Yen and Yank

     Last week we looked at how the church can affect and influence our greater culture when our culture in many ways no longer views the church as relevant or having any power to speak to today's people or issues. The theory postulated was that the church still has the same power it always has had: the power of the love of God shown mightily on the cross and demonstrated through the church by the way we love God and each other. This was the first of three A's. The A of adoration. Adore Jesus and when one truly loves someone, it shows. The western world has seen our buildings, heard our preachers, snickered at our squabbles, tasted our programs and turned away. It is high time the lost world sees, hears, tastes, and is touched by the way we love and adore our Savior. This is the power of God whose love turns spiritual rebels into passionate lovers of the King and His Kingdom.
     We now turn our attention to the other two A's. Let's also call them the Yen and Yank. Starting with the yank, this will be the Yank A (sorry 'bout that).  I Thessalonians 5:22 implores us to avoid every kind of evil. There are some things we need to avoid to have the moral standing from which to share Christ. If He creates in us a new heart and if we are indeed new creatures in Christ, it stands to reason that there are unholy, sinful actions and attitudes which must be avoided. We have, in too many cases, stopped talking about sin, maybe as a pendulum swing because there were periods in church history where it seems that's all we talked about. Too many churches and denominations were known for what they were against rather than what they were for. But the truth remains that we are called to a life of holiness and that necessitates a putting off or leaving off of the things connected to the old self, the un-regenerated life. The world is too much with us wrote William Wordsworth and this is true for many in our churches. We have sought the pleasures of the world at the expense of the disciplines needed for righteous living. Developing a group of rules-keeping-modern-day-Pharisees is not the goal. If we move with and toward the first A, adoration, the second A, avoiding, takes its proper place. It is not a strength we lead with but a result of not wanting any thing in our lives that is not consistent with the character of Christ. No casuistry is enlisted. The word of God as applied by the Spirit of Christ to the spirit of believers with an historic perspective of the church will help the saints avoid the dulling effects of sin on their blood-washed lives. The New Testament uses words and phrases like put off, flee, avoid, throw off, and put to death those things that lessen, cheapen, and hinder our growth in maturity and service in the world. ...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.   Hebrews 12: 1 There are things to be avoided. Yank them out of your life.
        Now the third "A." This is the yen, that for which the believer is to yearn. This is the positive to the "yank's" negative. This is what the church Advocates. So what are believers to be advocating? What is the church known for? Matthew 6:33 reminds us to seek the righteousness of the King and His Kingdom first. What will this look like?  Firstly, it will  look like Christ. The churches and individuals believer's character, perspective and passion will look like Jesus'. Secondly, the church's tone and hue will take on the sounds and life-colors of Christ.The believer will advocate by word and deed everything Jesus was all about. He was all over redemption. He craved justice and executed it. He couldn't help but meets needs everywhere he went. He was always generous. He was forgiving, merciful.  He was pro-life, pro-health, pro-earth, pro-people and mostly pro-His Father in heaven.  If someone were to watch you over a period of weeks and hear your conversations, what would they say were your passions? What do you advocate?
      One of the ways the church can still be the church and have the proper kinds of power is to know and show the three A's of Adoration, Advocacy, and Avoidance.  I remember a scene from when the boys were little and were watching a Winnie the Pooh and Tigger show. Things got bad for the duo and they needed help to get out of a well or hole or something. Pooh lamented that if only he could jump up and get out. Tigger said bouncing is what Tiggers do best and he bounced he and Pooh right out. The church isn't finished or powerless or dead. We just need to remember  what we do best: Adore Jesus; Avoid sin; Advocate for all that is of grace and righteousness and justice. We will bounce back just fine.
        Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.    Eph. 1:3

Still trying to make "A's",
Cos