Gravel for Coffee Beans

Why do we need to change in the first place?  What is wrong with us that needs to be fixed?  My favorite illustration of this for a long time has been caring for a car.  Now if you were in an age before the age of transportation as we know it, and were only used to horses, which need oats and water and clean hooves to be ready to go, it would be strange to you to have a 4 wheeled piece of metal with plastic seats and handles pull up – and someone inside say, “Here is your car, sir.  Enjoy this modern mode of transportation.  If you have any questions about cars, read the owner’s manual – it will sort out most of the issues.  Then if there is a problem, call one of the experts at our car manufacturer’s company.” Do you suppose the first drivers read the instruction manuals for cars?  How much air goes in tires?  Where do you put the gas to make it run?  Any water in there?  What about oil?  When and where does the oil go in?  That guy looked up the answers in the owner’s manual.

Today – people trust their parents, the friend next door or the driver’s ed teacher.  Why?  Because everybody knows how to drive a car.  It’s basic – put the key in, turn it, put it in drive and go.  What if someone really didn’t know though – and was too embarrassed to ask?  The car runs out of gas . . . so they put water in the tank.  Will the car go anywhere?  Of course not… silly illustration.  Could you trade the engine oil for Wesson oil from the pantry?  Or would ice cream substitute for antifreeze?   Ridiculous, right?  Change venues for a minute.  What if you put ham in the cd tray of your computer and closed the door?   Then when you type out “SANDWICH” on your keyboard, would you expect one to pop out?  Or if you plugged your Ipod into your belly button, would you hear any new tunes?  Could you recharge?  resynch?

The point is simple – the products around us were intended to run a certain way – and irrefutable laws of science preclude them from running any other way.  So it is with us. God created us for life – abundant life – and gave us instructions as to how to live that life to the fullest.  Unlike a car, or computer, however we have a few adversaries who continue to try and deceive us into believing that there is a “better way” than God’s way, and turn us away from His ways.  We know those adversaries: the world system, that doesn’t understand God’s ways, our sinful flesh and the Devil, who has deceived man since the beginning as the “father of lies.” Remember the other half of John 10:10 – “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy.”  His goal is to remove every ounce of pleasure he can from life in God, since he knows he cannot be God.

Since the fall of  Adam, when he and Eve chose to do life outside of the parameters of Gods pleasure, we have been walking further and further from His truth, living apart from God’s fellowship, His grace and His love.  The result?  Larry Crabb calls us a thirsty and foolish people.  Thirsty because we long for what was lost in the Fall from God.  Foolish because we have declared our intention to find life apart from God, and therefore devise foolish, ineffective and immoral strategies to provide for our own satisfaction.

The narratives of the Bible share the stories of people who tried to live life apart from God, and suffered the consequences.  Why?  Because we were made for God’s pleasure.  We were made to live in joy – but our engine can’t run on water – otherwise it will die.  We can’t make our chocolate cakes out of kudzu, use gravel for coffee beans or replace flour with beach sand – and we can’t live life apart from God and the way He designed us to be at our best.  As much as we’d like to, it just won’t work.

- taken from the message "Community - Where Change Happens" - preached at Northwest Community Church on September 11, 2011.  Click on the link below to listen to the entire message.

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The Church Has Left the Building . . .

This weekend I had the privilege of participating in a one day compassion event, in which the church we currently attend - a three year old church plant - gave a call to make an "Impact" on the city it is involved in.  The goal is not as much to make a dent, but to get moving - get out.  The small congregation of approximately 300 people was challenged to make time on Saturday to join with other believers and pioneers in eight different projects.  They ranged from giving care to young unwed mothers to cleaning the grounds outside their home.  One group dug a 400 foot sewage ditch for a needy church member.  Yet another group donated time to a local public high school to spruce up their grounds (money which had been cut from the school budget).

In all, 160 people came out - many with children and teens tagging along - to work anywhere between six to ten hours.  With children included and the time they added, there were well over 1000 volunteer hours for the Lord given to the kingdom on Saturday.  One young man I worked with had just come to faith in the past few weeks before that time.  Another pre-teen worked alongside her mom, and progressively came out of her shell and relaxed to have a wonderful day.  A father of three boys brought them along - I watched as the boys learned to work together, through conflict and mini-crisis ("my brother won't give me a turn with the broom" - "It's my turn to use the wheel barrow").  The dad used the opportunities to gently teach the guys to work out their differences and stay focused on the goal - which was the blessing of service.

Put it in perspective. This church just had a work day with over 50% congregational participation.  Try that in a church of 2,000 or 5,000 - we'd do well to get the same 160 for the day.  And why is that?  Not because there isn't a love for the Lord or a desire to serve Him.  It ends up being about purpose.  The slogan chosen by the church for the day is the title of our post - "the church has left the building."  This was splattered across the heather gray tee-shirts chosen for each volunteer.  And it represents well the desire of young churches today.  Our purpose is not the gathering; our purpose is the scattering.  We exist not to meet, but rather to live on mission.  We gather to be encouraged, so we can scatter to fulfill our marching orders.  So we can accomplish His purpose for His church and in our lives.

Another key factor was leadership involvement.  I believe all 5 elders in the church served hands on with one or more of the work projects for the day.  Most of the deacons were serving somewhere.  All the Life  Group leaders ended up onsite as well.  It is not too difficult to find the troops who will follow their commanders into battle.  This involved model of leadership exemplifies what Jesus did as well as what he taught.   

What was accomplished at the end of the day?  A few ditches dug, a few nails painted and hair cut for young mothers; a few walls painted - a neighborhood school spruced up.    Net result for the kingdom - unknown at present - but currently there are 160 more people ready to serve again this fall for the King.  And so much more.  They learned to enjoy the fellowship of ministry.  They shared the benefits of accomplishment. They left the building. 

What is the next level for these dear ones?  They will be coached to look for those similar type needs in their neighborhoods, in their Life Groups and in life itself.  Then they will do it again - simply serve people with a love that comes from Christ.  The ultimate goal?  Hopefully, they will end up like Anna & Simeon - (see Luke 2) - who  were serving constantly, joyfully and faithfully, and in the right place when Jesus showed up.  These two faithful senior saints had lived on mission for their entire lives, and at the very end were given a great opportunity.  Right in their normal place of service they saw the Lord.  Both of them then had the privilege of speaking praise and glory over the 'Light of Salvation' who came. God mentioned them in the account of our Savior - in part because of their faithfulness to that point - but mostly because their lives pointed to Jesus.  When we are at our best, we'll leave the building too - and point people to that same Jesus.