A good friend of ours stopped by late the other night, for no other reason but to check on us. To think that this guy would care enough to give up the time he spends with his family at night to come check on us… what a blessing and answer to prayer. I have been floored by the way that this man and his family have prayed for, encouraged, and ministered to my wife and me during our time here. Such a God-send. If it’s one thing I’ve learned growing up around other pastors and now pastoring myself – it’s that ministry can often be such a lonely place. It truly is a calling.
It’s been amazing at how God has used “my kids” and so many other friends to encourage me to keep believing, keep fighting, and to keep preaching. I was tenderly reminded that I had better not bury my talent… I think Jesus had something to say about that somewhere.
But as we were talking, I realized how much unforgivness I had in my heart towards a number of people. It’s not something I wake up thinking about, because after all – some people aren’t worth my thoughts. It’s got nothing to do with a lack of compassion, but sometimes you just have to move forward. You acknowledge what happened, ask God for the grace and forgiveness, and then move on.
And that really got me thinking…
Why is it that we see so little in the way of forgivness and true reconciliation in our churches these days? Don’t misunderstand me, I realize that there are a number of solid congregations that do in fact take this Biblical truth serious. But for me, in a number of churches I’ve been in, and after talking with a number of people, this seems to be a constant theme among many believers. People just refuse to part with their “rights” to be angry and upset. For some reason I have this sinking feeling in my gut that so many “believers” confuse this notion of “righteous anger” with “their anger.” Those two concepts probably couldn’t be any further apart. Much of our anger has little to do with any “righteous” reason. I call it “majoring on the minors.” We spend so much of our time fighting and gossipping among ourselves that we have taken our eyes off of the true calling and purpose. And sadly, much of the lost world sits by and watches this only to ask the question “why would I want anything to do with that??” And can we blame them?? It absolutely kills the passion of the believer, not to mention causing most of us to get so fed up with the drama that plays out weekly within the four walls of our decorated, fancy buildings.
I have been so intrigued these last few years with the history of revivals, especially the awakenings and their effects on our country. I keep coming back to that passage in 2 Chronicles 7 and pouring over it and wrestling with it. I’ve come to realize that at the bottom of this equation it’s a lack of fear FOR and OF a Holy and Righteous God. So many people hear that word “fear” and automatically assume the negative. Many think God is out to “get us” or wipe us out… fill in the blanks, I could go on and on. (And on a side note, how many people have had a bad “taste” of religion and in the process of walking away they not just leave the “church” but God as well – swearing never to have anything to do with either of them again.)
If we truly took this notion of having a “holy fear” serious, we would take the issue of reconciliation much more serious as well. But when we stop standing in awe and fear of a Holy God, it makes perfect sense that we really don’t care much for the grudges and bruises in many of our relationships. We just live with them, and these problems become open wounds that never truly heal. Oh, we may put a cute spiritual band-aid on things, but at the end of the day, it’s so fake. Nothing is ever healed… so much for this ministry of reconciliation that we love to preach about. (See 2 Corinthians 5)
I have been searching the Word for the relationship between repentance and revival – seeing how these two key commands play and work together. I’ve been in many services where you hear a prayer or a song about our need for revival, but in most cases we just leave it at that. We leave more worried about what we’re having for lunch or what time the football game comes on than our relationships with God and each other.
But could it be that reconciliation just might be a precursor/prescription for revival? Follow me for a moment…
We hear that verse in 2 Chronicles 7 quoted so often:
2 Chronicles 7:11-14 NASB
“Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king’s palace, and successfully completed all that he had planned on doing in the house of the LORD and in his palace. Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and MY PEOPLE (i.e. Christ followers, Christians, ME) who are called by MY NAME humble themselves and pray and seek MY FACE and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
But as I’ve been reading the Gospels lately, I keep finding these places where Jesus addresses this idea of unforgiveness and how dangerous it really is.
The book of Proverbs warns us that if we turn a deaf ear to the Word of God, even our prayers become an abomination before the Lord (28:9). Did you hear that??? I read that and did some soul searching. The last thing I ever want is for my prayers to be labeled “an abomination” before God. So if we ignore these commands, could it be our prayers for revival go unheard for awhile?? I don’t claim to be a theologian by any means (It’s late and I’m just thinking out loud as I have been reading), and I’ve been labeled as “idealistic” more times than I care to count because of my stance on the Word of God. I’ve always believed that if the Word of God says it, well then our lives need to line up with it. That’s the reality of the Gospel… call me weird.
What would happen if we all showed up on some sunday morning, and before anything ever started, before any song was ever sung, we sought people out that we need to confess/ask forgivness of? You start seeing a body of believers becoming unified (which by the way is the thing Satan tries so hard to prevent from happening) and serving/worshipping as one body. Would that not lead to a corporate repentance? Would that not cause the tides of revival to wash over our shores once again? Granted, I realize it’s never that simple, and there are so many factors that play into this, but it seems to me that we hold SO many grudges against our own brothers and sisters. We treat those who don’t believe better than we do those who we worship with each week… What is wrong with this picture?? Why in the world do we expect anyone (much less those who don’t believe) to be drawn to this kind of behavior???? Goodness… I’m gonna have to stop before I get wound up and start preaching.
*Deep Breath*
So, needless to say, I had a lot of confessing to do last night. I had a lot of grudges that I had to let go of against people who have hurt and offended me deeply. Yes, I know, it’s strange that pastors get hurt and offended… I guess at the end of the day I’m actually human (keep that one quiet!)
I pray you read some of these verses that I have been wrestling with, and maybe this week as you think about it, do some business with God (and maybe each other!) before you darken the doors of your local church. I wonder what would happen? I wonder how that might change your worship? I wonder if God might bless you for that?
There’s this huge thing called GRACE – and I pray you give to EVERYONE this week, not just those you like or are nice to you. That’s why it’s called GRACE, because it’s undeserved. And at the end of the day, none of us deserve God’s love or forgiveness… isn’t that part of what makes grace so amazing??
I’ll shut up for now…
1 Peter 3:8-9 NASB
“To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”
Proverbs 28:9 NASB
“He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.”
Matthew 6:14-15 NASB
“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”
Matthew 18:21-35 NASB
“Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.
My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”
Matthew 5:22-24 NASB
“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”
