Holiness Defined? You Tell Me.

I am reading a great book right now called Radical by David Platt. Some of you might have heard about it or even read it. I am enjoying it immensely. I has really challenged me to re-think the typical paradigm of the "American Dream" style of doing church. If you aren't familiar, he kind of describes it this way (this is not a verbatim quote):

Step 1: Get building (or something like a building)
Step 2: Get Christians to come to your building (steps 1 & 2 can sometimes be reversed)
Step 3: Get Christians to keep coming back and to stay in your building by giving them programs
Step 4: Teach them to be good by telling them why they shouldn't do
Step 5: Once you got Christians in your building and have them coming back, you can tell everyone where your church is so that they can come and get in your building and keep coming back to learn what not to do and discuss how they aren't doing it and make sure everyone else is being good too.

Of course this does not describe every church, I think the author was painting a very broad picture and presenting general tendencies.... But I find that model quite accurate, actually. I know that is kind of the thinking that I have from time to time. It is tempting because its so prevalent. Go to church, hopefully there are some seats in the seats, get some good programs going so people can learn what not to do and come back. In a way this is funny to me because it is too convicting (a famous Howard Hendricks idea. If you don't know who this is- I suggest you acquaint yourself with this great writer and teacher.).

Platt describes a totally different model. The model of our Savior. Jesus' focus was on discipleship. The God of the Universe, the creator and sustainer of life, chose to pour himself into only a roving band of 12 fishermen, misfits, and sinners. He taught them to go out into the world and not be afraid of anything: to look stupid, to be ridiculed, to be shamed, to be beaten, to have your neighbors talk about you, to not seem cool, to make mistakes, and so on. Jesus challenged them to DO Christianity, not BE Christians (the "be, do" analogy I borrowed from John Boyd, if you don't know who this is, I suggest you acquaint yourself with this great military tactician and reformer!). They were not defined by what they did not do- Jesus didn't sit around in a tent all day not doing bad stuff. Instead, Jesus' holiness was defined by what He did. We know the disciples for what they did- especially after the resurrection in Acts- that is some powerful doing.

Now, at first you may have a negative reaction to this because it sounds like works. And when people hear "works" they panic. But that is a totally unconnected issue. What if the gospels read like this?  "Today is Sabbath and Jesus didn't go out into the synagogue to cause trouble. He didn't risk anything by going to heal people. He didn't cause any friction, He didn't challenge the leadership, instead, He stayed in His hut and was good. Jesus did not do anything wrong that day (in fact Jesus didn't do anything wrong any day). Likewise, the disciples didn't do anything wrong either. Instead, they came to Jesus' hut and they sang worship songs and Jesus gave them a lesson." You get the picture.

I could write all day on this topic but won't, because I am short on time this morning. I want to get you thinking about the American Church. How can we do it better? Can can we do it simpler? How can we come together as a church, then take that message and go into the community as doers... How can we be motivated to be brave and risk it all?

Platt explains that holiness is most often defined by what we do, not by what we don't do. So what does that say for our American style of worship? You tell me....

PJ