Send Us Out

"God is the greatest evangelist ever." - Joshua Harris

God has been saving people and restoring lives for thousands of years, and He's gotten pretty good at it. Go figure. Everyone in history who has ever come to know God has done so because of the invitation God first extended. And the invitation is still valid, still calling people to the glorious cause of the Gospel. Many of you reading this have accepted the call into the kingdom of God, but there's more to it than that. As if being saved from the immeasurable depth of sin was not monumental enough, with that pardon all Christians have received a second invitation. It is an invitation to play a part of the wonderful story of God's creation.

Here's the cool thing about God's evangelism -- it's been awhile since He has audibly spoken to anyone on this earth. He prefers a different method: you. Not to say He could not do it all on His own, but when He uses you to tell people about His invitation, more than one life is changed. Sharing the love of Christ with a fallen world is a divine experience. In those moments there is a level of intimacy with God that reaches deeper than any worship experience or any still moment of prayer. Speaking the very truth of God into the soul of another is an indescribable encounter, as you serve God as a mouthpiece.

In Isaiah 6:8, God poses the question: "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" Isaiah, cleansed from his sin, replies: "Here am I. Send me!" This familiar passage is an incredible example of how we are to respond to God: without question, without hesitation, without doubt. Simply and immediately: "Here I am. What can I do for You, my Savior? Where do You need me? Who can I share Your Gospel with today? Whose life can I impact for the glory of Your name?"

There are so many opportunities. Take a look at the lives of those around you. Who needs encouragement? Who needs material aid? Who needs discipling? Who needs biblical advice? God will meet the needs of His people, and He could use anybody in the world. But He is extending the offer to you, so that you may know Him better, and experience Him more powerfully than you ever have before. Be His hands, be His feet, go where He sends you. Rewards in heaven cannot be earned after you have already gotten into heaven. So go.

You Versus the Rocks

Silence is the most widespread and deadly disease of the Christian faith. There’s a very serious problem with a professed believer living a quiet life. See, Christ isn’t interested in indifference. He didn’t suffer and die so that you could live within the small, comfortable box of your everyday routine and then go to heaven and party for all eternity. No, the party’s already begun, and the invitation to enter into living loud lives as celebrations of Christ is on the table. When your life is one big, resonant declaration of the freedom you find in Christ, you will find yourself faced with opportunities day in and day out to tell people about the source of your livelihood, because they’ll be wondering. You’ll find yourself more successful in your battles with sin, as His joy will be the source of your strength. And if you don’t live loud, the rocks will.

Jesus gives the call in the gospel of Matthew, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). If you are a believer, you have a light. Jesus is talking here to those who have the light of the Father in them, not to those searching for the light. The presence of this light inside of you should fill you with uncontainable joy. The only way that it can reside in you is because Christ has cleansed you and made you a vessel to reflect as much of His light as possible and bring maximum glory back to Him. If you understand what you once were, and what you are now in Christ, joy is the only suitable response.

Joy is not a quiet emotion. It starts in your soul, causing you to worship Him in spirit. It then moves to your mind, bringing conviction and encouragement, resulting in a determination for improvement. Then it spreads to every part of your physical being, in every word you say, in every thing that you do. And it’s at that point that joy becomes your defining characteristic. That is when people begin to ask you what makes you so joyful all the time. They want to know where they can find such inexplicable happiness. And the opportunities for telling people about Christ just come flowing in. It’s life at the loudest level.

Loud lives help change your life. This is where the joy you find in Christ battles your indwelling sin. ”… do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10b). It is only when you lower the volume on your life for God and begin to listen to Satan’s whispers that evil can win. When every part of you is obsessed with living your life for God, there’s no possibility for temptation to triumph over God’s joy in you. Delve into the Word of God and allow God to speak truth into your soul. As you understand your sin, and as you guard yourself against the whisper of temptation, you will begin to make huge leaps of progress in your pursuit of godliness. As you become more like Christ, Christ becomes more glorified in you.

God is going to be glorified on this earth, no matter what. All of creation is one monumental display of His glory. In the gospel of Luke we see Jesus arriving in Jerusalem, riding upon a donkey, as large crowds of people overflow on the streets of the city just for an opportunity to praise Him. “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38). Some of the Pharisees in the crowd call out to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples” (19:39). But Jesus replies, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out” (19:40).

So that leaves just one question… are you going to be out-praised by a rock?

A Look at the Puritans

More likely than not, at some point during high school history classes, every student has learned about the Puritans from a historical standpoint, and perhaps even the basics of what the Puritans believed. The term “Puritan,” however, is generally associated with extreme, over-the-top lawfulness, possibly crossing the boundary into legalism. Upon delving further into Puritan writings, however, I have found a very different picture of the Puritan lifestyle. While personally I do not agree with some of their beliefs on some smaller issues, I think for the most part they had the right idea of what Christianity should look like. They knew what was most important in life and they went after it with such a diligence that has yet to be matched by any significant religious group or movement.

”The central tenet of Puritanism was God’s supreme authority over human affairs, particularly in the church, and especially as expressed in the Bible. This view led them to seek both individual and corporate conformance to the teaching of the Bible, and it led them to pursue both moral purity down to the smallest detail as well as ecclesiastical purity of the highest level. On the individual level, the Puritans emphasized that each person should be continually reformed by the grace of God to fight against indwelling sin and do what is right before God” (“Puritans” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puritan).

There is a lot that modern-day Christians can learn from the lives of these people who were so radically sold out to Jesus Christ. They kept the cross of Christ the main thing and were serious about living their lives to the glory of His name. John Flavel, a Puritan pastor from the 17th century, writes,

“If Christ be the Lord of glory, how careful should all be who profess Him, that they do not dishonor Jesus Christ, whose name is called upon by them? Christ is a glory to you, be not you a shame and dishonor to Him. How careful had Christians need to be, to draw every line and action of their lives exactly: the more glorious Christ is, the more circumspect and watchful ye had need to be. How lovely would Jesus Christ appear to the world, if the lives of Christians did adorn the doctrine of God their Savior, in all things! Remember, you represent the Lord of glory to the world; it is not your honor only, but the honor of Christ which is engaged and concerned in your actions.”

Even the smallest detail of your life, the most insignificant actions, can contribute to the manner by which you represent your Savior. Take care not to dishonor Christ in any arena of your life so that He may receive most glory and so that the world may see that glory in full. I love how he says that the more glorious Christ is, the more careful you need to be. How glorious is Christ to you?

I would strongly encourage everyone to own a copy of “The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions” (edited by Arthur Bennett). Aside from the Psalms, I find nothing more comforting, encouraging, and yet still convicting to read on a daily basis. The following passage is from a prayer entitled “The Gospel Way.”

Blessed Lord Jesus,
No human mind could conceive or invent the gospel.
Acting in eternal grace, thou art both its messenger and its message,
Lived out on earth through infinite compassion,
Applying thy life to insult, injury, death,
That I might be redeemed, ransomed, freed.

Blessed be thou, O Father, for contriving this way,
Eternal thanks to thee, O Lamb of God, for opening this way,
Praise everlasting to thee, O Holy Spirit,
For applying this way to my heart.

Glorious Trinity, impress the gospel on my soul,
Until its virtue diffuses every faculty;
Let it be heard, acknowledged, professed, felt.

Teach me to secure this mighty blessing;
Help me to give up every darling lust,
To submit heart and life to its command,
To have it in my will, controlling my affections, moulding my understanding;
To adhere strictly to the rules of true religion,
Not departing from them in any instance,
Nor for any advantage in order to escape evil, inconvenience or danger.

Take me to the cross to seek glory from its infamy;
Strip me of every pleasing pretence of righteousness by my own doings.
O gracious redeemer, I have neglected thee too long,
Often crucified thee, crucified thee afresh by my impenitence,
Put thee to open shame.

I thank thee for the patience that has borne with me so long,
And for the grace that now makes me willing to be thine.
O unite me to thyself with inseparable bonds,
That nothing may ever draw me back from thee, my Lord, my Savior.

These people were on fire for God. Despite a lack of any significant "charismatic element" in the Puritan church, they loved God wholeheartedly based on Scripture alone. What if Christians today were as serious about dealing with sin as the Puritans were hundreds of years ago? What if we acted as though our relationship with Christ really was the most important thing in our lives? I think it's safe to say that something big would happen. What if we didn't look so much like the world? Then they would have to notice us, and they would start to wonder, and God could move in their hearts in the way that only He can. Something big would happen if we surrendered ourselves wholly to God.

There is no salvation outside of the cross

On Friday night I had the privilege of attending the opening show of the "Winter Jam 2006" tour at First Baptist Woodstock. We were serenaded by the musical talents of artists such as Krystal Meyers, Hawk Nelson, ZOE Girl, Newsong, TobyMac, and the heartbeat and redeeming factor of contemporary Christian music worldwide, the Newsboys. The host and speaker of the event was David Nasser, author of "A Call to Die." I went in with high expectations, having heard of David Nasser as a powerful man of God and excellent communicator of the Truth. At the end of the night, my emotions toward the event were split directly in half.

I have a bone to pick with David Nasser. Before I explain, please allow me to make it very clear that I am not in any way questioning the genuineness of David Nasser's faith. It is obvious that God has done amazing things in and through him. However, at the point in the night when he gave his "talk," he started off by giving his testimony. If you haven't heard it, it's worth looking into. He was born in Iran and his family fled to America from radical Muslims when he was nine. After he graduated high school God turned his life around, and eventually David Nasser's entirely Muslim family turned to Christ. It is an amazing story of God's faithfulness. Anyway, after David told this story, he basically turned around and opened up the invitation for people who needed rescue to accept Christ into their lives. I applaud his efforts to use a huge concert tour like Winter Jam to spread the Gospel, but the problem was that David Nasser did not once mention the cross of Jesus Christ. He didn't talk about the life Jesus lived, or the price He paid. He presented a very man-centered gospel. He offered people the chance to be "rescued" from their circumstances. About 250 people prayed with David Nasser last night to be rescued. Praise God that these seeds were planted, but these people, without further teaching, have received a very skewed first impression of the Gospel. My prayer is that they would go from here and dig into the Word of God and learn the full truth of the Good News. I understand that Mr. Nasser did not have a lot of time in which to present his mini-sermon, but there are some things which he left out that cannot be left out. There is no salvation out of the cross.

On the other hand, the Newsboys, who closed out the night, put on one of the most brilliant shows I have ever witnessed. Though their time was short, they didn't waste a minute. Every song was energy-filled and more importantly, heart-felt. The spiritual journey they have traveled as a band was evident through their show. After the first song, lead singer Peter Furler (translate: Brian's hero #21) quoted Isaiah 40 while playing the intro to Blessed Be Your Name. Beautiful. Then, later in the show, during a moving rendition of "Free," Mr. Furler began pacing furiously back and forth across the stage, quoting Isaiah 53. It was a powerful moment of worship through simple reading of the Scripture. It was truly a glorious contrast to the message previously presented by David Nasser. They allowed the words of Scripture to speak Truth instead of the "feel-good" words of an inspirational speaker.

In the upcoming week: think on the cross. There is no salvation apart from the sacrificial death of our precious Savior. Think about where you have been, and where Christ has brought you. When you wake up each morning, thank God for cleansing you. The cross is the greatest news of every single day.

Post-Passion Pontification (Part 3)

Of all the messages I heard at Passion ’06, I was most challenged by the sermon John Piper gave on Wednesday morning. One of the first things he established was that every living person is going to suffer on this earth. Some people have already experienced severe hardship, some are in the midst of it, and some have it coming, but everyone will experience it. You’ve heard the suffering messages: God is using your trial for good, God is going to carry you through, you have to use this test to grow stronger, etc. John Piper’s message wasn’t just about how to deal with suffering, though.

Do not mistake me; those are great truths from God’s Word. He does ultimately use suffering for good, and to refine His people. The challenge that Dr. Piper issued was: are you positioning yourself for suffering? The Christian life is not about living comfortably. Yes, God blesses His people and these blessings are wonderful, but without hardships and times where you truly learn to need God, you will miss out on a much deeper relationship. In suffering God draws us closer to Him.

And in suffering our witness as Christians becomes stronger. Who wouldn’t accept Jesus Christ if the resulting life was one of ease and material abundance? No, the Christian life is riddled with hardships equal to and sometimes beyond the trials unbelievers face. The difference is that we do grow closer to our Father in those seasons. Our faith is strengthened in a way unattainable by any other situation. And we trust in Him Who put us there to bring us out again.

Take a moment to consider a few of the things in your life that you would be reluctant to let go. For some of you this might be certain relationships. For others it could be possessions or wealth. Maybe it’s status, or reputation, or power. How would you respond if that thing was unexpectedly torn from your life? Is that one thing you are holding onto so tightly interfering with your relationship with God? Because as unwilling as you are to let it go, it is holding onto you with equal strength. You may be experiencing the presence of God now, but that thing is keeping you away from a level of worship and intimacy that you cannot reach until you let it go.

Position yourself for suffering. Maybe it means increasing your financial giving back to God to the extent that your offering is truly a sacrifice. Maybe it means letting go of that thing you are holding onto. Maybe it means leaving everything behind and serving God in India, or in Africa, or in China, or in Brazil, or to wherever God is calling you. Take up your cross daily. The cross, the means of your salvation, could only accomplish its ultimate goal through Christ’s suffering to the point of death. Position yourself daily so that God may accomplish much through you.

What we didn’t know at the time John Piper gave his message was that he had recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Please keep him in your prayers in the weeks to come, not only that the doctors would be able to treat him effectively, but that he would find renewed strength every morning to take up his cross and follow His Savior whom he loves so dearly.

Post-Passion Pontification (Part 2)

You don’t have to fix into a box to glorify the name of Jesus. On the final morning of Passion ’06, Louie gave a message from Colossians 3:17 - "And whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." He talked about how it is not necessarily the pastors, ministry workers, and worship leaders who are going to bring about revival in this nation. It’s the businessmen, the accountants, the architects, the sales clerks, the dancers, the photographers, the film-makers, the designers, and the construction workers who do their job in the name of the Lord Jesus. Whatever your aspirations in life are, do them in the name of Christ. Do them to the glory of God. This doesn’t mean that you have to insert subliminal Christian themes into your work; it just means that you have to do the absolute best job that you can do and give credit where credit is due. God has given each of His children unique gifts and abilities. Do not shy away from these gifts because you think God can only be glorified with your career if you go into some sort of ministry position. He can be magnified by whatever you do, as long as you do it in His name and for His glory.

Of course, on a personal level this threw a huge wrench into the plans I thought God had for me in the future. Maybe there won’t be a change, but there are certainly some more things I have to consider and pray about now. However, as I thought about this talk that Louie gave, I began to expand the same truth to other areas of my faith.

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” (John 14:6)

Most of you are familiar with the call to the narrow gate. Jesus is the way, and the way is narrow. Simply put, you have to allow Christ to lead you down the path of life because sin is always there, tempting you to wander. Without the guidance and strength of our Shepherd, we will surely turn aside. Here’s the fun part though: as long as you stay on that path and follow Him, mode of transportation is your choice. You can walk, run, skip, frolic, ride, drive, or fly down that path if you so please. God has created you with specific desires and He wants you to enjoy those, as long as they do not cause you to stray from Biblical truth.

Pray for direction. If you’re like me, you may have some distant thought in the back of your mind of something that you would like to do more than anything else in the world, but you just cannot see it happening. Maybe the odds are against you. Maybe there is no college program specific to what you want to do. Maybe you are terrified of the challenges that might come with it. Pray for direction. In Psalm 37:4, God promises us, “Delight yourself in [ME] and [I] will give you the desires of your heart.” What do you want?

Post-Passion Pontification (Part 1)

In all likelihood, none of this is going to be coherent. The daunting task of compiling four days worth of non-stop spiritual insights haunts me when I go to sleep at night, but I’m going to do my best. For those unaware, I spent the first few days of 2006 in Nashville, Tennessee at the Passion ’06 conference. It was unbelievably powerful. I could write pages about every main session, every breakout session, and every community group and family group meeting. But it’s all such a blur, so I’m not going to try it that way. Rather, I am going to write about some of the many things God dropped on me during this conference. Many of these things were not even spoken about at Passion, but God isn’t limited to sessions. He’s bigger than that.

One of the most prevalent thoughts running through my head was the question that I think crossed everybody’s mind at some point during the conference. And even if you weren’t at Passion ’06, you’ve been at this place before. The feeling is strictly divine. God is more real to you than ever before. Every night He leaves you speechless. All you can do is throw yourself at His feet and worship Him. How on earth do we leave an amazingly spiritual event in this state of mind, full of determination to live wholeheartedly for God, and then hold onto that in the weeks and months to come? Even though we are on a spiritual high at that point in time, we know the emotion won’t last. How do you live for God when the emotion and the determination are gone?

I did not find the answer to this question at the conference. I thought about it, but I could not solve it. It was not until the drive home when my friend asked me that very question that it hit me. “What really stops us from living the way we want to live for God?” We decided it was not lack of direction. We are surrounded by solid, Biblical teaching on every topic imaginable. We are grounded in a local church that is dedicated to sound doctrine. It has to be something within ourselves. And in that moment I said out loud, “How bad do we really want it? Is our desire to pursue Christ wholeheartedly truly the thing we want most in life?” And there it was. It’s not that I haven’t loved God. It’s not that I haven’t been “right” with God. It’s that He hasn’t been First in my life.

My progress in pursuing godliness is directly proportional to the importance and sincerity with which I consider that pursuit. If I devote the MOST effort toward the end of glorifying God, I am going to make the MOST progress in changing my life so that I can reflect maximum glory to His Name. I’ve said this many times before: I am the only thing keeping me from what (and Who) I want to want most. Making God the main desire of my soul is more than a declaration. It’s an entire lifestyle. If God is going to be the Center, I have to push more stuff to the periphery. Christ paid the price of my failure. My response must be in turn to crucify my sinful desires on my daily cross and live a life of worship toward Him.

Father God, let it be my zealous endeavor to pursue You with all that I have. Let me not forget these things which you have revealed to me. Let me dwell upon them day and night so that I may never cease praising Your holy name. Pour out upon me strength to continue on, and to change. I never want to lose sight. Be the center of my life. Be the place I fix my eyes. You are worthy.