Do We Really Stand In Awe?

So this past monday night my beautiful wife and I spent the time at a bible study held by some friends of ours. This was the first time we visited and we plan on many more trips to come. The study to us was like a breath of fresh air. It is led by a friend of mine who was at one point both my high school history teacher and youth pastor. He is probably the most influential man in my early christian life and possible all the way throughout. I think of him and I as a Paul to Timothy type of relationship. Anyway, I seem to have digressed a little.

At the study we joined them in the second chapter of Mark. We had started in verse one and studied all the way to verse twelve. For those familiar with the book of Mark you will know this part of the chapter as the story of Jesus healing the paralytic man. It also appears in Matthew 9:1-8 and Luke 5:17-26. The study itself and all of the wonderful nuggets of truth and conviction in the passage was very interesting. I haven’t had that good of a time during a bible study since my college days (Yay COC college group).

But what really caught my attention during this study was the last verse in the account. Jesus had returned to Capernaum after spending time in the other towns preaching and healing. When the town hears that Christ had returned they seem to have practically bombarded the house where he was staying. So Jesus being the wonderful savior he is begins to preach the word to them. Than something interesting happens. Four men bring their friend who is paralyzed to see Jesus. They fully believed that Christ could heal their friend. So not letting even the fact that there was no room for them to get through stop them, they go to the roof and make an opening to let their friend down.

Even writing those words seconds ago put me in awe, which is weird since reading them in my bible doesn’t strike me the same. These guys were so full of faith that they were willing to go to the extreme lengths to have their friend healed. But this isn’t the point I am trying to make, at least not yet.

So to continue on, the four men lower their friend into the crowd (which had to be in shock of some sort or another as I am sure this wasn’t a quiet interruption) so that Jesus could heal him. Christ sees the faith of either all of them, the paralyzed man or even just his friends and forgives the man his sins. That’s amazing but to top it off Christ than perceives that the scribes and pharisees, some of which had come from as far a Jerusalem, are questioning in the HEARTS about why Jesus could forgive this man his sins. They are thinking that he is blaspheming because only God can forgive sins. Again when I read over the story in my bible it doesn’t seem as shocking as I type it out. I mean Jesus knew their hearts. He was in front of them and didn’t just hear them. He knew in their very mind that they questioned him. That’s an amazing God. That is a God to worship.

But it gets way better and I swear I am getting to my point. Jesus calls the scribes and pharisees out on their thoughts, in front of everyone. He asks them what is easier to say; ones sins are forgiven or to tell him to stand up, take his bed and walk? Than to prove he has the authority to forgive the sins of the man Jesus heals him. So the paralytic stands up and walks home carrying his bed. Now that is awe-inspiring and is almost to my point. This miracle leads into the last verse of the passage in Mark 2:12:

“And immediately the man stood up, took his stretcher, and went out in front of them all. They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!'”

So friends, why isn’t this us? Why don’t we read this miracle and every other one in the bible and stand in awe? Shouldn’t we glorify God when we read these things knowing that they happened in reality? I mean, I got super excited and happy when Bane broke into Wayne tower during The Dark Knight Rises but I have a hard time getting giddy over a true miracle of God. This is amazing to me. And maybe I am the only one out there who doesn’t think about how awe-inspiring this passage and others like it are. I don’t think I am. I believe that in our churches and bible studies today we have lost the ability to allow scripture to make us stand in awe. We instead look for music or a good commentary or Christian book but do not look to scripture itself. We find it boring even if we don’t admit it. I know I did, at least until last night. It truly was a breath of fresh air.

So my encouragement to both myself and others is that we would put aside the extras for a moment and truly ask God to open our eyes anew to the awe-inspiring facts of the Bible. That we might stand back and realize the true living power of the bible. Let us ask both ourselves and those we love around us if we truly do stand in awe of a God who is worthy of everything we could give and much more. Do we really stand in awe? Let this flood our thoughts as we seek after our great Savior. Do we see him and his power for who he really is or do we read it as dried ink on a page? Lets allow the Spirit to guide us to see the Bible as it is meant to be seen. Brothers and Sisters let us stand today in awe of a man who Christ healed over 2000 years ago and as always…

Let Us Be Genuine.

 

Ambassadors or Tourists?

Before I begin my post this morning I thought it would do well to define the two words that I am going to be talking about. Both of the word’s definitions are taken from the merriam-webster dictionary online.

Ambassador:  an official envoy; especially : a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment.

Tourist: one that makes a tour for pleasure or culture.

Even as I read through these two definitions there is a stark difference between the functions of the two. So let me explain my thoughts a little bit.

This past week I have been thinking about what it means to belong to the Kingdom of Christ yet still be living here on this world. Many of us would agree that we are to be in the world but not of it. Many times in bible study and church we hear the old saying that we are sojourners in a foreign land. We are ambassador’s for the Kingdom of God and are to carry His message to the world. This is all true. Every time I hear someone say these things and many more about what it means to be an heir with Christ I agree. Amen.

But do we really believe? I mean, we believe it, that bible tells us so, but do we really “believe” it? Is it something that is at the front of our mind as we conduct out business? When dealing with others in this world do we conduct ourselves as an ambassador or tourist?

As I sat this past week thinking about this issue it dawned on me that for the most part I conduct myself as a tourist. For you see a tourist is someone who is on vacation. They enjoy the sights and culture of their surroundings instead of conducting business as if on a mission. Tourist are held to a standard of making sure that they don’t reflect bad on their homeland but they do not suffer any consequences like that of an ambassador for not doing so. Tourist go to a land and country to have fun and enjoy what the country has to offer.

I believe that although many of us don’t intentionally act like tourists we end up living that way. I know that it can be very easy for a believer to fall into this trap. Especially in our day and age. We live in a culture and society that tells us to enjoy the fruit without working for it. Our society tells us we deserve the pleasure and comfort of all that it has to offer, and oh boy does it offer some good ones (at least in our sinful eyes). Who of us hasn’t said in our heart “Why should I work more? Didn’t I earn this? That would be fun.”? So for the most part we end up living (myself being the biggest offender I know) like we are tourists on a holiday away from home.

If like me you find yourself thinking that if the way you live doesn’t seem all that bad I would encourage both of us to look at what a true ambassador does for their job. In the definition above it states that an ambassador is the resident representative of their government or sovereign accredited to a foreign government or sovereign. What this means is that an ambassador is not a tourist. They represent all that the sending sovereign stands for. Their whole purpose in going to the foreign land is to advance the agenda of their own. It is to look after the interest of their sending government when it comes to interactions with the receiving one. This does not mean that an ambassador doesn’t enjoy their time or have fun but that their purpose is not a holiday but a mission. They are sent to primarily advance the mission of their government/sovereign.

So what about us? If we are called and constantly talking about being ambassadors for the Kingdom of God what are the implications? Well, honestly it means that our lives and goals should not be reflect that of the culture around us. Tourists mimic the culture they go into so that they might enjoy it to the fullest extent possible, Ambassadors however maintain their homelands culture and work towards advancing the interest of their homeland. They don’t want to mimic the culture around them but instead influence it.

This is how we are christians should act. We shouldn’t mimic our culture but instead grab hold of the great commission and live it out. We should make disciples for our great Lord and King and act like the tourists on this earth. I believe that this is the challenge of our day. For me it is probably one of the hardest challenges in my life. To live my life in light of my salvation by Christ. To make much of Him in my culture and not to allow my culture to conform me to it. So my brothers and sisters in Christ let us take up our commission and make disciples.

Let us be genuine…

Ambassadors.