Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Blurring the lines of Sacred and Secular: part-2

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save WHAT was lost."  Jesus, as recorded in Luke 19:10.

Contrary to what we often hear inside many of our churches and various American institutions these days, there is no such thing as something (music, movies, sports, jobs, school, government, etc) being either sacred OR secular.  Instead, ALL things are either sacred (of God), or sinful (not of God).  That's because when Jesus went to the cross and laid down his life as an atonement for the sin of the world, He redeemed all things for His purposes!  Therefore, when people, places and things are "acting" outside of God's purposes, they aren't being secular, they are being sinful!

At the resurrection, all things that were once lost are now re-found by Christ.  He owns them and he wants YOU to now reclaim them as well!  That means all schools belong to God (even Harvard).  All music belongs to God (even hip hop).  All sports belong to God (even the Packers).  All money belongs to God (even the millions that are grabbed by greed).  All neighborhoods belong to God (even the darkest, most run down, most dangerous).  Businesses, hospitals, parks, police departments, shopping malls, and government agencies and nations--- they all belong to God via Jesus.  This is why believers can reclaim them instead of avoiding, or bad mouthing them!

With this kind of transformed thinking by the power of the Holy Spirit, believers are deputized by Jesus himself as his "marketplace ministers" to serve in their spheres of influence.  Teachers are the ministers of their classrooms.  Business people are the ministers of their co-workers and industry.  Government workers are the marketplace ministers to those they serve.  No longer are ordained pastors the only ones capable and called to do ministry, but they lead others to live-out their God-given spiritual gifts for the sake of ALL THINGS!  

CHURCH PLANTERS: as you meet and work with your launch teams, be sure to train and deploy them as fellow-ministers in Christ.  Don't just tell them they should "do discipleship," but also model for them what discipleship (following Jesus) looks like in regular, everyday circumstances.  This gives them more than just mere permission to invite others to "come and see" your new worshipping community, but it models for them what it looks like to minister to other people where they are at (see my last blog, part-1) in life.  When this happens in the culture, non-believers are inspired to find out more about this Jesus fellow, or this new church that is meeting in the school's theater, etc.  They are now intrigued by your new church plant because they are seeing ordinary people like themselves doing extraordinary things in the city! 

Still, the biggest barrier to getting people out of the church facility is often the culture within the church itself.  Much of Christianity has become ghetto-ized.  In other words, in the name of staying holy, we often separate ourselves from the rest of the world.  We object and reject so much of popular culture, that we have created our own "Christian" music, movies, schools and novels.  We become so defined by what we are against, that nobody knows what we are for.  When a current book or movie hits a note of discord or controversy within the church, we often preach, "Don't go to that movie, or don't buy that book."  So instead, try this: examine why a particular book, or movie, or political stance is so popular right now in our culture.  What is the so-called need that is being met, or not being met, in the life of the viewer/reader/voter?  Where is the "hole" in people's daily lives that the church can fill and meet such needs in a far more life-giving manner?

Here are three recent examples:
1). The book and movie, Fifty Shades of Grey, focuses on the dark side of male-female sexual relationships.  So ask, "What part of the human soul is longing for this story line?  Is it because our male-female relationships are missing something that only God can truly provide?"  Probably so.  Then dissect the root cause of such a need and biblical preach into it so people are reminded that God is the creator of sex...so within His context, sex is a great thing!  In other words, don't just say, "Don't go to the movie, it's bad."  Instead, speak into it's issues, our issues, and God's promises in sexuality.  

2). The elevation of heated race relations in America.  Or, the promotion of same sex marriages.  Is it true that people are still bias or hurtful against others based upon the color of skin or sexual orientation?  Yes.  It is also true that media and politicians are trying to exploit race and sexuality for some un-Godly reasons--- like for increased power of their own?  Probably so.  So planters: lay it all out on the table with the conviction and courage of Christ!  Help your new congregation walk by faith as the folks daily engage people of all sorts of cultural backgrounds and lifestyles in the marketplace.  As you do, your people will live differently, and your church will gain a reputation as being willing to lovingly address issues that other cultural groups simply avoid or exploit. 

3). The rise of ISIS in the world and its killing of Christians, Jews and even other Muslims.  Are we going to just hate Muslims we see working, shopping, schooling or living next to us in order to make us "feel" better?  If we do, are we becoming more like ISIS, or more like JESUS?  I know you know the answer, but that's why discipleship of the Christian faith has to move from the pews to the do's.  Start addressing your folks on how they can speak and act into this divisive momentum in such a manner that gives more people the breakthrough that only JESUS is the way, the truth and the life--- because people are seeing Jesus in us!

Preachers: not only be brave enough to tackle this subject with your Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other, but give your people means and models to practice loving those who are not easy to love.  Let's move from good ideas to God ideas that lead more and more people (including Muslims) declaring Jesus is Lord! 

Friends: contrary to news reports or even some churches...there is no such thing as a separation of what is sacred and what is secular.  ALL things are under Christ's victory at the cross!  Therefore, ALL things are either sacred (living in the purposes of God), or they are sinful (living counter to God).  Truly, Jesus has already paid the full price to redeem this world, and now he wants his followers to reclaim it as well!

1 comment:

  1. We belong to God. It is time that we do our best to set the example and act accordingly. Thank you for inspirational guidance.

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