The first thing that popped into my mind when I started hearing about being a missional Church and what that means was, how the heck am I supposed to go to the coffee shop everyday engaging people for the gospel with limited funds, a bunch of kids and an already full schedule? Was I being told to shove off all my home responsibilities? No more cleaning, cooking, teaching, no more staying home with little munchkins so I can discipline them, hold them, clean them and teach them the gospel because after all they don't really matter; it's the world around us that really matters. And then there is the little matter of having a husband, but what could he possibly need? Should I neglect spending time serving him to go out with friends for the sake of the gospel? Don't tell me nobody else was thinking that because I heard enough questions within the first week from others that confirmed people were. I also saw a young zealous believer with young children and husband acting on that thought and a wiser, older woman coming alongside her and reminding her that it wasn't up to her to save all of Kenosha (while encouraging and respecting her zeal), but that her husband and her children were her primary mission field. Remember I said primary not only or exclusive mission field. I want people to remember this because this is the beginning of a series of posts that will start with the home but not necessarily stay there and shouldn't just stay there.
First of all, what Pastor Matt is saying is becoming a little clearer, especially after this week's sermon. He is trying to get us to see the heart or the mind-set we need to have; not necessarily the specific actions, though actions follow mind-sets. The mind-set we are to have is being all about the gospel. From start to finish it is about Jesus. He is the author and the finisher of our faith. He is the starting point, the middle point and the forever! So, I need to look at how that works out in my home life.
Why?
Because Titus 2 gives specific ways that we as women display the gospel:
3Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,
4so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
5to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.
It doesn't say anything about coffee shops, awesome Jesus t-shirts, partying, or having 25 unbelieving friends. It doesn't say anything against it; that is not the point, honoring the word of God is. So, how am I as a young woman with a husband and children suppose to honor the word of God? I will only want to honor the word the way it says to in scripture if I truly believe Jesus did pay for my sin and that joy leads me to desire Him and obey Him because it is a pleasurable thing to do.
My affection and devotion to willingly obey my husband because of the worthiness of God rather than the man, and my affection and care for my children and an orderly grace-filled home is gospel-telling. It is putting the good news on display. It says something about the family of God that we are inviting our unbelieving friends to be a part of. If you neglect your husband, children and home you are not doing it for Jesus because Jesus can be clearly seen in a Jesus centered family. He designed the Church as a family and our little families reflect that greater family. I have seen first hand in my own life how when people see you disciplining your children humbly and not complaining, but rather honoring your husband does for the friend who thinks it's weird and attractive and worth looking into why. This friend begins to want to participate in this loving family. And as they participate in your family, they begin to desire to be a part of the greater family you have been placed in. I hope next week to get more practical.
I am ending today with these stories from Francis Chan. He and his fellow elders decided to do something that we may consider radical for the sake of the gospel after they tracked down a gang member that had been converted and then deserted the church. They found out it was because he thought the Church would be like a family and frankly his gang was more like a family than the Church. Read carefully and consider. Rick told me about this and we are now considering how radical we are going to be.
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3 comments:
That is a great post Jaz! Chan does have a way about him when it comes to being all in or all out.
The blog that you refered to was interesting, but extreme. I think giving up insurance would require a radical change in churches everywhere. For example, so Temple goes radical, and everyone promises to take care of each other's kids (which I think many already would do without such promises having been made), but what if we move to California and then die? The whole insurance thing seems like a small and insignificant part of a more fundamental issue.
We don't live communally mostly because of our culture. In other places in the world which are extremely pagan, they live almost completely communally, other women nursing your baby etc. They don't do that because they are Christian, they do it because of their culture. That gang member was looking for more of a family than his church gave him, because of his "culture". I don't think either way is "right", though obviously we should continually be looking for ways to extend ourselves to our family inside the church as well as people who are unreached in our community.
As I read the referred to blog I didn't understand it to be as radical as Brittany took it. From my own perspective, years ago Ryan and I cut back our investments and life insurance to a minimal "necessary" amount as well as revamped our finances so that we could live on a much smaller income and simultaneously increase our giving. We are convicted that God has called us to work and minister as best as we can without worrying about "living large" in retirement and so we have taken steps to live out our faith and convictions. So to that end I understood the post/blog to be speaking more along those lines.. Their faith led them to search out ways to live with less of a disconnected, "I'm on my own" sort of mentality and more of a united, "I'm part of a bigger group of people... now how can we work together to meet our needs and achieve God's goals.." mindset.
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