John 11 - Waking Up for a Purpose

        Jesus wakes us up for a purpose.  It’s to grow in and follow Him.  God has the power, authority, and ability to wake anyone up.  The way He chooses to do so is by placing the responsibility on us: people are spiritually reborn when they hear the Good News and trust in Jesus.

        It’s one thing to have a near-death experience.  Quite another to have four days in hell: a real-death experience.  I suspect Lazarus, raised to resurrected life by Jesus, walked the remainder of his life with holy fear and reverence for God.  But why wake up at all?  Why does God want us set free from sin and to have a new birth?  Because He loves us; and, because He is Good.  Here’s my proposition: God will teach us, but we must be willing to learn to do His will.  The Spirit of Christ will lead us, but that requires following, listening, and accepting HIs instruction.

        It is counterintuitive, but confessing our sins leads not to weakness and shame but to forgiveness, wholeness, and acceptance.  If we confess our sins to God not only will He forgive us, but He will purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-10).

        There is wonder-working power in the blood of Jesus Christ - life-giving power.  Yet many Christian men refuse to grow and refuse to take on the responsibility for spiritual leadership in their homes.  Like a freshly washed sow, it’s not long before they are in the muddy part of the pen.  Why?  Because they like it there.  They like wallowing in their so-called plight in life.  It is not as though we can’t see patterns of dysfunction, stagnation, and corruption in our lives.  We can. But we need to do something about it.  We can be quick to criticize everyone else, but Jesus teaches us to be mindful first of the plank in our own eye before helping others lift the plank out of their eye.  It's a new era; a year to get out of the rut and to grow.

        I don’t mean to pile on.  I mean to encourage men to grow.  If you are brokenhearted then you are in a good place.  God saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18-19).  Do not fear.  My challenge is for you to grow and to trust God for la dolce vita.

        We are in a new era I believe.  I sense God bringing incredible growth to the church.  I pray that it is the end to easy belief ‘ism’ - a ticket to ride Christianity where faith is a means to the world rather than a response to God's offer of Grace.  Fake preachers, empire-building for Christian dynasties, and the money-loving elite - I pray those will all grow dim in the ever-growing Light of God's Kingdom.  I truly hope that we are entering a time of incredible growth for the church, a faith-in-action church, a belief and following Christ ‘ism’ church.  Unity for all the children of God scattered around the world (11:52).  Time will tell.  We’ll see.

        The Good News is that if you believe in Jesus you will live, even after dying (11:25).  Sometimes, sadly, it takes death to wake people up to their need for God.  The disciples not only saw Jesus raise the dead Lazarus.  But they first heard Jesus say Lazarus had died (omniscience) and proclaim that by what they would soon see they would really believe (11:15).  God is so creative and so intentionally kind to us.  Pray for Him to wake us up to His goodness and for courage to speak the truth.

        God draws, woos, and will go to extremes to get us on His path - His good, pleasing, and perfect path.  If you find yourself searching for satisfaction, good!  Find it in God.  If you have righteous anger at the lack of spiritual growth in your life, great!  God too wants you to grow.  We have no excuse.  Challenge yourself to grow in Christ.  We ought to strive for excellence in all things, but particularly in goodness and righteousness.  And yes, it requires action, nay, effort!  Being content in circumstance is one thing, for there are indeed many things out of our control.  But being content not to know and grow in Christ shows an affinity to darkness.  Repent of that.  There are good churches out there.  Find one and grow and serve there.

        You may say I’m overreacting.  Well, I’m preaching to myself.  I admit frustration over the years with failure to get out of the rut and fear of change.  I’ve stayed in bad jobs far too long and bad churches for that matter because I was content to a degree and self-deceived as to shirk my responsibility to take action - wallowing in mud right next to green pastures.

        Thank God that He is gracious and patient with us.  We are His Sheep - God has a sense of humor and He accurately describes His flock.  Like the best of coaches, Jesus believes in us.  He wants us to aim for excellence, following Him and growing in Him one day at a time.

        I see no sin in striving for godliness.  Strive away!  God designed us to grow in wisdom and grace.  These bodies fail, but our responsibility to grow does not cease.  You don’t hit 40 (or 80) and somehow claim you no longer require Scripture.  So you think you’ve matured past the need to read God's word as you read the Bible once?  Nonsense.  My guess is you know many Christians who are more than happy to play along with modern practices that are clearly at odds with the Biblical church.  It’s okay they say as their wife likes this church.  She's comfortable there....  You hear others claim their kids like the programs at such and such church, even though it's obvious that the practices are abhorrent.  It's not good.  Men, lead as God designed you to.  God yearns for us to read His word.  More than that, He yearns to sup with us yet we often keep the door securely locked.

        Lord Jesus, you call us to freedom.  Help us today to use our freedom to love and serve others.  Help us to challenge men and women of God to grow.  Help us to aim for excellence, following You.  Amen.

Scribbling out a Business Plan for a New Era.