2 Corinthians 3:1-3, “Are we beginning to be like those false teachers of yours who must tell you all about themselves and bring long letters of recommendation with them? I think you hardly need someone’s letter to tell you about us, do you? And we do not need a recommendation from you, either! The only letter I need is you yourselves! By looking at the good change in your hearts, everyone can see that we have done a good work among you. They can see that you are a letter from Christ, written by us. It is not a letter written with pen and ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; not one carved on stone, but in human hearts.” (TLB)
Out of nowhere, suddenly, we heard a loud ‘Boom’! Suddenly all the lights went out in the conference center where we were staying, just as we were all making our way out of our rooms and down this long hallway to breakfast. No windows. The hallway was longer than usual that morning because it was totally dark. Turns out the entire region experienced a power failure that morning. And guess what caused it? A squirrel got into a relay station and gnawed through a cable. In one split second, there was a fried squirrel, and lights out!
But the problem that day really was not the darkness. Truth is, darkness is always dark, right? No shock and no surprise there. But the actual problem was the failure of the light. And a lot of us Christians have been lamenting what we perceive as the growing spiritual darkness around us: Fewer people identifying themselves as Christians, more people identifying themselves as nonbelievers, long-time moral boundaries that are eroding or collapsing. Marriages are failing, children are straying, there is so many robberies, fires, slashing’s, murders, and the like. Let Christians tell it, this is the worst the world has ever been, the darkest it has ever been!
But might I throw a monkey wrench into the equation? Because when it is dark, the problem is not the darkness. It is the failure of the light to shine. And Jesus Himself said to His followers, “YOU are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14 NKJV). It appears something is wrong then with the light, not the dark. The dark is fulfilling its purpose, but the light, however, is not!
I can think of two ways that we are failing our world and our Lord. One has to do with a flawed message that obscures the true Message. But we will talk about that in a minute. In the meantime, here are three reasons why I think the light is so often obscured.
First, FLAWED MESSENGERS: Over and over, a watching world sees well-known Christians suddenly disgraced by a dark secret. You can probably think of some pastors, mega church “stars,” TV personalities, athletes, and politicians. And folks who do not like the message can now find another “hypocrite” to hide behind.
The sad fall of a prominent Christian is a teachable moment, underscoring three critical realities:
First, Each Jesus-Follower’s Life Is Either A Reason For Someone To Check Out Jesus Or Check Out On Jesus. You See, If I Drift Away From Him, I Take Watching Unbelievers With Me.
That is why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:12, “…We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ.” (NLT) And Peter said, “Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when He judges the world.” (1 Peter 2:12 NLT). So, my little “sin fling” or “spiritual detour” will cost me God’s blessing. However, what is even more important is that it could also cost those watching me their eternity!
So, when we think it is just “our business” when we fail and fall, we could not be more wrong. Unbelievers are watching whether we are aware or not. It is a lot like an adult touching a hot stove, when kids see them doing it, they automatically see no problem or danger with touching it too. But the thing is, the adult has experience, they know what to touch and for how long. They have been burned before, so even though their hands may touch a hot stove, they know how to do so without injury. But children do not know this. They will simply imitate what they have seen us do. And the result is their hurt. Unbelievers are the same. They are watching us, and many, believe it or not, are imitating us, but to their own hurt. We are not giving them the whole story on how we have been burnt before. So, they do what we do to their own demise. They end up hurt, by following our lead. We must learn to pay greater attention to what we do, say and how we behave. Others are watching, others are imitating. And we do not want to be found guilty of causing hurt to someone we were supposed to be helping.
Then secondly, every time a public Christian is discredited, the importance of the everyday Christian is elevated. The Christian who is in a seeker’s life every day has far more impact than any Christian in the spotlight. I am the face, the voice, the proof of Jesus to the unbelievers in my personal world for better or for worse. Therefore, it is always important that I walk the talk. It is exponentially important that I am consistent especially when there has been a public Christian disgrace. When they see me, they have got to be able to see Jesus all day every day. Like it or not, truth is, when people see that ONE preacher has failed, we are ALL GROUPED TOGETHER as “see, that’s what I mean about THEM preachers”. Many have been assassinated by association. So, when one falls, it is vital that we that are standing, remain standing as we help our brother/sister back on their feet. Galatians 6:1-3, “Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.” (MSG)
I reiterate, others are watching, others are imitating.
Here is one other very vital reality. The Failure Of The Messenger Does Not Change The Truth Of The Message. Jesus Said, “Follow Me.” Not follow My followers. He said, “I am the Way” (John 14:6). Not, “I will show you the way.” He told us, “I am the resurrection and the life…he who believes in Me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25). Not, believe in someone who practices the Christian religion. No, He said, “Believe in Me. Follow Me.” Therefore, I do not want you to think I am letting folks off the hook. Even when the messenger is flawed, the Message is still flawless! Jesus made it all about Jesus. So, while a hypocrite might provide an excuse for not believing, they do not provide a valid reason. Because it is what we do (personally) with Jesus that determines our eternity. In fact, that is the question you will face when you see God. “What did you do with My Son who died on a cross for you?” So, this does not take away people (or unbelievers) personal accountability to receive, follow and obey Christ. But we are His messengers with His message of salvation, healing, deliverance, and change, and when we handle the message haphazardly, it causes harm to them that have yet to believe.
We play a huge part in the eternity of others. People listen to what we say about our Savior, but more importantly, they watch to see if we are living what we say. Which reminds me of something I once read that said: “There are five Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John – and the Christian. Most people never read the first four.” (Author Unknown) That observation, made a long time ago, could not be truer today. I, and you, are Living Epistles, we are Human Bibles that unbelievers are reading daily, whether we are at work, in church, in the laundromat, in traffic, or on a Friday or Saturday night. People are reading us as the Word and Work of God.
If our world’s getting darker, then something must be wrong with what folks are “reading,” in the Christians – the messengers – the light of the world – they know. And truth is, the problem is not the message, and it is not about the messenger, but with the way the messenger represents the message.
That message is, as the Bible says, is the “good news about Jesus” – the love that died for us, the power that crushed death. So, the problem sure is not the message. But the Good News does not sound as good when it is obscured by three mistakes that we the messengers make.
Number one, our TONE. So many unbelievers I know use some unwelcome words to describe Christians. You may have heard them: “angry,” “judgmental,” “condemning.” Did you know up to 80% of communication is tone? Not what we say, but how we say it. So, is our tone drowning out our message?
Jesus’ main man, Simon Peter, seemed to learn that over time. Earlier, he was brash, he was explosive. But later, he said we should “But in your hearts set Christ apart [as holy acknowledging Him, giving Him first place in your lives] as Lord. Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance [elicited by faith] that is within you, yet [do it] with gentleness and respect. “(1 Peter 3:15). Is that how people feel when they are with us – “gentled” and “respected?” Listen to the Message Bible translation: “If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you are still better off. Do not give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you are living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They will end up realizing that they are the ones who need a bath. It is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That is what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.” (3:13-18 MSG) We are as believers to make sure that our tone is always, “…WITH THE UTMOST COURTESY…” Which should make you ask? Is it our message folks are rejecting or our tone as we deliver it? This is not about winning an argument. It is about winning a heart. Think about it: No one reads a love letter the same as they do a letter of condemnation. One makes them feel special, loved, important, valued, it makes them smile. The other makes them feel condemned, judged, criticized, unloved, irrelevant, it makes them frown. And the same goes for us and our tone in delivering the Good News. You Cannot Deliver Good News with a Bad Tone! Even if they are in the wrong, it does not make it right for us to scream at the top of our lungs, “you’re going to hell!” Because, if God drew us with loving-kindness, who are we to lash out at others with anything less?
Then secondly, our message gets obscured when it becomes OUR message. We Jesus-followers have one authority for the message that changes eternities. It is God’s Word. “All Scripture” the Bible calls it. And it says it is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). “God-breathed “…Not Apostle; Bishop; Pastor; Elder; Minister ; Deacon; or Missionary ! It is not OUR personal message, it is His. His Word, His Message, His Gospel, His Breath! 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is GOD-BREATHED [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (AMP) You see, when it becomes our personal message, it becomes about us, and we did not bare the cross, the nails, the spear, the wounds, the agony, the blood, the pain, the death or the resurrection for anyone, Jesus alone did that. Therefore, the message of Hope is about Him…not us! Many are being turned away and turned off because we have spent so much time talking about the wonderful clay and all the great things it has been shaped to become, but not sharing that it is the Potter that makes it all possible.
2 Corinthians 4:7, “Our bodies are made of clay, yet we have the treasure of the Good News in them. This shows that the superior power of this treasure BELONGS TO GOD AND DOESN’T COME FROM US.” (GWT)
Jeremiah 18:1-6, “The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will make you hear My words.” Then I went down to the potter’s house and saw that he was working at the wheel. But the vessel that he was making from clay was spoiled by the potter’s hand; so, he made it over, reworking it and making it into another pot that seemed good to him.” Then the word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” says the Lord. “Look carefully, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.” (AMP)
It Is Never About The Messenger, Only The Message. It Is Never About The Clay, Only The Treasure Within. It Is Never About The Vessel, Only The Hand That Molds It.
I reiterate, sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is About HIM, NOT US!
Another danger is that as our culture moves, and Christians tend to move with it. Always keeping an apparently “righteous distance” but quickly ending up where non-believers were as little as ten years ago. Reinterpreting, rationalizing, diluting their source (the Bible) to justify their “flexible truth.” But when we adjust our beliefs to placate our culture, we are no longer the choice Jesus called us to be. We are just an echo of our culture, losing the power of God’s voice for some wimpy blend of Christianity and cultural appeasement. We stop speaking about sin, holiness, righteousness, repentance, because we need to say things in a way that brings them to the church (not changes them or even brings them to Christ) just brings them to the church. However, that is not the goal. The goal is saved souls. And we cannot accomplish that calling Sin: “affairs, struggles, issues, strongholds” NO, Sin is just that, Sin.
BUT there is an alternative, and His name is Jesus! Church, we must get back to a clear, concise message about Jesus. And the only way to do that is to preach, teach, and share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Not the latest cliché, not the latest movie title or dance, not the latest slang. But the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Completely Undiluted, Uncontaminated, Unaltered, Unadulterated!
As Martin Luther essentially stood against the whole world in his day, here was his anchor verse: “Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). If it stands firm in the heavens, we cannot change it here on earth! That word “eternal” is defined as, “lasting or existing forever.” Meaning the Word should remain the Word always (not depending on where we are, who we are around or what we are assigned to do). You cannot alter the Word of God. You cannot add to it or take away from it. It needs to remain in its most effective state and that is pure and unaltered! Whether you share the Good News in church, at work, in your home, at the shelter, at the gas station, to 500 people or to 5, to the CEO or the garbage man, the Word is to remain Unchanged! We do not compromise the integrity of the Word of God to fit and suit our culture (or conference, convocation, morning sermon etc.). So, when people read your life, make sure they are reading a clear, concise, unchanged Word about Jesus!
Thirdly, I think our message can be obscured by our BAGGAGE. The Gospel is compelling when it is just the Gospel. But some people never get to the Gospel because of the baggage we encumber it with church, denomination, culture wars, rules, condemning people’s lifestyles. However, the fact remains, it is all about Jesus! Not our personal opinions; our ideologies; our experiences; our imaginations; our feelings. No, none of that matters. The message is about Jesus! It needs no fluff, no rhymes, no jingles, no eloquence of speech. Just the unadulterated Word of God about Jesus…about Salvation.
Even Jesus made it all about Jesus with His simple invitation, “Follow Me” (Mark 1:17). “Come to Me” (Matthew 11:28). “Believe in Me” (John 14:1). The message we are to share is that people are to follow, come to and believe in JESUS! Not us, not our church, not our ministry, not our pastor, not our gifts, not our anointing, not our choir, not our praise breaks! But JESUS! That is why Paul, Jesus’ greatest ambassador said in 1 Corinthians 2:2, “for I made the decision to know nothing [that is, to forego philosophical or theological discussions regarding inconsequential things and opinions while] among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified [and the meaning of His redemptive, substitutionary death and His resurrection].” (AMP) In other words, I do not want nor to need to hear anything else but JESUS!
Charles Spurgeon said the Cross is “that magnificent magnet.” Because “if they perceive,” Spurgeon said, “that He loved them and gave Himself for them, their hearts are stolen away.” And all that happens simply by the Cross. Not our name, anointing, gifts, preaching, teaching, power, etc.…but the CROSS!
Can you imagine what would happen if we went back to preaching the Word, preaching Jesus, preaching the Cross, preaching holiness, preaching the Blood?!
That message, uncompromised, unencumbered, delivered with love, is what it has always been. Romans 1:16, “The power of God at work, saving everyone who believes”. It is all about Jesus and His Cross and His Word. Stick to that!
Messengers who act like Jesus, a message that is all about Jesus. That is a bright light on an otherwise dark and dangerous stretch of road.
We, my friends, are Human Bibles that unbelievers are reading daily. Make sure that the Message they read in our lives is that of the Unadulterated Word of God, the Name of Jesus and the Power of His Blood, Cross, Salvation, Healing, Deliverance, and Redemptive Life-Changing Power!
Do not Speak About the Horrible Gossip You Heard When You Can Speak About the Holy Ghost You Heed!
Do not complicate the Message, do not confuse the readers, keep it simple…keep it about the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus!
“The mark of a great church is not its seating capacity, but it’s sending capacity.” (Mike Stachura)
“My one purpose in life is to help people find a personal relationship with God, which, I believe, comes through knowing Christ.” (Billy Graham)
“I believe that in each generation God has called enough men and women to evangelize all the yet unreached tribes of the earth. It is not God who does not call, it is man who will not respond.” (Isobel Miller Kuhn)
“Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.” (Charles Spurgeon)
Hebrews 12:1-2, “Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the race that God has set before us. Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterwards; and now he sits in the place of honor by the throne of God.” (MSG)
2 Corinthians 5:20, “We are Christ’s ambassadors. God is using us to speak to you: we beg you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, receive the love he offers you—be reconciled to God.” (MSG)
Blessings
J.P. Olson
