PARKS BROWN

A prominent theme in many Sci-Fi movies is the belief there are aliens living among us. For Christians this is not science fiction, but rather gospel truth. Look no further than the infamous chapter 11 in Hebrews where the role is called in the Faith Hall of Fame. Hebrews 11:13, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers here on earth.” Case closed. No more need for the SETI Institute.

They say life is stranger than fiction. The Bible repeatedly describes Christ followers in terminology that sounds more like our lives are a virtual reality. On second thought, go with that. Our lives ARE a virtual reality to the spiritual beings that define who we really are. Don’t think of Neo and Morpheus running around in the Matrix or a remotely located human roaming a planet in the movie Avatar. Think about Peter writing a letter “To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,” 1st Peter 1:1. C.S. Lewis put it best. “You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.”

For those who think I’m resorting to hyperbole or getting too far out there, I’m talking about taking the Bible literally. Back to Peter’s letter. “Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world…” 1st Peter 2:11. In so many areas of life the key to understanding and success lies in grasping the terminology. Two thousand years after Christ floated into the sky, I mean ascended, we tend to forget that our lives as believers are founded in what can sound like popular science fiction. In the attempt to attract non-believers we have downplayed the mystical side to our God. Our lives as believers are and should be as exciting, bizarre, dangerous and intriguing as the story line to the most popular movies Hollywood will never be able to produce. If your life is not, who and what are you living for?

Now is where some of my Christian friends will remind me, “How does this bring people closer to Jesus, Parks?” Great question. I’m afraid Thoreau was right when he said “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Fat and happy Christians in America have a lot in common with the accurate observation made by that fellow in rural Massachusetts back in 1845. But why is that? Believers have been lulled into complacency in this virtual reality while the church focuses on God’s mercy and grace sometimes at the expense of his mystical and supernatural side. If we leave out the truths that we don’t want to explain and make us uncomfortable, we risk portraying a sweet, predictable and powerless God. Let’s not forget this is the same God who drowned everyone but 8 people in a flood. He got so fed up with the lifestyle in two cities that he burned them to the ground, only spared one man and his two daughters and turned his wife into a pillar of salt. He values obedience.

Have we become so obsessed with not sounding negative to an unbelieving world that we’ve resorted to telling them what their itching ears want to hear? Our conveniences, lack of suffering and direct deposit tithing have distanced us from a God that is the furthest thing from safe. We need to constantly consult with Him at the risk of our own peril. Our comfortable American lifestyles should not be reflected in our theology or day to day living. As C.S. Lewis said, “If you want a religion to make you feel real comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.” We need to live with a sense of urgency that we are but “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

Uh, again, closer to Jesus, Parks? This virtual reality we call life has consequences that only Jesus can save us from. Christ came so that we may have life and have it abundantly. But that life is not necessarily here and now. “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter eternal life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.” Matthew 18:8. Words in red that stress our virtual reality for a few short years in this earthly body sets us on a path for true life in eternity. Christ said we would be better living now in this virtual reality as a cripple than miss eternity with Him.

It is critical we live out the great commission Jesus gave us right before that mystical sci-fi exit. As we seek to help people find and follow Jesus, it is also incumbent on us to make sure believers know there is more than an admission ticket at stake here. There are rewards in the next life. There is also an enemy that is bent on your destruction in the here and now. Back to Peter, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1st Peter 5:8. The enemy is a thief and only wants to steal, kill and destroy. We need a God capable of wrath and vengeance for that kind of enemy…and we have Him.

Life as a believer is not meant for quiet desperation or a false sense of security. God reminded us that halfheartedness on our part won’t work. “So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16, letters in red. 2016 years after Christ left here we need to be alert. Maybe we need to be reminded this isn’t a game where we take the clunky helmet off and stop the virtual reality. This game is for the prize of your soul in eternity.

Because we live in a virtual reality we have adopted a game-like and casual mentality with our faith and our God. Nothing could be further from the truth. Nothing could be more dangerous.

For everyone who loves sports and competition, spring is the ultimate season. Warm weather returns, daylight savings time kicks in and sports have something for everyone. Baseball season begins, professional basketball becomes relevant, golf has the Masters, college football comes back to life, hockey gets interesting (for the first time) and the crowning jewel is March Madness. Pick your team and let the games begin.

The two best things about sports is the competitive nature and the clock. The clock reminds us time is of the essence and there is a beginning and an end. In a competition there is a winner and a loser. There is no blue ribbon for participation, only for winning. Every member of the human race is hardwired to compete, play and win because we were born as players into the biggest competition of all time; creation.

The games begun when Adam and Eve were created into space and time. For Christ followers, the fact that the first couple was dropped into a world that was enemy territory makes the game of life more like a war game than a sporting event. Fast forward to 2017 and it’s not popular in the pulpit or politics to recognize the spiritual battle at the heart of every breath we take, but the facts remain the same from day one. The human race is designed to play and win the contest of the millennium.

The competition for believers was outlined in Ephesians 6:12. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Our adversary has been around for a long time and has a high opinion of himself to say the least. Christ followers must remember life is a team sport and there is a clock ticking. To help with our weakness, playing time is limited to a lifetime and not eternity.

To stay with the sports metaphor, our coach rotates his players and substitutes with the best of them. James gave a nice sideline speech to remind us we don’t know how much game time we have left. “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:14. In simple terms, we are players not coaches. Stay apprised of the coaches plan for your life and remember only He knows whats left on the clock. Enjoy your career but leave the front office decisions to the owner.

God renovated this Earth into a beautiful stadium and designed the game of all games. One of the best aspects for believers is that the game doesn’t last forever. I was 50 when my father got sick at 75 years old. Right or wrong, I looked at my dad and thought, ‘OK, I’ve got 25 years.’ It sounded like a 2 minute warning to me. Maybe it was just the end of the first half or the third quarter, I don’t know. Regardless, I heard a warning and went back to the coach to make sure of the game plan. I wanted to be a team player and not sit on the sidelines for the rest of my time. I encourage everyone to do the same and let Him evaluate your competitiveness.

Christ taught some of the earliest Christian team members that life can be so much fun we get carried away with the game itself. The disciple John reminded all the players, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” 1st John 2:15. John knew if you got all wrapped up in the game, you would lose sight of the team and not play to win. We were created to win this competition by staying on His team and letting Him live through us.

Men and women were created to be great players. Psalms 8:4-6 says, “what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands: you put everything under their feet.” Crowns are given to victors in competition. We were made rulers to win the game and not for our own glory. Central to the competition we are engaged in is that you can’t win by loving the game or yourself more than the coach and the team.

We’ve all seen businessmen, athletes, politicians even artists fall to their own talents and abilities. Christ set the correct role model by giving his life. Jesus was the original MVP but He didn’t win any individual awards when He played. Paul reminded us the awards for our playing time aren’t on this side of the dirt. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8.

Our playing time is relatively short and we are all position players. An athlete knows that means you must be ready when your play is called. Age does not matter in the game of life. You are a valuable player at all ages and you are in the game till your last breath. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16. Play like you were designed to play. Finish the drill.

All that spring has to offer represents playing to win. Seeds come back to life and bloom. Champions are crowned. Recommit to the team, the competition and play until the buzzer…play to win.

Leadership has become an overused buzzword and topic of conversation from boardrooms and strategy sessions to the pulpit. The demand for leadership is great because the supply is lacking. Books, seminars, conferences, sermons and college degrees try to teach leadership by reducing it to a shopping list of characteristics and qualities. If it were that easy then we wouldn’t need it so desperately.

The political parties have died because of a lack of leadership. National powers have shifted because of the absence of leadership. The health of families has declined because of a vacuum created by the lack of leadership in the home. Corporations have shorter life spans while they search to find and nurture leaders. At a time where so many are espousing leadership as a ‘to do’ list there is a dearth of true leaders. Could it be the world is looking in the wrong place for the wrong thing?

At the most basic level, leadership is identifying a goal and modeling the way to get there. Leadership requires explaining the purpose and vision for positive growth and change to provide a future that is in the best interest for those involved and affected. We want a leader who is right and not wrong. We want a leader who can make the tough calls in the interest of those being led. Does this sound about right? I ask because it’s starting to sound like we need a savior and not just a leader.

Christian leadership was described by Paul in Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others as better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” If this is a job description for a leader it’s no wonder there’s not an abundance. Real leadership is not a road to personal glory or an outline for a best selling book. Leadership has an attitude, but it’s not one of power and control. Paul went on to describe the attitude of a leader in verse 5, “Your attitude should be that of Christ Jesus.”

Let me paraphrase the attitude of Christ that Paul described in Philippians and how it is the role model for what leadership needs to resemble. Leadership is tied to serving those you lead. A leader should purposefully make himself less than those he leads. A true leader takes on the nature of a servant in leading those for which he is responsible. A leader needs to humble himself. Why? Because if he or she is successful at leading, vanity and a promotion will likely follow. In fact, dying to yourself is a good idea. The world craves leadership so desperately that success can serve the leader and not those you are called to lead. Leadership is not a ticket to a better life, it’s a way of life. Good leadership should and will be rewarded, but maybe not here and now.

Christ was sent to destroy the devil’s work. When his time had come, Jesus modeled a radically different type of leadership than was currently being practiced. The government leaders in Jesus’ day and age were dictators. The civilian leaders took advantage of the systems just to enrich themselves. The religious leaders were legalistic and used the rules to enslave men and not lead them. A change in leadership style was needed to break the mold of sin in the leaders of Jesus’ day. The same is true today. Leaders in 2017 need to follow Christ’s model and not lead from a position of power and prestige to win a popularity contest.

Servant leadership is the model Christ used then and what we need to use today. Servant leadership is easier preached than practiced because the results don’t always benefit the person leading. Christ didn’t look very successful from an Earthly perspective and the world believes leadership results in looking good and being successful. Christ’s model for leadership didn’t use control measures or best management practices. Sending out only twelve guys in groups of two isn’t the most efficient use of time and resources. We need to shed the earthly perspectives on excellence if we are going to practice true servant leadership.

Christian leadership as opposed to worldly leadership is the 10,000 pound gorilla in the room. Christian leadership is what the world needs but not necessarily what is sought after and rewarded in 2017. The church can not be run like a business targeting numbers and events at the expense of spiritual maturity that can’t be measured with those metrics. Corporations can’t target being the ‘best place to work’ if quarterly or annual profits are the ultimate measure of success. The priority of Christian leadership is Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Leadership is not measured in an opinion poll.

Christian leadership comes in red letters not a list. “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:37. God put man at the top of the food chain to lead and He gave us Jesus as the example of how to do it right. Christ led by example and the earthly result was a short life and career. Christ’s leadership style was to focus more on leading others to the goal and not his career as a leader.

Christian leaders in 2017 need to be led by the Spirit, confess their mistakes and serve everyone in the organization. Leaders must be courageous and committed to sacrifice themselves with eternity and posterity as the measure of their success. The job description might not be attractive, but the benefits and rewards are out of this world.

Millennials seem to be the most derided generation of all time. There is an abundance of U-tube videos, songs and cartoons that spin from the belief “Life is what happens to you while you’re looking at your smartphone.” At the root of most of the jokes is the fact that Millennials are immature. ‘Why?’, is best left to cocktail party conversation or small group discussion. The better question is ‘what does real maturity look like?’

Maturity is generally regarded as reaching an advanced stage of mental or emotional development that is characteristic of an adult. A mature person is regarded as having the experience and knowledge that leads to good judgement. That would lead us to think maturity comes to everyone with time. The humor and frustration with Millennials stems from the belief they WILL mature it’s just taking them longer than any generation on record.

Before we cast another stone or joke at the current generation, what does real maturity look like? I’m afraid even believers may not have a clear understanding of Christ-like maturity. The nature of maturity runs the risk that even when we know what it looks like, we may want to ignore it or stop it’s progress. Getting older doesn’t necessarily bring us closer to God. Millennials aren’t guaranteed of maturity and neither are we.

Peter was the original Millennial and Jesus told him what maturity would and should look like. After Christ was resurrected, he went to Peter to reinstate and reaffirm the man who had just denied and deserted Him. This is the story when Christ asked three times if Peter loved him. Just like a Millennial, it took Peter several times to slow down, pay attention and understand what was really being said. That’s when Jesus explained it to him. “I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” John 21:18. Drop the mic and walk away.

Yes, “Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, ‘Follow me!'” John 21:19. When a believer reaches maturity, he follows whatever and wherever God leads him. He glorifies God. Jesus told Peter what was ahead then exclaimed, “Follow me!” The advanced stage of mental and emotional development for a believer is to follow and submit to being led by the Holy Spirit, even on a path of downward mobility that leads to worldly death.

Earthly wisdom, maturity and good judgement says to avoid death and downward mobility. Earthly maturity leads to good judgement that is characterized by more ease, more affluence and more influence. The rich young ruler was mature by all worldly standards. By Christ’s standards, he was a Millenial that refused to grow up.

Luke recorded more of Christ teaching about maturity through the parable of the sower with the soil and the seeds. “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures and they do not mature.” Luke 8:14. It sounds like the rewards attained later in life by years of hard work can keep some people from maturing. Maturity can be attained but it can also be delayed or avoided. Becoming mature depends on your definition, your retirement plan, your goals and your god; or your God.

The writer of Hebrews said the mature folks have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. One thing that stands out is that Christian maturity doesn’t come through riches and a life of ease. As believers, we need to make sure WE understand that and don’t work around or try to avoid what God brings our way…and train the Millennials as well. If our God is sovereign, then it requires submission to whatever He brings into our lives. Jesus had been telling Peter what would happen and Peter had been fighting it tooth and nail. Finally, Peter sucked it up and submitted, saying “Lord , you know all things;” That’s what maturity looks like.

James says maturity will come in the form of testing your faith through times and situations the world tells you to avoid. Perseverance is the key and you don’t have to persevere through good times. “Perseverance must finish it’s work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4. Maturity demands persevering through tough times. The resulting maturity doesn’t lack anything.

Is your faith being tested? Odds are that if it isn’t you’re not becoming more mature. But submission and maturity don’t always come naturally or quickly. When Christ was teaching Peter, Peter turned around and noticed John was following right behind them. “Lord, what about him?” Sounds like a Millennial again. “Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return again, what is that to you? You must follow me.'” John 21:21-22.

As a Christ follower, the path to maturity for me and the path for you should have similar characteristics but can have different results. Our maturity is dependent on knowing what Christian maturity looks like and our willingness and desire to allow Him to mature us. The command to maturity is the same for both of us, regardless of the cost.

I’m glad I don’t know what the future looks like but I am thankful I know where it leads. Maturity is not something we always choose or prefer, but it is what He desires for all of us….even the Millenial.

Valentine’s Day was a struggle for me last week. It feels like there is ONE day for love to be on display. Kind of like the one Saturday a month where church members show their love for those less fortunate by serving at the homeless shelter or cleaning up someone’s yard. One day to show and tell your love for others just seems so…not enough, so lacking. If we put love on display, is ONE day what it really looks like?

Part of my struggle is that we make love look so pretty and easy; and it’s not. John (the one Jesus loved) gave one of the best definitions for love ever written. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10. So, real original love is defined by an atoning sacrifice. The giving up of something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important, all to make amends or reparations not just a celebration.

Now is when some folks say, yes, that’s what I was doing by serving that one Saturday or taking my significant other out for dinner on Valentine’s…and I hear you. I’m just concerned about our understanding of living a life of love as being shallow, showy and short-sighted. In Galatians, Paul said “The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” So, if legalities were all we need to be concerned with then a few displays of love are OK and we can move on. But, loving someone else like you love yourself requires 24-7 sacrifice.

James reminded us that checking off the legal box of love is not enough. “For whoever keeps the whole law and stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” James 2:10. In 2017, our world needs more than a legal decision or a one day display. “Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.” Proverbs 10:12. Love is the only thing that is going to fix what hatred is stirring up.

If John was the disciple that Jesus loved, then I don’t quite know how to describe Peter. Peter probably put on a greater show of love and affection for Christ than anyone. He was verbal and demonstrative. Peter’s Valentine’s Day photos on his Facebook page would have topped everyone’s. But, a few hours after his public display of love he slid into full out denial and turning away from his professed “valentine”. Maybe this is why Peter’s words about love need to sink in with a sense of urgency.

When Peter talks about love he comes from another level and understanding. In 2017 vernacular, Peter says there is love and then there is REAL love. “The end of all things is near. Therefore, be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:7. Don’t just love, do it deeply.

For me, that begs the question. Are we loving each other deeply or are we just loving each other? It’s easy to have and show love to a spouse, your kids, a significant other. Heck, it’s even easy to show love to someone you don’t know. But, how’s your love for the couple that irritates you, the girl who hasn’t paid back the money she borrowed or the ex-spouse who cheated on you? How’s your love for that punk at school who threatens to beat up your kid or the political party that doesn’t seem to know how to lose and accept defeat? Love doesn’t keep score.

Real love isn’t conditional upon you agreeing with my beliefs or even liking them. How can you really love me if you don’t get what you want from me? Loving deeply is a decision and not an emotion. Loving deeply has to come from somewhere other than our attraction to each other, a like-minded belief or the benefits we derive from a relationship.

I’m going to say it and you might not agree or like it. Real, deep, unconditional love is impossible without Christ in your heart…and even then, it’s a daily battle. Bottom line is it’s only a matter of time until you disappoint, deny or forsake me. Oh, yeah, and until I do the same to you. And when that happens, love requires me to be patient with you, to not be easily angered or keep a record of what you just did.

Christ knew love was so critical He made it a litmus test for those who followed Him. Love was not something He considered a good idea, He called it a command. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35. So, Jesus commanded us to do something and told us to look around and you would be able to see his followers by the way they loved people.

Here-in lies the issue, friends. I don’t want to just show and live a Valentine’s Day or Saturday serve kinda love. For me, I need more, I want more. Our WORLD needs more and has got to get more real love. People of different religious beliefs, political beliefs, sexual identities you name it. We are living in a time where the world is framing the argument as either hate or love. I’m afraid there is no middle ground of complacency or ambivalence. You’re either a lover or a hater. We are being forced to choose and don’t forget, “Love never fails.”

Christ threw the answer to it all on the table. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13. Sacrificial, atoning, deep love. That’s what is required in 2017 and Christians have the cure for what is ailing our world….but it takes more than an afternoon serve, a march or a date night with tolerance. “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” 1 Cor. 13:6.

Does your litmus test for loving deeply come out positive or negative? Ask the people around you who weren’t in your Valentine’s Day photos or your Saturday serve. Ask the people around you that are hard to like. Ask the Holy Spirit.