right now that you would consider a Pharisee. We’re right in our judgment. The Pharisees are the bad guys. One time Jesus called them children of the devil (John 8). I would say that Jesus’ heaviest criticism of the Pharisees was leveled in Matthew 23:13. There, He tells them that they are personally responsible for "shutting up" the Kingdom of Heaven. He says, "For you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in."
What a horrible thing! Does Jesus mean that my behavior, my attitude, my words can have the power to actually block a person from entering the Kingdom of Heaven? Not only that, He’s saying that a Pharisee has the power to block access to a person who even wants to enter in – not just the people who look and say, "If that’s ‘Christian,’ I don’t want it!" Not just those people, but also the people who are legitimately seeking admittance. Unfortunately for me, I have some personal experience with this. I think that there is a little Pharisee in every one of us. If we’re willing to allow the Holy Spirit to point him out to us, we can make sure he never gets to influence our behaviors, our attitudes and our words.
I was driving past the church in which I used to serve one night on my way to pick up some Chinese food. There was nothing going on at church that night and the parking lot was empty except for one car. I recognized the car and knew that its owner was a guy who had recently left the church – with some drama involved. It didn’t take me long to figure out why his car was parked at this church he had recently decided he didn’t need anymore; he was gone on a trip and needed some place to park his car. I also knew his family. I knew that he had hurt his mom and dad by leaving (and the way he left). I also figured out that his car was parked there because he needed his dad to drive him to the airport. Now, I’m not proud of this but in those few seconds – seeing that car, connecting the dots – this was the thought that first came to my mind: "Well, this church wasn’t good enough for you until you needed somewhere to park your car! You don’t care about your dad’s help or advice until you need a ride to the airport." Do you know who that was feeding those thoughts…? It was the Pharisee in me.
The Pharisee in me thought this young man needed to suffer a little bit before he was worthy to be helped by the church. The Pharisee in me thought he should have to pay some sort of penalty. After all, he had the opportunity to get benefits from this church and he decided he didn’t need them. Why should we help him now? Can you hear how evil and anti-Christ that attitude is? Those thoughts are nothing less than the offspring of the devil!
Thank God for His mercy; I immediately realized how vile my thoughts were and repented. I said, "Lord please forgive me! What’s it to me who parks their car at the church? I ought to be thankful that You provided for this young man! Forgive me, Lord!" Just as I prayed that prayer, I heard these words in my heart: You’ve got to get better at recognizing people who are on their way home, but still a long way off.
I was instantly reminded of Jesus’ parable from Luke 15, that we call The Prodigal Son. Remember him? The son who basically told his father, "Life would be better for me if you were dead; divide my portion of the inheritance I would get when you’re dead right now." Then, he goes out to a far away place and blows it all in a hurry. Once he finally hits the complete bottom, he decides to come home and beg his dad for a job as a servant – at least then he’ll have some food to eat. You know what happens next. His father sees him coming from a long way off. He runs out to meet him, hugs his neck, kisses his face and orders a party to be put together to celebrate the return of his long lost son. The father saw him coming a long way off. He knew he was on the way home, even though he was still a long way off. That’s what the Holy Spirit was wanting me to learn. How do you recognize people who could be on their way home, even though they still look a long way off?
Here’s three things I thought of from the Luke 15 parable:
- They’re desperate and hungry. Desperate people are capable of doing things they would otherwise never consider. Hunger is a powerful motivator and they might be willing to lie to you, cheat you, or steal from you in order to fill their bellies. Lying, cheating or stealing doesn’t mean they don’t want to come home… it just means they’re still a long way off.
- Everything is someone else’s fault. In the son’s mind, he wouldn’t even have had to come home but, "no one would give him anything to eat." He doesn’t take responsibility for losing all his money. Isn’t that annoying? Don’t you just want to point out to people how flawed their logic is? But that’s not what the father does. He doesn’t even ask his son about the money or how it was lost. He accepts him back, no questions asked.
- They have a story all prepared to manipulate you. You can read the young man in Jesus’ story thinking, "What can I say to convince my dad to take me back?" He had a story and an excuse. "I know I’m not worthy to be your son, but how about hiring me as a servant?" How did his father handle that? He just ignored it. He never responds to it. He just wraps his arms around him and loves him home. People don’t need us to fix their theology at this point. They don’t need to hear about "how bad this hurt their mother." They need love. Unconditional, agape love!
I’m working on putting that Pharisee in me to a brutal death. He’s hard wood though, and he’s a moving target. I encourage you to keep your heart humble to the possibility that you might be carrying behaviors, attitudes or words that can ultimately keep people away from Jesus – people who desperately want to meet Him. We want to be ones bringing them home, not pushing them way.
