The Gospel of Inclusiveness.

Do you remember your first day at school, or first day at work, or even your first day at church? Whether you knew a few people or not, you arrived in a new place, uncomfortable and out of place. Maybe even excluded from the “in-crowd”. Many of us know what it’s like to be a stranger, with all the awkwardness and self-consciousness. You may even have felt that it was impossible for you to ever be accepted in this place where some people are accepted and others are not.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul reminds the believers that all of us (as Gentiles) were once strangers:

…remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Ephesians 2:12

Look at the strong words: “separated”, “alienated”, “strangers”, hopeless and without God. This is how we all were, lost in our own sin, separated from God. But the good news is that God reached out to us–the death and resurrection of Christ made it possible for us to be included:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:13

Isn’t that great news?? Jesus made it so that we could have a relationship with God. And Paul goes on in the same chapter:

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.
Ephesians 2:19

See, it’s the character of God to take excluded people and to bring them into relationship with Him. His inclusive nature brought Him to pay the ultimate price so that we could be part of His household.

Paul goes on to say that the church’s job is to reflect this message to everyone, so much that even the angels can see:

…through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 3:10

See, the church’s job is to embody this inclusive nature of God. Every week at our church groups there are newcomers who come. They are strangers, possibly unbelievers, who are out of place and alienated from the community we all enjoy. Will we be the kind of church that Paul describes in Ephesians, who embody the message of inclusiveness to everyone?

Everybody likes to be included. We all are prone to having cliques, to having exclusive clubs and leaving others out. Most of us know the thrill of being included, and the pain of being excluded. So why do we still form exclusive groups in our church and exclude those we don’t want around? Why do we have cliques and invite only an elite few to be part of our parties and get-togethers? What is wrong with this picture?

Let’s look for the excluded, the strangers, the people without hope, and bring them into our community in the name of the gospel!

Lost Children.

(modified from my article published in the most recent issue of Evergreen SGV’s OnLine newsletter)

Imagine I was working at the “Lost Children” office at Disneyland. My job is to take care of kids who have been separated from their parents. The kids are scared, definitely lonely, and might have some special needs.

Let’s say there are two boys who come in. One is very young, dressed in rags, and seems like he has a learning disability. He’s been crying so long his voice is gone, and he won’t sit still. He’s just a lot of work for the office staff to take care of.

A second boy comes in, who is calm, not crying, and well-dressed. From my conversation with him, I find out that he has very wealthy parents. I tell myself, “there might even be a handsome reward for me if I take care of him.” He’s well-behaved, making jokes, and just a fun kid to be around.

Now, let’s say I spent all of my time with the second boy, because he’s easier to take care of and there might be some nice reward for me. And on top of that, the office staff and I ignore the first boy who probably needs your attention more. You’d probably think that it would be selfish to do that, that I would not be doing my job faithfully.

The early church was encountering a similar situation. See the words of James 2:1-4.

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

James was urging his brothers and sisters to think beyond themselves and to care for those cannot reward them. Likewise, our love needs to go beyond those who love us back. Like the Lost Children office, our churches have many people coming in, many of them scared and lonely, looking for a place to belong. Some of them may have hurts and quirks that are difficult to deal with. Will we as a body of Christ be faithful to our calling and love them the way the Bible teaches us to, even when they cannot offer us anything in return?

Let’s not pick and choose who we associate with, based on what they can do for us. Can you imagine what our churches would look like if we embodied the words of James 2? Can you see the welcoming, redeeming place that the body of Christ could be?

Lord, please continue to work in our hearts to be a loving, redeeming, inclusive body of Christ that loves those who others would never love. God, may You move us to shed our selfish attitudes about who we associate with so that the power of Your love is unmistakable in our lives.  Amen.

Critical Attitude.

So recently I realized that my spirit is bent towards criticism–I tend to look for faults and vices in others and dwell on them pointing them out to them and others.  This critical spirit might make me feel a little better about myself in the short run, but my constant bitterness towards the shortcomings in ends up being unhealthy. I dwell in my own negative feelings, alienate others, and ultimately distance myself from God.

What would happen if I decided to focus on the grace of God working in others? Sure, nobody’s perfect, but that includes me too. I have so much evidence of God working in me. Can I choose to call attention to the things that we can thank God for? How would my heart transform towards others? I wonder if this would help to cultivate a spirit of humility and gratitude in my own heart.

Simple Obedience.

Growing up, Mom would frequently shout “Simple Obedience!” when we would be slow to respond to her calling to come to dinner, clean our rooms, or do our chores. She questioned why we had to hesitate at all. After all, we should just obey as soon as we hear her command.

In the same way, why do I hesitate when I read God’s word? What do I need to ponder about? I’m convicted, but am I obedient?

Do I “Go and do likewise?” Do I care for the widow and the orphan? Do I pray for those who hurt me?

How to be a hypocrite.

Jesus gives us some very clear teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 6. Don’t be like the hypocrites! It is both a warning and a command.

So, just for clarity’s sake, and to provide a good self-evaluation, let’s turn it around and see what Jesus has to say about “how to be a hypocrite”:

1. Tell everyone about my acts of righteousness.
   Make sure everyone knows how  godly I am by telling people how much I give, how much I serve in ministry, how much I help those in need. Of course, I make sure people think I’m being humble by saying “Wow, I’m so tired from serving in ministry all weekend.” or “I’d love to buy those girl scout cookies, but I give so much to the church already.”  Or even be more subtle like tweeting “Everybody, I’m helping out with the youth retreat, going to be gone all week!“
   Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. –Matthew 6:1-2
    
2. I should remember to do my “Quiet Time” and flowery prayers in front of everyone.
   Where will I be seen reading my Bible and praying with my hands wide out in a godly posture? Where will I know people will see me and all my godliness? I should whip out my Thesaurus and impress people with my vast vocabulary when it comes to praying out loud! I should make sure to use words like “omniscient” and “kenosis”. I should definitely talk about my Quiet Time all the time so people remember how spiritual I am.
   “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. –Matthew 6:5-8
    
3. I should make sure everyone knows about my godly disciplines.
   Did I mention that I fast and pray every hour? “Check out the verse I’ve been ‘meditating’ on!” or “Guess how many people I evangelized to this month?” The possibilities are endless.
   When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. –Matthew 6:16-18
    

I’ve been guilty of all of the above. It’s been quite sobering to evaluate my actions and words. Why do I try so hard to justify myself in front of others? Can I trust that God’s rewards for secret acts of righteousness, done only for love of Him, are much greater than the temporary praise of man?