Lordship and Tozer

My goodness, I am positively CHATTY this week, yes?

So many thoughts and feelings- which is kind of amazing since work is, as per usual, bonkerpants.
Perhaps a wee more bonkerpants than usual for this time of year...but, there it is.
Merry Hallowthanksmus.

But still...thoughts.

The message at church this past Sunday was about Lordship.  I was a bit nervous about it- God has really been on my case about discernment and false teaching.... about stuff I have believed in the past that was wrong, places I have drunk the kool-aid- that sort of thing.  Even well-meaning "godly" folks can fall into the trap. So- I am wary.  Can I be honest? I am SUPER wary.... guest speakers in particular make me nervous.

Anyhoo- we had a guest speaker- Paul Barker.  I like Paul- I went to a leadership training awhile back he did which was not what I expected...in a good way.  But I was still wary.  He was preaching on the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-25, for those of you keeping score)- and he was talking about the Lordship Test.  As in, who is REALLY Lord in our lives, and why?  And then as I am reading my good buddy Tozer this week- similar themes keep surfacing...

OKAY, OKAY....I HEAR YOU.  I am listening.
Ever notice that?  God tries to make a point and suddenly, it's EVERYWHERE.

Meanwhile- back at the ponderings.  One of the things that Mr. Barker talked about with the rich, young ruler...well, there were several things...
The first thing that struck me  is that the RICH....YOUNG...RULER  is ideal leadership material for any church.  Interesting...because while we say that stuff doesn't matter...it actually does.  We behave differently toward people we consider to be "successful." In our country, it's all looks, dollars and success.  Newbies who fit the bill?  Well, let's get those people giving!  Serving!  They are our people!
We are instructed to NOT do those things, but we do anyway- don't we?
It's CHURCH, people....be honest.  So he's rich, he's young, he's a "leader" and he's doing all the right things.  FANTASTIC.  Sign him up!

But the thing that I want to ponder today is that our rich,  young ruler...I will call him "Steve"- because I am tired of typing "rich, young ruler..."
SO...Steve.  Steve runs into the REAL Jesus.  The one that asks him to give up the one thing he won't surrender to God- that idol in his life that he loves the most.  For Steve, it's the $$$.  His moolah.  His security.  His wealth.
Poor Steve.
Now for you- it may not be that.  It might be control, or security, or vacation time, or a relationship, or a bad habit.  It's not a thing for me, but I hear tell that other people struggle....

It's a power struggle with God over our dreams, He wants what we want most.
He sees our idols, He sees what is killing us- and Jesus wants to get all in our dance space and deliver and heal those areas.
WOW.
I know what that is for me.  Do you know what that is for you?
And if you know, how do you let it go?  HOW do you give it to God?  Honest question.
Let me know- because boy howdy, I certainly have no idea what I'm doing.

Mr. Barker also talked about recognizing the difference between the value of what we have vs. the value of what God is offering.
Again- how? I recognize that God's way is probably FAR superior to mine, and what He has in store is way better...but again...HOW?  Fear gets in my way.  Security and control get in my way. I get in my way.  I want to trust, I want to believe.  I pray, I cry out...help my unbelief.
How do I get out of my own way?
No idea.  I am open to suggestions.

The REAL Jesus.  I think the real Jesus was probably so amazing.  Walking love- you know, you have encountered those walking love people.  The ones that make you feel better just by being in the room. I want to be one of those people.  Still working on it.
I imagine Jesus was one of those people times a thousand.  Because, He asked EVERYTHING of His disciples, and He was worth it.  People DIED because they believed Him. DIED.
As in DEAD.  Usually after being beaten, or tossed in jail, ridiculed, rejected and abandoned.
I guess those folks considered the value of what was offered to be high enough to die for.
Things that make you go hmmm.

Tozer has a few things to say about this:

"The Lordship of Jesus is not quite forgotten among Christians, 

but it has been relegated to our hymn book, where all responsibility toward

it may be comfortably discharged in a glow of pleasant religious emotion."

Ouch.

Or this:

"In coming to Christ we do not bring our old life up onto a higher plane;

we leave it at the cross."

I have been actively "walking with God" (to use my "christianese"- I am still disturbingly fluent) for 18 years- and I think I have gotten this whole thing a bit backwards, so bear with me as I sort it all out.

More Tozer:

The idea that the Man Jesus Christ has absolute and final authority over all its members 

in every detail of their lives 

is simply not accepted as true by the rank and file of evangelical Christians."

Ouchy ouchness.  Dang.

Do I give Him authority over EVERY DETAIL?  I suspect not, but it goes back to the recognizing value thing.  Do I trust that what He has for me is better than what I can do on my own?  I do, but how do I walk that out in daily life?  Again, honest question...

So- the REAL Jesus.  On His terms.  These are BIG THOUGHTS, people- BIG.

Note...Steve couldn't do it.  He walked away.

FROM JESUS.

The real one.  Mr. Barker mentioned a couple of counterfeit Jesuses...and I have met a few of these along the way...

Santa Jesus  (blesses us without requiring anything of us)

Socially Conscious Jesus

Success/Motivation Jesus

He's just like me! Jesus

I am sure there are more. You have probably met them too.  They are non-threatening to our status-quo.  They make us feel better about ourselves.  We are "good" with them.

And they also don't have any real power to heal, to change, to love,  to deliver- and to multiply all of that to the world around us.

They are not real.
No wonder so many people give up on faith.

Tozer talks about the "new" cross and gospel:

"It lets Adam live without interference.

His life motivation is unchanged; he still lives for his own pleasure,

only now he takes delight in singing choruses

and watching religious movies instead of singing bawdy songs 

and drinking hard liquor."

Feel free to fill in whatever version of "Don't drink, don't chew, don't go with girls that do" that you need to at this point.  

"God offers life, but not an improved old life."

Do we have the courage to go there?
Do I have the courage to go there?  With the real Jesus.  I hope so.  I suspect He's a really good dancer, and artist, and storyteller and lover of me.

Paraphrasing Tozer, we must repent and believe.  We must forsake our sins and then go on to forsake ourselves.

Dying to self...because THAT'S fun.  Wahoo.  Wheee.

But the value of what is offered?  Hmm.

I guess that's what the verse means when it says, without vision- the people perish.  If you have no sense of where you're going, why move? Why change?

I guess it all comes back to the person of Jesus.

And there is nothing new under the sun.  We are just as stiff-necked as the folks in the Old Testament.  The more I read, the more I recognize that human nature doesn't change.  Which is tragic, and comforting.
Because there is Jesus.

There's a song that talks about Jesus being the "author of salvation."
Author.  Authority.

I like that.

He is the author of my salvation.

He is the author of my story.

He is the author of my marriage.

He is the author of my family.

He is the author of my rest (I am really hoping He's working on this chapter soon, I am dang skippy tired)

He is the author of my health.

He is the author of my art.

He is the author of my gifts.

Remembrance #2

Sarah Gordon- copyrighted

I think I am okay with that, even if I am not very good at cooperating.  He is the author of my cooperation too, I guess.  I choose to trust He will sort all this out.

In my journal- I often write out the lyrics to songs that are just reverberating over and over again.  I don't know the names or who sings them- I usually only sing them at church....

But these:

The feet that walked on water

were nailed to buy my pardon

when my heart was hardened, 

You chose to call my name.

Remembrance #1

Sarah Gordon- copyrighted 

There have been plenty of times when my heart was plenty hardened....and yet...

Then this:

It's Your breath

in my lungs

So I pour out my praise

I pour out my praise

only to You.

I know.  It's a lot.  Chatty. I told you!  And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

So.  The real Jesus.

O God,  You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.  So I have looked for you in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.

Psalm 63: 1-2

I hear.  I am listening.
I have tried this life thing on my terms, some of it went okay- some...not so much.
I recognize what You have to offer is more valuable.
I don't know how to let go.
Show me how.

Selah.