The Nexus

A pastor’s prime enemy is the dreaded rut. I don’t mean the weekly routine or the order-of-service rut -- I mean a preaching rut. This insidious adversary usually feeds on weary minds given to tired thought patterns and all-to-familiar clever phrases. What could be worse then a bored Sunday morning congregation powerless to escape the preacher’s rut?

If we are good preachers we work hard at staying out of the preaching rut. We search for fresh ways to approach important topics and dig for unique expressions and words that can deliver life-changing truths and biblical principles.

Perhaps our quest for that creative marker moves us to hedge our sermons a bit when it comes to preaching about the cross; often the events and terminology associated with Calvary are viewed as gloomy, outdated, and unimaginative -- it’s not a feel-good topic. The emotional weight of the crucifixion usually relegates the topic to a once a year solemn Good Friday service.

The cross certainly has the ability to deliver a moving and heartbreaking message, but of greater importance is its theological significance. In all of our preaching the cross should be positioned as the nexus for every topic we preach. If our people merely view Calvary as the sad precursor to Resurrection Sunday they are living in a sad state of spiritual poverty. In reality the cross stands alone as the single most important and exciting event in the history of humanity -- all of history and Christian theology find quintessence at the cross.

We all need to visit Mount Moriah--not the geographic site of the cross, rather to the spiritual place where the destiny of all mankind was salvaged and redirected. So crucial is the cross that Paul said he would not preach anything but Jesus Christ crucified, not because he lacked creativity or intellect, but because he understood the cosmic significance of that event.

Paul wasn’t a Johnny-one-note preacher. He preached the broadest possible implication of Christian expression and life in the Spirit. But no matter the theme, no matter the battle, no matter the situation, he saw all his spiritual insights, ministry accomplishments, wisdom, and apostolic authority tethered to a crude and tortuous cross erected atop Golgotha.

The challenge is to explore, meditate, and apply the message of the cross to every dimension of our ministry, as we do, fresh insights will continue to stream from that one historic event -- the moment when all wisdom and glory found their place on a God-forsaken cross.

Authentic Christianity

The scientific theory of evolution is viewed as an abomination in the majority of Christian circles. The theological objections are primarily based on the clear biblical declaration that mankind is a unique creation who carries intrinsic divine traits not found in our fellow creatures. Without question scripture views animals and man as distinctly different and that God’s desire for saving humanity in no way implies a redemptive concern for the primate.

Firmly persuaded of our theological convictions, we have organized to combat evolution in the laboratory as well as the pulpit. The school classroom has become a major battleground pitting evolutionary theory against the account of intelligent design. It is difficult to abandon the message that God is mankind’s creator and savior.

Evolutionary thinking can transcend science laboratories and the study of our origin; it can also be present in our thoughts about God and our view of what the Bible teaches. Doctrinal evolution is often heard from Sunday morning pulpits and weekday evening television as clever preachers give skewed and exaggerated presentations -- teachings and doctrines based on mutated exegesis and self-serving ambitions. Strangely, I’ve observed hesitancy by leaders to judge this kind of theological evolution, yet they scream in horror at the scientific variety. I wonder if God’s response is somewhat different.

It seems we may have moved quite a distance from the gospel Paul meticulously communicates through his thirteen epistles -- the gospel he personally received from Jesus. Many of our revered beliefs and worship expressions would be alien in the churches Paul planted -- yet they were able to change the entire world. In Paul’s day embezzlers were carried out of the church lifeless, the result of being slain in the spirit; false prophets were identified and excommunicated, while revival meetings were so named because a city was turned upside down, not because believers were falling down. In Antioch Christians were named for their manner of living -- very much like Jesus. Humility and service to others stood as the hallmark of greatness, not ill-gotten bank accounts and over-the-top celebrity life styles.

Recently a television minister suggested that the Christian symbol should be a crown rather than the cross. While his insight rightly speaks of who we are in Christ, his choice of words may reveal a focus somewhat skewed. Could the evolution of Christian doctrine have brought us to the place where everything is about us: about what we get, about who we are, and all the benefits and privileges - the glory stuff?

The message of the cross is the crux of authentic Christianity. The cross requires a lifestyle like Jesus -- loving and honest relationships. It implies servant leadership where authority and influence are for the benefit of others. While evolutionary Christian concerns itself with ruling and wealth, New Testament Christianity gains its unction at the foot of the cross where believers lay aside all the glory of the crown.

Embrace the Process

Those of us living for more than a few decades have a special appreciation for modern technology. For example: the television remote control, digital cameras, and the microwave. Hardly a week goes by that I don't say, "What the heck did we do without these things?"

A much appreciated convenience is the ability to "fast forward" past unwanted information on our electronic media. Whether data, music, voice, or video, we have the ability to instantly fast forward past the parts we don't particularly care to see or hear. Just hit the fast-forward button and presto, we're by the tedious stuff.

I was prompted to seriously think about this subject the other night as Linda and I were watching a favorite TV program. At the close of the episode, a teaser was presented about the following week's program. Intrigued by the promotion, I turned and jokingly asked Linda, "Can we fast forward to next week?" As soon as I heard the words I recognized that my off-the-cuff comment had expressed more than idle conversation about not waiting to see the next episode of a show. The fact is, I often search for ways to "fast forward" past the yucky areas of my life – get to the parts of interest or intrigue.

The poet wrote, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans." To the non-believer that maxim might ring true, but for the Christian what happens on the way becomes tantamount to the "destination” itself. Life's unexpected hurdles are much more than obstacles blocking destiny's doorway. The process of life is vitally important... it transforms us into people "of" God, rather than people "for" God. The process allows us to radiate the plan, not merely carry it.

For those who lead, the process becomes all the more significant. Christians hesitate to follow men or women whose lives don't reflect the destiny of which they speak. When "who" a leader is stands in contrast to "where" he is going, people will tend to step back and watch rather than follow. It is often a subtle reality, but it holds true.

Consider the "process" encountered by the heroes of scripture. Joseph reached his full potential as a leader only after he survived the incredibly difficult process in his life – the dreadful pit and a trip to Egypt. David became the divine template for Israel's monarchy after a most arduous journey – twenty years on the run from a foolish king. All the treachery and evil endured by these two young men transformed them into powerful leaders capable of changing the world.

So hey! Don't even think about hitting that "fast forward" button. Hang in there and pay attention. Life is better lived as we allow our uncomfortable "today's" to change us into people who can fully grasp hold of our exciting tomorrows.