What Do You Believe?

Saturday evening, Jesci and I had the privilege of having dinner with Russ and Nadine Jarvis. Russ was the pastor of the church that I grew up attending, he was the father of some of my best friends, and today continues to be a strong friend and mentor. That night after dinner (Nadine's pizza, another thing I grew up loving), we discussed various trends in ministry and churches, and in people of faith themselves.

Russ remarked that he had observed that in a world where people try their best to customize and define every category of their lives (political affiliations, gender identity, sexual identity, race, culture, heritage), the church stands somewhat in opposition, asking people not to define themselves by their own selves, but to adopt Christ - to be called by his name (Acts 11), to put on Christ as a garment (Galatians 3:27) and to submit to him as the only way to salvation (John 14:6).

It seems that Christ walks up to the worldly thinker and draws a line in the sand.

I didn't disagree with Russ. But I added that I have observed that those passages (such as the ones listed above) that point out the exclusivity of Christ, and promote self-denial over self-satisfaction, and promote that idea that, as John the Baptist put it, "I must decrease, and he (Christ) must increase" (John 3:30) actually seem to be met, when I preach about them, with more enthusiasm than disdain.

It makes me wonder if people in our culture aren't getting tired of this post-modern worldview of customizable values, and are instead, beginning to become more interested in something established, familiar, and secure. Perhaps I'm way off, but it seems to me the more I preach on these subjects, the "Amens" seem to get louder and louder.

So far this year, we've baptized 4 people (not bad for a church of 140) and have more people that seem to be interested in furthering on their Christian education through discipleship, leadership training, and service. I think perhaps this indicates that tastes are starting to change.

When I was in High School, my mother fed me. And she fed me well. She gave me healthy meals, and made sure that I was getting the nutrients and vitamins I needed. When I moved to college, and I was no longer under her direct care, it was my decision what to eat, how often to eat, and when (if ever) to stop eating. I gained nearly 100 lbs, and have struggled to get the weight off since.

I've become increasingly burdened with the onslaught of fast food, limitless sweets, and soda over water. I've decided that it was time to make a change in my diet, a change in my lifestyle habits, and a change in my routine. I have come to feel the counterfeit offerings of a poorly balanced diet in a real way, and I'm working to change that.

I believe that people in our culture are beginning to wake up to this. Like a person that can't control their portion intake, so many people have thrown out good advice, sound teachings, and clear morals for whatever their burning hearts desire. They've drowned out the truth of reason with the lie of counterfeit values, modified standards, and "do-it-yourself" ethics. The result of which has been chaos, and much like the way my body responded to my diet, our culture is out of shape.

But I'm beginning to see trends and signs that people are ready to start listening to reason again. Rather than choosing their own morals and standards, they're ready, and their hungry to hear from God's word. Not everyone for sure, but people are starting to wake up. I don't have any statistics to share, only the assertion that the "amens" are stronger, the feedback is positive, and the people who provide both are beginning to move toward maturity and discovering that, as the author of life, God has some pretty great plans about how to live it out.

Starting this month at Plum Creek, we'll be beginning a sermon series called "Do You Believe," based on the movie of the same title. Our four topics for the month are:
3/6 Do You Believe God has a Plan?
3/13 Do You Believe You Are a Part of God's Plan?
3/20 Do You Believe That Faith Requires Action?
3/27 Do You Believe Jesus is Worth Your Sacrifice?

As we head into the Easter month, I'm very excited to explore these questions and more as move closer to that line in the sand that Jesus has drawn. Do you believe it's a line worth crossing? I do. I hope you'll join us this month at Plum Creek Christian Church and hear why.