Chick-fil-a, "gays", and the Gospel

Did you pay attention to the Chick-fil-a controversy this week? Interesting trends when mayors have the power to deny businesses the right of starting new franchise locations in their town because of the CEO of Chick-fil-a's statements and beliefs regarding the biblical definition of marriage. It should be noted that is what he made statements about, not opposing gay and lesbians personal decisions, just opposing the change in the long-held definition of marriage. Before this week I really liked Chick-fil-a and now their sweet tea and chicken sandwich provide a moral reason to like them too!

See story here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/chick-fil-a-controversy-heats-up/2012/07/27/gJQAGJXJEX_video.html

How should Christ's followers respond to all of this? I mean, besides going through the drive-thru next Wednesday. First, we should be bothered by this. I am bothered by sin. It dishonors God. I dislike lust, lies, murder, oppression, and hatred. I labor to communicate God's plan of having sent Christ to die in our place for the punishment of sin and to set us free from sin. I need to be bothered most by my own sin. I despise racism - it takes place when people are identified as less/more valuable based on their culture/color/nation. I believe we are all one race, Adam's. I am opposed to sexism - no gender is better or of more value to God. I believe God created us male and female, gave us the law, and that Satan, as always, tries to blur the distinctions in God's laws and His creation. I do not believe in the oppression of people. I do not equate mistreatment of ethnicity's or genders to be the same as opposing a redefinition of marriage. Gay is not

Romans 8: FREEDOM

 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

The life-altering announcement of “no condemnation” rings in our ears from verse 1 and now it only gets better. FREEDOM – Free from the law of sin and death. FREEDOM – when in the past all I knew was the law and my short-comings in fulfilling it. FREEDOM – not of my own doing but freedom that comes in the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ.

It reminds me of one of my favorite songs:

There is a wall that has been standing, since the day that Adam fell
Sin is where it started, and Sin is why it held
Speaking as a prisoner, who was there and lived to tell
I remember how it fell ….
This is how it feels to be free. This is what it means to know that I am forgiven

 

The law has its role. It shows me the holiness of God. It reveals my sin. It reminds me time and again of my need for something that is not in me. It hits me again and again with legal evidence

Lust, basketball and a God who wins.

With March Madness upon us I was thinking through Galatians 5:16-26 and the war we wage against lust. Now I realize that this passage isn’t talking solely about lust and sad to say it doesn’t talk about basketball at all but what an amazing answer Paul gives us in Galatians 5 as we ask how can we win this war against lust. The chapter starts by reminding us that we are free, set free from the bondage of sin. Then he gives this warning, don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. He then states what is key and crucial for us in gaining day by day victory over flesh and lust – you ready? Here it is, drum-roll please….. “You can’t do it”.

Wow, such encouraging words about winning – “you can’t”. Great pep talk huh? It’s like the coach huddling us up in the closing minute of the game during a crucial timeout. Expecting to hear him passionately encourage us and draw up a play for us to win the game, instead he brashly says, “You can’t do it.” The coach reminds us of what happens when we go out onto the court without a plan. He then proceeds by asking us what happens when five guys are thinking five different things and have at least five different ways we will get the winning basket? All five players are awakened out of their dream world of hitting the winning shot by a coach telling them they cannot win ….. unless.

A glimpse of what surrender looks like

This has been used in my personal worship
to draw my heart out of my selfish
areas of commitment

and into full unadulterated worship.
I plan to share another post on
surrender vs. commitment,

but also wanted to share a video/song
that defines our discussions perfectly.
Think outLOUD and share how God uses this
in your life below in the comment box.

Is making commitments to Christ cheap?

I recently had the opportunity to meet with some area pastors and churches and discuss the difference between commitment and surrender. There was one particular observation that I made that I have continued to ponder. It was a generational one, for whatever reason I have a great appreciation for the strengths of different generations. There is also a lot to learn from generational weaknesses too.  I have often said at funerals of our 80+ saints that we are quickly losing the greatest generation.

My observation this week came from comments from baby boomers. They remarked, “We always used to hear preaching on surrender or dying to self, now all we hear is commitment.” A keen observation from dear people who have watched western Christianize slide down the slippery slope from “what would you have me to do surrender” to “Let me tell you the area I am ready to commit to commitment.”

These baby boomers nailed it, although it wasn’t the first time I’d heard this. Over four years ago a former pastor and prisoner in Communist Romania was sitting in my kitchen. We were discussing the difference from being a Christian in Europe and one in the U.S. He shared a conversation he had with the late Adrian Rodgers one day as he visited him in Memphis. He relayed what transpired as they discussed the western concept of following Christ. He said, “Adrian, the key word for the American Christian is “commitment”; while “surrender” has been removed from your vocabulary.” Because this was coming from a man both imprisoned for his faith and having authored a 500 page book on suffering and martyrdom, I listened a little more intently. He continued to explain that commitment is cheap, it costs little, but it allows something the Western world craves: control. Surrender relinquishes control and surrenders to be a slave to our Lord and King.

Think about it: were our examples in scripture people who made commitments in areas or were they examples of the surrendered whole?

·    Noah – he didn’t just commit to slamming a hammer for a few hours a day – how about 100 years of labor, sweat, ridicule, and perseverance. And yet we find “work day at church” an oxymoron today.

·    Abraham – did He commit to a cool vacation with God to get away from family for a while, hardly. He surrendered: he trusted when he had very little explanation, no specifics: just a Sovereign God making unusual promises that would eventually extend to every family of the earth.

·    Moses – was it commitment that led him to take off his sandals on the holy ground as he washed a bush burn but still demonstrated life and strength rather than death and destruction. We certainly see Moses struggle some with surrender: he tried to talk god out him being the one to deliver God’s people. Commitment has trouble trusting anything but your own perspective; surrender is total trust in God’s path for us.

·    Isaiah – “Here I am Lord, send me”.  You know that just doesn’t translate today into, “If you need me, give me a call” or “God knows where to find me, if there’s anything he wants me for.”

·    3 Hebrew guys – “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” Today commitment says, “I’ll follow as long as you bless me in every area and in every way; one sign of tough stuff and I’m done.”

·    Paul – “Lord what will thou have me to do” – now that’s surrender. I’m willing, I’m available, and there is nothing off the table. I am surrendering to be your slave.

More to come…