Jesus... a true elder brother

I'm studying the parable of the lost son (Luke15) and it has been extremely eye opening. Most people read this parable and focus on the younger son. After doing some research and reading Timothy Keller's book "Prodigal God" I have come to the realization that Jesus is also focusing on the elder son as well.

The parable is a beautiful representation of God's unconditional love for us when looked at through the eyes of the younger son. He basically tells his Dad that he is dead to him. So he takes his life savings and runs away to party hard in Vegas. Then he hits rock bottom. After wasting all his money he starts drooling over what pigs get to eat. I bet the disillusion of the statement "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" really started to sink in at this point. I can't imagine how much he longed for what he gave up... the love of his Daddy. Thus begins the writing of his apology speech and his repayment plan so he can come home. You know how the story goes. The way the father responds to the younger brother really puts substance to 2 Peter 3:9. The God that so loved the world always patiently waits to embrace his lost son's and daughter's once again. God doesn't only celebrate the return of his children he longs for it with every ounce of himself.

Then we read that the elder son is jealous of the younger son. Some of you know exactly how it feels to be the elder brother. In our culture working really hard to earn what you receive is the norm. Nothing is free. At least that's what my parents told me. So it seems like he got screwed right? In this story the elder brother's character was meant to engage the Pharisees and Religious leaders that were listening to Jesus. They were probably upset that the elder brother was getting the shaft. In the eyes of the listeners the elder son should be rewarded for his loyalty and dedication to the father. He did what he was suppose to do.

What I learned is that both sons have something in common. They share the same experience of walking out on their father. Both of them alienate themselves from the father. Both's sons were concerned with their inheritance and the plans they had. But only one son understood his lostness and repented.

Why doesn't Jesus share the resolution for the elder son? I honestly don't know the answer to that question. Maybe Jesus left the story unfinished because he knew telling the proper ending through a teaching wouldn't be enough. Why? The story needs to become "flesh". Jesus knew that he needed to level the playing field for all the younger and elder brothers in this world. Maybe Jesus decided to show them instead of tell them. We can try as hard as we want but we can never be a true elder brother. Jesus is the only true elder brother. A true elder brother will give up anything to please the Father because he trusts in his love. As Jesus is hanging on the cross he utters his last words "It is finished".

Jesus made something very clear to me through this parable. God's grace has leveled the playing field. Everyone is invited to the party! "There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus."

All Mixed Up...

Last night there were 72 middle school students at a place called the “Pinball Parlour”. The owner basically turned his hobby of collecting pinball machines and arcade games into a small business. It’s filled with at least 120 different arcade games. Although it's an awesome place to take students that’s not the primary reason we went. We had planned to do something we call the “Mix Bowl”. The Mix Bowl is a service project that our students started last year. It was during a teaching series on Matthew 25 that we discovered our students were moved to help feed the hungry in our local neighborhoods. The students realized that the people that Jesus refers to as "the least of these" are extremely important to him and because of Jesus they are extremely important to us. So we partnered with an organization called “Manna on Main Street” to support their mission by helping them make bags of trail mix for students that go to the “boys and girls club”. The concept is pretty simple. We have students split up by grade taking turns making bags of trail mix. When the students aren’t bagging trail mix they get to play games at the Pinball Parlour. We made serving extremely important without taking the fun out of it. Genius youth pastor move, I know. If you are a youth pastor feel free to steal it. 

The dedicated students of Exit31 and the Rock student ministries were able to bag 1,017 bags of trail mix in 45 minutes. We had all the materials and trail mix ingredients donated. There was so much we even had leftovers at the end of the night. Today my buddy Rick (the youth pastor for TheRock) and I will grab a couple students to help us take all the trail mix over to Manna to say thanks for being so dedicated to feeding the hungry in our community. I’m so proud of our students for being willing to serve and help feed the hungry. 

God is always with you

The Psalms are great. I think that's why I love reading them so much. I read some of them and get comforted by the poetic descriptions of God's goodness and love. David's uncut journals about abandonment and shame encourage me to push through my own hurts and hang ups. The Psalms that talk about God's wrath being poured out on David's enemies paint a picture of God's Holiness. 


Psalm 139 is one of my favorites. David teaches us that we are never alone and that God will never abandon us. We also read about this in Deuteronomy 31:6&8. 


So the question I'm interested in answering is why? If this is true and God is always with us then why does it seem that there are specific moments in life in which it feels like God is far away?  


I'm going to make a suggestion. There are two myths out there that we tend to fall for every time.


Myth 1-We think God leaves us alone because others have.
Maybe you've felt abandoned by others. I remember when my dad died. I felt extremely alone and I asked God for help but I never felt like he was there. I tried to look to my family for help but my mom would say things that made me so mad (my parents got divorced). She wasn't going to step up to help. It felt like I was the only one left in my family to take care of my little sister. Dad was so close to both of us and we were hurting bad. The people that abandoned me in life were the people that were always supposed to be there for me. If they wouldn't help me why would God want to help me?


Myth 2-We think God leaves us alone because of our mistakes.
The truth is that every time I would do something I knew God wouldn't approve of it felt like he was off in some other galaxy. God always seemed distant from me during and immediately after my sin. I just figured God was far away from me because I was always sinning. At one point I felt like God would never want to be around the man I was. Because I felt that way I figured he was never there. Our feelings and/or decisions don't determine if God is with us or not.


The truth is that nothing will ever separate you from the love of God.


Rom 8:38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.


Maybe the key to understanding if God is with you doesn't depend on him alone. God is there and he is ready to be with you. When was the last time that you looked for him? In our culture its so easy to be self-relient. God is always with you but you need to rely on him. He wont force the relationship on you. He also never leaves because he knows how much you need him. 


Are there any areas in life that you are treading alone? When do you feel most alone? Know that God is with you.

adding hours to your life

So here I go again. Another day and another opportunity. I'm trying to start my day off on the right foot. I learned some great stuff in my small group last night that would be great to apply as I progress throughout my day. Last night we read the Matthew 6.25-34 passage and discussed what Jesus was trying to teach his followers about worry. As I type this post I already feel the worry starting to creep up on me. The possibility that I wont have enough time to get all of my other tasks for today accomplished if I spend too much time writing this concerns me. That concern I have is not a bad thing. When those concerns start to consume me to the point that I am less productive and my hope for accomplishing those tasks starts to decrease, then I have crossed over the line from concern to worry.

So here are a few of my thoughts for this morning "concerning" my worries.

Priorities
If I prioritize my responsibilities I can gradually work at seeing them get accomplished. Not everything is going to get done today. I do have things that need done today and I know that there is something I can do to accomplish those things. Spending too much time being concerned about what the result of my task will be can cause me to worry. Everyone is afraid to fail so I shouldn't feel abnormal because of that. Being concerned is a great thing because it helps me feel more responsibility for getting my goals accomplished. Being consumed by the results can decrease my effectiveness in getting my tasks done.

Process
If I am honest with myself I will understand that I can't perfectly accomplish all my tasks today. If I truly love what I do I will never be satisfied until it is being done in the best way possible. So I will leave space in my spirit for mistakes to help me grow. If things are not perfected today there will be another chance tomorrow. I will always be able to play a part in the process of "perfecting" my tasks.

Humility
I need to be humble enough to admit when I don't know how to accomplish my tasks. If I ask questions to figure out how to do something I am struggling with I may save myself hours of trying to figure it out. If I need to learn how to do it anyway why not ask someone who knows how?

Love
I want to love my job today. Some of the things I do may not be ideal or even enjoyable but they always help me learn more about myself and what I'm made to do. I know there will always be tasks that I have to accomplish no matter how much I hate doing them. But those tasks should never be the majority of what I am spending time on. If they are then I am wasting my time because I'm in the wrong profession. I am always being shaped to love what I do and/or do what I love. I will not worry if what I am doing today isn't the perfect job for me.

"Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" -Matt 6.27

"Therefor do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matt 6.34

  

The mystery of God's love

I am in a local Starbucks and I'm posted up in this big comfy seat getting ready to study. I look across from me and I noticed this binder labeled Apologetics laying on the table next to this guy. So I discretely investigated a little further. Well I guess yelling out "hey! do you teach Apologetics?" would have been more discrete if everyone in the place didn't turn their head and look.  What can I say, I'm a classy guy. Despite my awkward introduction we were able to strike up some really great conversation. One of the things we talked about was teaching scripture. He teaches at a local Seminary in town. We both agreed that how we teach the scripture today is dangerously far from the way Jesus taught scripture.

Pastors generally tell great stories but we fail to contextualize the mysteries of Heaven. The mystery of the Gospel is found in the "why" not the "how". Why love bloodied itself for the redemption of an unworthy human race is a mystery. When the Gospel gets presented in its truest form the listener will thirst for it to have personal substance. 

The focus of our teachings can't be about how to prevent a screwed up life. We miss the point when we make behavior modification our focus. Jesus didn't teach the 3 steps to spiritual success because it comes with a condition. Intimacy in relationships comes from unconditional love. Love that looks you in the eye in the middle of your lowest moment and shows no reservation. I believe that Jesus always has and always will look at us with glossy eyes. He is divine and human, man and God. He knows all and he forgives all.

The way that we should teach is the way that Jesus taught. It's the most effective way to invite someone into the mystery that is eternity. The Parables were always about raising more questions than giving answers. I think we need to rip out a page from the Bible (is that legal?) and craft teachings that inspire the listener to pursue the mystery of love. The same love that is at the heart of the Holy Trinity. 

Colossians 1

 ¹⁵ Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
      He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,^[e]
 16 for through him God created everything
      in the heavenly realms and on earth.
   He made the things we can see
      and the things we can’t see—
   such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
      Everything was created through him and for him.
 ¹⁷ He existed before anything else,
      and he holds all creation together.
 ¹⁸ Christ is also the head of the church,
      which is his body.
   He is the beginning,
      supreme over all who rise from the dead.^[f]
      So he is first in everything.
 ¹⁹ For God in all his fullness
      was pleased to live in Christ,
 ²⁰ and through him God reconciled
      everything to himself.
   He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
      by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Just Play

Travis is a really great friend of mine and is in Sudan, Africa with his wife Nikki right now. They felt called to go on a trip to Sudan and help serve the people there. They have been building relationships with young kids deprived of affection, helping build shelves, teaching them how to jump rope and play American Football, reading scripture together, and challenging the youth to be at the frontline of Jesus' redemption plan for Sudan.

I am extremely inspired by these two in a couple ways. The first thing that amazes me is that they take the  mission of the church very seriously. Jesus tells us that if we fail to provide for the least of these we are failing to provide for Jesus himself. It's clear to me that they both have a heart to serve "the least of these". The second thing that blows me away is how they partner together. Marriage is supposed to unite a man and woman to become one and they do this well. Their unique combination of gifting and passions is being woven together to craft one amazing and unstoppable force for the Kingdom of Heaven.

You should read some of the blog posts from their trip. If you've never considered meeting the needs of people on a global level click here and let their stories inspire you. To be brutally honest there is nothing supernatural about this preschool teacher and life insurance salesman. Ordinary people being used for extraordinary things is not a new concept for Jesus. With every hug, kind word, nail being hammered, playful game, serious conversation, the words of Jesus become flesh through Nikki and Travis. I am extremely proud to know them.

Global Missions should be a part of the regular rhythm for those who follow Jesus. In the most recent blog post Nikki mentions something I think is very profound and hits the heart of what it looks like to be used by God in missions work. This is how she put it.

"After lunch Trav came to play with the kids in the school yard. He was teaching them American football and I was still hard at work learning Mongola. It doesn’t seem like a hard game, but when I say “Can you teach me how to play” They say “Yes“, and just play…without the explaining." 

If you feel moved with compassion to help those in need God is already preparing you. Now all you need to do is "just play". When you get confirmation in your heart there is no other option "just play". Don't waist too much time over thinking this. Get your hands dirty. Just play!

One last thing. God is asking myself and a small group of my friends to "just play". We feel God calling us to serve orphans in India. The details are still being worked out and there are a few extra complications that could be on the horizon. We would appreciate your prayers. 

Cha-ching on a shoestring

I get together with a group of Youth Pastors the first Thursday of every month. We just talk about our jobs and ways that we can really make an impact in the lives of the students in our community. I just found out that one of them just returned from New York for an interview with Anderson Copper. His name is Wes and and his wife were invited because of the popularity of their blog. They have a heart for smart shopping and taking advantage of using coupons. So they decided to create a blog that helps educate people on how to save money. His wife is really leading this whole initiative. She also posts coupons for all the local stores in our community. It's really something she loves and it comes out in the details and content of their blog. This whole thing actually opened up doors for them to get involved with donating to local non-profits that distribute food. She has about 7,000 followers on her blog. I really am just starting to grasp this whole thing but its sounds pretty cool. 

You should check it out by clicking here.

Take it to the cross

As I was driving to work this morning I was thinking about something that's been bothering me for the past few months. I don't want to share what that particular thing is just yet. Regardless of what, it has been heavy on my heart. There are a few things you have to understand before any of this will make sense. This is a conflict between my perspective and the perspective of someone else. I feel like God wants me to do something and this person doesn't think I should do this thing. This person also has authority over me and I want to honor them but it conflicts with something I feel called to do. Trust me, this situation is much more complicated than my last statement but the detailed description will have to wait.

Anyway, back to this morning. As I was thinking about this in my car I started to have conversations with this person in my head. If you have done this before then you know what I'm talking about. It's one of the quickest ways to feel like you're right. These conversations involved me telling this person how I feel. We all know how that goes. I didn't just share how I felt. I let them have it. I pulled a few unkind words out of my vocabulary and I crafted my sentences in a way that I knew would cut deep. My blood would start pumping and I would start to grab the steering wheel so tight my knuckles would turn white.


The reality is that this is going to happen and probably very often too. We have to be very careful that we don't stay in these oneway conversations for very long. When we feed our ego like that we may actually believe that we know what's best. 


Then I had one of those moments. If you had one you know what I'm talking about. I felt a little crazy for getting all worked up over something I can't control. I remembered a scripture verse I read yesterday. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"declares the Lord. Isaiah 55.8. I began to realize that these feelings and thoughts were not coming from a good place. My thoughts were not God's thoughts and my perspective was definitely not God's perspective. They were actually creating a situation that didn't really exist.  


I realized that most important thing in our relationship with God is trust. I realized that I have no idea what's going on outside of my own thoughts and my own perceptions. I also remembered an illustration that Jesus shared with a large crowd of people. He told them that if you are at the altar about to give a sacrifice and you remember that you have something against your brother or your brother has something against you. Then you are to drop everything and immediately go and attempt to restore that broken relationship before you can worship God properly.


It's true that I don't understand the motives of this other person. It's true that my first priority as a Christian is to love unconditionally. It's true that its all difficult to understand at times. It's still true that God is calling me to make this decision. 

So I don't know what's next but I am going to talk with this person one more time. In the meantime I will  offer my thoughts and my perspectives on my life and how it should go to Jesus. I will worship him for what he has done on the cross. Today I will swim in the ocean of his grace.

My prayer,
Jesus, I don't want to be angry with my brother. I don't want to live my life trying to prove that I know what's best. I want to live my life with ruthless trust in your love for me and for this other person. I know you are calling me to do something and I pray that it does not get in the way of my love for this other person and your love for me. Amen.