I listened to, and I’m sure many people listened to the new “Watch The Throne” album put out by Jay-Z and Kanye West. It starts with a song called ‘No Church in the Wild’ which is put together really nicely and overall it’s a cool song in it’s musical, lyrical essence. The vibe, however, that I get from it based on the lyrics is, “I am going as far as I can to become a god because God doesn’t work for a person in this society.” I think that’s a really dangerous ideal but I don’t want to make it seem like it’s a Jay – ‘Ye issue. Their not the problem. I repeat JAY AND ‘YE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM… You are.

Here’s what I mean. The idea that you have to strive to become your own god isn’t as foreign of a concept as many Christian people may think. It’s actually a BIG issue that can operate in your life and go totally unrecognized. In our society, western – capitalistic society, it’s almost the ONLY training we receive from early childhood. “GET IT WHILE YOU CAN” replaces “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:19-21)

There’s a story in the New Testament book of Acts about Simon the Sorcerer. It’s found in Chapter 8 from verses 9 through 25. Simon was a dude who was similarly, trying to manufacture deity. He “practiced sorcery and amazed all the people of Samaria.” (Acts 8:9) From that, in that day, you can liken him to a David Copperfield type or, more extremely, like a Cris Angel. He was doing these signs and once he got some recognition for what he was doing, he started to want the attention (and he got it) and it invariably made him and others around him idolize/worship him.

“He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.” Acts 8:9-10

It’s PAINFULLY OBVIOUS that this dude, who is still only a dude, has become an idol (a counterfeit/bootleg god) to himself and others. I wonder if there’s any time in your life where you’ve amazed people, even for a short time, and loved it so much that you began to believe your hype or those people who you amazed began to believe your hype. It’s not wrong to amaze people; it’s wrong to become a self-righteous little god because you CAN amaze people. RAPPERS, I’m talking to you. lol

“They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized.” Acts 8:11-13

“When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, ‘Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’” Acts 8:18-19

See, the people (Simon included) could see that there was a GREATER, more powerful being and they followed Jesus as a result of hearing the news of what he’d done for sinners (The Gospel). I don’t want to go too deep into it because it’s not the point but… People don’t NEED to see signs of miracles in order to believe. The Gospel is ENOUGH to bring people to repentance in front of HOLY GOD! It’s not ALL about MAKING PEOPLE BELIEVE. The power of God extends so much deeper than what we can perceive with our eyes, hear with our ears, and feel with our hands. The apostles did perform “great signs and miracles” even in this story. The thing about that is, Simon SAW the signs and miracles they performed and he STILL SHOWED A PRIDE ISSUE! In light of that, we CAN’T assume that the signs and miracles that we all want are enough to save and sanctify the lost. Once we take this attitude of pride into spiritual things, we put in danger the effectiveness of the very message that we cling onto. Simon the Sorcerer didn’t hear the message of the gospel and think of it as a gift or as God’s grace that he was even witnessed to. Instead, he view the Gospel as another form of accomplishment so he wanted to pay for the gifts with money. HE THOUGHT HE COULD BUY HIS WAY INTO GOOD STANDING WITH GOD! Absolutely not the case. I wish he hadn’t done this because it would be so much better if he would have just humbly accepted it as a gift and asked “How great is God?”

“Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!You have no part or share in this ministry because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” Acts 8:20-23

See, the only possible key for a heart captive to sin is the Gospel. The only sweetener for a bitter heart is Gospel. That Gospel is only grasped once you repent. However, it’s NOT a “REPENT OR DIE” attitude; it IS a “GOD IS SO HOLY, I SURRENDER” attitude that we have to hold dear.

Simon the Sorcerer’s story, here, ends with him telling Peter to pray for him so that nothing Peter said would happen to him. Maybe Simon eventually would see the Church in the wild. Maybe he didn’t and went back to building his own kingdom. Ultimately, in a world of conquering and consuming, you don’t have to join the fight to get on top. You can trust in your heavenly father who sent Jesus so that we would “be holy and blameless in his sight.” (Eph 1: 4) There’s no self in that. There’s only what God has done for us.

Church in the Wild

I was on Facebook the other night and read a status from a girl who was frustrated that there were no, or hadn’t met any, Christian men who are genuinely wrecked by the Gospel of Christ and living with that as their fuel for LIFE.

I thought about this… and thought about it… and then I realized that her frustration wasn’t just about dating, but was a WAY LARGER issue that has affected the entire social structure of men in America. I’d like to shed light on FOUR areas that I think are being overlooked in the lives of men who profess Christianity based on Titus 2.

1) Role Models

“1You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. 2Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. ” – Titus 2: 1-2 

I often wonder why there are so many young people, young ‘Christian’ dudes especially, who just tend to drift along and let life happen to them. Young people who, also, make mistake after mistake with no hope of halting the cycle. Has no one ever told them, one by one, that there is a better way to live? Has no one even opened their eyes to ACTUAL sources in scripture that could help them? Sadly, the answer is often: NO! Young dudes in the ‘inner city’ are often brought up by moms alone with no wise christian male accountability or guidance.

When he says “Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance,” he’s basically calling for the older men to set a good example for the younger men. There’s OBVIOUSLY a lack of good examples seeing as the OLDER men are behaving, and have been behaving in a way that is contrary to the characteristics described here in Titus 2. Older men consistently set the example of a dude who’s hot headed, an all out clown, sleepin with LOTS of chicks, and still complaining about the way the world is headed. I wouldn’t follow a lot of these guys in a drive-thru. I guess, to put it simply: Men don’t know what men look like!

I was fortunate enough to have come across a few pastors online who’s sermons and literature have begun guide the shaping of me as a man. Here are a few: Eric Mason, Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, Perry Noble, and Tullian Tchividjian.

2) Self Control

“6Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.” – Titus 2: 6-8

I used to go to many events where I’d see young people just acting a FOOL with NO SHAME. I graduated from parties to performing at bars and predominantly older events but the same ridiculous bell rang true. These dudes just DO and SAY WHATEVER and have NO SHAME about it.

When it becomes cool to be a foolish, outlandish, promiscuous man, there’s a moral and spiritual issue going on in our society. This isn’t just a ‘non-believer’ issue. This is a CHRISTIAN male issue. I’ve noticed that there are young dudes who will wave the Christian flag, go to church, and EVEN DEBATE NON-BELIEVERS but are sleeping around, or don’t pray, or worship money, or have a hard time with NOT saying every last word that comes from their mind. SELF CONTROL!

I can’t front, THIS IS MY ISSUE AS WELL! I have to constantly catch myself or pray for the Spirit to intervene in my mind so that I don’t SAY something out of pocket or DO something out of pocket, or NOT DO something that definitely needs to be done. Galations 5 explains that ‘Self Control’ is one of the fruits that the Spirit of God produces in a Christian’s life. I would boldly suggest that if you continually LACK self control and show no signs of change, you need to ask the Spirit to show you IF you are in fact SAVED.

3) Subordination

“9Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.” – Titus 2: 9-10

This passage speaks TO slaves in THAT DAY who were not like the African slaves who were kidnapped and forced to come over to the Americas. Slavery was VERY different and in no way does the Bible condone that type of slavery. This passage speaks more to the ‘employee – boss’ relationship in today’s day. It basically says that there is a proper way to behave and relate to authority. Guys, young and old, in today’s day seem to have a problem with that.

All authority seems to be the enemy to today’s man. The police are the enemy, the boss is crooked, the politicians are faulty and so NOBODY feels that they have to submit to their authority. It’s never good for men to dissolve their role as being UNDER AUTHORITY. The humility drifts away, the man becomes hard headed and invariably becomes the center of his own universe.

Two problems with NOT SUBMITTING TO AUTHORITY (if you haven’t caught them) are:

• The man becomes his own god. There’s no one who can tell him what to do or give him rules because the entire concept of authority over him extends past the traffic cop, past the boss, past the judicial system, all the way to God.
• People are not going to see a good representation of God working in your your life. Titus 2:10 points out the implication of what faithfulness to authority CAN produce which is that “they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.” It’s implied that if the authority is not adhered to and men ARE stealing time from their bosses, or breaking the law, or talking bad about their pastors, the Gospel of Jesus is not effectively presented to the world.

Pastor Eric Mason has a GREAT sermon about this here: http://bit.ly/n5alMx

4) Gospel-lessness

“11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” – Titus 2: 11-14

NOT HAVING a good understanding of the Gospel keeps a lot of men from being the Christian men that they’ve been called to be. Since the Gospel shows us that God loves us dearly and scripture repeatedly tells us that if we are in Christ, we CHANGE, it is apparent that there aren’t as many men who understand the Gospel as those who proclaim it.

Once men grab hold of and are wrecked by the life of Jesus, work on the cross, the resurrection and the promises of God to us, it’s hard to imagine that they would ALLOW their lives to be the same. You, as a believer, are empowered to be priestly, manly (in a biblical way), kingly (in your home) and an AVID witness of what Jesus has done and how it has affected you. Salvation and redemption are NOT just some things that happen TO us and that’s it. It should be and IS a life altering realization that Jesus is the Christ (God in the beginning – God til the end – God throughout and after time) who came to reconcile us with God and after-which, plans to change us on the inside with a harmonious mission to spread this good news to all men. If this is not the theology that we cling to, then the other things (1-3) are almost impossible to master in a way that will be passed from generation to generation without some other stipulation rendering it useless or ineffective.

All in all, manhood is under attack and there’s only one hope, that is in Jesus. It’s FULLY diving into the things of God. Always seek the scriptures to figure out where to go as a man. If you know someone who could use a ‘man-up’ chat, do so in love. If you’re not equipped to give that talk but are the only one who can, seek the guidance of other GODLY men and without a second thought, pray.

I hope this helps someone. Jesus is our only hope…