A Church that Soars

Over the last few weeks at Putman we have been talking about being a church that soars, and I would encourage you to think about these things, regardless of where you attend church. There are many churches that are content to just get by, settling for the status quo. They are clubs, social events, or places of religious duty, but they are not being what the church is called to be.

A church that soars must be a pure church because purity is power. Just as Israel could not flourish with Achan’s hidden sin in the camp, so a church is hindered when they allow impurity to go unchecked. If you want to live in sin, fine, but in so doing you are settling for a church that is anchored to the ground.

A church that soars is a united church, united around our common belief in Jesus, regardless of the differences among us. We also need to be a Jesus-led church. Too many churches are dictated by deacons, or they cater to the big givers or influential families, forgetting that the church belongs to Jesus.

If a church buys into the big picture then they need to be a giving church, investing in the work of the ministry; it is not about equal giving, but equal sacrificing. It is also imperative to be a praying church, following in the line of Jabez, asking for God’s blessing and seeking to increase our influence for the kingdom of heaven.

A church that soars needs to be future-focused, forgetting the things which are behind, and like Paul, pressing forward. We all have both good and bad in our past, and after we learn from it, we need to leave it. Finally, we need to be outward-focused, taking care of what we have, but realizing that our facilities and resources are to be used for in the community.

No matter where you worship, ask yourself if your church is anchored to the ground, or if you are soaring to new heights. Jesus said the gates of hell cannot prevail against His church, but let us also make sure we are not part of the problem. Is something you are doing or failing to do holding your church back? Take care of it and take off so that you can be a church that soars.  

Bird in the Window

As I’m writing this I am watching a bird that is trapped in the garage. The trap is nothing tangible, but the bird doesn’t know that. She is sitting on the windowsill, and every few seconds she lunges into the glass, only to be knocked back. She regroups, shakes her head, and tries again. This has been going on for hours. I’ve tried to help her, but my presence causes her to panic, sending her into the window more often and with more vigor.

Obviously the bird wants to leave the garage and the window seems like the only way out; from her point of view it looks like she has found the way to return to the great outdoors. There must be a level of confusion and frustration as she struggles to leave the garage, seemingly headed in the right direction, and yet she gets knocked back on her tail feathers.

I have a different perspective. From where I sit I can see exactly what the bird sees. I see the green grass and the towering walnut trees that I imagine the bird longs to investigate. But that is all the bird can see. I can see much more.

In addition to what is outside, I can also see what is inside. Expanding out past the window I see the wall, and about three feet to the right of the wall I see the edge of the garage, the bird’s path to freedom. Because of her limited perspective, she has made herself a prisoner by three feet of ignorance.

Many times we become like that bird. Because of our limited perspective we see a small part of reality, but we miss the big picture because there are details we cannot know. We can become frustrated, feeling like we are beating our heads against a wall (or window). Maybe you don’t understand why God is not working out a situation like you had hoped, or you have some other dilemma in life.

God has a different perspective. He sees things we cannot see, so He does things we would not have done.  We need to trust that He is doing what is best, even when we don’t understand. Instead of feeling trapped, we will be as free as a bird.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9

False Statements in the Bible

Does the Bible contain false statements? Of course it does! It might surprise some of you to hear me say that, but please let me point out four undeniably false quotations found in Scripture.

Ananias and Sapphira each made a false statement in Acts 5; after selling property and making a donation to the church, they withheld a portion and lied about the price. Peter asked, “Did you sell the land for this price?” The wife replied, “Yes, for that price.” That lie was a false statement, and they paid dearly for it.

Job’s “friend” Eliphaz the Temanite also made a false statement in Job 4-5 when he concluded that Job’s suffering was a punishment for some secret sin he would not confess. The truth was that God allowed Job to be tested, and he passed the test.

A third false statement can be found in Isaiah 14:14: “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High.” That lie was spoken by Lucifer, who thought he could challenge El Elyon, the Most High God. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Finally, the Bible contains this false statement: “There is no God (Psalm 14:1).” While Descartes may agree with such a claim, we need to remember that the above quote is attributed to “the foolish man.”

I hear from critics who like to remind me that the Bible contains false statements; sure it does. It accurately contains false statements made by fools, liars, fair-weather friends, and the devil himself. But the Bible is never inaccurate in what it says. If the Bible says it, you can take it to the bank. There may be critics and scoffers out there trying to make you doubt, but we have faith. When your faith in the Bible may waver, just read it a little more; after all, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).”    

Intellectual, Yet Idiot

In his new book Understanding Trump, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich talks about a group of people in government, journalism, and academia that he says are hurting the country. Borrowing a phrase from author Nassim Taleb, Gingrich derides the “intellectual yet idiots,” or the IYIs. Idiot is admittedly a harsh term, but it may serve as a wakeup call.

The IYIs are people who are intellectual—they are great at taking tests and writing essays that professors love—but they are idiots at the same time in that they have never actually done any of the things they write papers about. Gingrich uses the illustration of a flat tire, saying they could write beautiful reports on how to change a flat, but if the flat were on their own car, they would have to call AAA to come to their aid. These IYIs are writing and reporting on new regulations and policy that will effect business, but they have never run or worked in business themselves, making them the least qualified to create policy. Sitting around discussing things is pointless; they need to have some skin in the game.

My fear is that the Speaker was unknowingly describing people in the church. There are people who can sit around discussing and debating the finer points of theology, yet they never go out and do anything; they can explain salvation in great detail, but they have never led an unsaved person to the Lord.

When I was in college I remember other Bible majors engaging in hours-long debates, quoting tons of Scripture to support their Calvinist or Armenian beliefs. They would argue about who initiates salvation, but not compelling others to be saved. They would debate pre- or mid-tribulation views of the rapture, but they wouldn’t put down their Starbucks and warn an unbeliever that a rapture is coming.

Being intellectual is half the battle. We need to “be ready at all times to give an answer to every man that asks the reason of the hope that lies” within us (1 Peter 3:15); but that is only half the battle. All that knowledge is worthless if we don’t do anything with it. Let’s get some skin in the game and look for someone today with whom we can share the good news of Jesus Christ. Let’s be biblically intellectual, but not idiots.