Simplifying The Complicated, part one - The Context

The world is a pretty messed up place right now with growing divisions and hatred. Unfortunately it has been my experience that what is happening in society will soon be reflected in the Church. It is suppose to be the opposite with the Church influencing society but in my twenty-eight years in ministry as a pastor I have watched the Church change to reflect our society. So sure enough, we are seeing growing division and even hatred increasing in the Body.

We are complicating what our Father designed to be simple. Sure, we can allow the deep study of theology turn a simple thing into layers of complication but when we get down to what is really important we discover how simple it is. I don't usually find a lot of helpful things in Solomon's Ecclesiastes but there is one phrase he wrote that I try to keep close to me:

God made human beings straightforward, but they search for many complications. (7:29)

Yes sir, I find that sums us up quite well. So I want to uncomplicate things by taking a few days to consider what is simple and important according to Fathers design. We are going to look at : 1. loving God, 2. loving and valuing ourselves, 3. loving and valuing our neighbour, 3. honouring everyone, 4. loving each other in the same manner Jesus loved his disciples. Along the way we will also touch on considering others more important than ourselves, considering the interests of others along with our own, and loving our enemies.

Before we get into these sub topics we need to consider the context which is really the main topic. We have been called into the ministry of Jesus Christ, our King. His ministry is not one of judgement and condemnation but of reconciliation. Ours is a ministry of reconciliation as Father invites all of humanity (ALL), to leave the path of rebellion and return to a full and healthy relationship with him.

This is where we tend to take something that is so simple and complicate it with a terrible perspective and wrong theology. Our Father has no desire to destroy anyone but we do get to chose our own path. He has paid the price to cover our rebellion, making it possible for us to return to him. The cross should be all the evidence we need that Dad is for us not against us. And the fact is, if he is for us who could be against us because there is no one like him.

We need to examine all of our thinking and attitude in this ministry because we need to assume that we are complicating it. We need to measure the motivation of our words and actions against the fact that while we were the enemy of God Jesus died for us. He did not require us to change before we came to him. If we could have changed we would not have needed him. But we were desperate for him because we could not help ourselves.

Yet too often we require people to clean up their act before we will hang out with them. We require them to change before we will call them friend. We want them to conform to us before they are transformed by the Spirit and this is terrible and dangerous. Too many of us think our job is done when people conform to the church we belong to and so they miss out on the One who transforms. Because they are satisfied with "fitting in" they think they have found Jesus and so stop looking. We have complicated Father's simple design.

Our responsibility is simple, to be witnesses of Jesus. We are to teach everything that Jesus taught but this is done with actions and attitudes that match Jesus' words. It is with power. It is flavoured with hope. It reeks of peace. It overflows with joy. It looks past situations, conditions and circumstances and focuses on people. It recognizes that each person, regardless of status, position or rebellion, is the object of Father's love. He is chasing after them and he has placed us in their lives so that he can. All that matters to him and to us are people.

So over the next few blogs I want to unpack the simplicity of our life in Christ and in this world. I want us to recognize :

"Everything we could ever need for life and complete devotion to God has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness." (2 Peter 1:3)  

You've got it. Everything you need for simple living has already been deposited in you. We let go of systems, methods, false expectations, arm length evangelism and we go after those Father loves by entering their lives as friends, in purity of relationship and desire. Let's do this!