The Music And The Dance
Daytona Beach, gospel-centered, reformed theology, culture, church, church-planting, preaching
Larry Kirk
Larry is the senior pastor at Christ Community Church in Daytona Beach Florida and a resident adjunct professor of practical theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. Larry is committed to Reformed Theology that is Christ-centered, culturally relevant, biblical and missional. He's the husband of Connie and father of three sons; Alex, Adam and Aaron.Blogroll
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Wow! That brought tears. The story of the rose and how Jesus wants us as we are – sinners, wilted and broken – is amazing!
With the recent sermons about missions and reaching out to people, I have been thinking a lot about the interactions with and meeting people where they are. The thought of being in some of the places where people who truly need to know the Lord is overwhelming and scary to say the least. I am struggling with my own weaknesses as I imagine myself witnessing to people who God is calling out of the ways they are living, and into his kingdom. What keeps coming to mind are a couple of things: 1)Time (or prioritizing time) and neediness of people; and 2)I might fall into the same behaviors and old patterns I used to participate in before I turned to Jesus.
What do we do to make sure we won’t fall into the old ways? I know we should be seeking out the lost, but how we should go about it to make sure that while we are sharing the love of Christ that we don’t slip into similar sins of the very people we are sharing with?
Christina brings up some good, honest questions here. Perhaps one way to avoid slipping into the old patterns is to take another redeemed mangled rose with you. For me, I’ve seen how sharing my struggles (idols of the heart – control, power, comfort, etc) even with non-believing people helps them see me as a real sinner like they are a real sinner. Certainly i want to avoid certain patterns of the past (violence, immorality, etc), but I want my neighbor to see me as that mangled rose that Jesus wanted and still wants today.
Here are some thoughts that might bring some clarity to two great questions.
1. Time…We live in a busy culture and as a result we often cringe at the thought of another activity taking away from our time. Mission was never meant to be something we do in addition to our already busy schedules. Life and Mission were never meant to be two spearate entities. They should be completely integrated. If we use our already existing passions and interests as a platform for Christ we find we do not need more time. Practically speaking, we just need to become better stewards of the time we already have. Hobbies, the work place, athletics, etc. are all great places to show people Jesus through your life. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel…just figure out where it is already roling.
“Needs” look different amongst people. They range from the financial, physical, spiritual, and emotional. Part of the mission Jesus left us is to figure out where people are at in life and then meet them there as His ambassador. This requires prayer, sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and of course a warm heart.
2. Falling into sin…For this question it does us well to recall what the writer of Hebrews said in the 5th chapter, verse 2-3. “He (speaking of the High Priest) is able to deal gently with those who are going astray, since he himself is subject to the same weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people”.
Now I am aware we are not High Priests in the OT sense, but we are part of a chosen priesthood in the NT sense. Hebrews helps us to see that we can not look at people who are far from God as “Those Sinners”. In fact, we are those sinners too! If we are to be honest we are all sinners, however some of us have found redemtion from our sin in Jesus. This idea helps us to not see people as sinful things which are fallen, but people…like us…who are also fallen.
A great deal of discernment should also be used when answering this question. As Christ-followers we need to know ourselves and our Jesus. We have been freed from the bondges of sin. Sin holds us captive no longer. If certain areas of Mission prove to be a potential stumbling block than we must ask ourselves some serious questions about where we are in our own spiritual maturity. Having said that, I understand some areas of life and ministry might be a bit overwhelming depending on our pasts. In this case we should walk with caution. Jesus never told us to sin…in order to reach those struggling with sin.
One final note, there will always be something that will attempt to keep us from finding a true obedience in Jesus. Men and women have served the Mission field (both domestic and abroad) for centuries and have always faced aspects of culture that sought to draw them away from their Savior.
Anyone who cares enough to take the Gospel to all peoples must seriously resolve in their hearts to walk worthy of the calling to which Jesus has called them, and we need to be humble enough to recognize that we need Jesus’ Grace and strength to keep that promise.
I pray “set love in order, thou who lovest me.” I know it is an old quote, can’t remember where from, but that prayer covers a lot.
It asks for an ordering of the loves in my heart and I think a love for the good, true and beautiful (God) is a sure fire way of not falling into old ways of behaving. A love of all the good, makes the bad look really unappealing.
I love the name of our new church plant, “Restoration”, because it so powerfully and beautifully expresses this hope. It seems so fitting
because it has been at CCC that I have experienced this message of restoration.
Right before your sermon, my friend told me about a man she met at the laundry mat that day wrestling with being a Christian while struggling with homosexuality. I wish he had heard this in person, but we are sending a recording to him. Please be praying for him.
I will. I think this is one of our especially important and challenging callings: to express to people clearly the truth that God wants and invites us all, no matter what, no exceptions, but at the same time the truth that Christ wants to heal us and that implies redemptive change. When I did a sermon on homosexuality a few years ago one person who was gay found it on the internet and started coming to our church because in the past she had only found churches that either condoned her homosexuality or condemned her as a person. She felt that neither of those approaches was right but hadn’t found the third way. I love the imagery, “Jesus wants the rose.”
I think what you said in your sermon about Jesus being there for the sick and not wanting them to stay sick nailed it.