Love, duty and honor

Posted on December 21, 2014 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment

When a pump tries to put out more water than it takes in, it experiences a condition called cavitation. The end result is that the internal turbulence caused by the cavitation tears up the pump and eventually renders the pump useless. The pump only works well when it takes in as much as it tries to put out.

I find a cavitating pump a fitting metaphor for what I’ve observed in churches over the years. The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 4:19 that we love because God loved us first. John also tells us in John 13:35 that love is to be the distinguishing mark of the church. Jesus himself told us that the two great commands are to love God and love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40).

We are commanded to love, but the source of that love must be God himself. I have firsthand experience of what happens when the church tries to convey love without relying on God as the source of that love.

Without reliance upon God as the source of love, the church (and the individuals that make up the church) tends to replace love with duty or honor. Duty is a sense of responsibility to others. Honor is an attempt at maintaining a reputation. One is focused outward the other is focused inward.

Both duty and honor are good things in themselves. There is nothing wrong with having a proper sense of responsibility to our fellow man. I see the connection between duty and fulfillment of the second command to love your neighbor. There is also nothing wrong with wanting to have a good reputation. One of the qualifications that the Apostle Paul gives us for a church leader is that he is to be a man of good reputation (1 Timothy 3:2).

The problem is that even these good things are no substitute for experiencing and conveying the love that God has for us. Duty without love becomes a hard, unyielding taskmaster. How many times have I seen people “serving” in church with little joy and even less fruit? Duty without love produces zombie Christians who lurch around but are not fully alive.

Honor without love becomes narcissistic or forces one into very superficial relationships. I cannot let you too near to me if I want to maintain the illusion that I have everything under control. Therein lies the pressure to be superficial. The narcissistic tendency manifests itself in the “look at me” aspect that rears it’s head in churches. People want to be seen “doing ministry” and get hooked on the affirmation that it provides. The smiling face may hide an ugly heart.

Perhaps we all have an inclination toward these false foundations. But I find that when I am properly connected with the love of God, I want to serve those around me because I want them to experience the same sense of God that I have. When I am properly connected with the love of God, I don’t have to worry about my reputation. If I am following God, my reputation will take care of itself. Also, if I am experiencing the love of God, I don’t have to worry that you will see my failures and weaknesses. God knows all about my failures and loves me anyway.

As with the cavitating pump, failure to allow the love of God to be the driving force and the content of our message will cause a life to eventually fall apart. If you have any doubts about this, I point you toward the most chilling words that Jesus ever uttered in Matthew 7:21-23. In this passage Jesus tells us that many who worked for duty and honor will not find entry into Heaven. It is only those who have been in relationship with him and have experienced his love and forgiveness will gain entry.

The stakes are very, very high.

Can we stop pointing fingers?

Posted on December 3, 2014 Written by Mark McIntyre 1 Comment

Finger Pointing — Image via http://www.imagebase.net/

If we read of the failures of the Nation of Israel in the Old Testament without identifying our own, similar failures, we miss an opportunity for growth. The temptation of superficial worship is universal. Israel struggled with it, churches struggle with it, and I struggle with it. Through Isaiah, God said this to the nation of Israel:

“What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:11–17, NASB)

The temptation is to feel that if we worship on Sunday (and maybe attend small group), give some money and do our (almost) daily devotions, we have done well. But the problem is that we can do all of this without having our hearts changed and without drawing close to the God we claim to worship. The forms have changed but the tendency toward having hard hearts has not.

Racial tensions have been running high in my country. I assume that the events that have been happening in Ferguson, Missouri are known throughout the world. Based on tidbits of information and our own predispositions, it is tempting to point the finger of blame on a person or group for these events.

But I wonder if things would be different if we, as the church, took seriously the commands at the end of the passage cited above. Have we turned a blind eye to injustice? Have we allowed the ruthless to prevail? Have we done all that we can for widows and orphans?

It has been said that in America, the most racially segregated time is Sunday morning worship. Too often the racial make-up of the local church does not reflect that of the surrounding community. Some of the separation is based on style preferences, but style preference is a lame excuse for the lack of fellowship between believers and congregations.

God said to Israel and is saying to us that it doesn’t matter a whit about the style or intensity of the external forms of worship. It doesn’t matter if we can point to the beautiful church buildings, exuberant worship or motivational preaching. God is not impressed and neither should we be.

God wants our hearts to reflect his heart. What would our world look like if they did? We would probably do less finger pointing and more work to bring healing and reconciliation.

Life as an ambassador

Posted on November 29, 2014 Written by Mark McIntyre 3 Comments

Ambassador of Light — Original at http://bit.ly/1y8C00x

When Joseph was propositioned by Potiphar’s wife, he responded by saying,

“. . . How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9)

Joseph had the understanding that he had a responsibility to God to behave according to God’s standards of conduct. His first allegiance was to God. He made the right choice in a difficult decision even though the short term cost was huge.

Fast forward about 1,900 years and there is a guy formerly known as Saul who found himself in many difficult situations. What is remarkable about this is that the Apostle Paul referred to himself as an Apostle (one who is sent) and am ambassador (see 2 Cor. 5:20 and Eph. 6:20).

It is the role of the ambassador to represent a government or king while traveling in a foreign country. Sometimes the ambassador has to represent his king in an environment that is difficult or hostile.

Like Paul, those of us who claim allegiance to Jesus have been given the responsibility to represent Christ in every situation in which we find ourselves. Jesus warned us that we would find tribulation in the world (John 16:33), so we should expect that we will sometimes find ourselves in difficult situations.

My guess is that every one of us has at least one difficult situation to deal with. It may be a family member, coworker, neighbor, church member or even a government. Aside from people problems, unemployment, underemployment, sickness or unfulfilled desires can cause frustration and difficulty.

When faced with difficulty (I admit that I have had relatively few real difficulties) I have a tendency to whine to God about the situation. My default position is one of self-pity and defeat.

Yet, if God is who Jesus represented him to be, then that God desires my well-being and the difficult situation is not an accident. Like Joseph, I may not see the reason for the difficulty while it is happening. I may not even see the reason for the difficulty while I remain in this life. But I can remain confident of two things: Jesus is with me in the difficulty (Matt. 28:20) and the difficulty is not random or meaningless (Romans 8:28).

Let’s return to the idea of being an ambassador. Perhaps part of the reason that God allows difficult situations in our life is so that we can be used to show His love in that situation. Rather than joining in the complaints against the terrible boss, I could work to make the situation better for all, including the boss. Rather than feeling aversion to interacting with a difficult person, I can live as a window that allows the light of God’s grace to shine through. Rather than whine to God about the difficulty, I can ask Him what I am to learn from the situation and ask for strength and wisdom to represent Him well.

I am writing as one who would like to do this well, but has failed so many times to do so. Yet, behind all my failures is a God who is big enough to redeem those failures.

What is the source of your glory?

Posted on November 9, 2014 Written by Mark McIntyre 6 Comments

“. . . for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” (John 12:43, ESV)

What would the church look like if all of us were more responsive to God and less concerned about what others think of us? Let’s be honest, we care about what other people think. We want to wear the right clothes, drive the right car, eat the right foods and we work hard to gain the admiration of our family, friends and neighbors.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be liked and admired, until it comes at the cost of going against what we know God wants us to be or do. If I allow others to derail me from God’s leading in my life, then I have a problem.

Can we be honest about our failure in this? Pastors experience burnout because they are trying to please a bunch of unruly, selfish sheep rather than be obedient to the God they signed on to serve. Those sheep often put unrealistic pressure on those pastors because we are more concerned about our own position, status and comfort than we are about completing the mission that God has given us to make disciples.

It seems to me that if we focus on God and become more responsive to him, much of the garbage that happens in churches would be eliminated. Much of the garbage that happens in families, workplaces and the public square would also be eliminated.

If Christians started living as though God’s opinion is the only one that matters, it would have a huge impact on our social structure.

But what would it look like if I was more concerned about what God thinks than about what people think? Here are some benefits that come to mind:

I wouldn’t be defensive when I am wrong about something.
I wouldn’t be offensive when I am right about something. I would not feel pressure to prove I’m right.
I will be more likely to do the right thing even when it is difficult.
I will be more likely to do the right thing even though no one but God is watching.
I wouldn’t waste my resources on things with no eternal value.
I would be more willing to stand up and say what needs to be said even though it may not be popular.
I would be more likely to speak on behalf of God as opposed to promoting myself.

What would you add to the list? Use the comment form below to make your addition.

Love, duty and honor

Can we stop pointing fingers?

Life as an ambassador

What is the source of your glory?

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