We begin a new message series today that we’ve entitled, Ethos, or if you’re from the American South, “Ethas”. This series is about how we become more like Christ and less like the world in which we live. It’s a calling to an alternative lifestyle. Yes. You heard me say alternative lifestyle. Being a part of a Christian community is a calling to be different than the world that surrounds us. It’s about living the change of heart that happens as a part of knowing Christ. However, we have to ask like Dr. Phil, “Is this alternative lifestyle working for us?” Well, the metrics seem to say no.
Over the next 6 weeks, we have been walking through this message series entitled Ethos. It has been an interesting journey as we have reflected upon our character as a church and what we value. The idea has been that if we strive to live out the mission of the church: LOVE GOD, LOVE OTHERS AND CHANGE THE WORLD then we will naturally want to get more devoted, connected and generous in the areas we as Christians hold sacred: relationships (God and each other), next generations, personal transformation, mission and worship. Our goal has been to encourage us to live in his likeness.
Did you know there are less people in our community that know the love of God through Jesus than ever before? There are less people regularly attending a house of worship than ever before. There are less people who believe Christ is the only way. Less People who believe the Bible is God’s revelation for us here and now. In fact, more people see Christians as irrelevant, boring, hyper-critical and homophobic than ever before. It’s really pretty sad and I think that’s why so many churches are trying to be more like the surrounding culture because they don’t want to be seen in that light. However, that just doesn’t seem to correspond with what we have been called to.
Our purpose, our ethos, is to serve others as Christ would and for His glory.
Peter in looking at a community very much like ours looked to encourage and remind those he served with the words in 1 Pet 1:12-19:
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his second coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is Holy, so be Holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be Holy, because I am holy.” Since you call on a father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
We live this counter cultural ethos out as a body of Christ in our values of worship, mission, transformation, relationships and the next generation.
However, how should we as individuals relate, connect or impact the world around us?
I believe the answer begins with each once again committing to being Holy. Now, don’t get all caught up in the word. I’m not talking about following rules and regulations. It’s not about lists of to do’s and don’ts. It’s is so much more than that.
As Richard Foster points out in his book, Streams of Living Water (p.83-85). Holiness (or being Holy) is:
• To live in a way that unifies the mind, body and Spirit in right living.
• It’s the ability to appropriately respond to the demands of life knowing God is fully capable of helping.
• A sustained attention to the heart of God which focuses on our formation and transformation. It sees the sacredness in all aspects of life.
• Progress in purity and right action
• Loving unity with God becoming what he has intended all along.
The goal of the Christian life is not simply to get us into heaven, but get heaven into us! Becoming Holy is the growing, maturing and freely given conformity to the will and ways of God. God is intent on upon making us (you and me) into reflections of Himself. However, we often settle for less than what God desires for us. We are happy enough to settle for God to remove a personality defect, or an addiction or a destructive behavior but it’s quite another to ask him to begin a restructuring of our inner desires.
Why don’t we ask for our desires to be more in line with his? What keeps us from being more Holy? Truthfully, it is us. For us to be Holy, we must be willing to risk the comfortable for the uncomfortable. We must risk faith in the unseen and the unknown. We must be willing to continually look for God at work and join Him – trusting He knows what’s best.
On my path, I’ve asked God to change what gets in the way of effectively being His hands and feet. I’ve asked him to change my natural desire from being selfish to becoming more of a servant. It has meant constant challenge to my claims to the time and resources he provides. I have had to realize God’s ways are not mine but if I am obedient and paying attention, he will occasionally show me His glory.
A perfect example happened on this mission trip. I was looking forward to a week off from arranging a Sunday message. However, I had an inkling that I might be asked to preach last Sunday in Haiti. I don’t know why but God kept directing me to a piece of scripture on repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation. It felt strange. Why preach this to orphans, other mission teams and even our team? We had no issues and I wanted a week off. But after a few moments with God, it was clear that this was not optional. I had to preach it. Later in the week, a number of folks confidentially shared how it helped them.
As I think about Holiness and being more like Christ, I wonder about what our church might look like if we pursued it more vigorously. I imagine each individual, and the church as a whole, asking God to utterly transform them so the world would know His power, joy, hope, wisdom and love. Imagine a church where we all lifted our unclean desires, requested healing and then lived accordingly.
I remember a story not too long ago told to me by a grieving widow. She and her husband had moved out west hoping to get back on their feet after a long stint on unemployment. Everything was going well for the first month and then something unexpected happened one Sunday morning. Her husband died. She was devastated. She was a thousand miles from home and nowhere to turn. The new church she had just started attending heard of her plight. Instead of just taking an offering and wishing her well, they came over. They packed up her belongings, rented a U-Haul and drove her two cars and belongings back to her parents’ home in the Midwest. The church didn’t think about membership or length of the relationship. They took the mundane needs and made a holy pilgrimage. As the German Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “The church is the church when it exists to serve others.”
For me this story and others demonstrates the primary values of the church when the church is holy. It also challenges me to answer the question, “What area of my life needs to glorify God more? What in me needs to be more holy?”
https://communitycenter.life/rev-robert-butler-info
