The Gospel is a Powerful Path

This morning I read an article entitled “8 Evangelism Lessons From a Former Lesbian.”  It’s a review of a video interview of Dr Rosaria Butterfield who was a tenured professor at Syracuse University (which is probably why I was more attracted to the article). She tells the story of how God reached her through a Presbyterian pastor and his church there is Syracuse, NY. The eight lessons that the writer of the article distills from the one hour interview are the real spiritual weapons that we need to rescue people from darkness. I really encourage you to take the time to read and assimilate the means that God uses to call people to Himself. CLICK HERE to go to the web site for the article.

What gives Dr Butterfield her notoriety is a book she wrote that is getting very good press entitled, “Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith”

But this posting is about another comment that Dr Butterfield makes that caught my attention. I watched the interview because the article so intrigued me. The video can be viewed on YouTube by CLICKING HERE.

The context of this comment is important. In the book she talks about how the first time she went to the Pastor’s home they didn’t follow the script. She was nervous about going and getting “the Gospel” in four phrases and then being asked to go to church. The pastor and his wife did neither. That was attractive to her. They didn’t have an agenda. They displayed genuine care and were interested in her. She found that then something she didn’t expect to find out about The Gospel.

“The Gospel is not just a set of ideas or a set of words. It is a powerful path by which God calls people to Himself and redeems us and heals us. “

“The Gospel is a powerful path!” That statement really resonates with me. I see that it resonates with many scriptures as well …

 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16 (ESV)

Our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.  
1 Thessalonians 1:5 (ESV)

How often we evangelize on the premise that if we’ve given the words and ideas of the Gospel then we’ve done our job. But this refined notion of what constitutes the Gospel tells us that the true proclamation of the Gospel consists of life, love and the power of the Holy Spirit, all on display through our lives.

Dealing with Moral Failure

My wife and I watched the video recorded at the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana’s Wednesday night service as the Deacons reported on the dismissal of their pastor, Jack Schaap for inappropriate behavior with a minor. I’ve read that a Deacon picked up the pastor’s cell phone from the pulpit and noticed a picture of the pastor and a young teen kissing. That lead him and others to investigate and it turned out that last Monday night the Deacons met with the Pastor to confront him with the evidence to which the head Deacon indicated he made full confession.

That’s a church of some 15,000 members. The spiritual damage is incredible. And sneer of the unbelieving world grows towards the whole Body of Christ.

As I’ve served on our district denomination’s discipline committee, I can resonate with the pain and heartache that the Deacon Board and church is feeling. My own church suffered the loss of some precious ministers because of inappropriate relationships. And so as I watched that video, there were a lot of emotions that resurfaced. It’s caused me to think again about how God would have us handle and deal with sin like this.

I applaud the Deacon board for the swiftness with which they dealt with the issue. The rumor mill didn’t get a chance to get turned on. I hope that they did their homework and their decision was not based on hearsay or conjecture. I also hope that behind the scenes there is a lot of love and concern being poured out to the Pastor Schaap and his family as well as the affected teen and her family.

That is one aspect that I would have like to have seen more of. Those who spoke in the video talked a great deal about how their actions were all about their love for and concern for the church. But there was a missing element of their love for the Pastor and his family. It wasn’t quite that “throw him under the bus” feeling, but I would have appreciated a bit of humility and brokenness from the leaders for their now former pastor.

This morning in my devotional readings I was in Psalm 143. Verse 2 says, “Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.” One of the things that I’ve come to expect when I’ve been involved in a discipline case or just hear about horrendous happenings like this is that I begin to examine my own heart, mind and life. When I went running and was mediating on the verse I thought about Jesus’ words in the sermon on the mount … “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28.

And then with the woman caught in adultery Jesus challenges the throngs that the person who is without sin can cast the first stone. To which they all turn away.

The ramifications of a pastor’s moral failure are especially devastating and Paul admonishes Timothy: “Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. ²⁰ Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning. 1 Timothy 5:19-20. So the actions of the First Baptist Church’s Deacons is appropriate.

Dr Schaap should be embracing a long season of repentance to deal with all that led him to this sin. But may we always rebuke in love and not wrath.

Graduation Day

We watched Lyndsay graduate from Copley High School yesterday ... So what do you say when your youngest throws her cap into the air? Dinita and I just got done watching the video that Rachel made for Lyndsay's graduation. I know it is a cliche, but "Time doesn't stand still" is way too true.
I pulled the photo album that my mother put together for me and I saw it there as well. As she documented all my "last" events in High School. I read through mom's album differently.

A couple of months ago I was in a discussion group with two other young couples who both had kids under one year of age. They were still a bit frazzled trying to make the adjustment from being a couple to being a family and a little bit of intimidation of raising kids in this day and age. They asked me what Dinita's and my secret was. I didn't have to think for a second. It is all of God's Grace. I'm sure that I did more to harm than help. But God's grace was incredible.

When I watched that video an hour or so ago, it was like, every clip was a glimpse into God's incredible unmerited favor and love. If I were to say what is the most prominent way that God has shown himself and character to me in the last 21 years ... I would say that it is in my precious two daughters. Thank you Lyndsay and Rachel for being what God has made you to be!