Misguided

"I have little doubt that the single greatest obstacle to the impact of the gospel has not been ints inability to provide answers, but the failure on our part to live it out." - Ravi Zacharias from the book "Beyond Opinion"

This is the very issue I have been wrestling with. It's not so much that we don't really look like the First Century church, but that they looked more like the gospel lived out than we do. I attended the Park Plaza college class last Wednesday and we just so happened to discuss the Acts 2 passage which began my journey through this grand issue. In our talk I recognized a few things I'd like to share here as well as sharing something that my parents brought to my attention. I will begin there.

It should be recognized that even the first century church didn't go very long with doing it perfect. Let's take a look at Acts 4 & 6.

"All the believers wer one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possesions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, broght the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need." Acts 4:32-37 (TNIV)

Let me first note that here is another witness to the amazing attitudes of those first believers. The shared heart and mind which led to shared possesions and well being. It is to this ideal which I want to strive. However, it is made clear that it was the powerful work of God which allowed for no needy persons to be among them. In other words if we are to ever see this happen we've gotta turn to God! So, when was the last time you sold something as significant as your house or a piece of land and used that money to provide for someone else? I want it to be clear we aren't talking about tithing or giving out of our excess to a benevolent fund. This is SACRIFICIAL giving. But the pretty picture goes bad quick. In fact it is the ver next chapter where we see an example of those who lied about the sale of their property and were destroyed because of it. Thank God that we don't suffer the same fate. And then let's look at chapter 6.

"In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food." Acts 6:1 (TNIV)

Wow, already someone is not getting taken care of. How quickly we fall! But I have us look at this in order to see that even the First Century church wasn't a continuous example of perfectly living out the gospel. But I don't want this to really be a look at the macroview of the church. Really I want us to look at the microview. Specifically at our own selves. The question is: who are you? Are you Barnabas who at the very end of chapter 4 is mentioned to having sold his field and laid the money at the Apostles feet? Or are you Ananias, who also sold a piece of property, but "with his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet." (5:2)

Do I trust that if I will use what the Lord has already given me to take care of the needs of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that I too will be taken care of? Do I want an excess of comfort and luxury, of pleasure and excitement so that I give only what's left after I've enjoyed myself? When was the last time I let someone else use that prized possesion, or what's more, sold a prized possesion in order for someone else to meet a need? These are the questions I ask myself.

A Miscommittment or Misunderstanding? Part Two

A whole summer’s gone by. I’ve talked with lots of people. I’ve had plenty of time to continue to think about this and here’s the result. Our church is broken but not failing. Our focus seems a bit off but the message is still being spread. It seems as though we’ve completely missed the point but with further searching and a deeper look the love, service, and essence of Christ and what He called His body (the church) to be is being fulfilled all around us. The only real problem I see is that it’s the mentality of individuals and not the church as a whole. Within each body of believers can be found those who share their blessings as though they never owned them in the first place. With each congregation you find those who have everything in common with their fellow man and give of their physical things and their time to ensure that there is no one in want. But still I see a church as a whole that is projecting a damaging persona of selfish living and vain achievement.
Let me begin with what I see as bad news. If you’ve read the book “UnChrisitan” then you may have an even better idea about this than I do. It seems to me that the general view of the Christian church today is a group of people who think they are right and everyone else is wrong and this makes them better than you. It seems to me that when an outsider considers the church he doesn’t see a group of people filled with hope and joy. He doesn’t observe the loving one another as Christ has loved us nor does he feel like it’s a place where people’s physical needs are met. But he sees a group of people who play the political game of policies before people when it comes to their views of government or even within their own walls. This was the surface view I saw and felt when I wrote my previous post. I could see each person’s own personal comforts coming in the way of their serving others and the Lord. I could see a shunning and division between the haves and have-nots. There was a reliance on the physical world and it’s trappings for happiness and success rather than a hope in the Lord’s providence and a joy in the gift of salvation that he’s already given.
So why am I no longer so worried about the future of our churches? Because I was wrong. The Body of Christ as it is described to appear and behave in the scriptures is alive and well. But you won’t find it on TV or the web. You can’t see it in a bulletin or a casual church visit. The true church and Christ’s true disciples are hidden amongst and within the broken “churches” we have all around us. The congregations of hypocrites and liars, vain and self-serving people are also the congregations of struggling sinners, humble and self-giving people. Many times in fact these very individuals are one in the same. Other times your find these true disciples hiding among the fence riders. But whatever the case they are there, giving, serving, living as one with their fellow man and having everything in common. The meet together and give to each one as he or she has need. The disparity is this. I wanted to boast and bring to the forefront what God’s Word says to keep quiet. I wanted every person who walked through the doors and ever claimed the name of Jesus to instantly become his perfect follower.
Within the Sermon on the Mount Jesus addresses the sharing of our things and giving to the needy by instructing us to not announce our giving with trumpets and not to do our good deeds in front of men as if to win their approval. But rather we should do them in secret so that our Father will reward us (6:1-4). As I looked for the fulfillment of Acts 2, I found men and women following Matthew 6.
I still have a problem though. My problem is that earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, while comparing us to a light on a stand, Jesus says this, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven (5:6).” So how can we find a balance? I think we must for two reasons. The first is that those who come into our churches and begin their journeys with Christ are immature in their walks and need to have the example of those living our Acts 2 to follow. Second, it seems obvious that unless the churches image among the unchurched changes we will remain a weak witness bringing little praise to our Father in Heaven.
I hope to next time discuss some ways that we might go about finding that balance. For now look at your own life and let’s see how we can change as individuals to better represent our Lord, doing good deeds in secret and yet being a lamp on a stand.