How Did We Get So Confused? Phil Robertson and Faith

Log on to FB and you probably won't be able to scroll more than two or three stories without seeing some opinion, share, hashtag or video about Phil Robertson, A&E or someone's agenda concerning the two.  Whether you are boycotting Duck Dynasty because of the elder Robertson's comments or boycotting A&E because of their reaction to it I wonder what impact any of this really has on changing opinions or tolerance.

But so I won't be left out of the conversation I thought I'd weigh in.

I choose to live my life by a set of rules (two really) that are contrary to the way in which I often want to live.  I believe Phil Robertson shares this choice.  If you choose not to live by these same rules that is completely up to you.  You have every right to call me names because of my choice as I have right because of your choice (choosing not to chose is a choice) although I would be in violation of both of the commands I seek to live my life by if I did that so I'll try and refrain.

My faith in Jesus is expressed best when I live those two rules He gave me.  Not as I talk about them, but as I live them in my real life and as I encounter real people.

So here's a real life response to Phil and what is going on in the christian community.
1.  As I follow Jesus my response to the issue of homosexuality is one of love and a call to repentance.  It is the same approach I am obligated to take with adultery, slander, gossip, dishonesty, stealing, coveting, sexual immorality or any kind of course or crude language.
2.  If every homosexual who claims to be a Christian is going to hell  then so is every other christian who sins.  Any christian who is gossiping, lying (even "white" lies), viewing pornography, who is dishonest in their life or language, covets or is engaged in any sexual immortality.  Let's just sum it up by saying anyone who is consistently (even if there is a lot of time between occurrences) not being completely loving toward God or others.
3.  I have an obligation to my God to act in love toward the homosexual by trying to help them see their sin for sin just like I do for the one who is caught in pornography or is lying or using or being selfish.  It is NOT loving to know the truth and hide it because the person who you might share it with will be offended.  They do not have to accept it and I am not obligated by God to beat them over the head with my truth.  My job is to simply tell them.  Their job is to choose.  My eternity is not dependent on their choice.  However, my silence is not loving toward the individual nor to my God so that creates a problem for me!
4.  The christian can no more accept or tolerate homosexuality than we can adultery, law breakers, haters, gossips, etc., but we also can not be loving toward God and others and completely disregard the homosexual or others we disagree with or pretend they don't exist.
5.  My faith in Jesus is based on God's Word - not my own desires or feelings.  In that, my rules for living are objective because they are outside of me.  No matter what I feel internally for homosexuality or any other sin, I am bound by God's Word and not my own feelings.  Which means my opinions or feelings don't matter, what matters is what God's Word says.  That also means that my feelings/opinions don't change based on the temperature of the situation or what a friend or family member chooses to engage in.  If it's sin, it's sin no matter what I feel or think.
6.  If you disagree with my faith that is your choice.  I am bound by my choice to love God and love others regardless of what they do or say to or about me.  So if you violate my choice to believe I'll still love you.  I won't throw you in jail or kill you or slander you.  In fact, I'll do my best to live peaceably with you.  However I won't allow you to force me to change my convictions because of your desires, convictions or feelings.  If you are free then I am free (even though I choose to be bound by God's way of life).

As long as I live I will do my best to love God and love others even if they disagree with me or I with them.  I will not be quiet about my faith but I will not be militant either.  I have chosen to be bound in order that I might be free, maybe you don't desire that.  As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord by loving Him and others and pointing the world to repentance even if they don't accept it.

Keep It Plain and Simple

I have a son with severe Autism who is nearly non-verbal.  He makes a lot of noise, but doesn't say much.  He's never really talked and we've never been able to have a conversation with him.  We don't know what his school days are like, he doesn't complain, he doesn't share his joy... or his sorrow.  He can follow clear and short one or two step directions but is completely lost when we ask him how he feels.  He doesn't understand complex concepts like LOVE or HATE.  So we have to speak to him very plainly and very simply.  

Anyone who is trying to communicate the eternal Words of God would do well to spend some time with my son.  To learn how to communicate when the person you're trying to communicate with... doesn't.  

For followers of Jesus this is a struggle.  Often, trying to communicate with the world around us is like trying to talk to someone who can't understand you.  Let me give you some examples.  I used to play on a weekend adult soccer league with my brother-in-law.  I would get up on Sunday morning, preach, go to sunday school and then preach again.  While getting my cleats and shin guards on I'd talk with the other members of my team.  But I didn't understand where they were coming from.  They were all talking about the parties they had gone to Friday night after work, how they got up late saturday and spent the day drinking and how hard it was to get up at 11am that morning to get to the field for the game.  I did not understand.  I do a lot of counseling and I often hear stories of parole violations and illegal drugs and the conversation is littered with curse words.  I don't understand.

It can be a struggle to communicate effectively with a culture that you don't understand.  But that's exactly what we're called to do.  That was confirmed to me this morning when I read, "When someone hears the Word of God but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart."  The Word of God is shared but it is not understood by the hearer.  It is sown but would be like trying to plant a vegetable garden in your living room carpet.  Because the hearer has no way to process the Word; no way to grab ahold and let it sink in, it is easy for Satan to come and snatch it away.  

So who's fault is it?  Well, if I'm the one communicating God's Word, it's mine.  

That's exactly why I preach the way I do.  

I'm not a flowery communicator.  I don't feel the need to use every expensive word I learned in Bible college.  I use filler words, though I try to limit them, and my sentence structure isn't always the best.  I preach the way I talk.  And If you've read much of this blog you've discovered that I often write the way I talk as well.  I do these things because I'm comfortable with it.  It's the same reason I don't wear suits, I'm comfortable in jeans and t-shirts (and in the summer nothing but shorts as often as possible!).  

If you are trying to communicate God's Word it is YOUR responsibility (and mine) to communicate God's timeless Truth in a way that could be classified as plain and simple.  If you're one of those $100 dollar word talkers that's fine, a few people in your church - the spiritual elite - may understand it and pat you on the back.  But most will walk out only thinking you must be smart, not thinking, God must be great.  

If Satan snatches the Word away it is most likely because you (and I) haven't communicated God's Truth in a way that they can understand.  That's on us (me).  

"Follow Me" Wasn't Just For The Perfect

I had the opportunity to have lunch with a large number of inmates from the minimum security facility in Winfield the other day.  It was the first time for me and I really enjoyed it.  The two men sitting at the table with me, Danny and Jim, as I recall had a lot of questions about church and especially Real Life.  I suppose it was the beanie I was wearing and the beard and long hair but they seemed to be pretty comfortable with me.  One of them, after the meal was over and we were all getting ready to leave told me that he got out in five months and that I shouldn't be surprised if I saw him in church.  "I'd like to come and see" he told me.

I was reminded of that lunch as I read Matthew 9:9 this morning.  It's the story of how Matthew came to be a disciple of Jesus and follow Him.  What I noticed was something that I don't recall seeing with any of the other disciples.

The verse just reads, As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth and He said to him, "Follow me."  And he rose and followed him.

Jesus called Peter and Andrew, James and John out of their boats, while they were working.  He called Nathaniel from under the tree where he was resting.  He called others from various places but He called Matthew while he was "sitting" in his sin.

Matthew was a tax collector.  Sold out to the occupying colonist Romans he was hated by the rest of the Jewish population as a traitor.  And was most likely extorting money from his fellow Jews.  He was greedy and was taking from his fellow man, something the Jewish Law forbid.

But Jesus calls him.  right there where he sat.  Actively engaged in his sin.  Jesus calls him, "Follow me."

This is one reason I love Jesus.  He didn't look for the brightest, or best, he called people from where they were, whether working the nets after a night of fishing or taking money from for the Romans.  Jesus is more interested in your future than in your past or even your present.  What this tells me is that my past AND my present position do not indicate my future usefulness to God's Kingdom.  God can call people in the midst of their sin into a life of faith, adventure and trust.

And one of the great things about God's call on the lives of those in the midst of their sin comes in verse 10.  Jesus went to Matthew's house and ate with him and others.  He didn't wait until Matthew had gotten his life completely together, that day, that hour he went to his home and ate a meal.  And lots of other tax collectors and "sinners" were there too!

Why does God call people in the midst of their sin?  Because they are the greatest witness and testimony to their friends and colleagues who are also involved in that sin.  Jesus came to many tax collects and sinners that day because He came to one, still in his sin, who said, "Okay" when Jesus called out to him from the midst of his sin, "Follow me."

No matter what you're into right now Jesus is placing the same call on your life, "Follow me."  How will you respond?