What happened?

James telling his story results in his guard giving his life to Jesus and being beheaded with him! Peter continues in ministry despite so many beatings and close calls. A samaritan woman meets Jesus and then goes and tells her whole village to come and do the same. 4 guys lower their friend down through a hole they made in a rooftop so he has a chance at getting healed by Jesus. Zacchaeus repents and gives half his possessions away trying to make right all that he’s wronged. See a common thread? Powerful things happen when people meet and follow Jesus! These stories paint a picture of following Jesus over and over again but you gotta ask… WHAT HAPPENED?! What has happened to the church in the last 2,000 years? Jon Tyson says this:

“When people think of Jesus and the church today they think of a beige, passionless institution that has somehow managed to take this Man who has shaken history and made him boring.”

The Jesus I know isn’t lame or passionless – He’s powerful and ready to turn the world upside down now just as He did 2000 years ago. Question is – are we? Are we ready to turn the world upside down as the power of the Holy Spirit courses through our veins? Are we ready to forgive like never before through the understanding and stewardship of His grace? Are we ready to walk into situations with His authority? It goes back to a basic question – How do we view being a Christian? Is it a position where we receive (peace, hope, healing, provision, salvation) or is it a position where we actively give as well? Meaning, are we to simply enjoy the benefits of Christianity or is there also an element of action on our part, a mission that we are to carry on? If so – how are we to carry it on in our day to day lives? If we read the Bible (all parts) we will notice people receiving the Gospel (good news, story of Jesus, relationship with Jesus) and then going and doing something about it. Repentance from current lifestyle, change in self (posture, position, belief systems, etc), and then preaching (telling people the story of Jesus) so that they too may know Him and be saved.

This is such a challenge! On one hand, we are a busy people! We have priorities on top of priorities, deadlines for our deadlines, meetings to discuss our meetings! So I get it, we’re busy! But then on the other hand, I think we all agree that Jesus is needed by so so many and that He’s phenomenal and deserves priority in our lives. So then – what happens? What keeps us from being “on fire for Jesus”? a “Jesus freak” for any DC TALK fans out there.

At the end of Acts 12 we see the end of Herod (who tried to keep a lid on the Gospel) and then a simple line, “but the word of God increased and multiplied” in verse 24. INCREASED and MULTIPLIED. I can’t think of a better priority for each of us other than His word increasing in our lives and multiplying to those around us. This can happen in our day to day lives by abiding in Him and Him in us. It’s not that everything else goes away, it’s that we allow Him into everything we do. He must be a common thread in all that we do and the tapestry that our lives are lived out on. God is not in a compartment, Jesus is not a part time friend and church is not a building we visit every few weeks. Christianity is to be lived out in its entirety intertwined with our lives, otherwise it will seem beige, powerless, boring. Imagine setting out into marriage expecting beige powerless and boring. Imagine launching a company called “Beige Powerless and Boring”. Imagine putting a girls weekend or guys hiking trip together and affectionately naming it, “BPB”. Beige, Powerless & Boring Weekend – WHO’S IN? So then – why do we stand for it in our christianity? In our church gatherings. In our families?

I realize that this is a challenge and that the rhythms of this life will not like it – but I promise you – if you turn your efforts and intent towards weaving God in and out of your everything and your everyday – you will see radical change in your outcomes. Building your house and life upon The Rock is a solid way to live this life out in His name, by His might and under His grace, peace and hope.

May you become closer to Him this week, hold tightly to His story inside of you and then tell someone because the world needs a better story and you happen to know it 🙂