8-29-06 A Society of Fear
Christianity has become characterized by fear. Fear of others, fear of self. When Christ so willingly descended to the lowest and saw in them the future, we see only the present or the past. We are no longer willing to place who we are on the line for the potential.Every harlot or publican or adulterous woman or street urchin or leper-- did they all join Jesus and His followers? I doubt it. No, I know that it didn't happen that way. Most rejected. Most took what He offered freely. He gave them a part of His divine power [Mark 5:30] and they gave Him nothing in return.
Jesus walked freely through crowds of beggars and lepers. He had no fear, no preconceptions. Jesus' manner of ministry was far from the acceptable Christian "norm." In fact, most modern Christians would ask the same question the Pharisees did: "Why does your master eat with publicans and sinners?" [Matthew 9:11]
We live in constant fear of what "might" happen if we do this or that. We fear what other Christians might think. We are unable to escape their scrutinous glare, so we succumb and surrender. Instead, should we not be in their faces, asking, as did Jesus, what exactly is wrong with ministering to thos who need your ministry? Christ's church is being strangled by those who life appropriateness and properness and social acceptance to the level of God's Word.
At first, I hated these people for the way they were. Now, I pity them. They take the freedom of Christ and make it their own bondage. Freed from the law of Sinai, they make a law of their own choosing. By forming their opinions of "acceptable" they become as the Pharissees-- demanding symbol over substance. It is our failure that we cling to this law of our own making.
If we are to be Biblical disciples, we must leave our nets and follow Christ. We must not seek formulas and acceptable demonstrations-- we must follow, both His example and His leading.
We fail because we see only what is. We do not want to thing of what might be, because we fear it may not happen; and if it doesn't then we might be hurt. We fear too much for ourselves. What am I? That I should place my own comfort over the future of another? What if Christ had placed His own reputation over the needs of those who were around Him? What then?
Is it not our responsibility as Christians to cast out fear? Our focus cannot be on the waves, but rather on our Savior. When Jesus, walking on the water, came to the disciples, what was He trying to teach them? Was He trying to teach them not to fear? No! He was teaching them to not focus on fear. We have focused on fear. We have become excessibely defensive-- withdrawing to avoid failure. We resist rather than reform.
We cannot afford to isolate ourselves because we fear. Peter could not stay in the boat because of the waves. Even though he failed, and his is too often criticized for his failures, at least Peter started on the waves. We have chosen instead to huddle in the back of the ship and try to keep dry.
Where did this fear come from? Why are we so afraid to set aside our fear? We have been taught to fear... it is so ingrained in us that we think it is biblical! Show me one passage in the Bible that teaches us to fear or live in fear! "fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." [Matthew 10:28] Jesus said that!
We fail because we do not truly believe that we are God's instruments. We profess it, but we then look to outselves. We fear being God's instruments because He uses His tools hard-- they wear down. In His use, He will strip us raw; He will bear our soul-- and we fear it.
It is all about fear. Fear is destroying us because the churches have practically institutionalized it. We are always living in fear. Fear is keeping us from the fulness of God's blessing.
Victory is not found on the defensive. The "victorious Christian life" is not through just surviving and being able to say "I am pure because I resisted and withdrew from everything. I was victorious!" Victory does not come when we survive. Victory comes when we win! And winning implies that we assault and attack, not just defend.
Throw off fear and doubt.
posted by Pastor Erik DiVietro @ 6:33 PM
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