September 8, 2009

Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.'"

Luke 15:10-24

We have been taking a look at lostness. There are four types of lostness revealed in this portion of Scripture. None of them are good.

There were the Pharisees and teachers of the law who were lost within their faith due to their self-righteousness.

There is the lost sheep who became lost from the flock when he nibbled himself away from the shepherd through self-indulgence.

There is the woman whose lost focus resulted in a lost coin because of her self-satisfaction.

The third parable deals with a father and his two sons which shows that lostness can happen within the family because of self-interest.

Jesus saved the best story for last.

It is not unusual for a man to have two sons and it is not unusual for that man to be quite wealthy. That was the scenario that Jesus sets for this parable.

It is not unheard of for a father to choose to distribute his fortune to his sons while he is still alive, that was often how they handled their retirement. What is very unusual was a youngest son coming to his father and demanding that the father release his portion of the family fortune. That shows gross disrespect, almost contempt, for the father.

Amazingly, the father capitulates to the request and gives it to the son!

The same foolish, immature, self-interest that drove the son to demand his fortune was not a formula for success. Predictably, armed with the means to do so, he rushed foolishly into self-destruction wasting money on wine, women, and wantoness.

My mother has a lot of wisdom. She always says, "A person wrapped up in himself makes a pretty small package." This youngest son proved that point. What his father had accumulated over a lifetime, he squandered in weeks.

This is one of the most powerful pictures of what it means to be lost. He was separated from his father, feeling foolish and flat broke. I was there once. So were you. It is the human condition. It is how sin plays out in your life. Lostness is caused by spiritual separation from your Heavenly Father. He is holy and you are sinful. Because He is the source of life and love, the fact you are separated from Him means that you are cut off from the source of spiritual life. God is also the source of wisdom. Because we are cut off from that source of wisdom we do foolish things. The result of those two factors is that we end up spiritually broke. Bankrupt, actually.

Self-interest is the root of sin. Sin deceives us into believing that we can be in control of our lives and sin without consequences. That never has a happy ending. It didn't end well for the younger son and it won't for you. You may be familiar with the pain that self-interest can inflict on relationships. It can cripple a marriage. It can alienate children from parent and parent from children. Some of you are all too familiar with the pain and lonliness caused by people living under the same roof but pursuing selfish interests. There is nothing lonlier than being lonely within marriage and family relationships.

If you are familiar with that pain, you understand lostness. If you have experienced that pain you can relate to how God feels toward His many lost sons and daughters.

This story has a happy ending. We will consider that in a later post.

But first, you need to realize that when you look at the younger son you are looking at your own selfish nature. When you look at the younger son's plight, you are looking at your future. Just as his selfishness did him in, so will yours. It will drive you to flee from the Father and from the freedom of the mansion to the filth of the pigpen.

If you REALLY have self-interest, flee TO the Father. You don't have to stay in the sty. There is a way back home.

September 7, 2009

"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:8-10

I have been talking about the four different levels of lostness that Jesus is talking about in these parables. The first was the lostness within faith and the religious leaders who weren't reaching the lost because they were lost in their self-righteousness. Then I shared about the lostness from the flock and how this lost sheep nibbled his way into lostness through self-indulgence.

Today I want to talk about the third type of lostness. This lostness is a loss of focus due to self-satisfaction.

So, what is the point here in this particular parable?

The lost coin was likely a part of the woman's dowry or he net worth that she brought into the marriage contract. Her husband had to pay a price to the bride's family for the right to marry her and the bride had to bring a dowry to secure her future should something happen to the husband. This coin was one of ten that was crafted together to make necklace and this necklace served as the equivalent of a wedding ring.

Obviously, this coin had some real value, some sentimental value, and strong emotional attachment. Losing this coin was a big deal.

How would you feel if you lost your wedding ring? How would your spouse feel? How would you explain that?

One of the interesting things about engagement/wedding rings is that they are usually one of the first big financial investments made by a young man at a time when he can least afford it. He goes into debt through his extravagant effort to show how much he loves and values his bride-to-be. Of course, he expects her to receive his gift of love and to cherish it.

I am sure you can identify with that scenario so you can understand the significance of what Jesus is talking about here.

We are not told exactly how she lost this coin, how it became dettached from the necklace. We are not told how long it took her to discover that it was lost after it became lost. It seems like there was some time lapse between the coin being lost and the discovery of that lostness. Otherwise it would fallen and hit the ground or hit a piece of furniture and she would have heard it and found it and picked it up. So, that would indicate a loss of some focus and attention to the valuables.

Could it be that Jesus is pointing to how easily we lose our focus over what is truly valuable in our lives? People and relationships with those people are the most valuable things in our lives, but we lose that focus. We get self-absorbed. We get distracted. We get comfortable and self-satisfied. It happens and when it does we become dettached from our passion and purpose for living.

Thank God, something happened to jolt her out of her self-satisfaction and caused her to once again focus on what really mattered in her life. Once she discovered that one of her coins was missing, her passion returned and her purpose became clear - she had to find that lost coin. Immediately there was a sense of urgency. She had to find that coin! Her reputation was at stake. Her relationship was at stake. Her financial security was at risk.

So, the antimated search began. She got the flashlight. She got her broom. She searched and swept and swept and searched and did not rest until she finally found the coin. And when she found it she was so relieved! When she found it she rejoiced! When she found it she vowed that she would never be so careless as to lost it again!

It is so hard to stay focused on the things that matter most. It is so easy to settle into a zone of comfort and become self-satisfied. Is it possible to maintain a consistent sense of urgency for our purpose?

Yes, it is hard. Yes, it is easy. But, yes, it is possible.

How?

By remembering what happens when we lose our focus or become self-satisfied - valuable things get lost.

By daily calling on God to give us His heart for the lost and daily focusing on His Word and daily allowing His Spirit to work His will in us.

If you are dettached from God, reattach! Otherwise something value will end up lost - it may be you!

September 6, 2009

Let me ask you several questions.

How many of you have ever been lost? Do you remember how that felt?

How many of you enjoy getting lost?

How many of you like to ask for directions?

Do you realize that not wanting to get lost and not wanting to stop to ask for directions are incompatible ends?

That probably explains the dramatic increase in the sale of GPS systems. They provide drivers with the security of knowing they will never get lost and never have to ask for directions! What a country!

Beginning this morning and throughout the month, I am going to lead us in a study of Luke 15 because in it Jesus has a lot to say about God’s purpose for His Church. In short, God calls the Church to be the GPS – God Positioning System for a world full of lost people.

How does that thought strike you? It is undeniably true.

So, why are there still so many lost people if we are called to direct lost people to God? Could it be that the very people who are called to be God’s GPS has lost its bearings?

I have read and studied this portion of Scripture many times over the years, and I know that it is one of the most powerful statements about how much God cares for lost people. But this week I saw a whole new perspective on this Scripture that I hadn’t noticed before.

Not only did Jesus tell these parables ABOUT lost people He is also telling them TO lost people! The very people who God had called to be His GPS had lost their bearings and had lost their way. So He tries to get them back on track with a GPS – GOD’S PARABLE SESSION.

How about if we eavesdrop on this session and see what we can learn?

THE LOST PURPOSE, 15:2
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them….”

I don’t know about you, but I have had a lot worse things that this said about me! I would be thrilled if I could go through the end of my life and have this as the worst thing said about me – that I “welcome sinners and eat with them.”

Saying this to Jesus is the equivalent of criticizing a plumber for fixing pipes or demeaning a mechanic for repairing cars.

“Hello! That who they are! That’s what they do! It is their purpose!”

Like wise, this was Jesus’ purpose! He came to “seek and to save that which is lost”.

This statement is an indictment against them not Jesus. It shows that they did not understand their purpose or Jesus’ purpose.

Win Arn, a leading church consultant conducted a survey: He surveyed members of nearly a thousand churches asking the question, “Why does the church exit?? The results? Of the church members surveyed, 89 percent said, “The church’s purpose is to take care of my family’s and my needs.? For many, the role of the pastor is simply to keep the sheep who are already in the “pen? happy and not lose too many of them. Only 11 percent said, “The purpose of the church is to win the world for Jesus Christ.

His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant, kind of esoteric, and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it. One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can’t find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just sits down right on the carpet. By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. He is a godly man, very elegant, very dignified, and very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can’t blame him for what he’s going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor? It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man’s cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can’t even hear anyone breathing. The minister can’t even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do. And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won’t be alone. Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control, he says, "What I’m about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget. "Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read"...

There are few things more powerful than a church that is clear about its purpose and united around that purpose. And there are few things more pitiful than a church that has forgotten its purpose.

Several years ago the city of Pittsburgh constructed a large, new post office at the cost of several million dollars. On the day of it’s opening, the Governor made a speech, the bands played and the people cheered. It was quite a celebration. But when the first man entered to mail a letter, to the embarrassment of the engineers, it was discovered that in the rush to meet the deadline, they had omitted the usual letter drop. Here was a costly new post office, but no place to mail a letter!
Let me be crystal clear about this – we are here to reach lost people for Christ. Nothing more and nothing less than that is acceptable.

THE LOST PRIORITY, 15:13; 28-30
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, and set out for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.”

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out to him and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I have been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fatted calf for him!”

Here is a truism, we are wired to live for a purpose. If we do not find the right purpose we will pursue the wrong purpose. That truth is illustrated by the two sons in this parable Jesus told.

A corresponding truth is that our priorities are shaped by our purpose.

In these two sons we see two common errors that happen when lose sight of the purpose for which we live.

The Prosperity And Pleasure Priority

Like the lost son, we wander away from God's plan and purpose to seek some mystical sign or supernatural experience. Or, we turn God into some sort celestial Santa who is bound to bless us with wealth and health.

The Performance Priority

Others fall into the performance trap believing that they have to impress God with their goodness and earn His favor through their godly living. And when that doesn't happen, they become resentful and lose the joy of fellowship with God.

Someone once called a preacher to say he wanted to become a church member. But, he went on to explain that he did not want to: worship every week, study the Bible, visit the sick, or serve as a leader or teacher. The minister commended him for his desire to be a church member, but told him the church he was looking for was located in another part of town. The man wrote down the address and hung up. When he arrived at that address, the man came face to face with the result of his own attitude of not wanting to be involved.... There stood an abandoned church building boarded up and ready for demolition.

When you lose touch with your purpose you lose sight of your priorities. When you lose track of your priorities you do what serves your interests not God’s. That is deadly for you and for the Church.

THE LOST PASSION, 15:31-32
"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

In an interview with Randy Pope of Atlanta’s Perimeter Church, he recalled a "man who called me and said, ’I’m shopping for churches. I live in another state and I want to live near my church when I go to Atlanta.’ He said, ’Tell me a little bit about your church. I understand your church is very committed to reaching lost people.’ I said: I’m thrilled to hear that is our reputation. We are. We’re very committed to that. "He said, ’I’m very glad to hear that but’ -- I knew that word was coming -- ’but will any of my needs or my family’s needs perhaps be neglected in the effort to reach lost people?’ Which was saying: I’m more concerned about me than I am about the lost. That is the nature of sinful man and, outside a spiritual reorientation, they’re not going to have that concern for the lost. Randy Pope commented, "So one thing I do is stress that this is the passion of the church, and if you’re not willing to get on board with that passion, then this is not a good place for you. As much as you like what we’re offering, it really isn’t a good place for you because you won’t like it at all. It will make you feel uncomfortable, Lord willing, that you would be sitting here for yourself instead of for others."

The one common point of all three of these parables that Jesus told is that God and Heaven are passionate about reaching lost people. We need to be also.

But, like the religious leaders, when we lose sight of our purpose and our priorities get scrambled, we lose our passion for God and for spiritual things.

How is your passion for lost people? When was the last time it bothered you that someone you know might die and go to Hell? When was the last time you prayed for the salvation of a lost friend or relative?

THE LOST POWER, 15:22-24
“But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.”

Can I vent for a few moments? One of the things that really gets under my skin is when I hear people complain, “Our church just isn’t on fire” or “God isn’t moving in our church”.

Usually when I ask them what that looks like or what they want to happen, they don’t really know.

Jesus shows us here how He wants to move in a church and what it looks like to be on fire.

How did the father move in this parable? When he saw his lost son he ran to him. When we start running toward lost people, God will run to us!

When he got to his lost son he put a robe on him. That symbolizes righteousness restored. It stands for dignity that and acceptance that has been given. That's how God wants to move in our church. He wants to restored righteousness and dignity and identity as His children.

Then he placed a ring on his finger. The ring is a symbol of authority. It authorizes the son to do business in the father's name. It was a signet ring. On it was the family seal that allowed this son to "seal the deal" in his father's name. This is the same son who just blew one-third of his father's fortune. God will move in our church when we understand the authority He has given us and we use it to reach lost people!

And, finally, he placed sandals on his feet. The sandal is a symbol of freedom. This son who was in bondage is now free to serve his father and do the father's will. God will move in our church when we freely choose to use the righteousness and the authority that we have a His children to reach the lost sons and daughters of this world!

God will move in our church and God's fire will come to our church WHEN WE RECEIVE THAT GRACE FROM GOD AND BESTOW IT ON LOST PEOPLE! He does not exist just to bless us. We exist to bless and serve Him. And if we want His blessing we will be involved in what He blesses - His purpose. And when we commit to His purpose our priorities will fall in line and his passion will return and we will see His transforming power at work through us!

What needs to happen in your heart to position you into God's purpose? Are you willing to run to the Father today for some help?

September 5, 2009

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'" Luke 15:4-6

I am highlighting the different levels of lostness that Jesus mentions in this chapter 15. In yesterday's post I talked about the Pharisees who were lost with their faith due to self-righteousness. This morning I am going to focus on the lost sheep who was lost from the fold due to self-indulgence.

How do I come to that conclusion? Well, what do sheep do? They graze, they grow wool, and they have lambs. They are notorius for following blindly and are basically defenseless. Those last two attributes make them a favorite target for predatory animals. That's about it. Not much is expected of them and they rarely disappoint.

So, how did this one sheep wander away from the other ninety-nine? Did he rebel? Was he a teen sheep wanting to assert his independence?

Nothing that dramatic. He just nibbled his way into trouble. It was just another day in the meadow, grazing with the flock. The shepherd was standing guard and all was well.

This hungry little fellow likely found a good patch of fescue or clover and pigged out (sheeped out?). His appetite took control over his judgment and he followed the fescue. Because he was more focused on the fescue than he was on his flock, he gradually wandered off. He nibbled his way into separation from the flock and alienation from the shepherd. Becoming a slave to his appetite he ended up isolated and lost.

Unfortunately, that scenario plays out everyday in real life. While there are plenty of people who are on a mad dash to Hell flaunting their sin and grabbing for the gusto, there are a majority of people just nibbling their lives away.

You were there. So was I. We didn't wake up one day and decide to leave the fold and become hopelessly lost. Like the sheep, we wer led by our appetites and chasing vain pursuits, found ourselves alone and in need of a shepherd.

Here's more bad news. While sheep can nibble their way away from the fold, they never nibble their way back.

Now for the horrible news, when a lone sheep wanders into the wilderness, his life expectancy seriously dimishes. Every predator in the area will relish the opportunity to nibble on him. When he is isolated from the flock and out of the shepherd's care, he is dead meat.

Thank God for a Shepherd Who cares for every sheep! Thank God for a shepherd Who is willing to risk His life to save even one lonely sheep! Thank God for a Shepherd Who is more powerful than any predator! Thank God for a Shepherd Who knows where we are even when we don't. Thank God for a Shepherd Who arrives ahead of the predators and picks us up and carries us tenderly upon His shoulders.

It is a wonderful thing to go from being lost to being loved! Even a sheep can appreciate that!

So, what are you nibbling on? What has taken your attention away from the flock and what has distracted your focus from the Shepherd? If you are being led by your appetites, you are asking for trouble.

"Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." - Jesus

How about nibbling on that today?

September 4, 2009

"Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Luke 15:1-2

Jesus has a lot to say about lostness because it is a huge issue with Him - and God - and all of Heaven.

It is instructive that it is to the religious leaders that He is trying to make the point of how important lost people are to Him. Unfortunately He had to do that because lost people where not important to them.

His lesson consists of three parables that fill the entire 15th chapter of Luke. In His teachings Jesus points out four kinds of lostness and the one devasting consequence of being lost. I want to take a look at each of those over the next few days.

The first level of lostness is that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. They were lost within their faith. Their lostness was due to self-righteousness. Because they were sons of Abraham and because they were students and practitioners of the law they assumed they were righteous.

Let me ask you a question. If you believe you are in Paris, France but are actually in Paris, Kentucky would you be lost?

Not only would you be lost, you would be clueless and your belief would be worthless.

That pretty well describes these religious leaders. Jesus knew it, they had no idea. How lost they were is illustrated by the fact that they thought they were righteous and Jesus was a sinner. That's only 180 degrees out of phase.

What were they trusting for their righteousness? They were trusting their relatives, Abraham and Moses and King David. Since those were righteous people who pleased God and they were of the same lineage, therefore they are righteous.

They were trusting rules. These were men who knew the law inside and out. Not only did they understand the law, they knew all the applications, implications, exceptions, derivations, and permutations of the law. And they thought though having it in their head meant they had it in their heart.

And, they were trusting their rituals. They observed all the feasts and sacrifices required by the law. These guys were 100% kosher. And 100% lost.

These who were supposed to know the way and show the way were like "the blind leading the blind" into the ditch of despair. Their self-righteousness was their undoing.

What did this cost them? It cost them a relationship with the God they thought they served and with His Son, their Savior, Jesus. And it caused them to fail in the sacred responsibility God had envisioned for them to be the source of salvation for their nation.

But, in the process of pointing out what was wrong with them we risk becoming like them. We need to understand their error which was self-righteousness - looking for what was wrong with everyone else to justify their own rightness.

The truth is, each of us have a little of that in us. And if we are not careful we can have a lot of it.

How do we fight self-righteousness? We don't. That very question arises from the roots of self-righteousness. So, what do we do?

We live in relationship with Christ by faith and ask Him to unleash His Holy Spirit in our life. His Spirit of Righteousness will expose all unrighteousness in us.

Unless we lose ourselves in Him we end up lost.

September 3, 2009

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'" Luke 15:4-6

I remember being an eager young pastor coming out of college determined to win the world for Christ. Here I am 37 years later still trying to get it done.

Have I failed? Am I discouraged? Will it happen before I get promoted to Heaven?

The answers, "No, no, and probably not."

But I have discovered something along the way that has helped me a bunch. I think it will help you when I share it.

I don't have to reach the world. Neither do you. We just need to reach the people that God brings into our corner of the world, to our area of influence.

I haven't reached the world but I touched Rhonda Baker. Rhonda is now serving on the ministry staff of Central Christian Church in Las Vegas, Nevada. They touched 20,000 people at Easter. Every day Rhonda walks into the lives of Las Vegas show girls, strippers, and prostitutes and shares the love of Jesus with them. Some of them believe and find Christ. If God hadn't touched Rhonda through my ministry, Rhonda wouldn't reach these otherwise unreachable women. I am glad I reached Rhonda.

I haven't changed the world but I touched the life of Nick DeCola. For over 20 years Nick and his wife, Debbie, have evangelized and discipled hundreds of college students on the Campus of Syracuse University in New York. Now they serve on the training staff of Campus Crusade for Christ in Orlando. Nick and Debbie haven't reached the whole world, but they are training world changers.

I haven't changed the world but I touched the life of Tim Howard. Tim is the strongest soul-winner I have ever known. He has personally led hundreds of people to Christ and has trained dozens of others how to do it and he developed an outreach method that has been marketed and used around the world. He has a vision of reaching a 1,000,000 people for Christ in his lifetime. He might just do it.

No one person can reach the whole world. We aren't even wired to emotionally care for the whole world. That would wear us out.

But here's what we can do and what we should do:

CARE - about lost people. Pray that God will give you a Great Commission mindset and a Great Commandment heart.

CELEBRATE - anytime anyone comes to Christ, join Heaven in rejoicing and celebrating their salvation!

CONCENTRATE - on the few people that God has placed in your world, under your influence and in your friendship circle. Pray for their salvation regularly. Show them love and kindness. Earn the right to share your faith with them.

If you reach a few and I reach a few and the few we reach reach a few more and those few reach a few......well.........

September 2, 2009

In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:10

"For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate." Luke 15:24

If you hang around church very much, you will hear church people bemoaning the fact that "our church is not on fire", or "God just isn't moving at our church".

This morning, I want to examine those claims and offer some insights from the text we are studying this month - Luke 15.

First, let's get some clarification on terms. What does it look like when a church is on fire? What is the fire and how do you get it and how do you know when you have it?

When I hear people say that and I ask them what it is they are looking for, I rarely get an answer. If you are longing for something that you can't define, you are postioning yourself for perpetual disappointment.

What is evidence that a church is on fire? What is evidence that God is moving? Jesus gives us some clues here in the verses I have highlighted. A church that is alive and on fire is a church that celebrates life change. A church where God is moving is a place where lost people are being found. A dynamic church is a church that celebrates what God celebrates rather than trying to get God excited about what they are doing.

Jesus gives us some insights in these parables He tells and in the people He is telling them to.

Jesus is addressing these remarks to the religious leaders of the day. The heart of His remarks are in Chapter 14 and the application of them are found here in Chapter 15.

What had these leaders done to make their church and their religion such a dead, difficult and dispiriting place? Did they sing hymns instead of choruses? Was their worship leader lousy? Were the sermons flat?

I don't think so.

They had made the church a cold place. When a man suffering with a painful disease showed up and Jesus healed him. (14:1-6) Instead of rejoicing and celebrating they rebuked Jesus and condemned Him for violating their Sabbath rules.

A church becomes cold when conformity becomes more inportant than compassion and rules become more important than relationships. Condemnation becomes the prevailing attitude when that spirit prevails.

A church becomes cold when class-consciousness becomes more important than caring for the needy. This church gave preference to people of power, position and prestige. They were using their fellowship to build their resume' and reputation instead of the Kingdom of God. When this attitude prevails the church becomes closed to the very people who need it the most. (14:7-14)

A church becomes cold when comfort becomes more important than carrying a cross or counting the cost of following Jesus. (14:25-33) Jesus didn't come to serve the Church, Christians are called to take up His cross - discipline, surrender, sacrifice, suffering, death to selfishness - and pursue God's purpose. He cautions them that it is better not to start this journey if you haven't considered what it will cost you to complete it.

A church becomes cold when it celebrates and seeks the wrong things. Jesus told the three parables in Luke 15 to confront their spiritual pride and misguided priorities. They were expecting God to celebrate the fact that they kept unclean people (publicans and sinners) out of their fellowship. And they felt entitled to God's blessing because they were His faithful sons who served Him and played by the rules, even though they were filled with spiritual pride and resentment toward others. They had become a "feed me and bless me" club that was angry at God because He didn't see how good and deserving they were.

Jesus shows them and us how to have God's blessing on our lives and on our church - SEEK WHAT HE SEEKS AND CELEBRATE WHAT HE CELEBRATES - lost people being found!

Do you want your church to catch fire? Do you want to see God move in your midst? Care about lost people enough to shake off your conformity, your class-consciousness, and your comfort. Pick up cross, count the cost, and do what God blesses.

Are you willing to lay down you life and pick up His cross today?