Lukewarm Leftovers

That sounds appetizing, doesn't it? I'm still reading Crazy Love. This is a book to read nice and slowly and really digest it. It is SO convicting, and I don't want to just read it quickly and move on with my life. I want this message to take root in my heart, to change my focus and perspective, and motivate change in my life.

One thing I got from these two chapters, discussing the oxymoron 'lukewarm christian' and giving God our leftovers, involves our perspective. So often, the way I look at things heavily influences the way I live. There were three perspective-changers that stood out to me.

First, in the parable of the soils from Luke 8, Chan says "do not assume you are good soil." Wow! How many times do religious teachers say that to their listeners?! That changes a perspective, doesn't it? It makes one evaluate whether I might accept the Word with joy, but have no roots and whither when the times of testing come. Or am I, perhaps, the thorny ground which allows the Word to be choked out by the cares of this world, the worries, riches and pleasures of life--and PRODUCE NO MATURE FRUIT!! (gasp)

As Chan says: For years I struggled with the parable of the soils. I wanted to know if the person representing the rocky soil is saved, even though he has no root. I then wondered about the thorny soil: Is this person saved since he does have root? I doubt if people even considered these questions back in Jesus' day! Is this idea of the non-fruit bearing Christian something that we have concocted in order to make Christianity easier? So we can follow our own course while still calling ourselves followers of Christ? (86)

So, the first perspective-changer challenges me to some self-evaluation. Am I truly the good ground, the honest and good heart, that holds on to the Word, endures, and bears fruit?

The second perspective-changer challenged my goals. For one thing, he reminded me of the man in Matthew 13:44 who, when he discovered a treasure, went and sold all that he had to buy it. This is compared to the kingdom of heaven. Do I feel this way about the kingdom of heaven? Whether this is referring to heaven or the kingdom of the church I do not know for sure, but either way, do I VALUE the kingdom of heaven so much that I will sell everything I have to be a part of it? Easy to say, perhaps, that 'oh yes, I *would*, I *would*. But, *DO* I???? (Looking around my house now. . .)

He also challenged a typical goal of American Christianity: "a nice marriage, children who don't swear, and good church attendance" (68). This makes me ask myself--what are my goals? what kind of a christian do I want to be? what can I do for Christ? what kinds of christians do I want to guide my children to be?

Finally, this section challenged my perspective on sharing the gospel to the purpose of bringing people to Christ. Chan emphasized the COST of following Christ (as Jesus Himself did in Luke 14:31-33) as "any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." It makes me wonder if we are fair to people, or if we sometimes push them to 'become Christians'. It's no wonder we have lukewarm people--they don't know what they are getting into! Chan says "Jesus didn't say that if you wanted to follow Him you could do it in a lukewarm manner, He said 'Take up your cross and follow me.'" (80).

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying we shouldn't share the gospel; rather, I am saying my perspective has been renewed on HOW we share the gospel--how we PREPARE people to LIVE for Christ.

In the United States, numbers impress us. We gauge the success of an event by how many people attend or come forward. We measure churches by how many members they boast. We are wowed by big crowds. Jesus questioned the authenticity of this kind of record keeping. According to the account in Luke chapter 8, when a crowd started following Him, Jesus began speaking in parables--"so that" those who weren't genuinely listening wouldn't get it. When crowds gather today, speakers are extraconscious of communicating in a way that is accessible to everyone. Speakers don't use Jesus' tactic to eliminate people who are not sincere seekers.

The fact is, He just wasn't interested in those who fake it. (66)

That quote sure made me think! I had to look up Luke 8 to check out his 'so that' claim--it's in verse 10. Isn't that an interesting perspective? And then the thought of 'eliminating' people who are not sincere seekers. What do you think of that? I've certainly seen people who profess to be Christians but never grow, never produce any fruit, and for years have to be babied along every step of the way, even just to attend meetings of the church. Were these people *prepared* to lay down their lives for Christ? IS there such a thing as a 'lukewarm Christian'? Does being 'spewed out of Christ's mouth' sound like salvation to you, or does it sound like 'Depart from me, I never knew you'?

Some people claim that we can be Christians without necessarily becoming disciples. I wonder, then, why the last thing Jesus told us was to go into the world, making disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey all that He commanded? You'll notice that He didn't add, "But hey, if that's too much to ask, tell them to just become Christians--you know, the people who get to go to heaven without having to commit to anything." (87)

So, my perspective on what type of soil I am, what types of goals a Christian sets, and how to prepare people to respond to the gospel are all being challenged and hopefully leading to changes in my life. These are just a few of the things that are impacting me from two chapters of this book. Stay tuned for more highlights. If you're not afraid to grow in your love for God and to be challenged in how you're living for Him, read this book with me!!