Reaching the Churched
Reaching the Churched
Perhaps the alarming exodus of church-going children exiting the Church today when finally on their own is not a rejection of true Christianity. Perhaps the biggest barrier for the average person to a real and revitalizing relationship with God and His Church is something passing for Christianity but in truth is not Christianity. Many of us might not be walking away from Christianity but a sassy substitute.
Two months ago my wife and I had one of those “defining conversations.” Husbands, you know the kind. An “aha” moment of the uncomfortable kind. If we were back in the church growth movement days of the 90’s my “aha” moment would have been called a paradigm shift. If the days of fiery itinerant preachers, tents, and crisis decisions were back it would’ve been called a personal revival. If time ticked backwards some 500 years to the birth of Protestantism itself, it probably would’ve been called a mini-reformation. And today the “aha” moment would probably be described as encountering or experiencing God, spiritual formation, or movement in my personal narrative or spiritual journey. Whatever you want to call it, it took.
Do you know what it was over? You marrieds are probably inwardly cringing and thinking, “I bet it was over persistent patterns of unloving attitudes and behavior toward each other.” I cannot deny being guilty of this in certain seasons of my marriage but this was not what the “aha” moment was over. Lack of understanding, communication, tenderness, teamwork? No. Anger, bitterness, jealousy, personal offense? No. Feelings of neglect? No.
It was over reading the Bible. Together. As a family. Yep, that was it. Not the neglect of it, but the present practice of it.
The conversation went something like this: “Honey it feels like there is a pressure from you to read the Bible together as a family. Like you’ve got to do it, get it done. The kids feel it too.” My mouth went dry. My stomach flinched. Instantly, I knew it was true.
The translation of these words to my heart were accurate: “Jeff, are you pushing the reading of the Bible together as a family out of a heart seeking to justify your existence, to be OK, to not be a bum, to be accepted and blessed, to be righteous, to be happy and holy, to be a good father and spiritual leader?” Nothing in the room moved. Even the rollie-pollie scooting along the baseboard stopped and looked-up, waiting for my answer.
Yes. I am a Pharisee. Saved by grace.
The Sassy Substitute Verses True Christianity
Jesus weaves a masterful story about two sons that is recorded by Luke that is very popular in Church circles today. The common understanding of the story today is that the Divine drama centers primarily around the younger, born-to-be-bad son. However, a closer look at the passage reveals that the Divine drama is not circling the bad son but the good son, the older son, the Bible-believing, Church-going, religious son. The story of the two sons is a defining narrative of the human heart and a powerful introduction to a third way to live – true Christianity .
The two sons in Jesus’ story both wanted their Father’s wealth. In the ancient near east at this time a Father’s wealth was everything to a son. It was the son’s identity, status, sense of acceptance, meaning, personal well-being and flourishing, happiness, life, security. If you were a son in the ancient near east and you had your Father’s wealth you were ok, you were not a bum. Your existence was in a sense, justified.
Now the present day hearer might be surprised to find that Jesus sees nothing wrong with these two sons wanting their Father’s wealth. It’s assumed, it’s expected, it’s a son’s DNA – inescapably him.
As Jesus unfolds the story it becomes clear that the two sons are going about securing their Father’s wealth in two different ways, along two different paths of salvation, by trusting two different saviors or god-substitutes. The younger seeks his Father’s wealth through his badness or disobedience. He seeks to build his life around spending his Father’s wealth on unrestrained desires. He trusts the functional savior of self-gratification.
Meanwhile the older son seeks his Father’s wealth through his goodness or obedience. He seeks to build his life around performing for his Father’s wealth - trying to be good enough to get it. He lives by the fear of not being good enough to get his Father’s wealth. So when he lives up to his assumed standards to obtain his Father’s wealth (i.e. is good enough) he feels secure and superior to others – especially his younger brother. But when he doesn’t live up to his standards to secure his Father’s wealth (i.e. is not good enough) he feels insecure, he loathes himself or blames others for his failure. The older brother trusts the functional savior of self-righteousness.
By the end of the story we see the defining narrative of the human heart. Both sons of the Father are self-absorbed. Both sons are building their lives around themselves and in the process never secure the Father’s wealth and lose themselves. And ultimately, which is the driving point of the story, both sons are avoiding the Father. They are trusting in god-substitutes.
There is a third, better way to the Father’s wealth, GRACE. True Christianity. Jesus, the Son of God, comes to freely give the Father’s wealth by the work of His own life, death, and resurrection. Jesus, the God-Savior, gives the Father’s wealth to those who do not deserve it by grace. Jesus’ work, performance, obedience, righteousness, life, death, and resurrection alone opens the way to the Father’s wealth. This is true Christianity, the Father comes to find you by His Son’s life, death, and resurrection. Grace.
Building your life around the glory and grace of Jesus, the Son of God, is where you find the Father’s wealth. It’s where you find the Father’s acceptance, approval, love, goodness, salvation, supra-life, vital relationship, and eternal riches. It’s where you find forgiveness for your heart’s habitual efforts at self-salvation through either your badness or your goodness. It’s where you find yourself. It’s where you’re ok, not a bum, justified, really you.
Many of us might need an “aha” moment. You can avoid God in two ways: by your badness and by your goodness. Both are god-substitutes. True Christianity is Jesus, the God-Savior, come to find you. Building your life around His grace opens all the treasures of the Father’s wealth.
Perhaps the alarming exodus of church-going children exiting the Church today when finally on their own is not a rejection of true Christianity. Perhaps the biggest barrier for the average person to a real and revitalizing relationship with God and His Church is something passing for Christianity but in truth is not Christianity. Many of us might not be walking away from Christianity but a sassy substitute.
Two months ago my wife and I had one of those “defining conversations.” Husbands, you know the kind. An “aha” moment of the uncomfortable kind. If we were back in the church growth movement days of the 90’s my “aha” moment would have been called a paradigm shift. If the days of fiery itinerant preachers, tents, and crisis decisions were back it would’ve been called a personal revival. If time ticked backwards some 500 years to the birth of Protestantism itself, it probably would’ve been called a mini-reformation. And today the “aha” moment would probably be described as encountering or experiencing God, spiritual formation, or movement in my personal narrative or spiritual journey. Whatever you want to call it, it took.
Do you know what it was over? You marrieds are probably inwardly cringing and thinking, “I bet it was over persistent patterns of unloving attitudes and behavior toward each other.” I cannot deny being guilty of this in certain seasons of my marriage but this was not what the “aha” moment was over. Lack of understanding, communication, tenderness, teamwork? No. Anger, bitterness, jealousy, personal offense? No. Feelings of neglect? No.
It was over reading the Bible. Together. As a family. Yep, that was it. Not the neglect of it, but the present practice of it.
The conversation went something like this: “Honey it feels like there is a pressure from you to read the Bible together as a family. Like you’ve got to do it, get it done. The kids feel it too.” My mouth went dry. My stomach flinched. Instantly, I knew it was true.
The translation of these words to my heart were accurate: “Jeff, are you pushing the reading of the Bible together as a family out of a heart seeking to justify your existence, to be OK, to not be a bum, to be accepted and blessed, to be righteous, to be happy and holy, to be a good father and spiritual leader?” Nothing in the room moved. Even the rollie-pollie scooting along the baseboard stopped and looked-up, waiting for my answer.
Yes. I am a Pharisee. Saved by grace.
The Sassy Substitute Verses True Christianity
Jesus weaves a masterful story about two sons that is recorded by Luke that is very popular in Church circles today. The common understanding of the story today is that the Divine drama centers primarily around the younger, born-to-be-bad son. However, a closer look at the passage reveals that the Divine drama is not circling the bad son but the good son, the older son, the Bible-believing, Church-going, religious son. The story of the two sons is a defining narrative of the human heart and a powerful introduction to a third way to live – true Christianity .
The two sons in Jesus’ story both wanted their Father’s wealth. In the ancient near east at this time a Father’s wealth was everything to a son. It was the son’s identity, status, sense of acceptance, meaning, personal well-being and flourishing, happiness, life, security. If you were a son in the ancient near east and you had your Father’s wealth you were ok, you were not a bum. Your existence was in a sense, justified.
Now the present day hearer might be surprised to find that Jesus sees nothing wrong with these two sons wanting their Father’s wealth. It’s assumed, it’s expected, it’s a son’s DNA – inescapably him.
As Jesus unfolds the story it becomes clear that the two sons are going about securing their Father’s wealth in two different ways, along two different paths of salvation, by trusting two different saviors or god-substitutes. The younger seeks his Father’s wealth through his badness or disobedience. He seeks to build his life around spending his Father’s wealth on unrestrained desires. He trusts the functional savior of self-gratification.
Meanwhile the older son seeks his Father’s wealth through his goodness or obedience. He seeks to build his life around performing for his Father’s wealth - trying to be good enough to get it. He lives by the fear of not being good enough to get his Father’s wealth. So when he lives up to his assumed standards to obtain his Father’s wealth (i.e. is good enough) he feels secure and superior to others – especially his younger brother. But when he doesn’t live up to his standards to secure his Father’s wealth (i.e. is not good enough) he feels insecure, he loathes himself or blames others for his failure. The older brother trusts the functional savior of self-righteousness.
By the end of the story we see the defining narrative of the human heart. Both sons of the Father are self-absorbed. Both sons are building their lives around themselves and in the process never secure the Father’s wealth and lose themselves. And ultimately, which is the driving point of the story, both sons are avoiding the Father. They are trusting in god-substitutes.
There is a third, better way to the Father’s wealth, GRACE. True Christianity. Jesus, the Son of God, comes to freely give the Father’s wealth by the work of His own life, death, and resurrection. Jesus, the God-Savior, gives the Father’s wealth to those who do not deserve it by grace. Jesus’ work, performance, obedience, righteousness, life, death, and resurrection alone opens the way to the Father’s wealth. This is true Christianity, the Father comes to find you by His Son’s life, death, and resurrection. Grace.
Building your life around the glory and grace of Jesus, the Son of God, is where you find the Father’s wealth. It’s where you find the Father’s acceptance, approval, love, goodness, salvation, supra-life, vital relationship, and eternal riches. It’s where you find forgiveness for your heart’s habitual efforts at self-salvation through either your badness or your goodness. It’s where you find yourself. It’s where you’re ok, not a bum, justified, really you.
Many of us might need an “aha” moment. You can avoid God in two ways: by your badness and by your goodness. Both are god-substitutes. True Christianity is Jesus, the God-Savior, come to find you. Building your life around His grace opens all the treasures of the Father’s wealth.
Recent
Archive
2026
Categories
no categories