I’m Not the Only Hypocrite

I’ve been reading a number of blogs lately that are written by people who clearly relish the fact that they are “un-churched” (have not attended church in quite a long time, and have no desire to return). These folks often point to Christians who do attend church and complain that they are incredibly poor examples of what it should mean to be a believer. They repeatedly point to the hypocrisy and intolerance that they see in the loves of people who claim to follow Christ. Well, related to the first issue of hypocrisy, I recently had an interesting conversation with a family member that taught me not to fear my own shortcomings.

For years, this member of my family has complained that Christians are complete hypocrites. His argument is that the Christians he knows say they believe one thing, and then live in a way that obviously contradicts those beliefs. From his perspective, he is far more Christ-like than people who claim to have faith, because he believes that he is far more consistent in living out what he believes. He does believe in God, but not in the Christian Church, per se. He sees himself as a moral person, far more moral than those in his life who claim to be Christians. He sees himself as kind, far kinder than those who claim to be Christians. He sees himself as more of a servant, more patient, more giving. You name it, he’s more of it.

I’m starting to realize that the problem here is not how he is seeing the Christians in his life; it’s how he is seeing himself. There is an element of pride that is influencing his perception of the world around him. Christians cannot measure up because he is measuring them against someone who he considers to be far superior. He is comparing them to himself. And as pride inflates his view of himself, it deflates his view of those who claim to follow Christ. Well, I’m here to tell you that I am not afraid to advocate the ideal life that God calls us to in the Bible, even though I will continually fall short of this ideal. I am not afraid to tell others about the truth that God has revealed in the Scriptures even though I will always fall very short of this truth. I think it’s OK to champion perfect reality, even if I can’t always live the perfect reality.

I know I will occasionally be seen as a hypocrite. But to be honest, this member of my family is no less hypocritical. Like so many of the un-churched bloggers out there who complain about the behavior they see in the lives of Christians, they too are guilty of harsh judgment, condemning words, critical impatience with the people around them, and a life that is far more talk than walk. In many cases, that’s why these folks are un-churched. They couldn’t be patient with the relative imperfection they saw in the people who attended church (especially compared to the perfection they perceived in themselves). They quickly judged these people and often used harsh words in doing so. And while they often complain that Christians are far too concerned about “doing church” than about serving the poor, their lives are no more pious or sacrificial than those that attend church.

Within my own family I often encounter people who are reluctant to see that they are no different than the Christians they complain about. These encounters are helping me to remember that I have nothing to boast about, for I am just like the rest of you out there. I’m critical, judgmental, impatient and sinful. That’s why I am grateful that Christianity is far more than a lifestyle. It’s far more than trying to follow a good example. It’s the propositional TRUTH that in spite of who I am or will ever be, Jesus Christ loves me enough to pay the price for me. Yeah, I’m often a hypocrite, but that doesn’t really mean all that much when you stop to realize that we are ALL hypocrites, even when we really don’t want to admit it. And after all, it’s my innate inability to be anything other than a hypocrite that motivates the God of the universe to provide a way home that isn’t dependant on anything I could do. And for that, I am grateful.

Visit Us At PleaseConvinceMe.com

I’m Not the Only Hypocrite

Fun Enough?

I just came back from 3 days of wakeboarding at our High School Summer Camp. It’s always a ton of fun to go out with our students and get away from the routine. We were at a great camp that I highly recommend, and the speaker (Jeff Cranny) did a GREAT job preaching from his heart, leading worship and talking about the source of objective truth. I truly could not have asked for more. But I can tell you that I’ve been to a number of camps in the past that have epitomized the state of youth ministry in America today.

They’ve been focused on fun and relationship; a reflection of youth ministry in general. I can remember reading Jim Burn’s seminal youth ministry book, “Youth Builder” when I first became a youth pastor. I’ll never forget the primary teaching of that book. Above all else, RELATIONSHIPS are the stuff that good youth ministries are made of. Everything begins and ends with the relationships that we, as youth leaders, develop with the students we are leading.

Let’s face it; youth ministry is a relatively new paradigm in the history of the church. But that being said, we’ve graduated tons of young Christians into college since youth ministry took shape in American Christianity, so I think we can assess it’s effectiveness at this point in the journey. To be honest, the results have been terrible. The percentage of college freshmen who identify themselves as Christians only to later identify themselves as non-believers as college seniors is staggering. The numbers run somewhere between 50% to 68%. That’s how many kids walk away from the faith, often convinced by their college professors that Christianity is simply untrue.

We shouldn’t be surprised. After all, we’ve trained these kids to understand fun and relationships. That’s the foundation of youth ministry, right? When the going gets a little tough (and certainly a lot less fun), and the relationship with a pastor fades into memory, there isn’t a lot left for these students to hang on to. I don’t care how successful the relationship model has been in drawing large numbers of students or encouraging these students to join the club, it’s pretty clear that the model is woefully deficient in hanging onto these same students. It’s time for a new model.

It’s time for a model that is built on the adventure of discovering and defending the truth. I don’t think our students need to be taught or trained in the appreciation of fun or relationships. Most high school students have already got that down. I want to prepare them for the battle ahead; the battle for their hearts and minds; the battle for their faith; the battle of college and the life that follows. Students need to understand the truth of Christianity from a Biblical, evidential, empirical, sociological, cultural, psychological and scientific perspective. They need to understand that our faith is not our opinion; it is the truth. And they have to develop a heart for the lost that allows them to be kind enough to be merciful, yet passionate enough to be bold.

Yeah, we still go to camp. But we’re starting to rethink our strategy. We are slowly learning that the adventure of defending the truth is both a thrill and a bonding experience. The camps were fun, but they really weren’t fun enough…

Please Visit Us At www.PleaseConvinceMe.com

Fun Enough?

Affluence and Influence

Bono, the lead singer and songwriter for U2 really impressed me this week. He did something that few of us ever actually do as Christians. He used his unique position within the culture to articulate a position of truth about his faith, and defend it philosophically, even though he knew the risk he was taking. With a lot more to lose than you or I, Bono used his position of affluence and influence to point people to Jesus Christ.

In a recent interview (linked HERE), World Magazine writer, Gene Edward Veith, describes a discussion between Bono and an interviewer who is clearly hostile to Christianity and seems to perceive all religion as ‘dogma’ from which ‘appalling things’ happen. Read the article and see how articulately Bono is able to defend his belief in Christianity and the Grace of God that is unique to our faith system. But what is so impressive about the article is the fine example that Bono gives us as he shows us how to use our unique position within the culture to create positive change.

Bono is a man of influence. He has reached superstardom in a world full of stars, and many of his fans may not have known that he was a Christian. Yet he appears to be ready to use his position of influence to express his beliefs, knowing full well that his position alone will cause many to seriously consider Christianity for the first time. But Bono isn’t the only person who has influence. All of us are in a position to influence SOMEBODY. You and I are also in a position to impact the people around us. Maybe you’re the best hitter on your baseball team, the most talented artist in your class, the oldest sibling in your family, the strongest guy in your group, the smartest girl in your grade, the funniest person in your neighborhood. All of us are unique in some way and have some position of influence with at least one other person in our world. How often do we take advantage of this position to share the truth?

Bono is also a man of affluence. He’s reached a place where he has enough money to impact his environment. And he’s not done making money. U2 albums and concerts are still a hot commodity. Bono is risking his future financial position when he comes out like this, sharing a worldview that is not held by many who live in his world (the music industry). He seems comfortable with the risk. Bono isn’t the only one who is in a position to use his affluence to effect change. Compared to the world around us, you and I are incredibly wealthy and able to utilize our financial position to advance the Gospel. But few of us will ever do that. Few of us will take a financial risk and give away our money to advance the truth.

Finally, did you notice how much Bono is connected to his culture and uniquely able to relate to the person he is dealing with in this story? He uses the ideology of Karma to explain the truth of Grace. He understands where his listener is, and what he believes, then moves from that position to the truth of the Gospel of Grace, reasoning philosophically and evidentially for the deity of Jesus Christ. He ultimately ends up using the Liar, Lunatic, Lord apologetic to defend his case. In a world where many Christians are shrinking away from the use of apologetics, Bono still gets it. He is not afraid to reason for the truth.

Hey, Bono has his problems. He’s been known to use bad language, and do a bunch of stupid stuff, and he’s been pretty wild along the way. But we all have our own problems, just like him. Who we are should not limit our desire to change our world. God uses people like us, people like Bono, to impact the world around us. All we have to do is surrender our influence and our affluence to the cause of Christ…

Visit Us At www.PleaseConvinceMe.com!

Affluence and Influence