The Gospel Confronts the Conservative AND the Liberal

CONSERVATISM AND THE GOSPEL

 I had a friend who used to say all the time, "Never underestimate the power of the status quo".

And I don't know if it is fair to label conservatives as the institutions of tradition and establishment, but the general definition of a conservative is one who is slow to change. There may be a number of reasons for this: a desire to protect good traditions, a healthy suspicion of change, a prudent and measured response to issues, or just plain fear.

A Bible verse that instantly addresses the progressive/conservative tug of war is found in Ecclesiastes 3:

1 There is a time for everything,    and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
 3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
 6 a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
 7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
 8 a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.

In America, the conservatives are often described as the 'right' and humans can be found in all kinds of degrees.

Should we concern ourselves with and lovingly confront those who run to the extreme elements of ideology?

My personal experience with conservative ideology was in reading many of the popular conservative writers:(Limbaugh, Medved, Hannity, Beck, Coulter, Ingharam)

Again, most of these writers tend to appeal more to my Judeo-Christian values, though some do not articulate gospel understanding.

The problem in trying to contain Christianity within the conservative voice is that some conservatives unknowingly articulate a 'compare and compete' mentality that teaches a righteousness of works. "I am a conservative, God is happy because I am pro-life, stand firm on a traditional view of marriage, and believe that there should be prayer in schools."

This is not the gospel- necessarily.

The gospel message is that even our good deeds are like filthy rags unto the Lord (Is 64:6) and that 'no one is good, not even one and that all  have sinned and are fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3).

The Christian conservative, in full view of the gospel, would not lead in the harsh tones and rhetoric that dominates the landscape today. It isn't that these values aren't important- it is just the law has to be presented in full view of the door of grace and mercy in Christ. 

Let me mention a couple of observations of this and move on to my main point.

A few years ago, I read Ann Coulter's book, Demonic, it was the first book I ever read cover to cover on an Ipad- which was very cool!

Ann is popular because she fights fire with fire. She zings and slices with a sarcastic flair and dark humor. Her books back all quotes with a huge bibliography in the appendix at the end.

Her main point? The current landscape of American liberalism is a building, dangerous 'mob' with direct comparisons to horrible and violent ideology of atrocities of anarchy throughout history. She camps out in the French Revolution (in direct opposition to the American Revolution) and the criminal activities of social activists in the 60's.

Coulter highlights the premise with quotes and activities of liberal voices within mainstream/cable media outlets today.

What does Coulter prove? It is hard to know because the tenor of the message clouds the message..the agenda shrills...blocking out any hope of a remedy. She proves there is a difference between being right and being 'dead right'. She proves that you can take truth and use it like a weapon, bludgeoning people and leaving a bloody pool of hurt in the process.

Now,  I know that this is how some folks get traction in a society of dysfunctional cynicism and discordant cacophony of voices. But does any of the ramped up rhetoric help?

Do we realize that our young people are watching? Do we understand that their young hearts tend to be more sympathetic to the hurting or maligned?

Let me add a second example. I taught Bible for 7 years in Nashville, from time to time we hit hard areas: Biblical warrants for divorce was really hard, for example, because the pain is so real. I had to learn a gentle approach that honored the truth but did not unnecessarily hurt the wounded.

When we talked about homosexuality- I could tell that high school students were upset that there 'appeared' to be harsher treatment of that activity compared to heterosexual adultery which was of greater pain to their personal experience.

This is all a precursor to how the gospel confronts the conservative.

1) Judeo-Christian tradition does not guarantee Gospel impact. In fact, if we are not careful- the traditional values can masquerade itself as gospel understanding. I believe it is better soil- but it is not the seed.

2) Harsh condemnation of sin toward the world is not gospel focused. Paul made the distinction of 'in-house' expectations and worldly realizations (I Corinthians 5:10). We preach Christ crucified as proof of God's love. We teach Christ's resurrection as proof of God's justification to those who believe and repent. We expect rejection and worldly sin. We patiently persevere in promoting the message and trust God to move as He decides.

3) Things are always in a state of decay- gospel impacted believers should not be apathetic- we should be active servers and sharers. The Lord does not want us to sit back and watch it burn- he wants us to engage, love, work, heal, procreate, and emancipate.

I have always thought of the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25 to be an indictment of spiritual passivity:

24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’”

4) A final confrontation- Christian conservatives should be careful of buying into political activity as the best hope of social change.

While both men were alive... I loved Jerry Falwell and Jim Kennedy when they expounded on the Scriptures. I was fine that they supported Biblical values as good and wholesome. However, I would wince when it seemed forced or political.

I was having coffee on day with a United Methodist minister when he brought up the same point. He remembered a Dr. Kennedy sermon during Christmas using the birth of Christ to preach an entire sermon about abortion. I don't know if that was the full topic of the sermon or not- but we need to be shrewd and innocent in our discourse.

The bottom line? There is forgiveness in Jesus Christ!  When we lose our way and by fighting for the faith and lose our lotion of love (meditate on Revelation 2:1-7) there is grace at the cross! There are more ways to miss the truth than we can ever imagine.... isn't it good that it is dependent on our Father and not on us. Isn't is awesome to know that you are saved by Christ's righteousness and not your own?

It frees you up to humbly say 'I'm sorry'- it frees you up to pray for others- it puts the refreshing water of God's mercy on your lips- the conversation should begin anew.... today!

THE GOSPEL CONFRONTS LIBERALISM

"We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive."   C. S. Lewis

Just to use the term 'liberal' in a post conjures up the probability of 'fightin' words' due to the current climate of our social rhetoric. A quick check of my profile, a short perusal of my past blog posts, an educated guess concerning my background and faith will likely put me in a category of "HARD DOUBT" as to my fair treatment of anyone who labels themselves as progressive or democratic or liberal.

Growing up through the late 60's and becoming more socially conscious in the late 70's and early 80's- my political leanings were formulated during the dawn of the Reagan presidency and the emergence of talk radio and the EIB rants of Rush Limbaugh.

This era had a huge impact on my parents as well. As far as I can tell, we were blue dog democrats in the early years. My dad was a Birmingham firefighter and I remember him expressing that the democrats took care of the working man. When you are 8 or 9 years old, you could care less. You hear, it registers, but I was quickly back to my Evel Knievel stunt cycle and Nerf Football.

My mom was the first one to even breathe that she was now more of a 'republican' and she was really into Rush. But it was more than that, President Reagan not only inspired a new nationalism and pride, he painted the term 'liberal' like it was almost a disease.

In 1988, George Bush made Michael Dukakis wince as he painted him an extreme liberal and a 'card carrying member of the ACLU'.

But there was something else going on as well. It was much deeper than politics. The term liberal seemed to align more and more with a set of social values that were very different than what was represented in my church, around my coaches, even among my peers. It was especially frustrating to see the unhidden social agenda pushed in mainstream media outlets. As much as I enjoyed television and movies- it was apparent in almost every new broadcast or premier, there was a group pushing the envelope of a different value system.

I strongly believe that this is why Rush Limbaugh and conservative talk radio took off- It is why Fox News grew out of relative obscurity into the power player it is today- the values being represented did not represent what was most prevalent in our neighborhoods. The heart strings of most people growing up in the State of Alabama come alive to God, Country, and Football.

I'm going to get to the heart of how the gospel confronts the liberal,but I did want to take a quick side trail and talk about the impact of progressive media entertainment and having a largely liberal press on our country.

My belief is that the spirit/heart of the country has been dominated by conservative social values from the founding fathers until the dawning of the 21st century. Remember that it was shocking for Rhett Butler to say "Damn"in 1939. Elvis was controversial in 1956.

I am not saying that society was as innocent as 'Leave it to Beaver' or 'Father Knows Best'- but the larger community assented to a high standard of propriety in terms of what was presented or what was assented to. Our household wasn't free from profanity or vulgar language, but we all would confirm that it was NOT RIGHT, even if we did it from time to time.

But a lot has changed. I was 14 years old when we got cable TV. I was so happy that we were going to have more than the 2 1/2 channels that I watched when I couldn't go outside. I say 1/2 because one of the stations was very blurry and only synced up in good weather. The stations would play the national anthem around midnight and then a high pitched beep would play continuously to colored bars all night long until Country Boy Eddy came on the air around 4:30 AM.

So I sat in a chair in our dining room, looking at a 14 inch black and white TV, and was ecstatic! 14 channels! Some all night! We had TBS out of Atlanta, WGN out of Chicago, one channel made the TV into a fireplace, and the big one...HBO.

We watched the old version of "Bad News Bears" with Walter Mathau and Jodie Foster and then it happened. Over the TV, I heard a curse word in front of my mom. I had seen the movie in the theater, but for some reason, having my mom there.. OH Boy. She got quiet and said "Oh MY" and the tension was pretty thick. Have times changed?

But I want to point out one other change.

60 minutes and CNN introduced another big culture changer. These shows began to take on controversial social topics: abortion, homosexuality, 'family values'... and the format was to present the opposing views EQUALLY. Pro choice advocates were given 30 seconds of soundbites and Pro life debaters were given 30 seconds of soundbites.

Even if the culture represented a 90% agreement with pro life issues, the minority view was given a weightiness. And it all became LOGOS- and the liberal social agenda had fancy slogans and hard hitting soundbites.

Over time- this has caused major shifts in social attitudes and mores. I believe the country is still largely conservative (look at the red vs blue states) but it is a softer conservatism as far as values are concerned. In fact, we always placed so-called 'family values' within a Judeo-Christian world view. It seems like today, the values are argued according to pragmatic social contexts and not whether there is a universal standard of right.

This is all a prelude to say that if the goal of liberalism is cultural change- then I would say that American progressives have had great success. If you start in the late 60's- we have moved the standards a LONG way. The ACLU mindset has created a secular marketplace... more so than Europe. British schools pray and even teach Bible (it hasn't helped them hold on to a God awareness or national faith, but that is another topic).

Progressives have even moved conservatives. The ultimate American value is now 'freedom'- it is what we say we want to export to the world. But a careful reading of the founding documents of our country do not put freedom as the highest American value. The founding of our country was a freedom from tyranny based on the standards of the Creator. American freedom was never ultimate freedom, it was a mutual accountability to restrain human evil. The American dream was to make men free, but realize that  humans are more prone to extremes and brutality- especially when they gain ultimate power. The greatest distrust was a government that was not accountable to the governed.

So what does the gospel say to the progressive? It encourages and confronts at the same time.

The positive aspect of the Christian gospel to liberals is to commend their heart for the downtrodden. It is to the liberals credit that there is an unwillingness to rest until there is found justice and provision for the hurting. Some who found a home in progressive circles were those who walked out of churches after being turned off by a status quo and cold response to issues like racism and poverty.

However, the gospel confronts the liberal in two major sins.

The first, and most deadly, is the jettison of absolute truth and embrace of relativism.  If there is no agreed upon standard..there is no standard. You can go all the way back to Europe and the 19th century Romantics like William Blake and William Wordsworth who threw out the baby with the bathwater. In rejecting the cold religion of the Cathedrals, they abandoned God as He had revealed Himself- especially the revelation in Jesus Christ.

The second major sin is to view the state as the savior and provider for social justice. God set up the church as His minister and the government as His sword. Because we are using men (jars of clay), these structures will suffer decay and impotence until the master comes back- but the message of the gospel is good news ... even in the failures.

As soon as liberals turn to the state as the provider and preach tolerance as the standard of morals- the stage is set for take away and turnover.

Even though everyone gives lip service to our commitment to being a nation of laws - the current movement of our nation is toward lawlessness (doing only what you want to when you want to) and tyranny (the powerful group of elitists who will emerge to get everyone in line).

The message of the gospel to the liberal? Please turn the the Christ of the Bible, find forgiveness in Him, and lead us back to standards of love, and humble service to the Creator. You have more power to do that than the conservative does.

Finally, I worry about the anger being stoked among progressives in our country. Class warfare, gender warfare..... sure, it takes two sides to fight- but the demonizing of authority figures and those who have worked hard for success is planting seeds of destruction and revolution.

Without the healing power and unifying power of a gospel confrontation.... we are in BIG trouble.

All of these chapters show us a NEED for Christ- the gospel is not too good to be true.. it is the only good truth. And it is founded upon the GOOD TRUTH.... the shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. It is a good and secure hope!

The Gospel Confrontation.......How Can "Good News" Be a Confrontation?

No doubt the title of this book can be startling or upsetting. To use the word 'gospel' and 'confrontation' appears oxymoronic in every application.

But the beginning of the 'good news' is very bad news. The glory of the gospel is elevated only after the carnage of our weakness is exposed. The gospel I see in the Scripture is glorious because it is sought and bought by the Savior- the only thing I add to my salvation is sin, failure, and brokenness.

Why does this gospel message seem so hidden? I see the reality of Richard Niebuhr's famous critique of the growing liberal and social gospel when he wrote: "A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross."

My personal response to Christ's offer of forgiveness has always been a response to my sudden awareness of deep and dark sin. My shame is the shadow of my heart. God's holiness is an affront to my selfishness and pride. My cold dead heart has disappointed me one more time. It is then and only then that the beauty of Christ's atoning death and free offer of grace causes my heart to leap at that hope. Though an enemy deserving of death, the Holy God of the universe still loves me and offers not only to justify me- calling me innocent- he also wants to adopt me as His son!

And this is not a one and done reality. Indeed, my gospel experience has been now 30 years of incredible re-discovery that it is all about Him. His mercies are new every morning. The Holy Spirit process of sanctification has not made me feel more holy over the years- it has made me more sin aware and more God loving. Please do not mis-understand- this is not a license to sin more- it is a firm reality that I am way more sinful than I ever realized- but God's grace is still better that I ever imagined.

There have been times that I have dreamed about writing a book and really laying it on the line. Going back and truthfully exposing my fraudulent ways- letting everyone see how many people I have let down over the years, how many wicked thoughts I have entertained, how many times I have manipulated and served my selfish will- And then I laugh because A) there is NO WAY I could REALLY do that without leaving the country and B) I would only use it to make me look good in the end. The ultimate self protecting mechanism is "I am better than you, I care more than you, look at me- don't you wish you could be as good as me?"

For the last two years in particular, God has shot me with a gospel gun that is so amazing, it is almost like a 'high'. But even after basking in the glow- it fades as quickly as Moses shining face. There is something about the gospel that is a mystery, it leaks out of us or we drift from it. I find myself squarely in the middle of gospel springs, flowing with energy, newness, loving power and prayers- but a short season later I am languishing in stagnant pools of legalism or licentiousness.

I have learned to keep the stagger from being so exaggerated by doing a daily gospel awareness. It begins each morning with a prayer from Gal.2:20  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

And everyday ends with a beautiful gospel reality- Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

So yes- the gospel- as sweet as it is- as glorious and beautiful as the reality is- as world changing as it is- begins with a daily confrontation. I CAN'T and I WON'T- and that reality is so painful that I hide from God just as Adam did in the garden.

I cringe behind a locked door- and I hear my Father's knock. I think He is coming in with a belt and looks of disdain- but he wants to eat with me and fellowship with me (Rev. 3:20).

Jesus confronted in shocking ways. He had sharp barbs for the self-righteous and compassionate healing for the downtrodden.

So in the next few chapters we will see the gospel confronting the stereotypical icons in our society. The surprise is this: these are the only words of hope we have left. This is the only way of hope we have left.

Ultimately there are only 2 choices: we give our pitiful performance to God or we accept His performance for us. Listen and feel the gospel confrontation.......

In The Marketplace of Ideas

I have a creative assignment for you. Can you articulate what you believe in light of the opposition?

I borrowed the creed below from Ravi Zacharius. It illustrates the absurdity of the secularistic and relativistic mindset of our current culture.

I encourage you to read it and write a rebuttal from a Christian world-view.

Who can show the difference?

Modern Thinker's Creed
Steve Turner, English journalist

Here is the creed for the modern thinker. We believe in Marx, Freud and Darwin. We believe everything is okay, as long as you don’t hurt anyone to the best of your definition of hurt and to your best definition of knowledge. We believe in sex before, during and after marriage. We believe in the therapy of sin. We believe that adultery is fun. We believe that sodomy is okay. We believe that taboos are taboo. We believe that everything is getting better despite evidence to the contrary. The evidence must be investigated and you can prove anything with evidence. We believe there is something in horoscopes, UFO’s, and bent spoons. Jesus was a good man just like Buddha, Mohammad and ourselves. He was a good moral teacher, although we think basically his good morals were really bad. We believe that all religions are the basically the same, at least the ones we read were. They all believe in love and goodness. They only differ on matters of creation, sin, heaven, hell, God and salvation. We believe that after death comes nothing because when you ask the dead what happens they say nothing. If death is not the end, and if the dead have lied, then it’s compulsively heaven for all except perhaps Hitler, Stalin and Chingis Khan. We believe in Masters and Johnson. What is selected is average, what’s average is normal, and what’s normal is good. We believe in total disarmament. We believe there are direct links between warfare and bloodshed. Americans should beat their guns into tractors and the Russians would be sure to follow. We believe that man is essentially good-it’s only his behavior that lets him down. This is the fault of society; society’s the fault of condition; and conditions are the fault of society. We believe that each man must find the truth that is right for him and reality will adapt accordingly; the universe will readjust and history will alter. We believe that there is no absolute truth, except the truth that there is no absolute truth. We believe in the rejection of creeds and the flowering of individual thought.

If Chance be the Father of all flesh, disaster is His rainbow in the sky. And when you hear: “State of Emergency,” “Sniper Kills Ten,” “Troops on Rampage,” “Youths go Looting,” “Bomb Blasts School,” it is but the sound of man worshiping his maker.

This was my best attempt.... what do you think? 

Here is the creed for the Bible believing, Christ yielding, Christian. We believe in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- the Triune God of the Bible- proving love, unity, and relationship existed before creation. We believe God determines what is OK- He made us and He knows how we should operate. We believe that sin is more destructive than we could ever imagine, it is not a toy, it is the worst form of cancer and infects the heart of all men and women. 

Though this is a fallen world, we believe that everything is going to be renewed after all sin and rebellion is destroyed. We believe there is good evidence, not proof, and all men live by faith. Jesus was not just good man and that Buddha, Mohammad taught a different path to salvation. They all cannot be right. We believe that all religions are not the same. All other faiths require good works, but Jesus gives grace. We believe that after death comes an eternal life in one of two destinations. If death is only the end, then let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die. But there is a resurrection, so we live by trust in Christ, who also was resurrected from the dead. 

We are tired of this worldly culture where sin seems normal and righteousness seems strange. We believe there is a time for war and a time for peace. The nations rage because of sin, a rebellion against God. We believe that man is born morally bankrupt and is incapable of living a life that measures up to God’s standard of holiness.. Our only hope is to repent of our sin and believe in Christ, His atoning death that covers our sin. 

We believe that this is absolute truth, and that our sense of ‘oughtness’ comes from God. We believe that there is a lot to learn from Christian creeds of the past, but all of man’s thoughts are subservient to the WORD of God.

Man is made in the image of the Sovereign LORD of the universe . And when you hear: “State of Emergency,” “Sniper Kills Ten,” “Troops on Rampage,” “Youths go Looting,” “Bomb Blasts School,” it is a call to carry this good news of salvation in Christ and love the world through acts of mercy. There will be a day, when the Lord will say, no more delay… and a new heaven and earth will wipe all of this away.

Open Eyes, Open Arms, Pure Hearts, Authentic Faith, and the Gospel in a Post-Christian Culture

Our culture is in a steady state of moral decay..... does this bring you a hand wringing fear of the future or an energetic excitement for ministry opportunity?

The evidence is most obvious among our teens. The messaging they receive through social media, tv, music, and movies is highly sexualized, relativistic, narcissistic, and resistant to traditional structures.

As an administrator at a Christian school- you can imagine the conflict I constantly live in. My parents and grandparents are appalled at the loss of innocence while most of my students compare themselves to the rest of culture, shrug their shoulders, and wonder why they are not being congratulated.

I also live in turmoil... how do I inspire a pursuit of holiness without sounding legalistic while, at the same time, not causing others to stumble over perceived hypocrisy and worldliness?

I have been pondering the world and witness of the Apostle Paul:

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:9-13 ESV)

This passage challenges me on so many fronts.

It also helps me.

It is not a requirement to be a Christian to attend our school- we have students all across the spectrum- and I have to remind folks often.. my school does not equal the church.

The environment of a Christian high  school is unique- and not easy. It is hard for all of us to navigate the truth of Scripture, the grace of the gospel, and the rules that all institutions need to function well while providing as much safety and security as you can.

The teens I rub shoulders with are so much like me at that age and so different at the same time.

Human nature has not changed... but cultural dynamics produce feelings, attitudes, and emotions that I was capable of in that stage of my life- but not to the degree these teens experience. And just like any circumstance, it is a mixed bag of blessing and difficulties.

Let me mention what I observe and then reflect on the passage in I Corinthians.....

Students today are extremely empathetic to the marginalized and wounded. Combine this with a deep desire for justice AND dislike of any perceived hypocrisy or insincerity and you have potential triggers to resist traditional structures in the Church community.

The strangest part of this is that they hurt each other quite frequently with jabs, barbs, and improper actions that spring out of their forms of humor and entertainment- but if ANY adult, parent or other, hurts anyone their age- they rally to protect and fight.

Almost any parent of a teen on this culture experiences this.

After listening to whining and complaining about the actions of their friends, you say something negative, and before you know it- your child has taken a position to defend them against you. The first time it happens, it is like a shock; especially in the intensity of the defense!

It becomes too easy by those of us in older generations to fold our arms and count all of this as poor parental discipline, extreme narcissism, and evidence that we are sliding quickly into Sodom and Gomorrah.

One thing I have found myself fighting in the last decade of my life, is a growing pessimism that, if I am not careful, will harden my heart toward teens. If I find myself losing patience too quickly or giving up on students too soon.... I know I need to do some prayer about my disposition... the gospel never loses hope and maybe I forget what condition I was in when Jesus saved me.

Almost every Scripture I read from Jesus challenges me to be hard on MY sin and be loving towards sinners.

How can you stay patient and hopeful in a culture where there is no blushing at sin? How can you keep from being in despair... when you realize that Clark Gable saying the word 'damn' on the movie screen in 1939 was controversial? Who can't  help notice a huge difference in Andy Griffith and Criminal Minds?

THE GOSPEL NEVER FAILS

When I first started youth ministry in the last 1980's, I had the privilege of working at 2 schools that were close together in geography, but vastly different in social mores.

One school was small and staunchly traditional- strong nuclear families, collaborative parenting, and great partnership with school and churches.

The other school was larger and less traditional. New money, more broken homes, and more fractured partnerships with schools and local churches.

Well, you can imagine the social atmosphere among the teens in those schools- one was full of compliant and (on the surface at least) rule keeping kids- submissive to authority and stable.

The more traditional school had most of their students being introduced to alcohol and drug opportunities between 9th and 10th grade. The other school had a big drug issue beginning in 7th and 8th grade.

I was never asked to chaperone kids on a trip at the smaller school. It was parents and students traveling together with good accountability built in.

The other school? I took some students from that school to the beach for spring break. One condo had students drinking at the pool while the condo next door had all the parents drinking at their own party at their own pool.

What may surprise you was the more fruitful ministry I had was at the less traditional school.

Why?

It doesn't take long for sin to show its truthful side... what seemed fun and exciting, cool and adult.. before long becomes shallow, old, and empty. The kids I spent time with were hurting.... they were desperate to know if there was more to life and where to go with the pain and guilt of their sin. They were ready for the message of hope, forgiveness, restoration, and meaning in Christ. They were longing for Him and grew to love His Word.

The other ministry was effective as well... it was just a slower process. A lot of the students in that school needed the Holy Spirit to show them that they actually were sinners and that they actually needed God.

THE BIBLE IN THE FIRST CENTURY AND OUR HERITAGE

This is where we need to see what Paul was saying to the Corinthians.

The early church was being planted in Gentile lands..... greed, fornication, idolatry, violence, and syncretic, false rituals were normal. Often trade guilds were required that included practices that were not in keeping with the moral commands of God. That is why the church decided to publish the ruling regarding converted Gentiles on abstaining from sexual immorality and not eating food that had been given to idols- both were common practices in that culture.

PAUL DID NOT DESPAIR OVER THE BEHAVIOR OF NON-BELIEVERS. His biggest regret was how he had acted before meeting Jesus. Paul did not shrink away in worry. Make no mistake, he very well KNEW the penalty of sin... it is all over Romans 1. The wages of sin are contained in the acts themselves. I can only imagine what Paul saw in the culture. He was zealous for traditional religious living- but because of the depth of God's love and mercy he wrote Holy Spirit inspired verses of constant hope and joy... even in prison!

Here in the south, in this great country- we are living in FAR different times... the gospel did take root and swept the globe. Authentic and obedient Christians (sinners who embraced the message of justification and adoption) took the challenge of sanctification VERY seriously-  and began to apply that life to all of culture. Our prosperity and liberty are blessings of that work.

I understand the pain of seeing us lose ground to the world as the church has less and less influence in the culture at large... the salt seems to be losing its saltiness...

But it should never lead us to despair or bitterness.. and it should not cause us to automatically treat young people in the culture with distance, anger, and presupposed ideas of their sin.

A LIVING, AUTHENTIC, AND PURE CHURCH- FOUNDED ON ONE AUTHORITY OF FAITH AND PRACTICE

Now here is where I am challenged.... while I am to stay hopeful, loving, patient, and optimistic towards the next generation... it doesn't mean that I don't lovingly confront open sin. Where I need to be careful is staying on actual Biblical sin and not getting into preferences.

And I think the older generation is challenged to make sure we don't mark youthful sin as MORE egregious than older sin.

Is is a sin to not be as patriotic? Is it a sin to not like a musical genre? Is homosexual sin more sinful that heterosexual sin?

Again, I am not trying to stir controversy... but the challenge of truth is that only the truth should lead and follow us on our journey. We have to be willing to separate truth from tradition. And we must be willing to stay with truth when cultural fads distract our attention.

I have struggled over the past few weeks with this statement in Isaiah:


Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV)

I have linked it to the response Jesus gave to the  challenge by the disciples of John in Matthew:

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” (Matthew 9:14-17 ESV)

The challenge of this culture is to disciple others in Biblical truth with a goal of producing uniquely prepared disciple makers to reach others as the culture changes. The truth does not change..but it often comes in new structures.....

Our evangelism needs an effective apologetic and our ministry needs to pour out of hearts of love. We needs God's zeal and a palpable passion for people... no matter what they look like!

So in dealing with teens in this culture..... how does this flesh out?

OPEN EYES- We can't shrink back from what we find in culture. It is there. It is not going away. We don't have to like it- but we do have to live with it. We need to stand firm without flinching!

OPEN ARMS- We have to reach out to sinners in love and understanding. The gospel knows no depth of forgiveness when human hearts cry out for mercy. We also have to minister to those in need. Food, water, and the gospel.

PURE HEARTS- We HAVE to be willing to lovingly confront sin in the church. We must demand a pursuit of holiness in our own lives first. We need to cling to one another and inspire one another to hunger and thirst for righteousness.... not morality per se.... loving obedience to Jesus.

AUTHENTIC FAITH- We cannot just be in love with the message- we have to love the ONE WHO IS THE MESSAGE. We cannot honor God with our lips but secretly crave the idols of this empty world.

GOSPEL SATURATED DISCIPLESHIP- What I have learned about this is ... less is more. We think we want big crowds of people excited about Jesus... but it is better to pour into a few.... it is long and often very messy.... but the fruit of that effort is someone who goes and makes disciples themselves.

Take a few guys and start today...... share Christ with just 1 person.... read the Scriptures.... and pray.... we don't have to change the world... we just want to be found with our hand on the plow and faithfully building... when He returns.

By the way.. how do you know if you are doing it right?

Sadly, it is when you are finding a lot of criticism from the home team.....

But you need to love them too! Never let the response of others rob you of your hope and joy!

Saban vs Bryant? That Is As Ludicrous as Batman vs. Superman!

33 Years Ago.....

As many of you know - I try to post something about Coach Bryant on the anniversary of his passing away on Jan 26, 1983. The site I have dedicated to Coach Bryant is full of special memories.

https://bearbryantmemories.wordpress.com/



SABAN VS. BRYANT? BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN?

In March of this year (2016) Warner Brothers will release a movie, "Batman vs Superman" that on the surface, seems to be a ridiculous title- but my understanding is that the storyline involves a conflict that ultimately results in the harmony and formation of the Justice League.

The confetti was still falling on Jan 11 after Saban's 5th national title when the talking heads began the debate on who is the greatest coach...Bryant or Saban? This is an equally ridiculous question, but I do understand the human need we have to compare, contrast, and debate. I have always joked that heaven may have a football planet where we get to play all those scenarios...  we have eternity...right?

But just like the movie (if I am right about the storyline), the debate ultimately leads to a unique harmony of what has made Alabama football a special place in my life.

WHY BRYANT HAS AN EDGE AND ANTICIPATING SABAN'S NEXT CHALLENGE

To save you some reading time- let me cut to the main point.

Coach Nick Saban has an opportunity to take on (as a competitor) his next great challenge and his hardest one. One that none of us would have the right to complain if he chooses to leave it or even fail to achieve it- and that is to survive the anticipated dip in performance.

I have no clue WHEN that may happen... but Coach Saban himself this year hinted that even he knows that it will come at some point..... and it will be a great challenge for him to stay the course.

HISTORY SHOWS US THAT THE BEAR DID IT........

In 1969, Coach Bryant's Alabama team went 6-5, was only 2-4 in the SEC (they even lost to Vanderbilt) and was beaten 47-33 by Colorado in the Liberty Bowl.

Can you imagine what a Paul Finebaum show would sound like during that stretch?

To make matters worse, the 1970 team went 6-5-1 including the famous opening loss to Sam Cunningham and USC. USC outgained the Tide by more than 300 yards (559 yds of total offense) and whipped the Tide 42-21. Cunningham ran for 135 yds on just 12 carries.

We know the rest of this story- Alabama shocked USC the next season- went 11-1 and won the SEC, finishing #2 in the nation. That sparked the 1970's as Bryant's best decade.

IF- Coach Saban is able to persevere an inevitable dip ... and guide the ship through the hurricane of doubters and dissent.. and then find a conference or national championship after that... then he would silence all doubters.

In the end...does it really matter?

The problem is that regaining that 'winning edge' in this modern era poses more peril than ever before... and deep in my soul I always stand amazed at the passion and energy of Saban to continue to do it. A mortal man would take his money, trophies, and ride his grandchildren on his boat.

In many ways... modern day football is a young man's game.....

WHAT MOST FOLKS MISS- IT'S MORE THAN WINS

Now let me mention the HARMONY I find between the two coaches..... did you see it? It was on display... right on the Alabama sideline during the game.

Whenever former players feel comfortable coming around and want to come around- you know that a special culture is at work. Alabama's sideline at the National Title game was packed with many adoring former players.

That is what both Coach Bryant and Coach Saban have in common. And the fact that Coach Saban has young men in such high regard of him in a generation that is more prone to mock and disregard elders... this is quite an achievement.

Coach Bryant towered in a day when it was more common to follow the leader no matter what.

But men followed him with such a passion that the bond still stays strong today.

Coach Saban has managed the same thing. But his ability to transcend generation, race, socio-economic differences, and regional differences is impressive!

Relationships matter.... and winning coaches know how to invest in their players in such a way that the players go through pain and persevere out of love and inspiration.

FINAL FOOTBALL THOUGHTS

Football continues to display dramatic narratives and storylines- my favorite one is always the comeback story... someone who is cut down and counted out... but through perseverance and fight... finds victory once again.

It means a lot to me that Wade Phillips never stops fighting and builds a Superbowl bound defense.
I am also proud of Mike Shula and his work with the Panthers.
The personal stories this year are fun... Peyton Manning, Kenyan Drake, and I could go on and on....

When the Superbowl ends... then I will experience the winter of discontent.... but I also know that once again come August- the boys of fall will be dreaming again- everyone undefeated and expecting greatness.....

Now What?

I am working on my yearly post to reflect on Coach Bryant on Jan. 26.. but I couldn't help but notice how quickly the National Championship win started to fade away at ESPN into basketball and NFL news.....

Before long. it will be all in the past.

THE THRILL IS GONE..... OH, O...WHAT IS WRONG?

Ernie Conwell works for the NFL Players Association. His resume is impressive, to say the least...  while training as a potential Olympic Athlete in track and field, Ernie found a love for football. He is an impressive guy- 6'5 255 with athletic agility, leadership, and heart!

He was a college standout for the University of Washington and achieved great accomplishments as a pro. He was drafted by the Rams in 1996, won a Super Bowl after a horrific knee injury, named a captain for the New Orleans Saints- An All-Pro selection in 2001.

I had the privilege to have Ernie coach with me in Nashville and loved hearing him speak to men about his miraculous journey back from the knee injury and what it felt like to compete in the NFL.

But you could hear a pin drop when he explained the saddest reality of all......

Right after his Super Bowl win - the pinnacle of a sport achievement- a lifetime pursuit that organizations invest millions to get, and individual's pour blood, sweat, and tears to grasp...

In the locker room...right after winning.... after hugs and laughter...

a lot of grown men sat there with empty stares on their faces... now what?

This isn't to minimize the lasting memories or value of the accomplishment. It is a recognition of all human existence... the thrill is momentary and often less than satisfying.

It isn't just in big things... it is in almost every aspect of life.

 I always thought it was appropriate that Pip experienced all the shock of seeing his world collapse in the classic novel, “Great Expectations”.

“All the truths of my position came flashing on me; and its disappointments, dangers, disgraces, consequences of all kinds, rushed in in such a multitude that I was borne down by them and had to struggle for every breath I drew.” 

But it was the subtle letdowns that he noticed first:

My (new) clothes were rather a disappointment, of course. Probably every new and eagerly expected garment ever put on since clothes came in, fell a trifle short of the wearer's expectation.

I think there is a part of us that has been trained to desire the finest and fastest. A lifetime of commercials and movies has given us (especially the western world) a high standard of status. Every item, destination, and activity has that certain level that we refer to as "The cadillac of..."

What does THE BIBLE say about this?  Quite a lot actually....

We catch a piece of this in Proverbs. The largest contributor to theses aphorisms is purported to be Solomon- a royal indulger himself of wine and women. Here are some thoughts in Proverbs 23:

1 When you sit to dine with a ruler,

   note well what is before you,

2 and put a knife to your throat

   if you are given to gluttony.

3 Do not crave his delicacies,

   for that food is deceptive.

 4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich;

   do not trust your own cleverness.

5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,

   for they will surely sprout wings

   and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

If you read a lot of biographies you will find that many times the wealthiest and most famous in the world are often the most miserable. They get to the top and find it all and realize that they still haven't found what they are looking for.

There are countless tales of these. One of the saddest is the last words of Guy De Maupassant-famous french writer in the 19th century. His talent, handsome appearance, wit, and charm led to his accumulation of great wealth and status. A famous womanizer- he entertained and dined in the most luxurious ports on the mediterranean- travelling on expensive yachts and enjoying the best that life could offer. 

On New Years day of his 41st year of life- Maupassant was already ravaged by his lifestyle. Experiencing the attack of syphilis and distraught by his loneliness he cried out in chilling starkness, "I HAVE COVETED EVERYTHING AND TAKEN PLEASURE IN NOTHING!"

The next day he tried to commit suicide by slashing his own throat, was committed to an asylum and died in depression a year and a half later.

WHY?

Things of this world lose their luster because they are not supposed to be ULTIMATE THINGS......

The Bible gives us a clue to how we are to live and one of the keys is to be careful and not fall into a lust to live extravagantly- we need to learn discipline and godly contentment. This is such a tough deal- it is such a subtle slide. Enjoying the 'good' life and 'longing' for the good life are small gaps. Having good things and NEEDING good things is just a silent slip.

My constant message is that is is not a sin to have wealth or to enjoy success- no one needs to feel guilty- we just need to be grateful.

So we have these YEARNINGS and DEEP THIRSTS- love, significance, companionship, security, meaning.... and we sometimes go to the wrong fountain to fill those thirsts: Fortune, Fame, Power, Pleasure- only to find us more thirsty and more addicted.

The key is to find the LIVING WATER- your thirst is for an answer to your fatherlessness- the only Being to fill that hole of eternity in your heart is God Himself. That is why we are told to seek God and all these other things will take care of themselves. (All kind of verses here: Matt 6:33, John 4, Jeremiah 2:13)

Finally, I think all of us struggle here- it is so easy to substitute for God- our hearts do, as Calvin said, constantly manufacture idols. So do I never put on a tux, or eat on fine china, or sip tea on the beach in a luxury resort? Heavens NO- enjoy God by enjoying all of His blessings- but allow the Holy Spirit and His word to wrestle and purge the dark side of the longings.

THE LIFE OF CONTENTMENT

Here are a few tips to help: If we do these things, it helps us to keep a proper perspective on all things in this life.

1) Honor and serve those who have less things materially. Not for show or guilt removal, pray for a heart to see them as worthy and important. It is not hard, most of the blue collar-common folk I rub shoulders with are by far more admirable individuals as a rule. In the previous chapter we read -

 2 Rich and poor have this in common: 
   The LORD is the Maker of them all.

2) Cry out to God for the balance between contentment and complacency. The Bible teaches a tight tension- we are NOT to be apathetic and lazy but at the same time we are not to wear ourselves out for riches. What drives us? Why? Where is God's will in our pursuits? These are deep, life long questions.

3) TITHE- I know of no greater way to slay the dragon called greed than to give. God does not need my money- He has provided the command to give of my first fruits for my benefit and a healthy heart. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. I Timothy 6:10 Tithing includes talent and time as well!

4) THANKFULNESS- When you get to do lush things- play on a golf course- fish in the gulf- drive a fancy car- OR if you encounter great achievement...PRAISE GOD and be thankful- hold it all with an open hand and ask how you can bless others as well. I have been a huge recipient of wealthy believers who have decided to bless me- I have done things and experienced things that a man of my lot could never afford.... And the whole time my heart just leaps with joy and praise to God and I pray for blessings on the giver.

Consider the testimony of the apostle Paul here in Philippians 4:

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.10I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

5) RELATIONSHIPS- it is always WHO not WHAT. What makes team success so beautiful is who we take the journey with. I found it interesting to hear O.J. Howard's response to the question.."What do you remember MOST about the game?" and he said "Celebrating with my brothers"- Yes, that is important!

MADE FOR ANOTHER WORLD

We don't have to section everything in a box.... When Alabama won Monday night... I enjoyed this as a fan WITH GOD... and He is still the ultimate whether my team wins or loses.

It is OK to celebrate... but no joy is this life can fill the thirst we have for Jesus Christ....

“The Christian says, 'Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or to be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that country and to help others to do the same.”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

And what I love the most about Ernie Conwell is that he understands this... so he gets the best of it all.... achievement, success, and godly contentment....

May we all do the same!