The Latest Rage, Fad or Phase

What will it take to mobilize Christians into action to do their work of the gospel?  Will it be ever increasing cataclysmic events of global significance?  Perhaps what will do it will be a true financial meltdown or something that even Hollywood hasn’t invented yet.

Stop a moment and think about individual roles.  First think of your own role in the church.  Are you a student or a teacher?  We cannot all be the latter, but we are all the former.  Remember that no matter the role, no matter the age, we all are students who through the working of the Holy Spirit within us, should be growing in our resemblance to Christ.

Since Christ was a servant at His core, then we should all be ever growing in our servant attitude.  This need to serve our brothers and sisters both in Christ and those that might be, should be growing ever stronger within us.

Very few will read this, but I am encouraged that you are, but I ask, are you convicted in your heart to do more?  Do you ache that more be done in the fulfillment of the work of the gospel?

What does it take to convict people now days?  What does it take to get people’s attention and keep it, to motivate them into action?

Today, some see those that suffer after a natural disaster and they follow the events religiously for a few days or even several and they give of their resources.  Others follow with anticipation the ranting of a mad celebrity throughout days perhaps weeks of reporting by the media. 

Many take up and grasp onto the latest rage, fad or phase and then discard it days or weeks later.  Perhaps you are one of these people.  Such people are clearly demonstrating to me their need for THE work in their life.  That is the working of the Holy Spirit and the outward manifestation of that through the work that they are to be about in doing the work of the Holy Spirit.  Without it they are empty and they will continue to search about aimlessly and for a time pick up the latest greatest thing.

I pray daily that I could convict you of your need for this work, a work whose desire for it does not fade like a passing fad.  I am happy for your visit here just as I am for those who visit my weekly commentary: http://theadultsundayschool.blogspot.com/  I am grateful for all who study God’s word and grateful for any opportunity to serve, but what I want more than anything is to convict one of them, again, to convict you (and truthfully many, many more) to want to do the same and have a fire lit amongst us to share the gospel.

As we see Easter approaching and after it has passed, how many will go through the motions, and how many will feel Christ’s Spirit grow within them and burn to have others glorify Him?  To borrow the words of Paul from 1 Corinthians 15, the grace of God’s gift to me was not without effect and I have so much I need to do, but how about you?  What effect is showing in you from God’s gift of grace to you?

Would Jesus Burn the Koran?

I think that this was the first post I did in this blog back in September, 2010 and I thought to myself I would re-post it today.  I almost can't believe this man is back in the news....almost.

Jed

Typically, I would not entertain subjects such as this whole controversy of burning the Koran that has filled so much of the news lately but today I have in fact felt motivated to do just that.

Unless you have been hiding under a rock you will have heard about this Pastor in Florida who decided that he was going to burn the Koran.

As you can tell from the name of this blog, Work of the Gospel, what I think we should be about is just that and that includes Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville, FL and the members of his congregation.

Most people who are contemplating ministry ideas look to the scriptures for guidance.  They look for specific areas of scripture that say you shall do or not do this.  Or, they look for examples that show that certain behavior was acceptable or not.  Looking for examples let's consider what Jesus did.

If we scour the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts we see all of the recorded words and actions of Jesus while He was here up to and including His resurrection and ascension into heaven.

Was Jesus a grandstander?  Quite the contrary, people sought Him out, not the other way around.

Jesus by His words and actions drew those crowds.  "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the good news is preached to the poor," Luke 7:22a

Jesus did not lead a rebellion against the Romans or the Jews that were in power.  Jesus did not promote fights, organize gorilla attacks, or the destruction of infrastructure.

Jesus instructed us to love our enemies and those who persecute us as well as to be peacemakers both of which are specific to Matthew 5.

When we read in Matthew 14 that Jesus' cousin John the Baptist was beheaded He didn't lead His followers against Herod but rather He withdrew privately to a solitary place.

When Jesus sent out His disciples to preach the kingdom of God His instructions to them if their message was not listened to or welcomed was to simply shake the dust off their feet and to move on.

What is the Pastor Jones saying by burning the Koran and what does he hope to reap?

Will he motivate those who follow Islam to seek out more about Jesus because they are so impressed by this action?

I would instead offer the following scripture as a more appropriate alternative of how we should deal with the subject of the Koran, "Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, "Listen and understand.  "What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean'."

Then the disciples came to Him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"

He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.  Leave them; they are blind guides.  If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."  Matthew 15:10-14

Jesus' advice, "Leave them."

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.