Tag: Gospel

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The Bigger Problem with Chick-Fil-A

On Wednesday, I wrote the post, Oh, Chick-fil-A: The Outrage. So far, it has reached over 101,000 people, and it keeps going. That’s crazy! My intention was to share my thoughts with my small social media world. I had no idea it was going to travel as far as it did. Reading the feedback from some people in the comments section, as well as on Facebook and Twitter, I have seen the light! I now see the bigger problem with the Chick-fil-A controversy.

Today, I’m going to jump on the outrage train. I’m going to assume,
Chick-fil-A caved after 7-years of attacks from the LGBTQ+ community and their liberal political allies. It’s a shame, isn’t it?

Chick-fil-A, the last American, Christian hope against liberal bullies, trying to force Christians to accept their homosexual worldview. I am disappointed, almost to the point of tears, angry tears, that they failed me and Christians all over America. And, really all over the world, like in England, where they are being shutdown, after only 6-months because of these bullies.

So, my fellow disappointed, angry, and outraged Christian brothers and sisters, what should we do from here? How should we respond to their caving betrayal of our Christian principles?

I am brand new to this. After all, you know it was just on Wednesday that I told the world that I was not jumping on the outrage train, and look at me, just like Chick-fil-A, I CAVED! So, will you help the new kid on the train out a little bit? It appears, we’re looking at Chick-Fil-A as a person, a fellow flesh and blood Christian.

So, what do we do? Help me out!

  • Do we look to the Bible to pave the way for our response?
    • I guess, we can look to Jesus, since He’s in the Bible. Is that okay?
  • Do we skip the Bible and just react with sheer emotion? After all, Chick-fil-A has wronged us personally!!!
  • What does this look like in the real world? Do we go to every comment section, Facebook post, news site, and make our voices heard? I got that impression from one of my own commenters, they said they were speaking out to let the company leaders know they are disappointed and not happy. One of my Facebook connections posted an article and then personally relished that it was “all going bad for Chick-fil-A!”
    Hooray! My brothers and sisters. Let us rejoice that they are going to reap what they sowed (that’s from the Bible!) for betraying our Christian values and for caving. As others have said, “Now God will stop blessing them!”

Look at us Christians, standing so firm and yelling so loud at what we’re assuming is essentially a brother or sister in Christ falling and giving into the world’s ways. You know what I’m thinking? I’m thinking this will show “the world” — those liberals and LGBTQ+ advocates — that we don’t play. Our beloved Chick-fil-A caved, but WE WILL NOT! Well, I caved, but with your help, WE will not! If you want to be a part of Christianity, and you don’t act right and perform to our Christian standards, you have to go! There’s no room in Christianity for that kind of behavior. There’s no room in our faith for the weak spined, cavers.

THE BIGGER PROBLEM WITH CHICK-FIL-A
See, this is the bigger problem with the Chick-fil-A controversy. We’re so concerned with being right and for protecting a set of values, that we forget what we’re supposed to be about. We forget there’s a world looking in at what Christians and Christianity is all about. So far, what they have seen is (some) Christians who may profess the gospel, but their attitudes and their behavior is void of it. The biggest problem in the Chick-fil-a controversy is how Christians are acting toward a perceived wrong.

Here’s what the world sees: “If they will treat Chick-fil-A that way, how would they treat me?” “If Chick-fil-A did this one thing wrong, what if I get it wrong, is this what I can expect from the church?” And, they’ll just pass on God, Christianity, and the church.

You may dismiss me, but it’s true. Jesus told us this in John 13:34-35 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” If it’s by our love that everyone (including the world) will know that we are His disciples, it is by our lack of love toward one another that we disconnect ourselves from belonging to Christ.

WHAT DO WE DO WITH CHICK-FIL-A?
If we’re treating Chick-fil-A like a fellow brother and sister in Christ, would Jesus go and publicly blast them for their wrong doing? Would he utilize social media to express his disgust at their sin? Or, to rally the family of God to boycott them? Would he send them hateful and unkind messages?

“If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him in private….”

Matthew 18:15

It’s not an accident that Jesus also told us in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.” Christians are not hidden from the world around us, both for the good & the bad. Whether in unity or in disunity. In agreement and in disagreement. When we choose to express our disputes in the public eye and when we choose to express our disagreements or when we act as if we are relishing in the potential downfall of another, the world sees that and will make a decision about Jesus, based on our behavior. Jesus told us to go to one another in private.

So, let’s assume, Chick-fil-A caved and made a grave mistake. If this was a man or woman in your church, how would you handle it? How would you approach their failure? Maybe they relapsed into an addiction. Maybe they took their eyes off of Jesus and entered into an inappropriate relationship. Maybe they have become ensnared with pornography. You find out on a Sunday morning at church. What will you do? Will you go home and blast them on the internet? Will you go and tell the world how disappointed you are in them? Is that the instructions that scripture gives us?

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted.” 

Galatians 6:1

Christians, if you feel Chick-fil-A is wrong, where is your gentle spirit? Where is a genuine, PRIVATE attempt to make your disappointment and disagreement known, and then to seek restoration? What I see, sadly is the last part of verse 1 ignored: “watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted.” Paul doesn’t say you will be tempted with the same sin, as the fallen. It could be, but you may fall into other temptation. Maybe a temptation to be controlled by your emotions, or to become self righteous, or to cast judgement, or to act in a way that is void of love.

Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else.

Galatians 6:2-4

Instead of publicly opposing our brothers and sisters and instead of publicly expressing our disapproval and disagreements with them, what if we went to them privately? What if we asked how we can help them with their burden & the temptation to cave? Paul said YOU need to examine your own work. I need to examine my own work. We need to look in the mirror and be less concerned with Chick-fil-A, and more concerned with what we’re doing, or not doing. Does your life fully align with scripture to the place you can correct Chick-fil-A? Are you really in a place where you can say, “I can’t believe they caved!” Could Jesus say that about you? We should all be careful we don’t see ourselves as being better than Chick-fil-A, because we haven’t sinned as they have sinned (in our own mind).

LET’S BE HONEST
If we’re honest, here’s the problem. We often lack a true understanding of the gospel. If we don’t truly know the gospel, we can’t truly practice it. If the gospel isn’t inside of us, it won’t come out of us.

When we lack an understanding of the gospel and when we don’t live it out, we expect people to perform according to our standards. It comes from a works based theology. You have to perform a certain way to be accepted. You have to fulfill specific expectations to receive approval. This is NOT the gospel!

The gospel is that Jesus performed all that God required on our behalf so we can be accepted and saved. Jesus fulfilled God’s expectations so we could receive His approval. Jesus did everything for us, so we didn’t have to. We could never fulfill God’s requirements, no matter how hard we tried. A works based theology, disapproves of people when they don’t perform correctly. It rejects people because of their failures. The gospel teaches us that we are free to fail because Jesus succeeded on our behalf [tchividjian]. God doesn’t reject us when we get it wrong, he doesn’t relish in our demise because we made an unwise decision. God doesn’t toss us aside and declare He is finished with us when we sin against Him.

So, why would we, Christians do the same to Chick-fil-A? Some Christians are saying they “will NEVER eat there again, they are through with them!” After one decision. Really? Is that of Christ? Is that the gospel? Is sending local Chick-fil-A operators hateful and unkind messages, bringing stress and exhaustion to their family, of Christ? No, it’s not. It’s a works based theology, it’s not the gospel.

I am left to wonder if this is the experience people are having in our churches? Is Chick-fil-A just a public picture of the way fallen people are being handled within the walls of the church?

“…if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two.”

Matthew 5:41

How can you go the second mile for Chick-fil-A, right in the midst of your disagreement with them? How can you go the second mile to love and extend support to the local operators who are under attack from our own family? What if we allowed Christ and His gospel to drive us to do something different than the world? Different than the protesters and the advocates? Sure, privately e-mail and call the corporate offices, to express your disagreement and disappointment with them, if you feel they are wrong. But, what can you do to show the love of Christ in the midst of Chick-fil-A’s perceived wrong doing? How can you love those who are under attack, and are innocent of the decisions made by the corporate office? How can we be the light on a shining hill, showing the world that we, and the believers at Chick-fil-A, are truly Jesus’ disciples? That despite a difference, we will still live out the gospel and extend grace, forgiveness, and patience to them, even if we feel they don’t deserve it. After all, that’s what Jesus does for us. That’s how he first loved us.

May the true gospel guide our attitudes and our actions.

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Confession: My Son Got in Trouble and I Did His Work for Him

When I was a child, if I did something wrong, or was set up by my older sister, my dad would spank me with a brown, leather belt.

As I got a little older, if I did something wrong, or was set up by my older sister, my dad would spank me with a wood cutting board he made into a paddle.

As I became a pre-teen and teenager, my dad began assigning me Bible verses to write, or he’d make me look up every. single. Bible. verse. pertaining to my fault (I.E. If I was caught lying, I was given his Thompson Chain  Reference Bible and was required to write every verse connected with honesty, truth, and etc; essentially any verse the was the opposite behavior of lying). 

On many occasions I have also given my children Bible verses to write. I believe as we insert scripture, it helps reveal the wrong in our hearts and shows us where to correct course and align our hearts and life with the heart and life God calls us to live.

I utilized this same “discipline” in the substance abuse program I used to manage. I initiated a Bible verse writing program for policy infractions. The men hated it, but most of the men who were successful in the program, and had to write Bible verses along the way, would eventually thank me for the writing assignments. The theory was to put in the truth (the good) to push out the bad (that which was causing the infractions).

Tristan got in trouble last night, so I assigned him a Bible verse writing assignment. I initially told him he had to write Romans 13:1-3, 100x’s, but after realizing how long that passage is for him, I changed it to 30x’s. Before making any changes, I allowed him to write 10 verses and then asked him what the verse said and what it meant. He was able to clearly communicate it to me (which was part of my main goal). Between homework and his diligent writing, it took him until 9 p.m. to write 12 verses (it’s VERY long). 

At some point during the night I had a thought that I wanted to teach him the gospel through this situation. Yes, he needs to obey his teachers, his parents, and any other adults that have authority over him. He needs to learn that discipline, especially as an impressionable young man, but at his impressionable age he also needs to learn the gospel. God is not pleased with us just because we follow the rules; God does not accept us because we follow all of the rules. Forgiveness and salvation are not a result of our following all of the rules. It’s solely based on our faith in Jesus and what he did for us.

So, how could I teach him the gospel?

Take his punishment for him.

Tristan sinned in his behavior and earned the right to be disciplined. I assigned the penalty for his sin and then I paid the penalty I assigned to him, for him.

I wrote Tristan’s Bible verse assignment for him. I didn’t want to. It was painful. I wanted to stop and just say I forgive the debt, but that wasn’t the full picture of the gospel. Yes, God could have just said our sin debts were forgiven and he could have wiped them all clean, but he didn’t do that. God established specific requirements that had to be fulfilled in order for our sins to be forgiven. When we couldn’t fulfill God’s requirements for forgiveness, he sent his Son, Jesus to pay our penalty on our behalf.

God assigned the penalty for our sin and then God paid that penalty for us.

Jesus suffered and he sacrificed so we could be forgiven.

[tweetthis]God assigned the penalty for our sin and then God paid that penalty for us.[/tweetthis]

Here’s an interesting lesson I learned: As painful as it was for me to write his sentences for him to fulfill my own requirements, there was an excitement within me to be able to give this gift to him. I want Tristan to experience a fresh perspective of the gospel, but I think in the process I personally gained a fresh perspective of God, as my Father. If I was excited to give this gift to my son, how excited is God to give us his gift of salvation? His gift of forgiveness? His gift of mercy and grace? It cost him greatly, but he does not offer this gift to us begrudgingly; he gives it freely, lovingly, and with joy.

As Christians, God doesn’t want us begrudgingly living for or serving him. He wants us to live for him as a response to his love and grace, because we want to, not because we have to. My hope is that my children won’t just obey because they fear having to write Bible verses, or fear detention at school, or some other form of discipline. Instead, I hope they will live an honorable, productive, God-honoring life in response to God’s love and in response to their parent’s love; because they want to, not because they have to. 

Join the Conversation: As Christian parents, what are ways you’ve been able to teach or demonstrate the gospel to your children through your discipline processes or in general?

 

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The Bigger Problem with the Starbucks Red Cup Controversy

large_Starbucks-Red-Cups-2015

Nicki and I were traveling to Nashville on Sunday afternoon when I had to take a quick restroom break. I walked up to the urinal and there it was, the infamous gospel tract. I was just about to post a photo of it on Instagram and tell all the Christians in the world how they’re wasting time and resources by leaving their tracts on urinals (because who really wants to pick something up off the urinal? Think about it). When I read what it said and starting thinking about the question it asked, I completely forgot to take the picture.

“Do you want to be a Christian?”

Do I?

If I were not already a Christian, would I want to become one at this moment in my life?

What does becoming a Christian look like? What does it mean to become a Christian?

I wonder what non-Christians would say when they saw that question?

If a non-Christian didn’t have a Bible & wanted to know what Christianity looked like, what it meant to be a Christian, and what it would do for their life, who would they ask those questions? Who would they turn to in order to have those questions answered? Christians?

With the current controversy over Starbucks’ new red cups for the Christmas and Holiday season, my immediate thought was, “Do I want to become a Christian and become a scrooge about anything and everything I don’t like?”

Seriously! As a Christian reading the question on the Christian tract that was my exact thoughts about Christianity. Do you wonder if that’s what the world thinks about us? How can we rightly ask anyone if they want to become a Christian?

Christian to Non-Christian: “Do you want to become a Christian?”
Non-Christian to Christian: “What is a Christian?”
Christian to Non-Christian: “Hold on, let me finish updating my post on Facebook…. ‘Starbucks is furthering the war on Christmas; they took  the snowflakes and ornaments off their Christmas cups; if you buy coffee from them be sure to tell them your name is Merry Christmas (it’s okay if I lie about my name because it’s for Jesus) and while I’m here posting let me splatter a few more rants and criticisms on my wall like how Christians shouldn’t eat Girl Scout Cookies and by the way I hate this and I hate that. Why can’t more non-Christians act like Christians? What is this world coming to? Christian businesses should be free to serve who they want and don’t want, but secular businesses should accommodate Christians! Also, here are a few more internet conspiracy theories that probably aren’t true, but  I saw them posted on someone’s wall’ ….a Christian looks like me and we don’t go to Hell when we die!”
Non-Christian to Christian: “No thank you, your life looks like a living Hell!”

That’s not even the biggest problem with this whole controversy.

What is the Bigger Problem?

The bigger problem with the Starbucks Red Cup Controversy, and any others like it, is the GOSPEL. Everyone ranting about Starbucks not printing their cups correctly are promoting a works based theology which teaches people they must be morally good people to be right with God & to be accepted by him.

Christians: God’s walking talking billboards are going to rise up against a non-Christian company that has no claim on Christianity and demand they do Christmas our way, or we will reject them, and they are somehow supposed to believe that we are promoting a God who extends radical grace to all people? A God of love, mercy, and forgiveness? If Starbucks’ employees, executives, and the world don’t see it in us, how are they supposed to be introduced to our God and our Savior, Jesus?

Let’s just ignore that God accepts us in Jesus. He doesn’t accept us because we did Christmas his way, or we did church his way. He doesn’t love and forgive us because we first did life his way. No, he loves, forgives, and accepts us before we know what is right and wrong. He chooses us way before we choose him. He didn’t wait for us to start doing anything right or stop doing anything wrong, yet that’s exactly the life we demand of companies like Starbucks and sadly it’s probably what many are demanding of other people in their life as well.

Every Christian who has decided to boycott, shout at, and raise a fuss over red cups has decided they would rather teach: Do good Starbucks and Christians will be cool with you (Bonus: God will be too, because God is just like us!).

Do what’s right Starbucks and you’ll honor God and Jesus by keeping CHRIST in Christmas.

Essentially, we’re not concerned with you as people. We’re not concerned with your hearts being transformed so you can see Jesus for who he really is. We’re only concerned that you accommodate our Holiday in which we celebrate the birth of our Savior, who you’ll never meet, if it’s up to us.

With every post, with every shout, and with every complaint we’re telling Starbucks, their employees, and the world that Christian-like performance is what Jesus and his followers expect, and require, to be accepted.

This is not the gospel.

As a Christian, the gospel is your greatest stumbling block to requiring Christian behavior from a non-Christian business or individual.

[tweetthis remove_twitter_handles=”true”]The gospel is your greatest stumbling block to requiring Christian behavior from a non-Christian[/tweetthis]

You want Outrage? Be Outraged

If Christians want to be outraged, let’s start within our own camp, not with those who are outside it.

Paul instructed Christians to be careful how we treat outsiders:

Colossians 4:5-6 NLT  Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

The writer of Hebrews told Christians to provide accountability for those within our own faith:

Hebrews 3:12-13 NLT Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.

[tweetthis remove_twitter_handles=”true”]If Christians want to be outraged, let’s start within our own camp, not with those who are outside it.[/tweetthis]

Do you want to be outraged by something? How about….

  • Very few Christians give sacrificially or generously. Giving per capita to the local church is 2.5% – many who say they love the church and are ‘All In’ for the vision and mission, give nothing [stats]
  • Local churches are handcuffed from doing necessary ministry, not only because of lack of finances, but due to lack of people using their gifts, talents, and abilities to serve due to the demands of their career, personal recreation, youth sports, hobbies, vacations, and other time consuming activities.
  • In 2014, a Lifeway poll showed that 78% of Christians did not share their faith and 59% did not invite anyone to attend church with them [stats]
  • An estimated 663 Million people (1 in 10) lack access to clean water [stats]
  • 842 Million people worldwide lack proper nutrition [stats]
  • An estimated 7 Million children are orphans worldwide [stats]
  • Approximately 2 BILLION people have never heard the gospel worldwide [stats]

Why do we expect non-Christians to honor Jesus, who hasn’t yet transformed their hearts and radically saved them, when we claim he has transformed our hearts and radically saved us, but based on the stats above we don’t honor him ourselves? Has Christ really transformed our hearts? Do we want to keep Christ in Christmas because it’s our way of worshiping and honoring his birth?

Based on just a few of the stats above, do we really have time to be fussing about snowflakes and ornaments on red cups? Do we really have a leg to stand on when we say people are trying to change Christmas, when Christmas hasn’t changed us?

I like what Job said to his religious friends:

“If only you could be silent! That’s the wisest thing you could do.” Job 13:5 NLT

Maybe we can learn from that. Christian friends, we have much work to do within our own walls. Let’s leave non-believers alone and work to ensure our hearts are seeking Jesus and our hands are serving his people. Maybe, just maybe non-believers will see we are his followers because of our love, for them, not decorated cups.

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I Asked God….

I asked God to see through His eyes, so He made me a pastor.

I asked God to help me understand His grace, so He sent me addicts and alcoholics, and then he let me watch them relapse.

I asked God to help me love like He loves, so He sent me the homosexual who has been made an outcast by society….and even churches

I asked God to help me understand His patience, so He sent me the greedy who are more concerned with themselves than their neighbor

I asked God to help me understand His forgiveness, so He sent me parents of wayward children

I asked God to know His mercy, so He sent me the self-righteous

I asked God to understand His promises, so He sent me couples who are struggling in their marriage

I asked God to show me who I really am; He told me to simply open my eyes and look around me

The greatest pleasure of my life is to pastor New Passion Church and to serve as the manager of a local substance abuse program. Everyday I have the opportunity to share life with people who struggle to make it each day; they are messy, they are broken, and they definitely aren’t big on social graces….they are human. My daily experiences have shown me God in ways I would have never seen Him, doing anything else. The gospel is a beautiful and powerful message. I am grateful God has called me to pastor myself through many different people.

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The Power of Being Present

It has been rare in my life, especially growing up in the church, that I have met genuine Christ-Followers who I know I can trust and who I know are not a bunch of talk; people who genuinely love Jesus and love people. I count it a privilege every time I get to hangout with my brothers from other mothers, Shane and Drew. I got to do that last night.

Last week, Shane spoke at the Bible study for the substance abuse program I manage. Shane was raw and genuine with the men and he connected with a lot of them on a personal level. Shane had the opportunity to talk with some of the guys after the meeting one-on-one as well. As early as the next day some of the men were asking when Shane was going to return to speak for them again. This group is made up of non-believers, Christians and followers of other faiths (i.e. Islam). These men are not worried about style or appearance or professionalism; things that a lot of us get caught up with in the modern, American church; these men care about being cared about and about others being real with them. Shane made an eternal impact for some of these men because he chose to be present and he preached Jesus.

Last night, Shane and Drew took some time out of their day to play flag football with these same men. We all had a blast, especially since our team destroyed our opponents. Shane tweeted this following the game, “Felt more like a Christ follower tonight playing flag-football than in a long time. #Jesusandfishermen” We didn’t sit down with the men and have a Bible study and we didn’t preach them a message, we simply chose to be present. It is my hope that through our presence these men know that they are loved and cared for, that they are no less of a person than the guy who seemingly has it all together. We laughed with them, we high-fived them, we cheered for them and bragged on them. We communicated through our actions that no matter what they have done, they were still important enough to play football with. Isn’t that how God responds to us? No matter what we we have done, God stepped into our field and put us on his team through his Son, Jesus.

Shane has already shared that message and I can’t wait until Drew gets to share that same message with these men as well. Some would criticize us for not sharing the gospel on the spot, but that’s okay, because we lived it and we have an open door to keep living it and in those moments we speak it, these men will be hungry to listen because they know we love them and our words are supported with loving actions. Drew’s testimony is awesome and I know he is going to reveal Jesus in a powerful way. Drew has already opened the door for these men to hear him out because he made a choice to be present. That’s just one of the reasons I am thankful for my buddies, Shane and Drew, because I can trust them (except for Drew, I don’t trust him around my family and that’s why he has never met them) and they genuinely love Jesus and other people.

Join the Conversation…How can you impact people’s lives eternally by choosing to be present? When is the last time you chose to be present in someone’s life and it led to a great eternal impact as a result of your influence?