It is an illusion to imagine that we can lead our people on a spiritual journey we have not taken. No program can substitute for the superficiality and self-will that inevitably permeate our ministry when we skim in our relationship with God.
Pete Scazzero
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Leadership
I have read a bunch of books and continue to do so, because I really have a desire to be a great leader...within my family, my chuch, my friends, my community. I thought this was an interesting post because I think there is a lot of truth to it...I think I am still copying for the most part....I am interested to see what those themes that tend to repeat in my life will be such that those become part of my unique voice...
This is from Mark Batterson...
Finding Your Voice
One dimension of the journey toward authentic leadership is finding your voice. In other words, finding your niche, your groove, your unique contribution to the kingdom. I think many of us start out parroting others. We sound like someone else. Over time, however, we find our preaching voice or writing voice.
As a person goes through puberty, the voice deepens as the voice box enlarges. I think leadership is like that. The longer you lead the deeper your voice gets. Think of it as gravitas.
One part of finding your voice is identifying your life themes. C.S. Lewis said, "Every life is comprised of a few themes." Over time you identify those unique God-given convictions that drive you. For example, there are ways of doing church that no one has thought of yet. That is one of my themes. A life theme isn't something you know. It's something you ooze out of your pores. It's not something you define. It's something that defines you. It's more than head-knowledge. It's a gut-conviction.
Another part of finding your voice is getting out of your comfort zone and getting into your confidence zone where you have the courage to say some things that you know might step on some toes. If you want to see people dance, you've got to shoot bullets at their feet every now and then! Finding your voice is having the courage to offend. It is saying some things that you know will cause people to say, "You didn't just say that." To which we respond, "Oh yes I did."
This is from Mark Batterson...
Finding Your Voice
One dimension of the journey toward authentic leadership is finding your voice. In other words, finding your niche, your groove, your unique contribution to the kingdom. I think many of us start out parroting others. We sound like someone else. Over time, however, we find our preaching voice or writing voice.
As a person goes through puberty, the voice deepens as the voice box enlarges. I think leadership is like that. The longer you lead the deeper your voice gets. Think of it as gravitas.
One part of finding your voice is identifying your life themes. C.S. Lewis said, "Every life is comprised of a few themes." Over time you identify those unique God-given convictions that drive you. For example, there are ways of doing church that no one has thought of yet. That is one of my themes. A life theme isn't something you know. It's something you ooze out of your pores. It's not something you define. It's something that defines you. It's more than head-knowledge. It's a gut-conviction.
Another part of finding your voice is getting out of your comfort zone and getting into your confidence zone where you have the courage to say some things that you know might step on some toes. If you want to see people dance, you've got to shoot bullets at their feet every now and then! Finding your voice is having the courage to offend. It is saying some things that you know will cause people to say, "You didn't just say that." To which we respond, "Oh yes I did."
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Memorial Day
The family went into Boston for Memorial Day. We went to Faneiul Hall and walked along the marketplace to see the shops, the people and just enjoy a sunny day. We saw a fantastic trio of street performers do their act for about a half an hour...the boys enjoyed it so much that they came to me afterwards with hands outstretched so that they could pay them :) I know that Kristen got at least a picture or two of them prior to their next performance for posterity's sake.
Overall, the day had me very worn out from carrying children on my shoulders around town and the fact that my allergies hit me pretty hard as well...so, I was down for the count yesterday until Kristen got me some allergy meds and I got some rest.
Kristen also had her first class last night, which she said went well. But, that made for a busy evening as Jaden had a baseball game as well.
Overall, the day had me very worn out from carrying children on my shoulders around town and the fact that my allergies hit me pretty hard as well...so, I was down for the count yesterday until Kristen got me some allergy meds and I got some rest.
Kristen also had her first class last night, which she said went well. But, that made for a busy evening as Jaden had a baseball game as well.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Kristen back at school
This is going to be an interesting semester as Kristen has classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights. With my ongoing class on Wednesdays, we will be very busy the whole week. No rest for the weary...and this doesn't even include running around for Jaden's swim lessons and baseball games. Pray for us to keep our head on straight during this busy season :)
Monday, May 25, 2009
There Really is a Hell - Part 4
L - Live faithfully
There is no doubt that if we are following God and living out the Great Commission that we will be doing God's will in our lives...but, whether or not we will see the fruit may be determined by our community as a whole...so, I call on us all to think about how we live faithfully within our communities and with each other.
Matthew 7:21-23 (New International Version)
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
God knows our hearts. He knows us and we all tend to 'acknowledge' that but, we tend to believe that we can pull the wool over each other's eyes as we live in community with one another. But, God somewhat rocked my world by pointing to the significance of the Luke passage from the previous posts along with the following passage:
Matthew 17:19-21 (New International Version)
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."
When I look at this passage, and this one:
Matthew 13:57-58
57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor."
58And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
We see that we are all part of an environment that enables God to work His miracles...if we cooperate, if we have faith, if we do as God would have us do...great things happen. When we do not...people are lost...miracles are forfeited and we have culpability in that. The way that I act today, the words I speak, that which I do in my free time all help create the surroundings that either enable or disable God to work through us and ultimately to keep people from those deadly gears.
I bring this up because I know that I don't always have the godliest attitude towards my in-laws...I am frustrated by the choices they make and the impact they can have on my life. I have not always been loving and forgiving. They are not saved. Am I reaching out to them the way that I should...when I look at them, do I see an eternal soul or do I see a temporary inconvenience to my life? Am I encouraging them to want to know Christ due to the way I act towards them, or will they want nothing to do with Christ if he is anything like me? I know that God kicked me in the pants on this and I am in the process of working out the way to go before them and not only ask forgiveness but reconcile and act as God would have me...with His love with these people...
Does anyone in your life fit into this pattern?
ETERNITY IS AT STAKE. So, how am I, how are you engaging the world today?
Am I LIVING FAITHFULLY (this topic), making it a place that will help God save people from eternal damnation as I LIVE OUT THE GREAT COMMISSION...or am I playing in the gears of Hell, or am I just hanging out in the booth and not telling anyone and everyone that will listen that those gears are dangerous?
HELL IS REAL AND THERE REALLY ARE PEOPLE GOING THERE...
I am not ok with that, are you?
There is no doubt that if we are following God and living out the Great Commission that we will be doing God's will in our lives...but, whether or not we will see the fruit may be determined by our community as a whole...so, I call on us all to think about how we live faithfully within our communities and with each other.
Matthew 7:21-23 (New International Version)
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
God knows our hearts. He knows us and we all tend to 'acknowledge' that but, we tend to believe that we can pull the wool over each other's eyes as we live in community with one another. But, God somewhat rocked my world by pointing to the significance of the Luke passage from the previous posts along with the following passage:
Matthew 17:19-21 (New International Version)
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."
When I look at this passage, and this one:
Matthew 13:57-58
57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor."
58And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
We see that we are all part of an environment that enables God to work His miracles...if we cooperate, if we have faith, if we do as God would have us do...great things happen. When we do not...people are lost...miracles are forfeited and we have culpability in that. The way that I act today, the words I speak, that which I do in my free time all help create the surroundings that either enable or disable God to work through us and ultimately to keep people from those deadly gears.
I bring this up because I know that I don't always have the godliest attitude towards my in-laws...I am frustrated by the choices they make and the impact they can have on my life. I have not always been loving and forgiving. They are not saved. Am I reaching out to them the way that I should...when I look at them, do I see an eternal soul or do I see a temporary inconvenience to my life? Am I encouraging them to want to know Christ due to the way I act towards them, or will they want nothing to do with Christ if he is anything like me? I know that God kicked me in the pants on this and I am in the process of working out the way to go before them and not only ask forgiveness but reconcile and act as God would have me...with His love with these people...
Does anyone in your life fit into this pattern?
ETERNITY IS AT STAKE. So, how am I, how are you engaging the world today?
Am I LIVING FAITHFULLY (this topic), making it a place that will help God save people from eternal damnation as I LIVE OUT THE GREAT COMMISSION...or am I playing in the gears of Hell, or am I just hanging out in the booth and not telling anyone and everyone that will listen that those gears are dangerous?
HELL IS REAL AND THERE REALLY ARE PEOPLE GOING THERE...
I am not ok with that, are you?
Sunday, May 24, 2009
There Really is a Hell - Part 3
L - Live the Great Commission NOW
Matthew 28:16-20 (New International Version)
The Great Commission
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
We are called to the Great Commission, by God, through the Bible to make people aware of Jesus, and the eternal consequences we have just been speaking about. Our church is built on this foundation and I think all of us would say that we are taking part in God's plan to reach out to His creation...but do we have the sense of urgency we should?
Luke 16:22-26 (New International Version)
22"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell,[a] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
25"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
There is no crossing over. There is no respite. This torment is his to endure forever...another picture of Hell for us to keep in mind...but, more interestingly...the rich man knew who Abraham was...he had been educated in truth and had chosen to not follow...maybe he went to church...maybe he carried around his Bible and told people he would pray for them...he may have had all the trappings...we don't know...but we do know where he ended up...and that is what makes the next section of the passage so interesting...
Luke 16:27-40 (New International Version)
27"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
29"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
30" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
31"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "
2 Things here....
- The person in Hell, who is in torment...He doesn't argue as to whether he belongs there...He knows he does...but he does want to ensure no one else follows him. He is trying to fill the role that God has given to us. He is trying to fulfill the Great Commission!
- This NON-CHRISTIAN is trying to reach out to the lost of our world to ensure that they do know not just know Christ, but to acknowledge Him and avoid Hell.
2 Corinthians 5:10
10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
It won't count that we want to do the Great Commission once we are in Heaven or once we are in Hell...it will only count if we take action and do it here and now.
Let me give you another take...another example...
This is from a book that I am currently reading with my wife called 'One Month to Live':
"...story of a man who operated a drawbridge over a bay in a small ocean town. Every day he would walk up to the office next to the drawbridge, where he could control the lever. He would pull up the lever, the drawbridge with the train track on it would rise, and enormous ships would glide through. Then he would push the lever down, and the drawbridge would lower so the train could cross safely.
Almost every day his little boy would go to work with him-he loved to watch his dad raise and lower the drawbridge. One day when they were there together, the dad was radioed that a nonscheduled train was on its way and he needed to lower the drawbridge. He glanced out the window just as he was touching the lever, and he saw his little boy outside playing in the huge gears of the drawbridge next to the shore. He yelled for him, but his son couldn't hear him with all the commotion and noise near the water.
The man raced out of the office and ran toward his son to try to grab him and pull him to safety, but then the horrible truth struck him. If he didn't push down the lever right away, the train would plunge into the sea, and hundreds of passengers would die. But, if he lowered the bridge, his son would be killed. At the last possible second he made his terrible decision, raced back to his station, and pulled down the lever, falling to his knees in agony as his little boy was crushed to death."
When I first read this passage, I got what the author was trying to convey...the sacrifice...the anguish...I got it.
But, then I thought about it more and I actually got a bit angry about it. The example is flawed...not to make too much out of it...because that is all it is...an example, but the thoughts that came to me was 'What kind of a father let his kids play next to equipment like that? HE KNEW how dangerous that stuff was and he got careless...he got comfortable that he knew when the next train was coming...he had NO FEAR, NO RESPECT for the power of the machines and the unpredictability of life and the things that come up.'
We don't know what will happen the moment we walk out of these doors.
We don't know if we will have the opportunity to be here next week with each other.
Are we living our lives with a healthy respect of the power that the Devil has, of the eternal fate of not only our own lives but those around us? Or are we the person sitting in the room...we are safe, but we are letting people play amongst the gears because we don't tell them that it is dangerous...that they could be crushed?
We have the knowledge of truth now...we should have an even greater urgency than the rich man in the passage before to see people come to know Christ and an even greater desire to keep those we love and care about away from Hell, that which we know to exist and to be dangerous....unlike the father with his child and the gears.
This will fulfill the Great Commission that God has called us to and then we should live out faithfully to see God's work done in and around our lives...
Matthew 28:16-20 (New International Version)
The Great Commission
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
We are called to the Great Commission, by God, through the Bible to make people aware of Jesus, and the eternal consequences we have just been speaking about. Our church is built on this foundation and I think all of us would say that we are taking part in God's plan to reach out to His creation...but do we have the sense of urgency we should?
Luke 16:22-26 (New International Version)
22"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell,[a] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
25"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
There is no crossing over. There is no respite. This torment is his to endure forever...another picture of Hell for us to keep in mind...but, more interestingly...the rich man knew who Abraham was...he had been educated in truth and had chosen to not follow...maybe he went to church...maybe he carried around his Bible and told people he would pray for them...he may have had all the trappings...we don't know...but we do know where he ended up...and that is what makes the next section of the passage so interesting...
Luke 16:27-40 (New International Version)
27"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
29"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
30" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
31"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "
2 Things here....
- The person in Hell, who is in torment...He doesn't argue as to whether he belongs there...He knows he does...but he does want to ensure no one else follows him. He is trying to fill the role that God has given to us. He is trying to fulfill the Great Commission!
- This NON-CHRISTIAN is trying to reach out to the lost of our world to ensure that they do know not just know Christ, but to acknowledge Him and avoid Hell.
2 Corinthians 5:10
10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
It won't count that we want to do the Great Commission once we are in Heaven or once we are in Hell...it will only count if we take action and do it here and now.
Let me give you another take...another example...
This is from a book that I am currently reading with my wife called 'One Month to Live':
"...story of a man who operated a drawbridge over a bay in a small ocean town. Every day he would walk up to the office next to the drawbridge, where he could control the lever. He would pull up the lever, the drawbridge with the train track on it would rise, and enormous ships would glide through. Then he would push the lever down, and the drawbridge would lower so the train could cross safely.
Almost every day his little boy would go to work with him-he loved to watch his dad raise and lower the drawbridge. One day when they were there together, the dad was radioed that a nonscheduled train was on its way and he needed to lower the drawbridge. He glanced out the window just as he was touching the lever, and he saw his little boy outside playing in the huge gears of the drawbridge next to the shore. He yelled for him, but his son couldn't hear him with all the commotion and noise near the water.
The man raced out of the office and ran toward his son to try to grab him and pull him to safety, but then the horrible truth struck him. If he didn't push down the lever right away, the train would plunge into the sea, and hundreds of passengers would die. But, if he lowered the bridge, his son would be killed. At the last possible second he made his terrible decision, raced back to his station, and pulled down the lever, falling to his knees in agony as his little boy was crushed to death."
When I first read this passage, I got what the author was trying to convey...the sacrifice...the anguish...I got it.
But, then I thought about it more and I actually got a bit angry about it. The example is flawed...not to make too much out of it...because that is all it is...an example, but the thoughts that came to me was 'What kind of a father let his kids play next to equipment like that? HE KNEW how dangerous that stuff was and he got careless...he got comfortable that he knew when the next train was coming...he had NO FEAR, NO RESPECT for the power of the machines and the unpredictability of life and the things that come up.'
We don't know what will happen the moment we walk out of these doors.
We don't know if we will have the opportunity to be here next week with each other.
Are we living our lives with a healthy respect of the power that the Devil has, of the eternal fate of not only our own lives but those around us? Or are we the person sitting in the room...we are safe, but we are letting people play amongst the gears because we don't tell them that it is dangerous...that they could be crushed?
We have the knowledge of truth now...we should have an even greater urgency than the rich man in the passage before to see people come to know Christ and an even greater desire to keep those we love and care about away from Hell, that which we know to exist and to be dangerous....unlike the father with his child and the gears.
This will fulfill the Great Commission that God has called us to and then we should live out faithfully to see God's work done in and around our lives...
Saturday, May 23, 2009
There Really is a Hell - part 2
E - Eternity is at stake
We are eternal souls...each and every one of us.
When you look around you today, who do you see? A friend? Even a brother in Christ? What you are seeing is another ETERNAL SOUL. The only question is...'Is it a soul that will be in Heaven or in Hell?
Matthew 25:46 (New International Version)
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
2 Thessalonians 1:9 (New International Version)
9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power
That is a tough thing to contemplate as we live in and are bound by time on this earth. But to the extent that we are able, we have to look at each and every person as the eternal being that they are under the cover of our earthly bodies. We have no idea how quickly our final moment on earth is approaching and we could wake up in one of two locations...forever.
So, if these two things are facts....
H - Hell is real & there are people going there
E - Eternity is at stake
What are we called to do?
We are eternal souls...each and every one of us.
When you look around you today, who do you see? A friend? Even a brother in Christ? What you are seeing is another ETERNAL SOUL. The only question is...'Is it a soul that will be in Heaven or in Hell?
Matthew 25:46 (New International Version)
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
2 Thessalonians 1:9 (New International Version)
9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power
That is a tough thing to contemplate as we live in and are bound by time on this earth. But to the extent that we are able, we have to look at each and every person as the eternal being that they are under the cover of our earthly bodies. We have no idea how quickly our final moment on earth is approaching and we could wake up in one of two locations...forever.
So, if these two things are facts....
H - Hell is real & there are people going there
E - Eternity is at stake
What are we called to do?
Friday, May 22, 2009
There Really is a Hell - part 1
H - Hell is real & there are people going there
I didn't do the counting myself, but according to one site I looked up, Jesus spoke of Hell 53 times. That is a lot of times that we are reminded of the fact that this place exists...
Matt 10:28 Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both SOUL AND BODY IN HELL."
But why would a good God create Hell? Hell was made for the devil and his angels...
Matthew 25:41 (New International Version)
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
And God never intended for any of us to be there...
2 Peter 3:9 (New International Version)
9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Ezekiel 18:23 (New International Version)
23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
So, you may say...ok there is a Hell....Jesus warned us against Hell...got it...You move on...
Meaning...is it only a question that hits your head? Is it only an academic question that receives essentially an academic answer? I don't think God ever intended Hell to be viewed as a trivia question or as something that we should only acknowledge in our head.
Think back to examples in the Bible...in the OT, you see people swallowed up into the earth...
Numbers 16:28-34 (New International Version)
28 Then Moses said, "This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: 29 If these men die a natural death and experience only what usually happens to men, then the LORD has not sent me. 30 But if the LORD brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the grave, [c] then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt."
31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Korah's men and all their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. 34 At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, "The earth is going to swallow us too!"
Can you imagine being an Israelite in those days seeing this amazing scene? Do you think that you would have been watching EVERY SINGLE STEP, EVERY SINGLE WORD that you spoke? Knowing that God gave them a very specific view into what awaits us for those that do not fear Him. This wasn't for the Israelites to recognize that God could send them to Hell, it was for them to fear the consequences of not following Him...not just to know that they should follow Him, but to feel it and for it to motivate them to change their behavior.
And of course there were many times in the NT that Jesus spoke about Judgement Day and ultimately Hell itself, describing how there would be much "weeping and gnashing of teeth"
Matthew 8:12, Matthew 13:42, Matthew 13:50, Matthew 22:13, Matthew 24:51, Matthew 25:30 , Luke 13:28
You have people in fear of their next step in the desert...people described as being in agony in the New Testament...those don't sound like intellectual arguments for the existence of Hell.
I wonder...where is that fear in us today? I don't feel like I generally have it...
And maybe worse yet...where is our emotional outrage to the fact that many other people are going to Hell? And of course, once people are there...they are there FOREVER.
I didn't do the counting myself, but according to one site I looked up, Jesus spoke of Hell 53 times. That is a lot of times that we are reminded of the fact that this place exists...
Matt 10:28 Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both SOUL AND BODY IN HELL."
But why would a good God create Hell? Hell was made for the devil and his angels...
Matthew 25:41 (New International Version)
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
And God never intended for any of us to be there...
2 Peter 3:9 (New International Version)
9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Ezekiel 18:23 (New International Version)
23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
So, you may say...ok there is a Hell....Jesus warned us against Hell...got it...You move on...
Meaning...is it only a question that hits your head? Is it only an academic question that receives essentially an academic answer? I don't think God ever intended Hell to be viewed as a trivia question or as something that we should only acknowledge in our head.
Think back to examples in the Bible...in the OT, you see people swallowed up into the earth...
Numbers 16:28-34 (New International Version)
28 Then Moses said, "This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: 29 If these men die a natural death and experience only what usually happens to men, then the LORD has not sent me. 30 But if the LORD brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the grave, [c] then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt."
31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Korah's men and all their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. 34 At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, "The earth is going to swallow us too!"
Can you imagine being an Israelite in those days seeing this amazing scene? Do you think that you would have been watching EVERY SINGLE STEP, EVERY SINGLE WORD that you spoke? Knowing that God gave them a very specific view into what awaits us for those that do not fear Him. This wasn't for the Israelites to recognize that God could send them to Hell, it was for them to fear the consequences of not following Him...not just to know that they should follow Him, but to feel it and for it to motivate them to change their behavior.
And of course there were many times in the NT that Jesus spoke about Judgement Day and ultimately Hell itself, describing how there would be much "weeping and gnashing of teeth"
Matthew 8:12, Matthew 13:42, Matthew 13:50, Matthew 22:13, Matthew 24:51, Matthew 25:30 , Luke 13:28
You have people in fear of their next step in the desert...people described as being in agony in the New Testament...those don't sound like intellectual arguments for the existence of Hell.
I wonder...where is that fear in us today? I don't feel like I generally have it...
And maybe worse yet...where is our emotional outrage to the fact that many other people are going to Hell? And of course, once people are there...they are there FOREVER.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
There Really is a Hell - Intro
There really is a hell. And there really are people going there. How does that strike you?
I will tell you, I heard a pastor say those words and it kind of hit me in a way that it hadn't before.
Hell is a weird topic. It has this dual nature about it in today's world:
- It can be completely uncomfortable when you get into it and call it out as an eternal place of damnation; It can be shrugged off as just another curse word...and not even one of the bad ones at that.
- It can be universally agreed to that it is a terrible place and yet not universally agreed to that it even exists...
- It is a source of some of the highest intellectually interesting debate as people grapple with the goodness of God and eternal punishment but it can also be the most basic feeling that wells up inside you as you go through something terrible...
But, with this duality it has lost its potency in our lives.
We have diverted ourselves from an element of truth that God gave us...that there is a Hell and the decisions we make now have eternal consequences.
We like to think only of God's grace, His love, His forgiveness...but as you work through the Bible, you understand that God has His wrath, His Holiness, His Justice. In fact, if He didn't have those things, we wouldn't have needed Jesus' sacrifice.
Now, I am by no means an expert on this topic...I have been learning even this week as I went over these verses and was thinking about this talk...this is simply a few things that I felt that God laid on my heart as I thought about this topic over the last couple weeks.
H - Hell is real & there are people going there
E - Eternity is at stake
L - Live the Great Commission NOW
L - Live faithfully
Monday, May 4, 2009
My third talk
I recently spoke at the men's breakfast. It was the third time I had spoken, though it was the first time that I spoke on material that I came up with. The previous two times I had essentially developed my discussions off of books that I had read. I encapsulated the discussion points I wanted to make and did my best to be true to what the author stated and add some color on how that impacted me, or how it could impact others....
This time, I came up with everything on my own based upon a line that I heard in a sermon that grabbed me..."There really is a Hell. And there really are people going there."
The line grabbed me regarding the implications for my behavior, how I engage the world as well as the theological truth that a place called Hell exists.
I will post the four points I made in separate posts...but, I am interested to see how people react to my talk. I did not get a feeling for it directly after it that morning and I am doubly interested because I received an message today from another person who attends who will be speaking in a couple weeks...who said he will be speaking with a alternate position...
Makes me interested to hear his take and to see if it generates some interesting discussion at the men's breakfast.
This time, I came up with everything on my own based upon a line that I heard in a sermon that grabbed me..."There really is a Hell. And there really are people going there."
The line grabbed me regarding the implications for my behavior, how I engage the world as well as the theological truth that a place called Hell exists.
I will post the four points I made in separate posts...but, I am interested to see how people react to my talk. I did not get a feeling for it directly after it that morning and I am doubly interested because I received an message today from another person who attends who will be speaking in a couple weeks...who said he will be speaking with a alternate position...
Makes me interested to hear his take and to see if it generates some interesting discussion at the men's breakfast.
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