“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life…”
1 Thess. 4:11

The Bible talks about AMBITION. Ambition is defined in the dictionary as an eager or strong desire to achieve something.

The biblical ambition appropriate for lay believers (versus professional ministers) is found in 1 Thessalonians 4, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders…” (1 Thess. 4:11-12).

Compare this ambition with the AMBITION the Apostle Paul had for himself as a full-time minister in Romans 15:20: “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.”

A big part of Paul’s calling demanded him to focus his energies on preaching and teaching the gospel from place to place. But it is significant to note that he never projects his own personal calling on the individuals in the churches he started. Instead he tells them TO STAY PUT AND TO LIVE WELL.

I get raised eyebrows whenever I say I believe the best way to reach this nation is to keep as many people as possible OUT of the full-time ministry. But I think it is true. I think ministers have done a disservice to the body of Christ (especially in the Evangelical and Charismatic traditions) by leaving the impression that the center of God’s attention is on the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (full-time ministers).

I don’t believe that. I don’t think God waits from Sunday to Sunday or from service to service ANTICIPATING another opportunity to move on the earth. I think he wants to get into the fabric of our EVERYDAY, BORING LIVES. I think he loves our ordinary zone.

What if that is true?

What if the mandate to “go-into-all-the-world-and-preach” could be read, “AS YOU GO into your everyday world - preach!”

I’m suggesting the biblical strategy for how a layperson is to “preach the Gospel” in her world is very different from how a minister is to do it. When you watch Paul and the other preachers in the Bible, it is obvious that God gifted them to garner INTEREST in the Gospel message through their preaching and through their charismatic presence or ministry. There is a miracle involved in preaching. Preachers create a QUESTION in the minds of unbelievers to consider Jesus simply by preaching. Creating the QUESTION is at the heart of the Great Commission.

But how does the LAY PERSON do it? (Generally people flee by the 1000’s when lay people preach!) How does the typical mom with three kids still in diapers reach the world? How does the high school student who is trying to discover who s/he is and where s/he fits in the world reach others for Jesus? How does the retired person struggling with health issues or intensely caring for an elderly parent reach the world?

The answer is found in 1 Peter 3:15, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

Somehow as we “set apart Christ as Lord” in our hearts, we start looking different. We become “marked” with otherworldly bright spots (i.e. joy, peace, kindness, patience, hope, etc.). These “bright spots” CREATE A QUESTION in those who are within our sphere.

When the question comes, Peter says we are to “answer.” I’m suggesting that answering the question our lives create IS lay ministry - it is fulfilling the Great Commission!

I think God is more thrilled about what can happen when you walk OUT of a service into your everyday life than he ever was about what the preachers do in a service.

Go, man. Change the world.

Ed Gungor

If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
1Cor. 12:17

In this text Paul was challenging the church to dare to be different - not to act and think the exact same way. Yes, we are ALL supposed to be holy. Yes, we are ALL supposed to be moral. Yes, we are ALL supposed to live ethically. But we are to freely express our differences of gifts, passions, and personalities - the way we are wired.

However, there are many in the body of Christ (leaders in particular) that want to cookie-cutter everyone into looking and being the same. Sameness makes it easier for us to tell who the insiders are. Just as things like black leather and Harley motorcycles easily identify bikers, Christians fancy certain kinds of behavior that we think are marks of Christlikeness.

Things like respect for authority (which is often more brown-nosing than true respect) and compliance (which is usually more an aversion for conflict than true heart submission).

After we moved to Tulsa, our two oldest sons, Michael and Robert attended a rather large Christian high school. Though Michael and Robert are both great kids, Michael fared the best. In fact, after being in school just a few months, Michael began to be showcased and honored. He was often publicly praised, received numbers of awards and ended up the Homecoming King at the end of his first year. Gail and I believed he was an awesome kid, but something about the whole thing seemed a bit over the top.

Robert, on the other hand, kept getting the short end of the stick. There were times when the actions of the teaching staff and administration toward Robert were nothing short of unfair.

We were initially confused about this seeming disparity until we realized that many of the educators in this Christian school system had an image in mind of what the perfect Christian student should be like. It just so happened that Michael fit the bill quite well. Michael by nature is outwardly compliant, non-confrontational, and quiet. Consequently, he came across exceptionally mature for his age. When they saw the traits they had been trying to cultivate in others already present in him, they quickly showcased him. He became their very own “Be like Mike” commercial.

Though Robert was talented, an honor student, and loved God with a tender heart, he opened his mouth too much. He would challenge rules, point out hypocrisies and loved to push the envelop - he colored his hair, yelled and applauded in public assemblies in a way that was overkill - Robert was always just a little out there.

If they would have taken time to really get to know Michael they would have seen that he saw many of the rules and regulations as any other normal teen would - as silly and non-essential. He was also just as opinionated and putout as Robert over the hypocrisies he saw. But he just preferred to leave things alone.

I’m not trying to take anything away from Michael, but my point is – HE WAS JUST BEING MICHAEL. He wasn’t trying to appease and brownnose the teaching staff in hopes of becoming their poster child. Michael has enough integrity that if “being Michael” would have gotten him into trouble, he would still have been Michael and gotten into trouble.

I remember talking with Robert while we watched this unfolding. I said, “Don’t feel badly about all the attention Michael is getting here and about how you are being unfairly scrutinized. You are much too different in your personality to win in this system. I wouldn’t have won either.”

I told him, “Michael is just being himself and they like that - he is not compromising himself. For you to act like him would be a compromise. I could give you a crash course in brownnosing so you could pretend to be something you are not, but that would be a tragedy. The truth is, I love your edginess. Though you could use a little more wisdom, please continue to be yourself - even if you scare some folks who don’t get the idea of diversity. Chances are you will never get showcased like Michael, but that is OK with your Mom and me. We are proud of both of you.”

The sad thing is, unless you happen to “fit” the predetermined collection of personality traits set by the Christian culture, chances are you will sense the pressure to be something other than yourself and Christianity will feel restrictive and have little joy for you.

I think Satan loves that. I think he wants us all confused about what real Christianity is and wants us to live in some kind of manmade, synthetic, kiss-up stuff.

A famous dead preacher named John G. Lake tells of a conversation he had with some old acquaintances that graphically illustrates how some folks have a predetermined set of personality traits that they think are most like Christ would be – which means they see those who don’t meet with their standard as wrong:

“Once while I was in Chicago, I met a couple of old friends who invited me to dinner. At dinner the lady, who is a very frank woman, said: ‘Mr. Lake, I have known you so long and have had such close fellowship with you for so many years that I am able to speak perfectly frankly.’

“I said, ‘Yes, absolutely.’

“‘Well,’ she said, ‘there is something I miss about you. For lack of words I am going to put it in Paul’s words – ‘I bear about in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.’ You do not seem to have the marks of Jesus.’

“I said, ‘That depends on whether it is the marks or mannerisms. If you are expecting that the personality God gave me is going to be changed so that I will be another man and not myself, then you will be disappointed. If those are the kinds of marks you are looking for, you will not find them. But if you are expecting to observe a man’s flesh and blood, bones, spirit, and mind indwelt by God, then you will find them. Not a machine, not an automaton, or an imitation, but a man with a clear mind and a pure heart. A son of God in nature and in essence.”

Well-said John.

Ed Gungor

Better-than-thouism makes others not open to us: like drinking plastic water…

Every Evangelical person believes that we are to communicate the good news about Jesus Christ to as many people as we possibly can. We cannot make people believe, but we must present the gospel to them in non-threatening, palatable ways, and then trust God with the rest.

I believe the way we present the gospel will make an impact on how seriously they consider the message of life. If we will value and respect people, it melts their defenses to our message. If we just see ourselves as bearers of truth and just “hit” whomever over the head with the gospel, we will alienate them to our message and hurt the cause of Christ.

It has been my observation over the years that what a lot of Christians call “persecution” is just a rejection of how they approach people. It isn’t our message that most often offends the person outside of faith - our message is actually good news! It’s the way of the messenger comes across that generally offends and turns people off. It’s not our message but our method. We approach others with a “I know better than you do” attitude, and they reject us before they ever hear what we have to say.

Most only listen to others if they know that person will respect them and their thoughts and feelings. I grew up Roman Catholic and for years was critical of my Catholic experience. Deep inside I knew that the Catholic faith had given me a reverence for God, but I was disappointed in the church for a number of reasons. So, after I left the Catholics to join an Evangelical church, I approached sharing my faith with Roman Catholic friends with a degree of “better-than-thou-ism.” I wrote off my minimal results as proof that Catholics were just not open to the full gospel.

Gail and I pastored for many years in central Wisconsin. The area was a bastion for conservative Roman Catholics. Most of them would never darken the doors of our church and, again, we assumed that was more evidence of the fact they were just not open to the gospel. But not long after we began pastoring in that area, a Roman Catholic priest visited our little town of 20,000 people to conduct a Roman Catholic healing service. Eight thousand people showed up! I went to see it for myself.

The priest was a born again, Spirit-filled, tongue-talking (during his sermon), fiery preacher who urged them to stand and renounce Satan and receive Jesus Christ personally as Lord and Savior! As I closed my eyes, he sounded like a great preacher in a Protestant tent revival. When I opened them, there stood a Roman Catholic priest in flowing priestly vestments with a huge, black rosary cascading down his side. The atmosphere of that meeting was charged with God’s presence and I witnessed hundreds getting converted and healed.

How do you answer that?

I asked myself, “How did this priest reach all these people that I thought were not open? How did he get them to respond so openly to the gospel message? Was he just holier than all the other non-Catholic clergy?” I don’t think so. I believe he just had an edge. The people knew he was for THEM - he was a priest. The Catholics felt valued, respected and safe. They opened up to what he was saying and responded.

Let me say it again, it isn’t our message that most often offends, it’s our method.

The Apostle Paul recognized that the greatest hindrance to our message is not the message itself but the messenger when he said, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I HAVE BECOME ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN, THAT I MAY BY ALL MEANS SAVE SOME. And I do all things for the sake of the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

Paul tried to eliminate any possible hindrance to the gospel by respecting and even taking on the cultural traits of the person he was trying to reach. He didn’t do that to trick them but to show his love and respect for them as individuals. Let’s face it; Evangelicals need to get better at this.

If we approach people with respect and take the time to “learn their language,” they will open up to us. People outside of faith should feel valued and respected by us. They did around Jesus. They even invited him to their parties and loved being around him. Sinners loved Jesus because he valued and respected them. That didn’t mean he condoned their behavior. Jesus called them to repentance by honoring them.

After we learned to appreciate Roman Catholics and began sharing with them in non-threatening, understandable terms, we began to see substantial results. I have discovered over the years that if we really see people the way Jesus did, people open up to the good news about God.

You matter. Who you know matters. Dare to examine how you see people and help reach people for Jesus.

Ed Gungor

If you want to see what was in style about 5-8 years ago, just watch Christian TV or visit a few evangelical or Charismatic churches this Sunday.

I don’t think God is upset with that. Nor should it upset us. The problem is these groups often imply that being out-of-sync with style is one of the marks of holiness. That is silly. “Fashionlessness” is NOT holiness, nor is it one of the marks of being a true Christian. It’s just a silly boundary marker some Christian subcultures use to let each other know that they are “insiders” - sort of like riding a Harley and wearing black leather let’s others know at a glance that the person is a biker.

The problem comes in when we think a boundary marker IS Christianity and we accept or reject a person on the basis of an external. Even though the Bible does not say these things are overtly sinful, many churchgoers are viewed as suspect and worldly if they are fashionable, or ever have a glass of wine, or ever smoke a cigar, or listen to music that isn’t a worship song, etc. (of course these same groups overlook things like judgmentalism, obesity, rudeness, favoritism, racism, etc. - after all, nobody’s perfect).

For many evangelicals a major part of being a fully devoted follower of Jesus has to do with mannerisms; what we wear, how we talk, what we like or dislike and what we DON’T DO. Let’s face it; there is a cookie-cutter, Christian culture that is touted in many Christian circles as “Christ-like.”

I don’t think God wants it that way. Christianity is not supposed to imitate an Eastern mysticism that forces people to loose their individuality and distinction as they are absorbed into some great cosmic ONENESS or SAMENESS.

I think God loves diversity! He didn’t create one kind of fern but 14,000 different kinds. There is not just one kind of flower. Each snowflake different. Scientists estimate that there are at least 1 million galaxies (not stars) inside the section of sky framed out by the cup of the Big Dipper!

There are billions of humans - all unique. I think God loves when we look different.

After I got out of Bible school, I tried to be more “preacherish,” like everyone else I saw in Bible school. I taught from the King James Version, which meant I spent about 30% of the message breaking down the Greek and Hebrew. I yelled more.

But I just couldn’t cut it. It felt too weird. I finally determined, “I have to be who I am and have to stop imitating others.”

I’m a little less refined than most. I don’t try to be. I just am. I say things like, “Let’s kick some butt,” or, “Quit acting like a turd.” And it doesn’t grieve my spirit. I like to play and laugh - loud. I don’t joke around because I think that is what folks want. I joke around because I was wired that way.

I boil my bratwurst in beer because they taste better (which means I have to buy some), and occasionally I have a “cold one” with my bratwurst. I’m from Wisconsin, for crying out loud! I never get anywhere near drunk - which is the heart of the biblical mandate when it deals with alcohol.

I’ll tell you what else I love. I love to read the Scriptures every day and delight in a rich prayer time with God. I love God. I love to love my bride and my kids and do my best to love those God has put in my world. I hate sin. I hate what it has done in my life. I run from it and live my life with a clean mind and clean hands.

And I live longing to be a vessel for God. I want to be used by God to challenge people to discover the work of God in their lives and to cooperate with it - I want people to say, “yes” to Jesus. I want believers everywhere to live holy, to serve heartily and to love unconditionally.

But I have to agree it would be easier to make Christianity about externals and manmade rules. Just lag a bit behind the clothing styles; poof up your hair; take off the makeup; don’t turn on any “secular” music (though we eat secular food, drive secular cars and sleep on secular beds); buttonhole people with tracks; don’t ever touch an alcoholic beverage; tithe to get a 100-fold return (not because you love God and his kingdom) and live by whatever spiritual etiquette our group has determined to be the marks of spirituality - AND YOU ARE HOLY!

PRESTO!

Doing these kinds of things is easier than really loving God and people. PLUS you get to feel better than other people while you do them - great for your self-esteem (and we all know how important it is to feel good about yourself - we are Americans).

I think Satan has a hay-day with this stuff. He loves to get us confused about what is real Christianity. Then faith becomes a synthetic thing that carries no real spiritual power, thereby making it easy for those outside of faith to blow us off.

That’s why I think religion sucks.

Ed Gungor