Sinners not Saints

In the words of Bob Dylan:

"You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed.
You're gonna have to serve somebody.
Well it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord,
But you're gonna have to serve somebody."

Yesterday proved to be a busy day getting back into the storms weathered in Hope.

Yesterday I presented the Gospel to three men.  I say "men;" one was only 19, a boy--now caught in the inevitable gravity of life drawing him into manhood that comes with being engaged and (possibly) a father--who moved to Texas to escape a troubled past.  His demeanor really impressed me, though.  He was definitely present, aware of the world around him.  Professed a work ethic that will serve him well, and that he really did not know much about the Gospel.

Neither did the other young man who grew up in a church-going family have the ability to give a concise or clear summary of the Gospel.  It just reinforces the fact that we American Christians claim a Christ whose words and message we honestly don't know; we follow because we're raised to follow, and I hope to God He will use me to help remedy that.  He also told me that he and his girlfriend both knew what the Bible said about sex, but, until this pregnancy "scare" as they called it, they did not think it was important.  Now they both decided it was time to be more responsible with the faith they confess.

The third man was the antithesis of scared.  Giddy might be the right word.  Awaiting news about whether he was going to become a father for the second time, he was obviously both nervous and very excited.  He said that he can afford a second child on his earnings as a researching doctoral student but no more; I wonder if they'll end up with twins this time.

Number 3 (yes, I do know his name, but confidentially!) grew up in Asia and said that he was unsure about spirituality.  I have talked to men with a similar background before, and it reaffirms for me the definite weirdness of the Gospel.

Let's be honest: we believe in a God, an all-good, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, all-sustaining Creator of everything who loves His creation so much that He says His own name is "Jealous" (Exodus 34:14); we believe he not only is One Being, but three Persons, each complete in Himself, all bound together as a whole in a way I may never truly comprehend; we believe one of these Persons came to earth to become fully man while remaining fully God so that He could die--God, dying; not only that, but we believe this man, who also is God, beat death and rose from the grave and was seen by over 500 people in the next month to confirm that He really was alive; and we believe that "whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

Can it get any stranger, honestly?

And so trying to convey that entire message to a man who grew up in a culture that, in this man's own words, does not teach anything about spirituality to younger generations is quite a challenge.  Have you ever given the complete message of the Gospel, from Genesis to the Cross to the Holy Spirit living in us as a promise of our eternal life in Christ, to someone that doesn't even believe he has a spirit along with his body?  To someone who doesn't know what the words "Gospel" or "crucified" or "Holy Spirit" or "salvation" or "sin" even mean?

Let me tell you that not only is it tough, but it is so fulfilling, and totally worth it.  It makes you really think about what it is that you believe, and why.  Where those Bible verses are that support those beliefs. What logic flows from those God-breathed verses.  And how to put it in simple language everyone can understand, even those who have only spoken English for the last five years.

What I found laid quite simply before me was the truth that Jesus Christ said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 3:17).

Thanks to God for that, too, because I've seen my own brokenness; it hasn't been but a few days since the last time I used someone for my own purpose.

Then, these three quite different men spoke with me--one who has always been in the Church, one who has been to church, and one who for 35 years never knew what the word "spiritual" meant.  And the one most excited to hear and talk about the Gospel, who came back with his wife later that night to hear a full-on presentation of the story of Creation, was the one who'd never entered a church before.

I see more and more in my time at Hope that church attendance or other "checklist" items for Christians mean absolutely nothing if they skip the part where GOD HIMSELF CREATED US FOR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM!

If we get that part, THEN going to church and praying and fasting and tithing and all of those other things bring life; they are structure into which the life that we find in God grows.  Without that relationship, they are only rules to oppress people.

So, as Brennan Manning puts it, "the church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints."  Can we please follow the example of the good people at Hope who have taught me so much about serving others?  Can we bring what help and healing and joy and wisdom and support and relationship that we can while telling people about Christ, instead of just beating the latter over people's heads?

Because that is exactly what Jesus did in His ministry here on earth.  All along Jesus always proclaimed His purpose and authority, but always hand in hand with the times He healed the sick and fed the hungry.  He proved (and proves) His love and power and authority THROUGH His service.  He did not separate the two acts; why should we?