Lately, revolution has gone from a simmer to a boil in my soul. Yes, revolution. But the revolution I’m talking about is not political (although it could have political impact). It is not moral (although it could lead to moral reformation). No, the revolution I’m talking about is the revolution of the soul that can only come through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So with that said, it doesn't take a genius to realize that are issues with Christianity in America today. I know I've said it before, but here in America our gospel is watered down. It sounds harsh, but many of you know it's true. We have drained the lifeblood of Christianity and replaced it with Kool-Aid, i.e if you pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart, He will definitely come in. Friends, you will not find this "sinner's prayer" anywhere in Scripture. And if you look back in history, you won't find that appearing until about 60 years ago. The Christian faith is not a once-and-for all flu shot. Kool-Aid bears a resemblance to blood (at least if its red). They share several similarities, and if you need something that looks like blood, perhaps for a play or a costume, Kool-Aid may be a good substitute. However, if someone is dying on a table in the emergency room, they are not going to infuse them with Kool-Aid (not even the red kind). Simply put, Kool-Aid does not have the power of life. Many people are being led into a decision with very little knowledge of the Gospel. Trusting in a decision rather than looking onto Christ. Living in ungodliness and believing that they are saved because some religious authority told them that they were after they prayed a little prayer. If we are to be the body of Christ, once dead but now alive, that Christ by his blood has made a new creation, then only the real gospel will do. Truly, the gospel is the lifeblood of Christianity. It is the very center of the story. The heartbeat of the Bible is Christ, and the gospel is the blood that flows through every vein of the story. The promise shows up in Genesis 3:15 and finds its fulfillment in Revelation 21-22.
Keeping that in mind, I also want to say that with the path this country is headed down today, I personally think that we're only a few Supreme Court Justices away from being a nation where saying that “Jesus is the only way” will be considered, not just intolerant, but illegal. I believe that this “don’t you dare say that” philosophy in this country will bleed over into the subject of evangelism sooner rather than later. All I’m saying by this particular prediction is that I believe that the next big target by the secular community toward the church will be evangelism. I think that perhaps it'll all be cloaked in nice little explanations that sound harmless but underneath will be the bottom line premise that evangelism is hate speech. And that will inevitably lead to social and political action toward those who are willing to share the true gospel.
And as for those people that are willing to go out and give people a full picture of the Gospel, all I want to say is expect some hardcore persecution.
Am I freaked out? Nope. Personally, I think that more persecution would be good for the body of Christ. We have gotten soft as a church in America and we could use a little toughening up, okay a lot of toughening up. I have friends who have recently started the P90X workout program (and yes, from what they tell me, it's as intense as the infomercials indicate.) They are up at 5am and are getting their behinds kicked for a full hour six days a week. Persecution is the kind of like the P90X of the church. It will help us lose the fat of carnality, build our heart rate as we love Jesus and others (especially our enemies) and rip our spiritual muscles out. Why do you think the early church was so spiritually chiseled? They were chased, beaten, crucified and flogged.
So I do believe it's time for a revolution. And where does revolution take place? Well, before it spills over into the streets, it boils over in the soul. When Gypsy Smith, a revolutionary & evangelist from Britain, was asked by a young pastor, “How do I start a revival at my church? his answer was powerful. He replied, “Go home and get a piece of chalk. Go into your closet and draw a circle on the floor. Kneel down in the middle of the circle and ask God to start the revival inside the chalk mark. When He has answered your prayer, the revival has begun.”
What I have begun to realize is that revolution will not start with big arena events like Passion & Dare 2 Share. It will start with one adult, one college student, and one teenager with a piece of chalk. In other words, it will start when you and I choose to live the revolution, to be the revolution in our own homes, neighborhood, schools, and work places. Just like God whittled down an army of 32,000 to 300 (read Judges) so that he could show himself powerful in defeating an army that probably numbered in the hundreds of thousands, God desires to use small squadrons of spiritual revolutionaries to beat down the overwhelming forces of the Evil One that stand against them.
We have everything we need for revolution. For revival. Instead of activating the Spirit’s work through us by faith (aka “revival”) we sing, pray and fast under the pretense of “waiting” on God to do something. Meanwhile He is waiting on us to believe that we have everything we need for life and godliness and to walk in the revival that is already ours through Christ. Let’s live the revival that was purchased through the cross of Christ, energized through His resurrection and delivered into our hands at the moment of salvation through the Holy Spirit.
I am convinced that this country will never be transformed from the outside in (i.e. politics or moral reformation) but from the inside out (spiritual transformation.) Thoreau once said, “For every hundred hacking at the leaves of evil, one hacks at the root.” Friends, only the gospel of Christ hacks at the root of evil that lurks in all of our hearts. We must love, serve and share the good news with everyone while we still can. And if or when it becomes illegal we must share all the more.
Are you tired with what American Christianity has to offer? You say you want a revolution? Well here we go. But be warned. Like every true revolution this one comes with a pricetag…everything.
Following Jesus will cost you your life. But Jesus is worth it.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Making Beds vs. Making Disciples
Learning how to make one’s bed is one of the first micro-chores that kids learn. It helps children begin to discover the importance of being tidy and organized. And, someday if I have the privilege of being a father, its one of those easy-to-do duties that my wife-to-be and I plan to bestow on our kids at a young age.
Let's start with a hypothetical scenario. Let's say I have a son named Nolan (If I'm blessed with a son, I for sure want to name him this) Let’s say I told him, “Nolan, I am going to go pick up some milk at the store. I am giving you one job to do while I’m gone, to make your bed. Do you understand?” He responds by saying, “Yes daddy! I understand.” So, knowing my boy grasps his sole duty, I’m off to the store.
Imagine that when I returned from the store I asked him, “So Nolan, did you make your bed?” Let’s say his response was, “Daddy, I painted this pretty picture for you!” I pick up the picture and say, “Nice picture, but did you make your bed?” Scrambling, Nolan takes me to another room where he shows me how he helped arrange all of his toys. I, once again, affirm his efforts but keep pressing, “Did you make your bed?” Finally Nolan bows his head, knowing he’s in trouble and quietly answers, “No, daddy. I didn’t make my bed.”
Busted. You can be sure that consequences would follow.
Okay, let’s flashback to a non-hypothetical scenario. Jesus told his disciples something like this two thousand years ago after His resurrection, “I’m going to leave and come back. While I’m gone I want you to make disciples.” Soon after He told them this He ascended into heaven while His disciples were watching Him disappear into the clouds. Two angels suddenly appeared and chided them, “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Ten days later they got to work (had to get baptized by the Spirit first) and they died trying to obey the directive of Christ, to make disciples of all nations. Didn’t quite get ‘er done, but the “chore” has been handed down through the centuries to every believer.
It’s our turn now. We are just as called to make disciples as the apostles were. And when our Savior comes back home from the “store” He’s going to ask us what we’ve been up to.
For many of us, our answer will be, “Well, Lord, we’ve built a lot of buildings with sanctuaries that are plush and roomy. These giant sanctuaries can hold lots of people.” Maybe He will respond by asking, “So lots of disciples have been made then?” Awkward silence followed by, “Not quite, but our buildings are full of people who enjoy our preacher, music program and children’s ministry better than the Sunday service building that they were going to before.”
I can imagine Jesus saying, “But did you make disciples?” and many of us stuttering out a, “Well, we went to a lot of meetings. We went to prayer meetings, accountability meetings, Sunday school, small group and elder’s meetings. We had men’s fellowship and women’s afterglows. We filled our calendars with meetings at, about or around these Sunday service buildings.”
Jesus asks, “And what did you do at all of these meetings?” Many of us respond, “We talked about making disciples.”
We are not commanded to sit in a meeting and talk about making disciples. We are called to make disciples.
We are not commanded to fill in the blanks of a sermon outline. We are called to make disciples.
We are not commanded to parse the Greek of our favorite verse in the New Testament. We are called to make disciples.
We are not called to build a house for a poor family in Mexico. We are called to make disciples.
Of course, we may fill, sit, parse and build as we make disciples. But making the disciples is the first and final goal of what Jesus told us to do. If we miss that we miss the whole point and disobey His last and lasting command.
Maybe that’s why I love the words of Charles Spurgeon to the young preacher boys he trained, “Brethren, do something; do something, do something! While societies and unions make constitutions, let us win souls….Our one aim is to win souls; and this we are not to talk about, but do in the power of God!” Over a century ago, Spurgeon knew that the tendency of those in ministry was to do more talking than rocking when it came to the cause (the Gospel) Jesus left for us to accomplish.
Making your bed takes a few minutes. Making disciples takes a lifetime. Making your bed takes a small commitment. Making disciples takes full surrender. Making your bed results in a short feeling of satisfaction. Making disciples makes a difference for eternity.
Let's start with a hypothetical scenario. Let's say I have a son named Nolan (If I'm blessed with a son, I for sure want to name him this) Let’s say I told him, “Nolan, I am going to go pick up some milk at the store. I am giving you one job to do while I’m gone, to make your bed. Do you understand?” He responds by saying, “Yes daddy! I understand.” So, knowing my boy grasps his sole duty, I’m off to the store.
Imagine that when I returned from the store I asked him, “So Nolan, did you make your bed?” Let’s say his response was, “Daddy, I painted this pretty picture for you!” I pick up the picture and say, “Nice picture, but did you make your bed?” Scrambling, Nolan takes me to another room where he shows me how he helped arrange all of his toys. I, once again, affirm his efforts but keep pressing, “Did you make your bed?” Finally Nolan bows his head, knowing he’s in trouble and quietly answers, “No, daddy. I didn’t make my bed.”
Busted. You can be sure that consequences would follow.
Okay, let’s flashback to a non-hypothetical scenario. Jesus told his disciples something like this two thousand years ago after His resurrection, “I’m going to leave and come back. While I’m gone I want you to make disciples.” Soon after He told them this He ascended into heaven while His disciples were watching Him disappear into the clouds. Two angels suddenly appeared and chided them, “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Ten days later they got to work (had to get baptized by the Spirit first) and they died trying to obey the directive of Christ, to make disciples of all nations. Didn’t quite get ‘er done, but the “chore” has been handed down through the centuries to every believer.
It’s our turn now. We are just as called to make disciples as the apostles were. And when our Savior comes back home from the “store” He’s going to ask us what we’ve been up to.
For many of us, our answer will be, “Well, Lord, we’ve built a lot of buildings with sanctuaries that are plush and roomy. These giant sanctuaries can hold lots of people.” Maybe He will respond by asking, “So lots of disciples have been made then?” Awkward silence followed by, “Not quite, but our buildings are full of people who enjoy our preacher, music program and children’s ministry better than the Sunday service building that they were going to before.”
I can imagine Jesus saying, “But did you make disciples?” and many of us stuttering out a, “Well, we went to a lot of meetings. We went to prayer meetings, accountability meetings, Sunday school, small group and elder’s meetings. We had men’s fellowship and women’s afterglows. We filled our calendars with meetings at, about or around these Sunday service buildings.”
Jesus asks, “And what did you do at all of these meetings?” Many of us respond, “We talked about making disciples.”
We are not commanded to sit in a meeting and talk about making disciples. We are called to make disciples.
We are not commanded to fill in the blanks of a sermon outline. We are called to make disciples.
We are not commanded to parse the Greek of our favorite verse in the New Testament. We are called to make disciples.
We are not called to build a house for a poor family in Mexico. We are called to make disciples.
Of course, we may fill, sit, parse and build as we make disciples. But making the disciples is the first and final goal of what Jesus told us to do. If we miss that we miss the whole point and disobey His last and lasting command.
Maybe that’s why I love the words of Charles Spurgeon to the young preacher boys he trained, “Brethren, do something; do something, do something! While societies and unions make constitutions, let us win souls….Our one aim is to win souls; and this we are not to talk about, but do in the power of God!” Over a century ago, Spurgeon knew that the tendency of those in ministry was to do more talking than rocking when it came to the cause (the Gospel) Jesus left for us to accomplish.
Making your bed takes a few minutes. Making disciples takes a lifetime. Making your bed takes a small commitment. Making disciples takes full surrender. Making your bed results in a short feeling of satisfaction. Making disciples makes a difference for eternity.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Why Words Are Necessary When Sharing the Gospel
There is a quote that gets under my skin bouncing around religious circles today. Many attribute it to St. Francis of Assisi (even though he may have meant it in a different way than it is being used.) I’m sure you’ve heard it in a Sunday service, a small group meeting, or chatting it up with a Christian friend. It’s this:
“Preach the gospel. If necessary use words.”
While this quote may look good on a bumper sticker and sound good in a sermon I’m not so sure how sound the theology is behind these seven seemingly harmless words.
I think the idea behind this short but potent quote is that we should be living the message of the gospel of Christ as loudly as we are preaching it. And I agree with that part. Jesus himself said that we should let our “light so shine among men that they may see your good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
But I think that some Christians have used this quote as a get-out-of-jail free card when it comes to actually sharing their faith. These believers, perhaps unknowingly, are shunning the shame that comes from the Name of Jesus Christ. Many may are avoiding persecution by just seeking to live good and exemplary lives but not sharing the controversial message of Jesus.
Here’s the challenge, living a good and godly life is not enough to save a lost soul. In other words, when preaching the gospel, words are absolutely necessary. To say that words aren’t necessary is like saying to a friend “Text me. if necessary use numbers.”
Can you imagine the book of Acts just being stories about a bunch of believers living good and godly lives waiting for someone to ask them why there were so different? No, they preached the message with their lives and their lips. They used actions and words. As a result they were persecuted and many died a martyr’s death. It wasn’t their good deeds that got them beaten and killed. It was their message. And it is this same message we are called to preach with words. Here’s why…
1. There is power in them thar’ propositions!
Better than gold is the power of these powerful propositions. In Romans 1:16 the apostle Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes….” We are not the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, nor are the good deeds we do. The gospel message is the power of God that produces salvation.
I don’t quite understand how a propositional message is infused with power from on high to bring about salvation for an unregenerate soul but my lack of understanding doesn’t deny the reality of it. God uses this truthful, truth-filled message to save. He has injected it with explosive power to blast the sinner out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.
According to Colossians 1:6, “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.” The gospel is like a seed with built in power to sprout, grow and multiply. When triggered, watered and warmed by the regenerational power of the Holy Spirit it will produce a harvest of righteousness in the lives of those who believe.
When Thomas Jefferson wrote the words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal…” he was unleashing a firestorm of controversy that would eventually lead to a nation being born, forged and formed. The apostle Paul was unleashing even more controversy when he unleashed the message of the gospel on the unsuspecting world. In 1 Corinthians 15:1,3,4 he tells us just what these self evident truths are, “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand…For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures….”
This is the original “Declaration of Independence” that, through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross and his resurrection from the dead, we are free from the tyranny of sin and the king of the underworld, Satan himself. It is the power of these propositions that God uses to set us free from sin and Satan. I don’t get it. I just believe it and I share it with everyone I can…or I try to anyway.
2. God chooses the foolish to confound the wise.
There are many Christians smarter than me that scoff at the idea that a message alone could save. Many a progressive Christian I have met mock a propositional approach to sharing the gospel. Maybe it was this same high brow perspective that Paul was referring to when he wrote, “The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to those of us who are being saved it is the power of God” in 1 Corinthians 1:18.
What’s interesting is that word “foolishness” in the Greek comes from the word moria. It’s where we get our English word “moronic.”
This is why I have come to appreciate being mocked from time to time over holding the simple belief that the gospel message actually saves the lost soul. God chooses to use the moronic things of the world (us!) preaching a message to confound those who don’t think they are morons (1 Corinthians 1:26-2:2.)
So, instead of saying “Preach the gospel. If necessary use words” I would say, “Preach the gospel with your life and your lips.” Okay, it’s not as catchy, but it is more accurate biblically. My friends, the gospel is a message we must live and we must give. Both are necessary.
“Preach the gospel. If necessary use words.”
While this quote may look good on a bumper sticker and sound good in a sermon I’m not so sure how sound the theology is behind these seven seemingly harmless words.
I think the idea behind this short but potent quote is that we should be living the message of the gospel of Christ as loudly as we are preaching it. And I agree with that part. Jesus himself said that we should let our “light so shine among men that they may see your good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
But I think that some Christians have used this quote as a get-out-of-jail free card when it comes to actually sharing their faith. These believers, perhaps unknowingly, are shunning the shame that comes from the Name of Jesus Christ. Many may are avoiding persecution by just seeking to live good and exemplary lives but not sharing the controversial message of Jesus.
Here’s the challenge, living a good and godly life is not enough to save a lost soul. In other words, when preaching the gospel, words are absolutely necessary. To say that words aren’t necessary is like saying to a friend “Text me. if necessary use numbers.”
Can you imagine the book of Acts just being stories about a bunch of believers living good and godly lives waiting for someone to ask them why there were so different? No, they preached the message with their lives and their lips. They used actions and words. As a result they were persecuted and many died a martyr’s death. It wasn’t their good deeds that got them beaten and killed. It was their message. And it is this same message we are called to preach with words. Here’s why…
1. There is power in them thar’ propositions!
Better than gold is the power of these powerful propositions. In Romans 1:16 the apostle Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes….” We are not the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, nor are the good deeds we do. The gospel message is the power of God that produces salvation.
I don’t quite understand how a propositional message is infused with power from on high to bring about salvation for an unregenerate soul but my lack of understanding doesn’t deny the reality of it. God uses this truthful, truth-filled message to save. He has injected it with explosive power to blast the sinner out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.
According to Colossians 1:6, “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.” The gospel is like a seed with built in power to sprout, grow and multiply. When triggered, watered and warmed by the regenerational power of the Holy Spirit it will produce a harvest of righteousness in the lives of those who believe.
When Thomas Jefferson wrote the words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal…” he was unleashing a firestorm of controversy that would eventually lead to a nation being born, forged and formed. The apostle Paul was unleashing even more controversy when he unleashed the message of the gospel on the unsuspecting world. In 1 Corinthians 15:1,3,4 he tells us just what these self evident truths are, “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand…For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures….”
This is the original “Declaration of Independence” that, through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross and his resurrection from the dead, we are free from the tyranny of sin and the king of the underworld, Satan himself. It is the power of these propositions that God uses to set us free from sin and Satan. I don’t get it. I just believe it and I share it with everyone I can…or I try to anyway.
2. God chooses the foolish to confound the wise.
There are many Christians smarter than me that scoff at the idea that a message alone could save. Many a progressive Christian I have met mock a propositional approach to sharing the gospel. Maybe it was this same high brow perspective that Paul was referring to when he wrote, “The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to those of us who are being saved it is the power of God” in 1 Corinthians 1:18.
What’s interesting is that word “foolishness” in the Greek comes from the word moria. It’s where we get our English word “moronic.”
This is why I have come to appreciate being mocked from time to time over holding the simple belief that the gospel message actually saves the lost soul. God chooses to use the moronic things of the world (us!) preaching a message to confound those who don’t think they are morons (1 Corinthians 1:26-2:2.)
So, instead of saying “Preach the gospel. If necessary use words” I would say, “Preach the gospel with your life and your lips.” Okay, it’s not as catchy, but it is more accurate biblically. My friends, the gospel is a message we must live and we must give. Both are necessary.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Hacking at the Leaves of Evil
Thoreau once said, “For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil there is one striking at the root.”
It seems to me that more and more Christians are hacking at the leaves of evil and forgetting to strike at the root. We are getting entranced by good causes that oftentimes leave the root, the real source of the problem, untouched. While slashing at leaves can be impressive and can leave piles of leafy accomplishment, if the root is untouched the hacking is simply a pruning that will produce more leaves to hack at the end of the day.
Let me put it plainly, Jesus told us to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations” not “Go into all the world to eradicate poverty and social injustices.” Because Jesus knew that these kinds of efforts by themselves were at best hacking at the leaves of evil.
Jesus understood that the real problem with the world was not physical. It wasn’t a lack of food or shelter or water. The real problem was a lack of Jesus.
Jesus knew that if passionate disciples were developed and deployed into every corner of the planet that the other problems would be addressed as well. Why? Because fully surrendered followers of Christ have a heart for the homeless and the poor and the marginalized. They won’t say to a hungry neighbor, “Be warmed and filled” without backing it up with a blanket and a sandwich.
What is the real key to social justice, issues of poverty, stopping human trafficking and taking care of the planet that God put us on? In a word…Jesus.
Now before you ride me off as “true but trite” consider the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus.
Luke 19:1-5 communicates the story vividly and powerfully, “Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up….”
Jesus looked up and spotted Zacchaeus, a tax collector, hovering on the branch of a Sycamore tree. Now you have to know something about tax collectors in this culture. They took money from their fellow Jews and gave it to the enemy, the ruling and ruthless Roman Empire. They were considered the worst of sinners and traitors to their own people.
They were notorious for overcharging their own people and skimming the excess cash to get rich. So, not only were they considered traitors, but thieving traitors. The average Jew considered the average tax collector a few notches below a prostitute or a leper.
But Jesus, from the base of a fig tree, had a different point of view when it came to this stature-challenged tax man. Jesus looked past his fancy clothes and opulent lifestyle into a heart that was longing for real fulfillment and lasting hope. Jesus knew that, while Zacchaeus may have been short in stature, he was tall on faith. He had enough faith to humiliate himself by climbing a fig tree just to catch a glimpse of the real game changer, Jesus Christ.
It all started when Jesus was travelling in a caravan of excited followers. He looked up at this precarious man perched in the twisted branches of a Sycamore tree and said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”
Zacchaeus had been a tool of the Roman system to abuse the Jews. He overtaxed both rich and poor so that he would be rich, not poor. How dare this rogue rabbi reach out to this terrible tax collector! No wonder the crowd was upset.
Jesus didn’t even confront him over the way he was abusing the Jews or taking advantage of the poor. He didn’t accuse him of working for a totalitarian government that oppressed millions all over the world. Instead he said, “I must stay at your house today.” While this may not seem significant to us it was very significant in this culture to invite yourself over to someone’s house. This was a sign of 100% acceptance and Jesus was accepting Zacchaeus because he saw 100% faith in his heart.
The crowd may have been expecting Jesus to rebuke this tax collector for all the injustices he had committed. Instead Jesus offered him the hope that comes from the gospel. Why? Because Jesus knew that the only thing that could really fix the injustices Zacchaeus had committed was a spiritual transformation.
Look at Zacchaeus’ response to Jesus in Luke 19:8, “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’” In that moment Jesus changed everything. He hacked at the root of evil and the leaves of evil died. He presented the hope that comes through faith in him and it changed the nature of Zacchaeus and, as a result, he gave half of his possessions to the poor whom he had robbed.
If we really want to be game changers we must strike at the root of evil in the hearts of others by sharing the good news. Those who respond will become game changers in the process. They will correct injustices, feed the poor and take care of God’s green earth. But, most importantly, they will make disciples who make disciples.
Are you merely hacking at the leaves of evil with your activism? Are you ready to strike at the root?
Time to sharpen our spiritual machetes and start hacking at the root of evil.
It seems to me that more and more Christians are hacking at the leaves of evil and forgetting to strike at the root. We are getting entranced by good causes that oftentimes leave the root, the real source of the problem, untouched. While slashing at leaves can be impressive and can leave piles of leafy accomplishment, if the root is untouched the hacking is simply a pruning that will produce more leaves to hack at the end of the day.
Let me put it plainly, Jesus told us to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations” not “Go into all the world to eradicate poverty and social injustices.” Because Jesus knew that these kinds of efforts by themselves were at best hacking at the leaves of evil.
Jesus understood that the real problem with the world was not physical. It wasn’t a lack of food or shelter or water. The real problem was a lack of Jesus.
Jesus knew that if passionate disciples were developed and deployed into every corner of the planet that the other problems would be addressed as well. Why? Because fully surrendered followers of Christ have a heart for the homeless and the poor and the marginalized. They won’t say to a hungry neighbor, “Be warmed and filled” without backing it up with a blanket and a sandwich.
What is the real key to social justice, issues of poverty, stopping human trafficking and taking care of the planet that God put us on? In a word…Jesus.
Now before you ride me off as “true but trite” consider the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus.
Luke 19:1-5 communicates the story vividly and powerfully, “Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up….”
Jesus looked up and spotted Zacchaeus, a tax collector, hovering on the branch of a Sycamore tree. Now you have to know something about tax collectors in this culture. They took money from their fellow Jews and gave it to the enemy, the ruling and ruthless Roman Empire. They were considered the worst of sinners and traitors to their own people.
They were notorious for overcharging their own people and skimming the excess cash to get rich. So, not only were they considered traitors, but thieving traitors. The average Jew considered the average tax collector a few notches below a prostitute or a leper.
But Jesus, from the base of a fig tree, had a different point of view when it came to this stature-challenged tax man. Jesus looked past his fancy clothes and opulent lifestyle into a heart that was longing for real fulfillment and lasting hope. Jesus knew that, while Zacchaeus may have been short in stature, he was tall on faith. He had enough faith to humiliate himself by climbing a fig tree just to catch a glimpse of the real game changer, Jesus Christ.
It all started when Jesus was travelling in a caravan of excited followers. He looked up at this precarious man perched in the twisted branches of a Sycamore tree and said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”
Zacchaeus had been a tool of the Roman system to abuse the Jews. He overtaxed both rich and poor so that he would be rich, not poor. How dare this rogue rabbi reach out to this terrible tax collector! No wonder the crowd was upset.
Jesus didn’t even confront him over the way he was abusing the Jews or taking advantage of the poor. He didn’t accuse him of working for a totalitarian government that oppressed millions all over the world. Instead he said, “I must stay at your house today.” While this may not seem significant to us it was very significant in this culture to invite yourself over to someone’s house. This was a sign of 100% acceptance and Jesus was accepting Zacchaeus because he saw 100% faith in his heart.
The crowd may have been expecting Jesus to rebuke this tax collector for all the injustices he had committed. Instead Jesus offered him the hope that comes from the gospel. Why? Because Jesus knew that the only thing that could really fix the injustices Zacchaeus had committed was a spiritual transformation.
Look at Zacchaeus’ response to Jesus in Luke 19:8, “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’” In that moment Jesus changed everything. He hacked at the root of evil and the leaves of evil died. He presented the hope that comes through faith in him and it changed the nature of Zacchaeus and, as a result, he gave half of his possessions to the poor whom he had robbed.
If we really want to be game changers we must strike at the root of evil in the hearts of others by sharing the good news. Those who respond will become game changers in the process. They will correct injustices, feed the poor and take care of God’s green earth. But, most importantly, they will make disciples who make disciples.
Are you merely hacking at the leaves of evil with your activism? Are you ready to strike at the root?
Time to sharpen our spiritual machetes and start hacking at the root of evil.
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