One Heck of a Home Team

“Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a fire?”  C.S. Lewis said it right! And, at last over the past couple months I have experienced the truth in this statement. 

Fellowship. That is the word that describes this semester, but what is it? Some would say it’s a happy gathering, involving laughter and maybe copious amounts of food. And that’s all good, but isn't there more? Lately I have learned there is.  The word for fellowship in Greek is koinonia which means sharing intimacy.  I have been blessed over this past semester more than any of these friends would know. The way that they live intentionally, desiring to love each other through their love of Jesus is so cool to see. Seeing the Lord work through friendships and simple weekly dinners to bring us closer together and closer to him is amazing to watch. 

However, letting people get close isn't easy. They see your mistakes and your bad days and your sins and your tears and your heartaches in a very up-close-and-personal kind of way. But it’s precisely this kind of intimacy that sharpens. That heals. That comforts. That teaches. That binds.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” 

Fellowship is about closeness. But how do we get this closeness? There are two ways to achieve it:  through drawing near to God and being real in our community. We walk in and toward the Light together. Walking in the Light implies a sense of openness… of an intentional effort to hide nothing: no flaw, no quirk, no abnormality, no burden, no weakness, no sin. When we’re engaging in koinonia with others, we keep nothing from them.

What keeps us from this kind of openness?  Everyone has their own reasons or excuses.  I would normally say it’s my personality, “this is just the way God made me” or a desire to be cautious with my heart, keeping it from rejection that has come from engaging in closeness with others.  After all, if I don’t get close to anyone, I can’t get hurt, right? We are so prideful, whether we think it or not, and that is why it is so hard to let people in.  More often than not, our social insecurities are rooted in pride.  This display of pride shows I’m worrying what others think about me, rather than finding my identity in God’s acceptance of me.  No one ever wants to be the one who doesn't have it together.  I am kind of introverted and letting people in is hard for me, but I have been amazed by the way God has convicted me of that and brought people into my life that genuinely desire to know me.

Even though I’m somewhat of an introvert I love being connected. Friendship is important to me. I consider my closest friends my family. Unfortunately, in my life I have felt like I was on the outside of circles.  In high school I went to a different school than my best friends.   In college, some of my friends are involved in Greek life and other organizations and some go to different churches.  But this semester with “Fam Dinners” I began to feel like I was on the inside; inside of a beautiful circle of friends.

They have taught me that once we get over our need to fit in and be included, we realize that each individual friendship is fulfilling. These friends get to know the deepest parts of us, and share both in our joy and our suffering. They have earned the right to hear our story and speak truth into our lives. These are the friends who celebrate with us when blessing comes, and walk shoulder to shoulder and help carry our burdens. These friends are encouragers, kindred spirits; they are the people with whom I look forward to doing life. This is fellowship. This is community. 

Practically speaking, about a few months ago I was introduced to some of the greatest people I have ever met. {that sounds extreme but it is true} Almost every Thursday night is “Fam Dinner” where we all pile into one of our friend’s houses and fellowship. Thursday nights are sweet times of conversation, laughter, good food, and lots of playing Signs. They are some of the most accepting people I know, it’s crazy to think back on the first time I got talked into going to a random girl’s house for a worship night.  Since that day, I am constantly amazed by the intentionality of these people, how they actively pursue real relationships. We are united not only by Auburn, but by our desire to build genuine community through studying, speaking and sharing the Gospel.  

We do life together, love Jesus together, but we also sit by a fire or go climb the fire-tower or  have a dinner or play Signs. The awesome thing is that I see Jesus through it all. They give a picture to “as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” 

Unity, Love, Togetherness.  The best thing this side of heaven.  A bond that is formed in Christ is not easily broken.

Y'all are one heck of a home team!

Well Done, not Well Said.

At passion we sang a song with the words “like a bride waiting for her groom, we’ll be a church ready for you, every heart longing for our king, we sing even so come. Lord Jesus come….” 

20.000 college students sang this as a cry to the lord. but my question now is, is that the true desire of our hearts? That we long for the Lord to come and come soon. we as a generation are procrastinators.

Have you ever stopped and thought about how rarely we are forced to give up options? We live in a generation that never closes a door completely, we wait until the last second to give up our choices. Like for example, we have 87k different drink options we can choose from at Starbucks, you can literally make any drink you want. We as a generation love options, we hate commitment and avoid making decisions. When did it become okay or even expected that we don't have to decide? You see as Christians this option thing isn't really a thing, once we have decided to follow Jesus, there is no turning back. [Like that children’s song from church, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, No turning back.] 

John Piper and Christine Caine both talked about this some. As i stated in a previous post John Piper spoke on the beauty of the gospel, that the gospel is less about a decision and more about being sight being restored to the blind. He says that the beauty of the gospel is the Light of the Glory of Christ. We have to see the beauty, the awe, the glory before we can ever decide. Because here is the thing once you see that beauty, there is no decision, we understand that we are created to bring more glory to Jesus. See that little children’s song is more true than we know, once our eyes are opened and we decide to follow Jesus, there is no turning back; there simply cannot be. Let me put it this way, we used to be dead, DEAD, and Jesus laid down his perfect life for us, he took our sin and shame and defeated it. Because of Jesus we are ALIVE, this life is no longer ours but his. So then what other choice would we have but to live our everyday for the advancement of God’s glory?

In 1 Kings 19:1- 20 we see Elijah in a crisis of faith, he has just killed all the prophets of Baal with the Lord’s help but he has gotten word that Ahab and Jezebel want him dead so he flees in fear. It is like he has forgotten all that the Lord has done in and through him. Elijah spirals into depression, but the Lord renews him, the Lord provides for him both physically and spiritually. See in this moment of Elijah losing hope God comforts him in saying that he has brought up someone to take over this work Elijah had struggled with. Here is one of the important parts, God tells Elijah to go back where he came from, because the Lord usually uses what we are running from for his greater will. So Elijah returns to find Elisha working, plowing. Elijah passes his cloak unto him and Elisha stops what he is doing and follows Elijah. The Lord will use people who are already working, he wants us to be willing to not receive the glory, and he wants us to join his work now. 

Here is my point, we can say we follow Jesus all we want, but God isn't impressed by our words, he isn't impressed by our Savior complex, he isn't even impressed by our good works. God love for us is constant, he loves us the same yesterday today and tomorrow. God however does want to use us, he wants works in his harvest, not people looking to receive praise and glory, but willing to plow the fields behind cattle. Following Jesus isn't a glamorous thing, but being a part of glorifying the Lord is greater than anything else. 

Earlier i pointed  out that our generation is a generation of non committal procrastinators. let me quote Christine Caine in saying that the Lord often uses those already working, willing to get their hands dirty. We love the praises we receive and we love to save the day. But the truth is the world doesn't need a Savior or a hero because there was one, and he has already finished the work. Our job is to be a vessel, a servant, a worker to bring his name to the ends of the earth. This isn't a job for tomorrow or for someone else, but for each of us. If we want to call ourselves a follower of Christ we have to realize that we are not costars with Christ but simply supporting roles. 

I think that sometimes we get so focused on being the next Billy Graham, or Louie Giglio, or whoever that we lose sight of what the goal is. the goal being to bring the gospel to all nations. We focus so much on what we can offer or what we are good at that we forget God is already working all we have to do is simply join in. We have to die to self and realize that we get the chance, we get the greatest honor, to bring glory to the name of Jesus. God doesn't get to use us, we get to be used by God and that is truly an honor.  So join in, now, don't put it off any longer. 

So let me summarize; when we see the beauty of christ, we decide to follow Jesus, no turning back. we immediately and completely take up our cross and follow him, when we do this we have to realize that we live to bring him glory, not ourselves. We no longer do anything for ourselves, because we were dead and now we are alive in christ.  

My prayer is that my generation, our generation, stops being a me and mine generation and becomes a you and yours generation. May we be willing to put aside our desires and wants and live whole heartedly for the pursuit of the gospel, so that our prayer can truly be “even so come, Lord Jesus come.” 

Matthew 9:37-38  “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Jesus heard from his father “well done good and faithful servant.” not well said. 

WELL DONE!

 I guess that means we need a little more working and a little less talking, as our time on earth is short. We can be a generation who lives on mission, showing each other and every person in the world what it looks like to be lit up by the light of Christ. 

Tetelestai. It is Finished.

John 19:28-29 

"28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

 {This past weekend, January 2-4, I had the pleasure of going to Passion, I am still in awe of what the Lord did there.   Worshiping the Lord with 20,000 peers is something amazing.} 

Tetelestai. The title of this post, and the overwhelming theme of Passion. This is the Greek word that Jesus spoke on the cross, it is translated into English as "It is finished." 

The thought that has continued to run through my mind since leaving Passion is "It is finished, but the fight has just begun" (this was something Louie said on the last day) 

I am going to try my best to explain this statement.  Let me begin with what Ben Stuart talked about:  the struggle and temptation, or the fight.  See Ben explained that each person is tempted in their own way, like how fish are enticed by different lures.   One may see a fake frog bobbing in the water and bite, while another who sees that as stupid is enticed by a shiny lure.  We, like fish, are lured or tempted in many different ways.  The devil is smart and he knows how to get us thinking.  He knows that what we think about is what we will care about and what we care about is what we will chase.  I am going to use that last statement [what you think about is what you care about, and what you care about is what you chase] as a definition of temptation.   If that is so then we see that the problem has a solution. And that is think about the Lord, fix our eyes on Christ.  Great idea but easier said than done because those lures seem pretty wonderful.  Let me explain it this way, Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet" opens with Romeo pining over Rosaline.  Romeo says none is fairer than Rosaline, that is until Romeo is dragged to a party and sees Juliet, then comes this lovely line:

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Who is already sick and pale with grief

That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she. . . .

The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars

As daylight doth a lamp; her eye in heaven

Would through the airy region stream so bright

That birds would sing and think it were not night." 

In other words, Rosaline who? Romeo sees the beauty of Juliet and he forgets the beauty of what he believed he loved.  God does the same for us if we surrender to his will.  He will replace our broken affections with something far more beautiful.  This is how we chase God, we realize that he is far more beautiful than anything else. Romans 8:18  "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." 

You see Satan wants so badly for us to believe that God doesn't love us, but that couldn't be further from the truth. [Our minds can't even fathom the love the Lord has for us.]  Satan wants to convince us that because of our shame and guilt we can never be seen as righteous. That our sin can never be forgiven, and we slowly believe these lies.  We think, how on earth could God love me? We think we will never be good enough, that we are too broken.  But God doesn't need us to have all our ducks in a row to use us... How? Why? Because of one simple word.
Tetelesai. (It is finished) When Jesus uttered this last breath, he won.  He defeated death and he made it possible for us to be seen righteous. See, when Jesus died on that cross hell irrupted in celebration, but they didn't understand that they were celebrating their own death.  Louie, being an Auburn fan explained it like this: think back to the 2014 Ole Miss game, it was a back and forth battle, but when the end came near Auburn was leading. Ole Miss however was driving down the field.  They had a receiver, Treadwell,  make a catch and head for the end zone.  An auburn defender caught up and pulled him down, but it appeared he still scored. The stadium erupted, until it became obvious the player wasn't getting up.  Not only was their best receiver down, but the play was under review. During the review it became clear that this player was seriously injured and would be out for the season.  The stadium became silent... Until the referee came on his mic, "After further review the runner fumbled before crossing the plane and Auburn recovered the football, Auburn ball." Auburn was going to win. What happened when Jesus said, "It is finished" is something like that, see hell thought they won, but Jesus knew better.  Jesus knew that when he said,  "Into your hands I commit my spirit", he was getting ready for a fight.  It was finished and he knew the outcome.  He was going to win , but the fight was at hand. 

Jesus claimed our victory when he rose from the grave!
Tetelesai. IT IS FINISHED. But the fight has just begun. 

This thought brings us to the idea that John Piper presented, that the root of Christianity is not a decision about the truth, but it is in seeing the beauty of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:3-5 "3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants[a] for Jesus' sake." Once we see this glory there is no greater joy.  In the words of John Piper, the greatest good of the Gospel is the gift of the beauty of God in the person of Jesus Christ.  If we look back to what Ben Stuart said about Romeo, Rosaline, and Juliet; we see that these points relate because Ben said that the way we focus on God is to never lose sight of the awe of Christ, the beauty of Christ.  And Piper says that the glory of God is the greatest gift we can ever receive.  Finally,  Ben said that seeing the glory of God is how we keep our minds from falling into sin. 

Hebrew 10:35-39

35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,

“Yet a little while,

    and the coming one will come and will not delay;

38 

but my righteous one shall live by faith,

    and if he shrinks back,

my soul has no pleasure in him.”

39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.