Show Me!

I mentioned previously how I just love to go to the rule book and verify the existence of the specific rule someone claims is part of a game and I am embarrassed it took me so long to examine what I was being taught in the church. Like so many, I just did not take the bible as seriously as needed if I was to understand the message. My approach to the bible was much like the kids I see in school and I would sit in class, fill out the pages in my workbook with the correct answers (when workbooks were used), recite the answers I knew the teacher wanted and then go sit in the auditorium for the official sermon. For most of my life the sermon was the same sermon telling me, even after being baptized, how I needed to hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized. The goal of my Christian life, if I was to take the great commission faithfully, was to go out and find the lost so I could "rush" them through these steps and check off one more for God.

Rarely when the sermon did not actually focus on the "steps to salvation" as it is often called, the sermon would detail the evils of those things in the world of which we did not participate because it would be stepping off the narrow path and we would go directly to hell. I can still hear echos of how sinful it was to use instruments, go dancing, take a drink, celebrate Christmas, smoke, etc,. In other words, I was taught to look like my fellowship instead of being taught to look like Jesus and yes, it was all done in belief of the idea I was being place right in the middle of the narrow path and I would have the best chance of actually succeeding in my walk. Unknown to my teachers at the time, was the fact I was actually being taught to narrow the path I was to walk and end up facing God as one of those who will be saying "Lord, Lord" to which He will reply "I never knew you!"

I have already alluded to Matthew chapter seven and will mention a few things I learned from reading this chapter I never heard taught in all the years I have been sitting in class. An important question to answer came to mind while reading this passage one day; "Does God really want us to believe He has given His son to die the cruel death on the cross and it is now going to be almost impossible for us to walk the path to salvation?" By taking verses 13 and 14 out of context, I was taught hopelessness instead of HOPE! I was taught, as was mentioned in a sermon not long ago, how it was likely I would fail to acheive salvation. I have lived, like many others, the majority of my life wondering if I was good enough to go to heaven instead of, like many of my brothers and sisters attending services behind a variety of names, being able to live a life of joy KNOWING I was going to heaven. Having done like so many, I took the first verse of the chapter out of context, as well, and so it did not go with verses 13 and 14. Just take a good look in context to what is actually said and you will see it begins with judge not, or you too will be judged and then tells you how the real judge will use the same measure to judge us. When I keep reading the material inbetween verse one and verses 13 and 14, I discover the apostle Paul (Romans 14) was actually trying to keep us from creating a path so narrow we would not be able to follow when he told us to not condemn the convictions of each other.

By now, if the reader is anything like me, there is curiosity as to the reason for my title and this introduction has all been given to mention the "stupid" poll I had on the blog which ran way too long and truly needed other options since it ended up being biased from the beginning. What it did allow is for me to report we had at least five people choose the most absurd choice. If I had created another option describing how ridiculous the poll was, I hope these five people would have made another choice. Considering the cause of Christ, those who are facing condemnation, those who desperately need Jesus in their lives, five people chose the option stating they were not willing to do anything specfically not authorized in the bible and this was the "official" response I was taught in my bible school training. In fact, when something was done in the area of "not being authorized," no bible verse saying we should do it, I would be one of the first ones running to the elders and saying "how can you allow this to happen."

Sitting back, for a second, it is easy to realize God was faced with a similar question, "what are You willing to do for sinful man," and His answer was "I am willing to give the life of my only son!" When I consider the magnitude of this gift, how can I not be shamed by the beliefs I once held and are still held and argued by many in my fellowship. How can I be upset with someone using a video with instrumental music or even using the actual instruments in an attempt to reach the lost. How can I ignore or object to ANY action coming from the heart of a Christian desiring to touch the lost with the life of Christ? Regardless of how ridiculous it might sound, if I was certain my actions would bring about the recognition of the need for salvation and the decision to accept salvation in the life of someone close to me, I would be willing to do ANYTHING! I would be willing to light a firecracker in the middle of the sermon, I would be willing to pull a trumpet out and play charge! I would be willing to put a funny cartoon in the middle of the preachers PowerPoint! Yes, let's hope I don't discover the absolute solution to someones salvation because someone in the congregation will probably come tackle me and have me hauled off. Until then, we are simply surrounded by so many who with a passion to share Christ are willing to try anything available to us in an attempt to influence the lost of our communities and we have the audacity to say NO you can't do that because it is not authorized!

In my thinking, the really absurd or ridiculous thing in our lives, is that we see what we consider "sawdust" in the eyes of our brother and miss the "plank" in our own eyes. Just in my own congregation, I can see several things not authorized in the bible and many of them were and still are considered sinful innovations by those in my fellowship.

Just take your bible off the shelf, blow a little dust from the cover and then SHOW ME where we have authorization in the bible for the "sinful" innovations of owning a building, having a kitchen, having song books, having harmony for our songs, as ridiculous as it sounds, singing praises to God (New Testament please), hiring a preacher (not pay someone sharing the Gospel but being located in one spot), using PowerPoint, using a pitch pipe, having bible classes, owning a "church van," taking communion to the shut-ins, providing batismal garments, having fans or air conditioning, purchasing bible materials, and the list could go even further. It is obvious to me how I have not played by the rules I stressed were a matter of salvation. If I claim I will not do anything not authorized in the bible, I am easily proven an idiot in my thinking by those who I might influence and lose any chance to help so many who might be desiring a relationship with Christ.

If, on the other hand, I choose the example of the apostle Paul and eagerly seek out becoming whatever is necessary for the cause of Christ (doing), I will be showing only one thing to those I might influence. I will be showing/demonstrating the value of Gods gift to us; the life of His son!