my King
For the past several years I have been studying extensively the dynamics of the local church. What makes people walk off the street and into the well-known, mostly doubled, doors of the local sanctuary. Those doors are a symbol of hope and peace and comfort and love for most people who walk through them but for others it is a constant reminder of failure and despise and a feeling of not being "good enough". Why is that do you suppose? Why would a stranger to the church view the opening doors to God's house a symbol of rejection? Your church may be a loving and caring church with God-fearing individuals and that probably has nothing to do with the perception of a stranger to the church. There are probably many reasons for this but I just want to focus on one.
What is your perception of Jesus?
Yes I'm sure you are sitting there thinking that this is a simple question and you are thumbing through your book full of Sunday School answers written by a 1960's southern baptist preacher but take into consideration that many believers have failed to fully realize who Jesus Christ actually is. In fact, stats show that some believers are uncertain as to Christ's divinity. I would venture out to say that more than half of Christian Believers are uncertain as to the divine nature of Jesus Christ. That is to say that they don't fully believe that Jesus was, is, and will always be God. Is this their fault? No, not really. Those who I would blame are those who educate in the manner of Christianity. People like pastors, and Sunday school teachers. People like Christian professors and Christian activists. People like me. I feel like we have failed our people. For what seems like centuries, we have bypassed the nature of Christ because it seems too complicated. For that I am sorry. Deeply sorry and troubled. The first century church knew who this Jesus is. They knew Him, saw Him, and believed Him. He was their King. Well nothing has changed folks. We still preach and teach and pray and worship to the same God as our forefathers did. But sometimes the Jesus we see is the Jesus that we all saw hanging on the wall of our Sunday School room with the long flowing hair and rich blue eyes with not a blemish or stain on His face. Beginning to see that image again? Mark Driscoll, the author of Vintage Jesus, proclaims that image as the lobotomized Lord. Not meaning to be sacrilegious or offensive in anyway to our Savior but rather to wake us up. Our King was not the pretty boy walking down the road with a lamb in His arms every day. No, He was the man who probably wore cut-off sleeved shirts with mud and clay and wood chips carrying a toolbox. He was probably muscular and dirty with BROWN EYES. Crazy gesture.. I know.. But my King was and is a powerful King. He was righteous and holy. When He spoke He spoke with power and demand. So much that even at the whisper of His name demons shook in fear and trepidation. Even the elements obeyed His command. He was, is, and will always be God. That is my King. So why do we have the tendency to turn away strangers from our doors? When we as Believers in the Way, Truth, and Life finally grasp a hold of who Jesus is we shed our unwillingness and our the light that shines through us will be addicting and relentless and that light will grab a hold of those on the outside and beckon them inside.
To know Him and find Him and yet still be looking for Him is everything.
What is your perception of Jesus?
Yes I'm sure you are sitting there thinking that this is a simple question and you are thumbing through your book full of Sunday School answers written by a 1960's southern baptist preacher but take into consideration that many believers have failed to fully realize who Jesus Christ actually is. In fact, stats show that some believers are uncertain as to Christ's divinity. I would venture out to say that more than half of Christian Believers are uncertain as to the divine nature of Jesus Christ. That is to say that they don't fully believe that Jesus was, is, and will always be God. Is this their fault? No, not really. Those who I would blame are those who educate in the manner of Christianity. People like pastors, and Sunday school teachers. People like Christian professors and Christian activists. People like me. I feel like we have failed our people. For what seems like centuries, we have bypassed the nature of Christ because it seems too complicated. For that I am sorry. Deeply sorry and troubled. The first century church knew who this Jesus is. They knew Him, saw Him, and believed Him. He was their King. Well nothing has changed folks. We still preach and teach and pray and worship to the same God as our forefathers did. But sometimes the Jesus we see is the Jesus that we all saw hanging on the wall of our Sunday School room with the long flowing hair and rich blue eyes with not a blemish or stain on His face. Beginning to see that image again? Mark Driscoll, the author of Vintage Jesus, proclaims that image as the lobotomized Lord. Not meaning to be sacrilegious or offensive in anyway to our Savior but rather to wake us up. Our King was not the pretty boy walking down the road with a lamb in His arms every day. No, He was the man who probably wore cut-off sleeved shirts with mud and clay and wood chips carrying a toolbox. He was probably muscular and dirty with BROWN EYES. Crazy gesture.. I know.. But my King was and is a powerful King. He was righteous and holy. When He spoke He spoke with power and demand. So much that even at the whisper of His name demons shook in fear and trepidation. Even the elements obeyed His command. He was, is, and will always be God. That is my King. So why do we have the tendency to turn away strangers from our doors? When we as Believers in the Way, Truth, and Life finally grasp a hold of who Jesus is we shed our unwillingness and our the light that shines through us will be addicting and relentless and that light will grab a hold of those on the outside and beckon them inside.
To know Him and find Him and yet still be looking for Him is everything.
