Ride the Lion
But making Jesus my King removes me from the human power struggle. Men of power fear this more than anything. Authoritarian leaders know their power will erode if people no longer grasp for it. The Kingdom of God is the greatest fear of the kings of men.
Further, if I am obedient to Jesus as King, I will obey human rulers only to the extend that doing so will not compromise obedience to Jesus. No tyrant likes a citizen who is allegiant to the True King.
Alex's dad made this comment:"The reason Alex likes Trump is because Trump shows power, and Alex is about power because he was so impotent as a child. There is something powerful about Trump and that appeals to Alex. When he pictures [his future], he pictures himself like Donald Trump." Alex seemed to concur with his father's assessment. "I don't focus on wealth; I focus on power," he specified. He then went on to quote Frank Underwood, the fictional villain/protagonist from Netflix' House of Cards, "A fool goes after money, but someone who really seeks to control goes after power."
The "power vote." That is the category Alex and so many other Trump voters fit into. They feel that our country has become weak and needs power.
Let me tell you what a tragedy is. Every day, millions of Christians spend all of their waking ours giving no thought to spiritual death their neighbors live. Every week, those same Christians show up to a building where they have an experience and do nothing of significance to advance the Kingdom. Every year, millions of dollars are spent on making that experience as comfortable and as entertaining as possible for those very same Christians who are doing nothing to fulfill the Great Commission.
It has become something of a trend lately to say things like, "I'm leaving the church to pursue a relationship with Jesus on my own." Typically, reasons given include, "People are mean," "Christians are hypocrites," or "You don't know how bad I've been hurt."
Adherents to the trend often have a well blended mixture of indignation over legitimate frustrations and a sheep-like compulsion to follow the Christian trend of the day. When I hear church people take up their latest offense and grumble about how church hurt them by not remembering the second anniversary of the time they were over-charged at Whole Foods, I quietly resit the urge to karate chop them in the ear lobe.
My frustration is kindled for two reasons:
Of course, my heart is immediately grieved, because I know that in most cases there is real hurt involved, hurt that is directly related to some failure of someone somewhere to show unconditional love to the person in question. The hurt may or may not be directly related to the Church, but it is real.
My family and I have been hurt by people in the Church. It would be inappropriate to go into specifics, but in the context of Church we have experienced abuse, betrayal, financial ruin, and physical danger. Perhaps ironically, the most painful thing we have experienced is gossip. Once, a 6ft. 300lb. ape of a man made threats and then showed up in person to deliver on them. Still, the gossip and betrayal from physically benign Christians was far more traumatic that that incident.
Believe me when I say that I understand the hurt that is associated with words and tone in the context of Chruch. Wounds that we often call "small" are in fact very painful.
I would choose violent threats over personal attacks on most days.
What I am telling you is that your hurts are real; they just aren't a good reason to leave the Church.
Before offering up a litany of reasons why you should not forsake the church, I would like to share some information that might put things into perspective:
I'm sharing these stories to give us all a sense of perspective and solidarity. I don't want to walk away from a body of believers that is suffering so severely for their love of Jesus. Suffering like this makes my hurts seem insignificant. I don't want to leave the Church when my brothers and sisters need me most. You shouldn't either.
It is easy to look at the plight of Christians in Syria and China and think that your attendance at a local assembly of Christians matters little. But, you would be wrong. I have had the rare honor of conversing with missionaries that spend time in closed countries. They never ask for sympathy and they never "play the martyr" (ironically). There are a few things they always need, though:
They need to know that there are groups of Christians meeting together freely, praising Jesus and lifting them up in prayer. The more Christians gathering to pray for them and lift up Jesus, the more their hope is kindled and God moves. Financial support is pretty important too, but most of them will tell you that they need prayers more than anything.
The best example I have is family. Imagine your brother was somehow kept from being with the family for a really special holiday. There is great comfort in knowing that the family is still gathering around the table together, that they are laughing, telling stories, and making memories. Even in his absence, there is great encouragement in knowing that home still exists, that there are people somewhere who love and support him even if he is far away. Yes, uncle Jonathan farts at the table and tells offensive jokes and Aunt Ava is still crazy as a loon...not to mention the fact that Sarah hurt you more deeply with her remark about your kids last year than you ever thought possible...but your brother is calling in during Thanksgiving dinner. He is homesick and afraid, and he desperately needs to see that home in all it's disfunction is still there...and he would weep tears of joy be there, even with all of it's drama. Make sure you are there when he calls.
The writer of Hebrews says, "not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:25). He notes that the closer we get to the return of Jesus, the more important congregating becomes.
Let's also consider the fact that the Church is the Bride of Christ. Jesus cares deeply about the Church and doesn't take kindly to those who would berate or abandon her. He knows she has flaws, but she is His. Be careful how you treat her.
Beyond that, the church is you! You can't leave yourself. You are a living stone fit together with the rest of the stones in this grand temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 2:5). This in addition to the fact, that your individual body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Still further, you are the sinew and bone of the Body of Christ, of which Christ is the head (1 Corinthians12:27). You could no sooner choose to leave the Church than your knuckle could choose to leave your hand.
You are a part of this body (1 Corinthians 12:27), a stone in this temple (1 Peter 2:5), a member of this family (Matthew 12:49-50). You could leave, but you would still be a part.
Let us face some realities with that may be causing us some frustrations:
Let us also employ some helpful truths.
My advice is to find a church where Jesus is honored as King and making disciples is the first priority. Most people seem to have an idealized view of this, but taking part in a Church like this (as it is described in the First Century) isn't all fun and games.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
The fundamental truth of the gospel is that Jesus has paid our sin debts, and salvation is free (Ephesians 2:8). When you Trust Jesus, you follow Him. Jesus is the God of creation. He owns everything, but He chose to become as a servant (Philippians 2), to live as a homeless man (Luke 9:58), and to spend his time with broken people. Following Jesus doesn't mean you have to be poor, but it does mean that you cannot serve riches.
But what happens when they don't get better. When your child is born mentally disabled, it is a life sentence. I have a friend with a severely disabled son. He isn't going to get better. The trial isn't going to end. He will need constant attention for the rest of his life. Statements like, "just hold on" give no hope to situations like that. Physical strain is compounded by fear in the form of questions like, "What if something happens to me?" or "What if I can't take care of him forever?"
The same kind of long-term suffering comes with emotional and mental illness. Christians think that depression is something to "bootstrap" your way out of. Sometimes people tell you to just have faith for God's healing. Others just dismiss you as weak. The trial doesn't end.
Sometimes in the midst of following Jesus, you find yourself beaten down by life. I'm not talking about just a bad day or a bad week, though that fits too. I'm talking about years of unending loss, stress, and trouble.
It feels like being caught in a storm at sea and being thrown against the rocks again and again. Before you have recovered from the last wave, you get hit with another and another for years.
Where is God? The question is inevitable.
I am weary of hearing about the Church losing ground in the West while simultaneously hearing about churches focus on everything but the gospel. In China and Vietnam, the church is booming. They have very little money and very little safety, but the good news spreads like wildfire.
Even in Syria an Saudi Arabia where you can be martyred for loving Jesus, the gospel spreads. Trained pastors are few and far between. Yet, the Jesus is made known. I want to be like them.
Here are a few principles to draw from them:
Restoration Church is about to take our next steps in becoming more like the Vietnamese church.
Ride the Lion by Daniel Samms
If I were a man of mounted steed
I would not choose a horse to ride
For with a horse I'd choose my way
And safely I would stay
No, if I had a cause to ride
I'd grasp a beast of prey
For though I might not live to tell
Alive would be my day
I'd hold with all the might of men
Who wish for something real
And everything I did that day
Would be alive with zeal
The Lion is a kingly beast
The Sovereign of all things
No bridle built can tame this king
No man can tame His way
And if I grasp His mane today
I'll clench with all my might
We'll ride to places now unseen
We'll climb the highest height
The world will watch with joy and awe
And hope will boil free
We'll live and love and hope again
The Lion King and me
Last year I wrote a blog post about prodigals when LeBron James announced that he was coming back to Cleveland. Essentially, I reminded everyone that in the story of the prodigal son, he returns to his father broken and destitute. LeBron came back with an NBA title and more money than most of us will ever see. I think that we forget that the story of the prodigal son is not about the son's return, but about the Father's extravagant love and forgiveness.
“LeBron isn’t a prodigal son, I am. And, I’m thankful both of us came home. ”
Here we are stepping into the NBA Finals, and it feels like the city is united like we haven't been in a long time. Nike ran this commercial, and it pretty much sums up how we all feel here in Cleveland. I'll confess that I welled up when I first saw this commercial.
I'm not a big sports fan. I love watching a game with friends, but I'm not the guy who keeps up with teams. For me, Cleveland in the Finals gives me hope for this city. There is a deep sense of hope, that things are possible again, that the city is making a comeback.
I like feeling hope. We need it, and there is some real meaning in a city rallying behind a team. It has become about more than a game; it's about a city hoping together again.
It reminds me that hope comes before restoration, that making old things new has a lot more to do with relationship than with material things. The city has come together for something. There is a sense that we are all in this together. Local rivalries are overshadowed by hope.
Hope is powerful.
But, NBA finals are temporary. They make a mark. They inspire a city, but they are gone next year. Players get old, get hurt, or leave. People move on. Hope wavers with the winds of change. Not long ago, we were burning "23" jerseys. Today, all of Northeast Ohio is draped in wine and gold.
So, I'm taking this opportunity to remind everyone that eventually this particular feeling of hope will pass away. I'm not talking it down. I'm buzzing just like everyone else.
Instead, I'm reminding everyone that there is a hope that does not disappoint. Forgive the spiritual application, but the reality is that hope that is from God never ends.
“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
NBA titles give energy to cities. There is no question they effect economies and moods from stadiums to living rooms, but Jesus is making all things new. So, tonight let's hope for a big win. But, when this series is over, Jesus will still be King, and He'll still be making all things new.
“ And he who was seated on the throne (Jesus) said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”
Hope boldly.
