Sharpen your Axe!

I want to share the following story with you.  I received it from the School of Service and Leadership Newsletter (Indiana Wesleyan University).

As the old tale goes, there was once a woodcutter who asked for a job from a timber merchant. Gratefully, he was hired. On his first day, the woodcutter worked hard and cut down 18 trees. The timber merchant was impressed with the woodcutter and encouraged him to do better the next day. The woodcutter worked harder than he had the previous day, but only cut down 12 trees. The third day, the woodcutter worked even harder, but only managed to cut down 8 trees. The timber merchant was disappointed with the woodcutter and threatened to fire him if he did not produce better results. By the end of the week, the woodcutter had worked harder than ever, but never managed to cut down more than 5 trees. The timber merchant had to let the woodcutter go. As the woodcutter was leaving, the timber merchant noticed his axe. Upon further examination, the timber merchant asked, “When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” The woodcutter replied, “Why, I have never sharpened my axe. I have been too busy trying to cut down enough trees.” The moral of the story is that you should never become too busy to take the time to sharpen your axe. 

Before Abraham Lincoln became one of America’s greatest presidents, he was a skilled woodcutter. He said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.

How good are you at keeping your axe sharp?  If you are not spending time alone with God on a regular basis ... reading and meditating on his word ... praying and listening ... then your axe is getting more and more dull as each day passes.  How about spending some time today sharpening your axe.

Is America the Second Promised Land?

Russell Moore, in his book "Onward:  Engaging the Culture Without Losing the Gospel", writes "from the beginning, Christian values were always more popular in American culture than the Christian gospel.  That's why one could speak of "God and country" with great reception in almost any era of the nation's history but would create cultural distance as soon as one mentioned "Christ and him crucified." (page 6)

It has become increasingly obvious that even Christian values are no longer held as something the American culture aspires to.  There is an ongoing widening of a chasm between the culture of America and the basic social beliefs of the Church.  A line has been drawn.  Does that mean the American church is quickly becoming a church of the past and that God has given up on her?   Maybe, but is that all bad?

Moore also writes "the church has an opportunity now to reclaim our witness, as those who confess that we are "strangers and exiles on earth (Hebrews 11:13).  This strangeness starts in what is the most important thing that differentiates us from the rest of the world:  the gospel." (page 7)

Our being different from our surrounding culture should not be based on our political differences or even our moral stance.  It might be possible that we could convince America to once again return to the moral principles found in the Scriptures upon which she once stood, although I am not convinced that is what we really need.  What we really need is people to turn, not to good morals, but to the recognition of our sins and the grace of God's salvation through blood of Jesus Christ.  What should make us different is the gospel.

So What's the Difference?

David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons write in their book titled "Unchristian" the following:  "When asked to identify their activities over the last thirty days, born-again believers were just as likely to bet or gamble, to visit a pornographic website, to take something that did not belong to them, to consult a medium or psychic, to physically fight or abuse someone, to have consumed enough alcohol to be considered legally drunk, to have used an illegal, nonprescription drug, to have said something to someone that was not true, to have gotten back at someone for something he or she did, and to have said mean things behind another person's back."

So what is the difference?  How is the Christian any different than the pagan? Well, the obvious answer is that the Christians are saved by the grace of God. I obviously do not question that, and praise God for it!  But should there not be a difference in the lifestyles of Christians from those of the pagan?  That really is more of a rhetorical question.  You already know the answer, or at least you should.

The Apostle Paul says in Romans 6:1-2 ... What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

We have the power of the Holy Spirit living in us.  Nothing can overcome that power.  Not one sin habit is stronger.  So why do we continue to live like the pagan?  Because that is what we choose to do.  We would rather do what we want to do than what Christ wants us to do.  And yet Jesus says in John 14:15 ... If you love me, you will obey what I command.  It appears that we love ourselves more than we love Christ.

2 Timothy 3:1-5a records ... But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power.  

We need to Power up!  We need to submit to the Holy Spirit and allow him to make us different!

Tickle Their Ears

The Barna Research Group surveyed American’s attitudes toward ten moral behaviors, and found that 60 percent consider it acceptable for unmarried people to cohabit. Fifty-nine percent believe sexual fantasizing is appropriate. Nearly half (45 percent) consider abortion acceptable, and 42 percent approve of extramarital sex. Thirty-eight percent approve of pornography, and 30 percent find homosexuality acceptable ("Morality Continues to Decay," November 3, 2003).

Whether you attend church or not, you surely understand that the church’s influence on the moral fabric of our culture has been of extreme benefit in the past.  In fact, if you were to do a study on early government policies and papers, you would see that they were heavily laced with Christian morals and ethics.  I am afraid that is not necessarily so today.  The truth is that the decline of Christian influence is directly proportionate to the increase in the level of immorality in our country.

You cannot legislate morality.  It has to come from the heart and soul of people.  And if the very entity that teaches and instills morality is in decline, it only makes sense that morality itself would also be in decline.  You do not have to look far to see the results!  Seventy-plus years old men who are shooting their ex-wives is an indicator.  Young students bringing guns to school to shoot someone because they made fun of them is another. 

What is it going to take to turn our country around?  The answer is simple, a return to that which taught and upheld morality and good ethics … the church.  But not only should people be returning to what upholds good morality, but the churches themselves need to return to the Word of God that teaches such behavior.  It just might be that the exodus of people from organized Christianity is more the church’s fault than the people’s.  Maybe they were more wise than us.  Maybe they saw that the church had left their first love in order to tickle the ears of the people.  So my plea is twofold:   Brothers and sisters in Christ … Return to what this great nation was first built on … Christian morals found in God’s word.  2 Chronicles 7:14 states it this way … “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

My second plea is for those who are searching for a place to learn the standard of good moral behavior to check out God's Word.  Hopefully you will find what you are looking for there.

"Grace, Grace, God's Grace"

"Author Steve Brown says that some people think legalistic churches are as bad as grace-oriented churches.  As he put it, they are no more alike than saying a taxidermist is like a veterinarian.  Some would claim, "Well, either way you get your dog back!"  True, but one of them collects dust and never moves.  The other one is busy and barking and eating and jumping ... he's alive!  He's the real thing! The point?  Let's choose to be veterinarians.  Let's determine that our churches will be places of grace.  A church of grace is alive, anticipating God's work, willing to risk, free of judgmentalism ... but  make no mistake ... they're not free from holiness." (Charles Stanley ... Church Awakening ... page 85)

Years ago, when I was still doing youth ministry, we had a young lady from another congregation who started attending our youth group.  We were obviously glad to have her join us but I did wonder why.  So, the first opportunity I had, I asked her why she left the other group and joined ours.  Her answer was discouraging!  She said that during the morning worship at the previous church two young men came forward to give their lives to Christ.  The preacher told them to go home and get a haircut and then they would talk about salvation.  I wonder how many people are left in their chains of sin and destined for Hell because of legalistic attitudes.

This past Sunday we had a young man come forward 'to find God again' (his words).  He had been dealing with a drug addiction and had tried to commit suicide just two days previous.  He stood before our church family and the family cried.  Grace flowed down from God through our people. That is what church is ... a funnel of grace!

Please do not misunderstand me ... I am not promoting antinomianism (anything goes).  There is accountability and holiness that needs to be a part of the equation .... not for salvation's sake, but out of gratitude for the grace God has so blessed us with.  Nevertheless, a church without grace is no more than a taxidermist ... removing the heart and stuffing people full of religious law.  The church is a place of healing ... a place where the 'ointment of grace' is applied.  Praise God for His grace!

Matthew 9:12-13 ... On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”