A Little Confession...

6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. -1 John 1:6-10

My time with Jesus this morning led me to consider a lost spiritual discipline in my life and the lives of many believers. 1 John 1:6-10 brings it to light: confession. Most of the time we think of confession as this one time thing we did when we first accept Jesus as our Savior. We confess with our mouth that we are sinners in need of grace. While true, there is way more to the discipline of confession. Richard Foster is his book, Celebration of Discipline explains that confession "involves an objective change in our relationship with God and a subjective change in us. It is a means of healing and transforming the inner spirit." (144)

John uses three "if we say" statements to make his point very known. He is blunt and when we read this with conviction it can hurt. However, I think many of us believers need more spiritual bluntness in our lives. We need the proverbial "hit in the head" with the giant coffee table Bible.

Confession is a continuous act, not because we remove the grace of Jesus from our lives with each act of sin, but because post-salvation, there is this residual effect of sin. By nature sin resides in us and as such we develop habits from that nature. Habits are hard to break and can take a long period of time to do so. I'm a nail biter. I have been since I was a kid. I've tried to stop and been successful for a short period of time. Imagine though a nature of who you are has stayed with you over years. The habits developed in that time would be deeply ingrained. Paul in 1 Timothy 4:2 puts it that our consciences are seared.  So, confession in a believer's life is about agreeing with God what sin is (in our lives and in the world) and bringing those things before Him. It is simply the continual process of dying to our self and seeking Him and His way for our lives. So why is it important? John gives us three truths to consider.

Truth 1: We lie to others when we do not confess

In verses 6-7 John basically says, "I know God, but our beliefs and behaviors contradict our words. By denying that Jesus is God in the flesh and downplaying the seriousness of sin, we lie to others about who we are"(19) states Daniel Akin in the Christ Centered Commentary on 1 John. We are a walking contradiction if we do not confess the sin or the residual effect of sin in our lives. Because salvation carries both an event and a process in nature we must understand that confession leads to growth in Christ. Growth in Christ leads to less and less sin present in our lives. As John says, walking in Christ (The Light) leads to the the cleansing of sin.

Side note: "walk" in this passage is about a continuous way of life.

Truth 2: We lie to ourselves when we do not confess

Verses 8-9 reveal that when we lack confession we can easily deceive ourselves into thinking what we are doing is right or good. John, bluntly says that the truth is not even in us when we think/say we have no sin at all. The most deceptive form we can see is the belief we can take care of the sin ourselves. John is stating that we are not sinless and many times we think we can cure whatever it is of our own accord. Yet, for the second time, John states that if we confess Jesus is ready to forgive and cleanse us. Imagine the last time you tried to fix your own sin. Odds are it consumed you, it drained you, it worked you to the bone. I know, I've been there. Yet, Jesus is ready to do the work. "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest," He says in Matthew 11:28.

Truth 3: We lie about God when we do not confess

If there is no need for confession it is because there is no sin. If there is no sin, there is no need for Jesus. If there is no need for Jesus there is no need for God. Because of sin, we desperately need God. Not just for that one time event of salvation, but for every day. I think of that hymn I Need Thee Every Hour. Part of the lyrics state, 

"I need thee every hour

Stay thou near by 
Temptations loose their power

When thou art nigh"  

Temptations lose their power...that's really it! Confession is turning the power of sin over our lives to the the One who deserves the power over our lives. We need confession to center us back to our Savior who provided a way out of the power of sin and death. We need confession to speak the truth about God and about ourselves.

So what does this mean? I have said over the last several years that I believe at the end of church services we should see more believers at the alter laying down their sin before a holy and righteous God and to a Savior that is ready to forgive and cleanse us. It is not a bad thing to let people see you reveal sin in your life and bringing it before Christ. In fact, it is probably the most truth revealing thing you could do. It speaks of His grace, His mercy, His truth to fellow believers and to those who are lost and in need of a Savior.

The Art of Stopping

It's Sunday morning and everything is racing through my mind of all I need to get done. The list is long, the time seems short and my mind is only focused on what needs to be accomplished. Yet, in walks a visitor in great need. I might shake their hand, give a typical great, and then move on hoping someone else will take care of them.

Maybe it's Monday morning and you realize the work you needed to get done before the weekend was put off. The deadline is looming in a few hours and all you can think about it what you need to get done. Yet, a co worker who had a horrible weekend with family needs some attention from you. You simply give cliche answers and half listen to their heart.

Maybe the house is a wreck- dishes, laundry, bathrooms need cleaning, toys picked up, etc. You start your list of chores and your child decides that a hurt they experienced from a friend needs more attention by you. You simply don't have the time right now, so "you'll get to it later" only to forget.

If this sounds familiar on some level, its because you are human. We all share the struggle of "busy life" that effects our interactions with others. Yet, I learned in my time with Jesus this morning, that He taught His disciples and us the "art of stopping."

In Mark 10:46-52, Jesus is on his way to begin the passion-the final steps toward His death and resurrection. Surely, His mind is filled with all that is before Him. The time left with His disciples, the last things He needs to teach them/show them, the pain and agony that lies before Him, yet He hears a cry of someone in need. A man who is blind and needs healing both physically and spiritually. Jesus stops and does three things- hears, listens, and acts. These are the components to develop the "art of stopping".

The Art of Stopping

Hear- Jesus is walking with a crowd of people through busy streets. His mind likely filled with so much. Yet, He hears a cry of need. To hear is to simply be aware of people and needs around us. So, hearing is simply taking notice. The problem is we fill our lives with so much noise- media, phones, our busyness, our own cries in our hearts, etc. that we miss those around us. To hear we need to first recognize that Jesus is always ready to hear from us. We need to turn over our own cries to Him. Second, we need to build a habit of hearing. This habit is only built by thinking less of our self and more of others.

Listen- Listening is different from hearing in that listening means engagement. Jesus hears the blind man and then asks him a question. The question was intended to draw out the man's faith and to engage with him. Engagement is the step needed to know the person and the need to be cared for. It means assessing the needs to know how to help. It means knowing the heart of the person and developing a love and compassion for them. Listening should lead us from seeing a person as an opportunity and actually as a person. Listening may not lead to action though. We can sometimes hear and listen to a person and need, but feel overwhelmed and not actually do anything. Jesus though, shows that action is still necessary.

Action- This is probably the hardest part of the "art of stopping". Action will likely lead to messiness of another person's life. It will likely mean sacrifice and time from us to meet the need. Action may not mean taking care of the need ourselves. It may be connecting the person in need with someone who can take care of it. However, we don't simply point them in the right direction and then leave them alone. We should walk with them until we cannot anymore. Action is also the loudest speaking to the person in need.

The questions that remains for all of us- What steps do we need to take to develop the habit of stopping? What is blocking me from hearing, listening, and acting? How do I surrender to the will and way of Jesus to imitate Him in my own life?

Getaway Car

Mark 3:7-10  "Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him."

I need a getaway car! Thanks basically what Jesus tells His disciples in the middle of His ministry. Jesus has been teaching, healing, and traveling throughout the land and the crowds continue to grow. They come from all over and were a mix of people. Why are they coming though? It's not for His teaching or preaching and it's not even because He has been challenging the religious elite. They come for healing, to simply touch Him. They are not actually interested in the person of Jesus, they are only interested in what He can do for them. Imagine how draining this can be? So, He tells His disciples to get a boat ready and like some scene from an action movie "the boys" get Jesus to the boat, jump in, and begin rowing as hard and fast as they can to get away. Jesus needed to get away.

What does this say about ministry?   

1. Ministry is hard
When ministry is done right in service and love it is incredibly hard. Whether you serve in lay leadership of a church or as a paid staff person, the work and amount of energy and life poured into your ministry wears you out. Stay in the mix long enough without a "getaway car" and you might find yourself burnout. Perhaps you might think, pastors just preach, visit with people, and plan ministry stuff. That is true, but think through this: Scripture holds pastors/teachers to a higher standard when they preach/teach from the Word. Mishandling the Word means leading others under the same misdirection. That is pressure to study and prepare a sermon/lesson in a way that is true to the text and speaks to the people. Those people pastor's visit are many times dealing with hard life issues. Perhaps it's a couple who is on the verge of divorce and he is now counseling them through all the baggage that goes with that. Maybe it's a family who child is sick and they are unsure of a cure. Maybe it is a widow who hasn't have family visit her in months and she is lonely and desperately wants to talk, to know she is loved. Finally, he is now planning ministry. He is working on putting Scripture into practice and equipping the people to do so. He is providing leadership and vision to people who may or may not agree with it. "Getaway cars" are necessary in the life of people working deep in ministry.

2. Not Everyone Cares About True Meaning Behind Ministry
The people came to Jesus not to accept Him, but to get something from Him. Many times that is the reality behind ministry. People will try to take advantage of, use and abuse the person who is ministering. Imagine a person pouring their heart and life into something and rarely hearing a thank you, a well done, or even spiritual fruit from their work (right away). This doesn't mean we stop ministering to people, but we must recognize that people will take without a second thought of the person. Why? It's human nature, it's sin. We are naturally bent toward selfishness and many times we don't even realize what we are doing. As ministers, this can be so hard to face day in and day out. Even more, we can offer so much to help people in order to share the true reason- salvation in Christ- and still find rejection on the other end. This doesn't mean we stop trying, but it does mean that we need a "getaway car."

3. Get a "Getaway Car"
A getaway car will be different for each person. But I think there should be 3 ways we approach our need for the "getaway". One, have an everyday "getaway". Ideally this should happen in our "quiet times" with Jesus in Scripture and prayer. If you are not doing this, then start the habit now! However, there are other ways too. Perhaps listening to music, reading a book, finding a quiet room, or getting a cup of coffee is your getaway. For me, I try to set time everyday near the end of my day in the office to read. It is my way to decompress from the day and I have found it so helpful to my soul. Two, have a couple of "getaway" spots you like to go. This needs to be locally to you and further out. For me, there are a couple of places in the church I can go and not worry about someone finding me for a period of time that allow me to be alone. I also try to find at least 1-2 conferences that are away from my ministry location to attend to learn and to rejuvenate. I recommend the same.  Third, take a vacation!! But, when you go on vacation leave your work/ministry behind. Enjoy the time with family or with by yourself. Many times ministers feel guilty stepping away briefly from their work, but even Jesus stepped away and rested. I think it's okay to follow the steps of the Savior to rest from time to time.
 

The Untouchables

Mark 1:40-42 "And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean."

Jesus has been preaching, teaching, and healing throughout the land He is in and here He is approached by a leper. Leprosy was a term used to cover a multitude of diseases, primarily those that affected the skin. To be labeled a leper in the community was devastating. You had to wear certain clothing, could not be within a certain distance of people, and had to yell out what you were. Imagine living that life. You are deemed untouchable. Not only do you lose interaction with people, but you lose even the slightest human touch. You are worthless, despicable, a nobody.

Many walk through life this very way. They may not have a disease that makes them untouchable, but they have had life situations, sin, or people's perceptions placed upon them to make them "untouchable". So, imagine the boldness it took, the courage, the faith, the humility to come to Jesus and make this request to be healed. Jesus could have had this man killed for approaching Him unclean. Instead, Jesus is moved by compassion or pity and He touches the man. Immediately the curse has left him!

In my quiet time I found myself asking, "What do I consider in my life untouchable?" You see, we have sin, hurts, pains, thoughts, life situations that all seem untouchable. No one can know about it, no one can should see it, no one would even come close to helping even if they did see it. The beauty of this historical account with the Savior is that Jesus is willing and able to touch the untouchable. Much of our "untouchable" issues are the deepest, hardest, worst issues we have and with pride we cover them up even to God the Savior. Yet this man, with humility, courage, and faith stepped forward to Christ and asked for healing. His statement of "If you will..." is not about whether Jesus was capable. It was whether Jesus even wanted to. Compassionately, He steps forward and touches the man! The touch of the Savior spoke more to this man than even Jesus' words. Why? Because there is power in His touch. Daniel Akin states, "As the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53:4, He takes on Himself the infirmities of this man, cleanses him, and make him whole!" (Christ Centered Exposition Commentary: Mark, 37)

The gospel was never made clearer to me in this encounter before this morning. We all have a leprosy of the heart: sin. It permeates our very being, our existence. And for many, sin is deemed too much for God. It is untouchable to be taken away. Yet, Jesus shows that is the very reason He has come. To take away the sin of the world and man by His saving grace. We only have to trust in who He is, what He has done and can do, and allow Him to heal us by His saving grace. Like this man, some will be immediate healing and some will take time. But, are you willing to give your "untouchables" to Him?  

My "Brand" of Discipleship

Mark 1:16-17  "Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.  And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

We all search for something in this life to bring purpose and meaning. The idea of being called to something is used more now than I remember hearing. That may not be the case, but I feel like I hear it used more regularly about even every day jobs. It is likely that the men mentioned in the above verse knew their calling was to be fishermen. It was a family business that would provide. Instead, this man comes along and gives them a new calling, a calling of discipleship.

Interestingly, Jesus' call to these men was different than other teachers of the time. Why? He chose them, they didn't choose Him. Daniel Akin in the Christ Centered Exposition Commentary on Mark explains, "In rabbinic schools of the day, the aspiring student sought out the respected rabbi."(20) So, discipleship was something the disciple wanted, but there was more to it than just choosing your teacher. Akin states further, "Further, the student's allegiance was to the Law, not to the teacher. Jesus' form of discipleship is fundamentally different! Jesus seeks them out, and their allegiance will be to Him." (20)

Did you catch that? Disciples sought out a person, but really aligned themselves to the person's teaching. So, they in some ways looked to a teacher's "brand" of discipleship. Jesus however, wanted the allegiance of His disciples to Him, not simply to His teachings. Why? To follow just the teachings of Jesus really leads to moralism and not salvation. Salvation alone rests in the Person of Christ. His teachings lead us to Him. Jesus didn't want followers to be simply "good people". He wanted followers who believe and trust in Him and that He carries the power to make His teachings alive in the follower.

This made me think more about American Christianity today. Do we sometimes find ourselves becoming a disciple of a particular Christian leader's writings, sermons, or YouTube videos? In a world of celebrity Christians do we have more disciples of Matt Chandler, David Platt, Lysa Terkeurst, JD Geear, Lecrae, etc? I would assume the people I listed are pointing people to Jesus and not themselves, but perhaps we adhere ourselves to their particular "brand" of Christianity.

So what am I saying? I am not saying stop listening to podcasts or reading books by important leaders of our time. We still need their leadership and guidance as well as those local to us. What I am saying is check yourself. Do you find yourself more influenced by the people or their particular "brand" of discipleship or by Jesus and His Word? Do you find yourself seeking answers to life or "doing church" more from the next person's book or from the Creator of life and the church? Remember we become what we worship/give our attention to. We are called to be disciples of Jesus, not the people He calls to do His work.

Meeting God in the Wilderness

Mark 1:9-13  "In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him."

 Jesus' ministry begins with an identifying with man through the act of baptism and then it immediately goes to the wilderness. While in the wilderness Jesus is tempted by Satan as Jesus is fasting and enduring the natural environment of the wilderness. What strikes me is that truly Jesus' wilderness experience doesn't really end after this particular event. We see in these verses that Jesus is declared the Son of God and later will be recognized as the King of all. He is a foreigner in this land, a King living as a peasant. He walks the wilderness of life in order to pull humanity out of it's sinful nature and leads a "2nd Exodus". The question is how is Jesus' life a continued wilderness experience?

Outside of the fact He is a foreigner, remember and imagine all He faced. He experienced being hated, people wanting to take His life, family turning their back on Him, disciples slowly figuring out who He is and even walking away from Him (some permanently, some return). Jesus experiences the loss of a close friend and mourns the death. Jesus is misunderstood, sometimes people try to use Him for just His supernatural ability, and He is ultimately led to His own death/murder.

Did Jesus experience some good things too? Absolutely! However, we forget so many times that Jesus' entire life relates to our own.

What is your current wilderness experience? Perhaps all of life seems to be one right now?

Remember this: the Father never leaves Jesus through all of His wilderness experience. In fact, it is through the wilderness that God meets with Jesus and ultimately meets with man.

So, you may be asking, "Why this wilderness experience?" "Why would God allow me to walk this?" Because it is often in the wilderness where God truly meets with His people. The wilderness can reveal who we truly are and opens us up to the ministering of God to our hearts and to prepare us for what lies ahead.

Embrace the wilderness because you may find you will be embracing the One who has walked it already and will carry you through.

The Soil of the Home

"20 times a youth pastor says, “You need a time of prayer/Bible every AM.” Yawn. One time a parent says, “I love my AM time with Jesus.” Done." -Richard Ross tweet

As a youth pastor of 10 years I find this statement to be true. The students who pass through student ministry with parents that do not show any love/time with Jesus in the home typically do not follow through a life of following Jesus once they are done with student ministry. This is not always the case, as many in the church also "adopt" students like spiritual orphans. Grandparents, adult volunteers, aunts and uncles, all have played a huge part in guiding students through harsh spiritual terrain.

For this post, I wanted to focus on how the home does in fact have spiritual impact on students. In particular, I want to focus on the Parable of the Sower found in Luke 8:4-15 as scriptural context. The basic idea of the parable is that a Sower is throwing seed out to be planted, but the seed falls to various types of ground. In each type of ground the seed is impacted. Let's examine it like this:

Seed= Word of God/Gospel/Jesus

Road soil and Thorny Soil
Road and thorny soil share a similarity. Both soil is a heart that hears the Word, but due to spiritual warfare taking place, the hardships of the world, or a hard heart it is taken away. Perhaps in the home a student faces great hardship of spiritual warfare (divorce, abuse, neglect, etc) or their is no acceptance of Jesus at all. Imagine this student coming to church or a student ministry with all his/her baggage and the Word of God penetrating through this heart. We have many of these and the biggest thing they need to allow them to even receive the gospel are people who will help make their "soil" good. This can happen by Jesus followers attempting to reach the family unit and bring the to Christ. It can be that the student is a spiritual orphan and in need of a significant Jesus following adult to reach his/her life and cultivate.

I am reminded of a young man I once worked with who was hearing the Word and finally in distress looked at me and said, "How am I supposed to believe God has a plan for my life when that plan involved sexual abuse, being taken away from my momma, and going from foster home to foster home still experiencing abuse?!" It took significant adults to invest in his life, to "adopt" him to cultivate his heart. This is a lifetime process for this student.

Rocky soil
 Rock soil is a heart with no foundation or cultivation. Joyfully hears the Word, but with ease it slips away to the world as there is nothing for it to take root of. I believe many of our Christian homes actually are rocky soil. We joyfully read some Bible to our kids when they are young, say a prayer around the table, and attend church, but true cultivation of the Word is not there. The challenge to live differently in front of our children, to pray about all situations, to study the Word together and bring others into the home to share in this life are not rocky soil homes. Why? Because these are the components to cultivate the "soil" to make it ready to receive the seed of the Word.

Good soil
A heart that has been cultivated to hear the Word and is open for planting and growth to happen. Just like a plant must be given good soil that offers nutrients, be watered, and receive sun to grow properly; so does the heart that will accept the Word planted. As mentioned above the components to help create good soil are more than mere Christian rituals. They are life changing attitudes and actions. Consider cultivating the home as good soil where more than just mere reading of Scripture happens, but study and discussion. Where prayer is more than a dinner time ritual and in hard times and good times prayer toward the King of Kings is lifted in adoration of Him! Where other hearts from Road, Thorny, or Rocky soil can come to see what "Good Soil" can be and help cultivate the soil of their hearts to be good and receive the Word of God. This will require sacrifice and time. Both seeming missing in both quantity and quality in our homes today.

Be A Cultivator
I write this because as a youth minister we are only given so much time with students a week. Much less than they get in school and much less than they get at home. In addition, we are faced with the task of reaching all these various hearts in our ministries and maintain the soil of our own hearts and home. Parents we need you to be a cultivator of good soil in your home. Not for the sake of your children alone, but for the sake of others who will not find it in their own. I call on parents to step up to a challenge of discovering what life could be like with a rich soil of the heart to allow the Word to take root and grow deep in our homes. Even more, seek those who need spiritual adoption to be cultivated too! Reach students, but reach their families as well.