The Great Omission
Trey Little | 21-Mar-10
"The Great Omission"
This morning, as we continue to examine the "holes" in our Gospel I want to begin by saying this--I am proud of you! Not that you need to hear me say that--but I want to say it. Over the past several weeks we have been exposed to the reality of suffering in our world. Many of us have been convicted and challenged by the thought of what God expects of us. Many of our hearts have been broken by the things that break God's heart--and perhaps we have begun to look at people and situations with a bit more compassion and interest. And so, before we move into today's lesson, I just want to thank you for wrestling with God during this Lenten Season. I am convinced He is at work--and I am convinced He has a plan for MMPC--and I am convinced it involves the world.
So, let's jump back into our study of The Hole in Our Gospel by first turning to James 1: 22-27 (p. 1196) and hearing God's word for us this morning.
I received an interesting email this past week--one many of you may have seen yet one that got my attention--at least in relation to what is on my heart to say this morning. The story goes of a United States Marine who was taking some college courses in between his military assignments. One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist. One day the professor shocked the class when he came in, looked to the ceiling and flatly stated: "God if you are real then I want you to knock me off this platform. I will give you exactly 15 minutes."
The lecture room fell silent. You could have heard a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God, I'm still waiting."
It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold. The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently.
The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, and looked at the Marine and asked: "What in the world is the matter with you? Why did you do that? The Marine calmly replied: "God was too busy today protecting America's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid stuff and act like an idiot--so, He sent me."
Let me ask you a question--what evidence do you need to assure you that God is real? Do you need Him to come and knock you off the platform you are standing on?
Some of you have told me that some of the sermons I have preached in the past several weeks and some of the things you have read in The Hole in Our Gospel have made you uncomfortable. Some of you don't like to hear about all the problems and suffering in the world. You don't like to hear that 26,575 children under the age of 5 die every day from preventable causes. You don't like to hear that children are being abused this very moment as sex slaves and prostitutes. That entire families will be wiped out today by malaria and AIDS. That orphans are roaming the streets with no one to care for them.
If you are uncomfortable, I am thrilled because it means I am not alone. This series has made me uncomfortable. It has opened my eyes. It has made me think about what I am going to do--first as an individual and second as a pastor called to lead you all to share the Gospel to the world. That is the Great Commission--to "Go out into the world--making disciples." It is uncomfortable to think that we are more inclined to live out the "Great Omission" rather than the "Great Commission"--we take out the things that make us uncomfortable rather than showing the world just how REAL GOD IS!
So I think it is a good thing we are feeling uncomfortable.
James writes in verse 22: "Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
For many of us--we find comfort in coming to worship on Sunday mornings. We feel comfortable sitting in our pews and listening to a sermon--as long as it doesn't last too long! Others of us feel comfortable reading or listening to sermons on our website. And still others of us are comfortable attending St. Posture Pedic church and laying in bed watching a preacher on television. To each his own--the point is, most of us have heard the Gospel. Most of us have heard that the word of God calls us to not only be hearers of the word, but also doers. That is why, I think we feel uncomfortable--because deep down inside--in a very REAL way--we are having to face the truth. The truth that the "holes" in our Gospel become very visible when we don't DO what the word says.
Eugene Peterson translated verse 22 this way: "Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other" (The Message).
Ask any teacher in here this morning a common denominator of a "good listener" and they will tell you it is a student who applies what he hears.
Have you ever purchased something that needed to be assembled prior to use? Think back to those situations when you unpacked all the materials in the box--you were just "some assembly" away from enjoying your recent purchase. You thought you had it all together and then you realize ONE piece is missing. Without that ONE piece, you can't enjoy the fullness of what you just purchased. With ONE piece omitted--the product just isn't the same.
So it is with us and the Gospel--if there is a piece missing we are not enjoying the fullness of living in and for the Kingdom.
Stearns put it well when he said, "This has always been a problem with God's people; we tend to drift away from God's bold vision, replacing it with a safer, tamer vision of our own" (pg. 183).
As I mentioned, it can be uncomfortable living out the WHOLE GOSPEL!
Stearns talked about a survey that World Vision did a few years ago--it was a survey of pastors, in which they were asked to rate the things they considered real priorities for their churches. "In the highest-priority category, 79% listed worship; 57%, evangelism; 55%, children's ministry; and 47%, discipleship programs." These are all good and important in the life of any church. But what made me uncomfortable was that, "18% said that 'helping poor and disadvantaged people overseas' was of 'highest priority'" (p. 185).
Here at MMPC we are committed to giving 10% above and beyond our annual budget to missions. That equates to at least 30,000 dollars in 2010--set aside to be used for helping others. That is fantastic! But what if we began to work towards making that number 15% or 20% or even higher? What if we began to examine the parts of the Gospel that make us uncomfortable and pray for the Lord to repair our "holes?" What if we committed to making local and global missions a piece of our spiritual lives--a piece that is a MANDATORY expression of our love for God and a TANGIBLE expression of our love for others? What if we put the "Co" back in the "Great Comission?"
James writes in verses 26-27, "Anyone who sets himself up as 'religious' by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world."
What is holding you back from showing the world that God is REAL?
Of course, God is not too busy--but I wonder if God is tired of us saying that we are?
Let me close with one more thought from Stearns. He says: "When historians look back in 100years, what will they write about this nation of 340,000 churches? What will they say of the Church's response to the great challenges of our time--AIDS, poverty, hunger, terrorism, war? Will they say that these authentic Christians rose up courageously and responded to the tide of human suffering, that they rushed to the front lines to comfort the afflicted and to douse the flames of hatred? Will they write of an unprecedented outpouring of generosity to meet the urgent needs of the world's poor? Will they speak of the moral leadership and compelling vision of our leaders? Will they write that this, the beginning of the 21st century, was the Church's finest hour? Or will they look back and see a Church too comfortable, insulated from the pain of the rest of the world, empty of compassion, and devoid of deeds? In short, will we be remembered as the Church with a gaping hole in its gospel?"
Friends, God has invited us to be used by Him to change the world. He has invited us to be used by Him to make Him REAL. Rather than sit in our seats quietly--together let us get up and respond to His word by "Doing what it says!"
AMEN.
This morning, as we continue to examine the "holes" in our Gospel I want to begin by saying this--I am proud of you! Not that you need to hear me say that--but I want to say it. Over the past several weeks we have been exposed to the reality of suffering in our world. Many of us have been convicted and challenged by the thought of what God expects of us. Many of our hearts have been broken by the things that break God's heart--and perhaps we have begun to look at people and situations with a bit more compassion and interest. And so, before we move into today's lesson, I just want to thank you for wrestling with God during this Lenten Season. I am convinced He is at work--and I am convinced He has a plan for MMPC--and I am convinced it involves the world.
So, let's jump back into our study of The Hole in Our Gospel by first turning to James 1: 22-27 (p. 1196) and hearing God's word for us this morning.
I received an interesting email this past week--one many of you may have seen yet one that got my attention--at least in relation to what is on my heart to say this morning. The story goes of a United States Marine who was taking some college courses in between his military assignments. One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist. One day the professor shocked the class when he came in, looked to the ceiling and flatly stated: "God if you are real then I want you to knock me off this platform. I will give you exactly 15 minutes."
The lecture room fell silent. You could have heard a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God, I'm still waiting."
It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold. The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently.
The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, and looked at the Marine and asked: "What in the world is the matter with you? Why did you do that? The Marine calmly replied: "God was too busy today protecting America's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid stuff and act like an idiot--so, He sent me."
Let me ask you a question--what evidence do you need to assure you that God is real? Do you need Him to come and knock you off the platform you are standing on?
Some of you have told me that some of the sermons I have preached in the past several weeks and some of the things you have read in The Hole in Our Gospel have made you uncomfortable. Some of you don't like to hear about all the problems and suffering in the world. You don't like to hear that 26,575 children under the age of 5 die every day from preventable causes. You don't like to hear that children are being abused this very moment as sex slaves and prostitutes. That entire families will be wiped out today by malaria and AIDS. That orphans are roaming the streets with no one to care for them.
If you are uncomfortable, I am thrilled because it means I am not alone. This series has made me uncomfortable. It has opened my eyes. It has made me think about what I am going to do--first as an individual and second as a pastor called to lead you all to share the Gospel to the world. That is the Great Commission--to "Go out into the world--making disciples." It is uncomfortable to think that we are more inclined to live out the "Great Omission" rather than the "Great Commission"--we take out the things that make us uncomfortable rather than showing the world just how REAL GOD IS!
So I think it is a good thing we are feeling uncomfortable.
James writes in verse 22: "Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
For many of us--we find comfort in coming to worship on Sunday mornings. We feel comfortable sitting in our pews and listening to a sermon--as long as it doesn't last too long! Others of us feel comfortable reading or listening to sermons on our website. And still others of us are comfortable attending St. Posture Pedic church and laying in bed watching a preacher on television. To each his own--the point is, most of us have heard the Gospel. Most of us have heard that the word of God calls us to not only be hearers of the word, but also doers. That is why, I think we feel uncomfortable--because deep down inside--in a very REAL way--we are having to face the truth. The truth that the "holes" in our Gospel become very visible when we don't DO what the word says.
Eugene Peterson translated verse 22 this way: "Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other" (The Message).
Ask any teacher in here this morning a common denominator of a "good listener" and they will tell you it is a student who applies what he hears.
Have you ever purchased something that needed to be assembled prior to use? Think back to those situations when you unpacked all the materials in the box--you were just "some assembly" away from enjoying your recent purchase. You thought you had it all together and then you realize ONE piece is missing. Without that ONE piece, you can't enjoy the fullness of what you just purchased. With ONE piece omitted--the product just isn't the same.
So it is with us and the Gospel--if there is a piece missing we are not enjoying the fullness of living in and for the Kingdom.
Stearns put it well when he said, "This has always been a problem with God's people; we tend to drift away from God's bold vision, replacing it with a safer, tamer vision of our own" (pg. 183).
As I mentioned, it can be uncomfortable living out the WHOLE GOSPEL!
Stearns talked about a survey that World Vision did a few years ago--it was a survey of pastors, in which they were asked to rate the things they considered real priorities for their churches. "In the highest-priority category, 79% listed worship; 57%, evangelism; 55%, children's ministry; and 47%, discipleship programs." These are all good and important in the life of any church. But what made me uncomfortable was that, "18% said that 'helping poor and disadvantaged people overseas' was of 'highest priority'" (p. 185).
Here at MMPC we are committed to giving 10% above and beyond our annual budget to missions. That equates to at least 30,000 dollars in 2010--set aside to be used for helping others. That is fantastic! But what if we began to work towards making that number 15% or 20% or even higher? What if we began to examine the parts of the Gospel that make us uncomfortable and pray for the Lord to repair our "holes?" What if we committed to making local and global missions a piece of our spiritual lives--a piece that is a MANDATORY expression of our love for God and a TANGIBLE expression of our love for others? What if we put the "Co" back in the "Great Comission?"
James writes in verses 26-27, "Anyone who sets himself up as 'religious' by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world."
What is holding you back from showing the world that God is REAL?
Of course, God is not too busy--but I wonder if God is tired of us saying that we are?
Let me close with one more thought from Stearns. He says: "When historians look back in 100years, what will they write about this nation of 340,000 churches? What will they say of the Church's response to the great challenges of our time--AIDS, poverty, hunger, terrorism, war? Will they say that these authentic Christians rose up courageously and responded to the tide of human suffering, that they rushed to the front lines to comfort the afflicted and to douse the flames of hatred? Will they write of an unprecedented outpouring of generosity to meet the urgent needs of the world's poor? Will they speak of the moral leadership and compelling vision of our leaders? Will they write that this, the beginning of the 21st century, was the Church's finest hour? Or will they look back and see a Church too comfortable, insulated from the pain of the rest of the world, empty of compassion, and devoid of deeds? In short, will we be remembered as the Church with a gaping hole in its gospel?"
Friends, God has invited us to be used by Him to change the world. He has invited us to be used by Him to make Him REAL. Rather than sit in our seats quietly--together let us get up and respond to His word by "Doing what it says!"
AMEN.
