the    sides

I’m speaking in an hour at Arkansas Baptist Academy all-school assembly. Middle schoolers and high schoolers…going to be fun. Below is what I’ll say.

What are your top 5 goals of your life?

Got your answers to those? Turn the person next to you and tell ‘em what they are.
Here were mine in high school:

1. Get a degree….or two. However many would get my parents off my back.
2. Decide on a career that I could make a living but have a lot of fun doing it.
3. Find a hot wife.
4. Travel the world.
5. Have a kickin’ family that likes being around each other.

How many of you had a similar list? Now here is the kicker – I’m 36 and I’ve accomplished every one of my life goals. Pretty pathetic, huh?

Barna asked over 2000 Christian students – students who said they had a personal relationship with Jesus - in 2004 the same question. Here are the answers, raise your hand if one of your top 5 is mentioned.

1. having a college degree (88%)
2. having a comfortable lifestyle (83%)
3. having one marriage partner for life (82%)
4. having close personal friendships (84%)
5. having good physical health (87%)
6. having a clear purpose for living (77%)
7. living with a high degree of integrity (71%)

That’s a pretty good list, isn’t it? There is nothing inherently evil on that list, is there? I don’t think so. But here is the rub…there is nothing exactly world changing about that list either. In Barna’s survey – maintaining a close personal relationship with Jesus didn’t even crack the top 7. So much for the God first, family second, church third paradigm, huh?

So, that’s the reason I’m here this morning. To warn you and to apologize to those of you who call Jesus the boss and leader of your life and ask forgiveness. I bought the lies that my leaders told me, then I repeated them as a youth pastor and as a friend. I have failed you. Miserably. I’ve sold you a lie and it’s time to come clean and repent.

I was lied to about the world out there. I was told it was evil and mean and it would hurt me and wound me. So I get into church work and guess what? It is evil, mean, it hurt me, and wounded me.

That isn’t the whole truth about the world…or the church for that matter.

It’s also full of people created in the image of a God they have never met and they don’t know how crazy He is about them. It’s full of people who care about poor people, homeless people, hurting people, and outsiders and the environment. Because they see value in those things – maybe more than those of us that follow Jesus. It’s full of wonder and amazement and glimpses of the Holy.

It’s also a hostage in a prison they can’t see, taste, touch, or smell.

I was lied to about how to deal with the world. I was told to isolate yourself, make yourself a fortress. Garbage in, garbage out, keep away from the unclean. I was told to be cautious and detached and serious. Because people who love Jesus are serious with people who don’t know Jesus.

If the world is in a prison – I know the only way out. It’s Jesus and my mission is to do jailbreaks all the time. And the only way they are going to know how crazy Jesus is about them is if I’m crazy about them. And love them. And dare to risk for their sakes.

I was lied to about the personality of Jesus. I was told he was safe, kind, and nice. And he played with lambs and had blonde hair and blue eyes. He’s not any of those things. He’s the guy that walked up in a room full of religious zealots and said – you guys are a bunch of sons of Satans. You look good on the outside, but the insides of you are dead, you stupid bunch of two faced liars.

Read the stories of him healing people – the blind man in John. Spits on the dirt enough to make two mud pies to cover the guys eyes – remember – he’s blind, not deaf. Then he says – go wash yourself off.

The woman at the well – Hey bring me your husband. I don’t have a husband. You’re right – and the man you are sleeping with now isn’t your husband either.

The man stood toe to toe with the most powerful army in the world and didn’t flinch. He was a monster leader, not a nice guy.

He was the most passionate (compassionate) person to ever walk the earth. Jesus said he looked at the city of Jerusalem and he was moved to tears – saying how he wanted to cover them as a mother hen covers her chicks. He’d see a wedding and join it. He’d enjoy long walks in the woods and wilderness. He was a homeless man, himself. Jesus would meet these people and love them. He would have long talks at night, at parties and dinners. He would speak truthfully and plainly and lovingly. He would break barriers of race and religion and traditions because he loved people.

I was lied to about how important I am. I was told I was precious in his sight. I was told that I mattered and I was the center of it all.

I caught myself repeating the phrases I heard all my life…“What is God’s will for MY life?� “What does God want ME to do?� with the emphasis on the ME and not a lot on GOD.

Here is the truth – my significance is in Christ and what He’s doing and the story he is writing. I’m significant in that I have an opportunity to join a revolution. I’m significant in that I’ve been invited to be a son of the King. I’m significant in that Jesus will use me to change the world….

but the story isn’t about me…or my goals or my dreams of a hot wife, multiple college degrees, cool job, or world travel.

It’s not about me being a consumer, but rather about me being consumed by Him. I’m not even a main character…I’m a bit actor and expendable. Significant – yes. Expendable – yes. Guess what? So are you.

Finally, I was lied to about how effective I could be…or not be. I was called the church of the future, young people, young adults, and youth. I’ve belittled my mind and focus with fog machines, lights, videos, loud music and pizza instead a mainline of Jesus in a dangerous place.

I’ve been insulted and did the insulting by saying that “you’re just kids, what possible impact could you have.� We were sold the “dream� of Evangelical America that has a house in the suburbs, 2.5 kids, a SUV and a mini-van, flat screen, home theatre, and a dog.

Instead of being a part of stories like Rachel Scott of Columbine high school, I was getting bored hearing the same testimony from every Christian professional athlete.

Instead of filling my mind with stories of revolutionaries who died telling others about Jesus in China, Iraq, and Tibet – I watched American Idol, the Christian version.

We’ve been lied to. And it’s time to come clean and deal with the truth.

Jesus took 11 teenagers and rocked the world. He put them in harm’s way, rebelled against the religious establishment, and did it with uneducated teenagers. He stood toe to toe with the most powerful army in the world – and overthrew a dictatorship without ever lifting a weapon.

He’s still leading a revolution, you know? He’s still about breaking down barriers and transforming people from the inside out. And I’m inviting you to join a revolution. Here in Little Rock.

Little Rock was named the nation’s most Evangelical City – a whopping 22% of our population claims to have a personal relationship with Jesus – by Barna. The same week the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Mayors Office named Little Rock the nation’s meanest city to homeless people.

Our city also has the most racially divided school situation in the nation. 48% of white students in Little Rock attend a private school. Among blacks that number is 4%. 80% of the student population in Little Rock private schools are white. In 16 of the 50 public schools, only 10% are white. 75% of all private school attendees live west of Interstate 430.

What if we – right here – choose to be different? What if we were going to be like Jesus – by instead of withdrawing, we engaged and penetrated the culture? What if we choose to be the Church moveable, instead of the building?

What if we – the Church – began to see and engage the world differently – redemptively? What would happen? What if the body of Christ became a place where the spiritual misfit and seeker could fit in and get a taste of how crazy Jesus is? What if we – the body of Christ – were a place of refuge and grace, instead of judgment and blame finding?

What if? What if we became healers, instead of wounders? What if we – the body of Christ – brought healing and health to the country of Africa in our lifetime? What if we – the body of Christ – were a part of healing racism and homelessness in our city?

Living his love out is the God-given mission of the church. What if we – the body of Christ – actually tried it? What if?

I think there are a couple things we are going to have to do in order to join the revolution instead of staying in our comfortable religion.

Love God. Really love him. Not verbally or when grown-ups are watching. I mean love him. Hang out with him. I think we are going to have to stop seeing Jesus as an article of clothing that we put on and put off at our convenience and start seeing him as a belly button. In the middle of it all.

Recognize that other people exist. Sometimes it kills me to watch a new teenager show up at my church. Because the students at my church act just like most you…who? What? When? How? Clueless. It’s not mean-spirited. It’s just they honestly aren’t sure if anyone else exists in this world. We are pretty myopic with ourselves. We think that we are the main attraction in this movie called My Life.

Recognize that they are better than you. That’s the key. The whole point of servant leadership and the Good Samaritan and all of the law. Love God, love others.

It’s Jesus’ job to save people, the Spirit’s job to convict, and our job to love each other. I think our culture here in WLR, we like to take over the Spirit’s job to convict.

People will not listen or care about you until they know they are valued.
We are really quick to talk aren’t we? Everyone functions this way - lost or …found people. If I think you are out to get me or I’m a product that you are working - I’m blowing you off. If I know you love me and you value me, I listen to most anything.

Take some crazy risks for the Glory of God.
I hope you have some massive failures for God before you graduate from high school. Just to show you that God can recover and make cool stuff happen out your mistake.

(Brazil story)

Thank you for your attention this morning.