Interesting thoughts from Leadership Retreat

(Stay with me, I’ll bring this back around to the Church, I promise)

I recently had the opportunity to attend a leadership retreat with work and discovered something very interesting.

Generation X’ers are very jaded and distrusting. We want to balance work and life instead of work so much. We want to spend as much time with family as we do at the office. We want to have a job we enjoy instead of a job that pays the bills.

Apparently Baby Boomers and Mature workers don’t seem to notice. They enjoy working, it defines them and they tend to make where they work part of who they are.

Example:

Boomers and Matures: “Hello, I’m John, and I work at ABC Company. What do you do?”

Gen X’ers and Millenials: “Hello, I’m John and I have a wife and 3 kids. I enjoy basketball, hiking and in the meantime I work at ABC Company”

Gen X’ers and Millenials aren’t lazy. But we want a balance between work and life. A lot of us grew up in work-a-holic families who were working even when they weren’t working. And what did they get to show for it? Some of them got layed off. Some of them died young. Some of them got sick. Some of them made a ton of money and retired. Some of them started their own businesses.

But in the meantime their kids (Xers and older Millenials) grew up. We found other people to spend time with, because mom and dad weren’t as available. Is that bad? No, but its part of who we are.

I know its part of who I am.

So what does this have to do with the Church?

Well Gen Xers are distrustful and jaded. We’ve seen the downsizing and the insecurity. We’ve seen leaders fall from prominence and fall hard. We want to know that our leaders “Say what they mean, and DO WHAT THEY SAY”. When we see people living what they believe, we follow them and desire to learn from them. We have to see faith in ACTION, not faith in SPEECHES.

Probably the biggest impact to Generation X’ers was the constant television. Our parents generation were the first to really have a lot of access to television and they watched a lot of it. Unfortunately, the television companies realized that negative news sells better than positive news.

We need to see our Christian leaders roll up their sleeves, and get their hands dirty. More and more of us are doing it. But far too many of us are willing to sit in the pews and in pulpits talking about what needs to be done instead of reaching out to our neighbor.

Here’s a prime example:

Two days ago I found out that my neighbor behind me (I mean 50 yards behind me) is going through a rough time. Her daughter plays with my daughter and my daughter told me that they might be moving. When I asked her why, she said because her mommy needed to find another job and it was only her and her mommy again. Wow. Right in my backyard I have a ministry opportunity.

You know what I wanted to do? I wanted to call for help. I don’t know this lady from Eve. I wanted to call the pastor or something. You know?

And thats what some people do. They say, “Lets pray for them”. They say, “We’ll call the preacher, maybe he can help them.” They say, “We’ll ask them if we can help them, next time we see them.” Too many Christians do that you know?

So I walked over with my daughter to see what I could do. Well she wasn’t home so I left my number. Actually, I was kind of hoping she didn’t call. I’m just being honest. Sometimes it is hard to minister to people that live/work close to you. But she did call and we talked. I found out a few things about this woman.

She is losing her job. Her father is dying from bladder cancer. I didn’t ask about her husband’s situation and she didn’t volunteer. We made plans to get together this weekend to talk and see if I can help her find a job that is nearer to where we live. We talked about having her daughter come over when we’re doing our Bible devotions (she’s invited too of course!).

We’re out of practice of reaching out to our neighbors. Why? Because we haven’t had good examples. It’s easier to stop for a stranger on the highway, or a homeless person on the street, than someone we know we’ll have to see day in and day out.

God help us, please.

Who does this guy think he is??

THE QUESTION:
How do we respond when we come into contact with another Christian who rubs us the wrong way? Perhaps they dress differently? Perhaps they like different music? Perhaps they are a hyper-calvinist, or hyper-arminian?

Now, how SHOULD we respond?

THE SITUATION:
Recently I’ve been reading some fairly heated arguments for and against Mark Driscoll. I don’t know Mark. I’ve never read his books, or heard him preach. Apparently he is a fairly radical preacher, using words and phrases that stun a lot of Christians. So I see a lot of brothers in Christ criticizing him for his style, disregarding the fact that he is reaching a lot of lost people. Is he preaching the gospel of Christ? That Christ came and died to save a lost world? To be our sacrifice for sin? Is he preaching the sovereignty of God, and salvation by faith in God alone? I hope he is. I don’t know enough about him to make a decision. But I see plenty of other believers in the same boat fixated on the words Mark chooses to use from the pulpit, instead of the work the Holy Spirit is doing through him. Is God pleased with his style? I don’t know. Not up to me. Are people coming to know Christ as their LORD and SAVIOR? It sure seems like it.

So this got me thinking, is it right to rebuke a fellow worker in the kingdom? If it is right, how should it be done?
Surely not on an individual’s blog where we can safely throw stones without taking any risks ourselves.

THE APPLICATION:

Monday morning, I opened my Bible and flipped to Luke 9. Now, I have not been reading Luke, but I sat down and started to read. And I was amazed with what I read there in Luke 9:46-50:

Luke 9:46 An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.
Luke 9:47 But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side,
Luke 9:48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives
Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”
Luke 9:49 John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to
prevent him because he does not follow along with us.”
Luke 9:50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder {him;} for he who is not against you is for you.”

Read verses 49-50 again. WOW I thought. What does that mean? For 3 days I’ve been thinking about this. He who is not against me, is for me.

(in the following section, I am not saying God spoke audibly to me, but the statements in all caps are what “popped” into my head as I was writing this)

Ok God, I understand that. But what am I supposed to do with it?

MANY SHEEP – MANY SHEPHERDS – ONE MASTER Shepherd

Ouch, ok. But what about correcting our brothers?

ARE THEY IN YOUR FELLOWSHIP OR DO YOU GO SEARCHING FOR THEM?

Uuuuuhhhh….Well, Uh, I guess I go looking for them to challenge their beliefs.

ARE THEY LOST? OR DO THEY HAVE A FLOCK WITH THEIR OWN SHEPHERD?

I don’t know LORD, I guess they have a shepherd. But LORD, what about false teachers?

DO THEY TEACH LOVE, THE CRUCIFIXION, DEATH AND RESURRECTION? THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST? REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION OF SIN? REMISSION AND FORGIVENESS OF SIN? SALVATION THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE? THESE ARE NOT FALSE TEACHERS.

FEED MY SHEEP.

So, get over my pride, quit looking for a debate and start loving those around me. Get off my butt and reach out to those that are hurting and lost. Show them Christ, show them love, show them mercy and healing. Quit wasting energy arguing with other flocks. Got it. Boy, that’s going to be easier said than done.

PRAYER:

God, please forgive me of my pride and arrogance. I know You constantly show us that we think too small. You work in mysterious ways and use the weak things of the world to confound the mighty. Please help me to see what You would have me see, to go where You would have me go, to speak what You would have me speak, to hear what You would have me hear, and to help those You would have me help. AMEN.