Not so much that it's new, but I guess that within my circles and influences, I've probably been a bit insulated from it. In fact, I've heard lots of others cry out in their distress over it, but I haven't really experienced it on my own. Until this week.
As a pastor and preacher, I listen to a lot of preaching. I think one of the best ways to grow as a communicator is to listen to other communicators, so I try to do that somewhat broadly and somewhat regularly. I'm encouraged by many great teachers who point me to back to Truth again and again, and I hope that their influence on me can be seen each week as I seek to communicate Truth.
But I've been missing something lately. Not everywhere and with every message, but enough. In fact, alarmingly enough. Somewhat painfully enough. What's missing?
Nothing less than the gospel.
I was listening to a well known preacher from a well known and very large church expound on Acts 2:42-47 this week, the very passage that I'll be covering on Sunday. The passage reads like this:
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved."The speaker had done some excellent exegetical work in unpacking the intricacies of culture and language, and since he was a very engaging speaker, I was right with him. However, as he went on and on, I realized something. He had listed a series of Old Testament texts that showed that this way of living was really an embodiment of the law as God first intended. Then, he had listed a series of sociological proofs as to why this was really the best way to live. Finally, he gave a personal example of why he and his family are blessed to live according to these principles. He also noted that "being saved" was most likely related to being saved from hunger and poverty and brokenness, and warned us against defining salvation so narrowly that we only see it as spiritual. And then, he said that we should go out and get to work doing all this, so that people will be saved... from their hunger, I presume.
Recap: the law says do it. It makes sense to do it. I'm doing it. People's biggest problem is that they don't have as much as you have, so, give your stuff away. And if you're struggling with that, try harder.
But what about if I try to do it but find that I can't?
But what if I try to do it, succeed, and then get so full of myself that no one ever wants to be around me?
But what if I feed the hungry people around me and find that their just as broken, but now they're full?
But what about the reason (that pesky "sin" thing) that has created so much inequity in the first place?
What about the fact that I actually want to have a bigger house, a better car, more comfort, and great luxury, and if I'm totally honest, despite the sociological facts, I do believe that these will make me happy?
Why, even when I succeed in doing everything that I'm supposed to do, do I still not have any joy?
I finished the sermon, and found myself stuck. I don't like the fact that I want every ounce of what I have and still want more. I'm not proud of the fact that the apostle's teaching and prayer are very rarely the first things on my mind when I get up in the morning. I know that I should be thrilled with the breaking of bread together, not looking for the slicing of a fine steak with a few less brothers and sisters around to take my well-deserved pieces. Of course the work of God that I'm privileged to witness should create awe... and I'm sorry that I'm sometimes more impressed with the NBA playoffs, but frankly, sometimes I am. I feel badly that I don't want to have everything in common; unless, of course, that means that I get to own everything and you can come and use my stuff. Once I have everything I could possibly need, I do tend to become more generous.
Sadly, the biggest problem that you and I and the people we rub shoulders with each day isn't that we're hungry or don't have enough money to get up to speed with technological devices. Income disparity, poverty, oppression, and injustice are all incredibly real things--I don't want to downplay their reality. However, if the greatest problem the world had was the disparity between the rich and the poor, it would be quite a bit easier to solve. In fact, some good education and legal enforcement would solve most of it.
And it certainly wouldn't require the death of the Son of God.
However, here's the truth: We're not able to try harder and get better. We don't have it in us to fix the world. We don't even have it in us to fix our own lives. We're messed up to the greatest extent--because it's not just our outsides that are messed up (our behaviors and actions), but our insides (our hearts and motivations) as well.
Therefore, any message that says we just need to try harder, work move effectively, take responsibility for our own problems, and be better people will never solve anything. We simply don't have it in us.
Trying harder to produce apples will never work for an orange tree, no matter how well-intentioned.
We need a change at the essence. We need Jesus to transform our values, our actions, and our hearts. And as He does, only then will we find that the world around us is transformed as well.
And I'm not talking about being saved to a higher income bracket. If my own heart is any indication, there are far bigger issues we have to deal with.
