In Pursuit of Pleasure
Growing up in a traditional Pentecostal church, I received considerable instruction concerning the "worldly pleasures" I should avoid. I do not recall any suggestion that a Christian might find pleasures in the "heavenly realms." Thus, the very word “pleasure” gathered a negative connotation. Sacrifice and suffering seemed to be the lot of Christians, not pleasure!
Further, after years of Christian life and ministry, I have concluded that the pursuit of pleasure does dominate the lives of most unbelievers while contending continually for the attention of many believers. It’s very easy for me to believe that these are the “perilous times” of the “last days” of which Paul spoke, days in which people are in fact “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” It makes sense that lovers of God would not be lovers of pleasure!
How about another look at pleasure? Two preliminary thoughts . . .
First, our God understands pleasure. He frequently stepped back from His creative handiwork and said, “It is good!” The Word of God reports many people, events, and circumstances in which God found pleasure. The New Testament encourages Believers to “please” God. No problem with the possibility of giving God pleasure!
Second, we human beings seem to be wired for pleasure. I believe the capacity for pleasure is one of many features we have gained from being made in His image and likeness. The first man and woman were placed in a garden designed for their pleasure. Eden must have been a pleasant place. Grandma Eve recognized the potential for pleasure while gazing at the forbidden fruit. That’s when pleasure revealed its dark side.
Has pleasure become altogether evil, or just the pursuit of it?
My thinking has been jostled by John Piper in his book entitled Brothers, We Are Not Professionals. (The book was a gift from my friend, Keith Heermann.) In the seventh chapter, he used the phrase “Christian hedonism”, a concept he introduced in a previous book. It made me think!
The "Westminster Shorter Catechism" begins with this: "Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever."
Enjoy God? I don’t ordinarily look at the Christian life from that perspective, but considering the wealth of scripture offering and encouraging joy and rejoicing, it really does make sense.
Could the life of a fully devoted disciple of Jesus be legitimately described as “the pursuit of pleasure in the heavenly realms”? Is this what Jesus was encouraging with “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness”? Is there truly unparalleled pleasure in the kingdom that is “at hand” still today?
This is what the Spirit had in mind when the Psalmist wrote, "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Psalm 16:11) Let’s not assume this speaks only of a future condition, after life as we know it on earth. We enjoy his presence now! We are now at His right hand in Christ.
Can I pursue pleasure in the realm of the effective reign of my Heavenly Father without jeopardizing or minimizing His pleasure in and over me?
I have found that Sandra, my dear wife of 40 years, is a source of great pleasure. But, I have experienced the greatest pleasure in Sandra when I have been relatively successful in pleasing her. (I’m not talking about sex, although the principle applies.) Pleasure is actually something we share, with mutual responsibility and privilege.
In Romans 12, Paul’s appeal is twofold . . . offer yourselves completely to God as living sacrifices AND be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The promised result is, “Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” I have generally assumed that the words “good, pleasing, and perfect” were for God’s benefit, but the “good, pleasing, and perfect” are for us too!
Worldly pleasures? Bah, humbug! The pursuit of pleasure finds its richest fulfillment in a life devoted to the will of God!
What do you think?
Friday, November 13, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
The 29th Chapter of Acts
I’ve been preaching through Acts recently. It was a hunger for more that sent me back to Acts. I want more for myself, more for my congregation, and more for the church in America. The process of searching, studying, scrutinizing, and then sharing has been rich and rewarding. There has been much repenting in the process.
Repent . . . I like the way Dallas Willard paraphrases the word: “Rethink your life.” (The Divine Conspiracy, 1998, p. 274.) Regular reflection on one’s life, under the influence of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, will likely bring us to new conclusions as to our policies, priorities, and practices.
I have been repenting for some time now. (See my previous blog dated January 20, 2009). I still have so much to learn . . . there are so many ways for me to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus! Personally and pastorally, I repent regularly!
Looking back on my ministry, I recognize a pattern of ambivalence. While I have never abandoned Pentecostal doctrine on an academic level, I have failed to believe what I believe. That is, I have not consistently and purposely practiced and applied Pentecostal truths in my approach to ministry in the local church. I have marginalized and minimized distinctly Pentecostal practices too often, usually in an effort to placate those who were somewhat uncomfortable with them. I have repented of my failure to value, embrace, and fully celebrate my Pentecostal heritage.
Thus, I am more convince that the only hope we have of seriously impacting our world is through a determination to understand and apply the principles, patterns, and practices found in the Gospels and Acts. The power and promise expressed by Jesus in Acts 1:8 must resonate in my heart and my words. I priority of prayer must be evident on our schedule. I must preach and promote the baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. I must regularly pray for those who are not filled with the Spirit. I must allow room and time for the Spirit to speak when we gather. I must promote and encourage people to embrace and exercise gifts throughout the week.
Yesterday, I stumbled across a statement by Ken Harrison, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in New Zealand. His words struck a responsive chord in my heart and prompted this blog. Read it . . .
“In today’s world we need to constantly realize the fact that only a transcendent power from heaven, operating within the body of believers called the local church, will ever fully answer to the kind of ministry needed in most of our cities and towns. The church today needs to see themselves as saved people who are being shaped by the word of God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live supernatural lives and thereby being Christ’s hands of love extended into the world in which they find themselves.”
I say, “Amen!”
Harrison said something else I like: “As we do this we will be people of influence who will write our own Acts 29 and our churches will be the Supernatural Church in this 21st Century.”
I want the congregation I serve to be a part of writing the 29th chapter of Acts!
Repent . . . I like the way Dallas Willard paraphrases the word: “Rethink your life.” (The Divine Conspiracy, 1998, p. 274.) Regular reflection on one’s life, under the influence of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, will likely bring us to new conclusions as to our policies, priorities, and practices.
I have been repenting for some time now. (See my previous blog dated January 20, 2009). I still have so much to learn . . . there are so many ways for me to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus! Personally and pastorally, I repent regularly!
Looking back on my ministry, I recognize a pattern of ambivalence. While I have never abandoned Pentecostal doctrine on an academic level, I have failed to believe what I believe. That is, I have not consistently and purposely practiced and applied Pentecostal truths in my approach to ministry in the local church. I have marginalized and minimized distinctly Pentecostal practices too often, usually in an effort to placate those who were somewhat uncomfortable with them. I have repented of my failure to value, embrace, and fully celebrate my Pentecostal heritage.
Thus, I am more convince that the only hope we have of seriously impacting our world is through a determination to understand and apply the principles, patterns, and practices found in the Gospels and Acts. The power and promise expressed by Jesus in Acts 1:8 must resonate in my heart and my words. I priority of prayer must be evident on our schedule. I must preach and promote the baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. I must regularly pray for those who are not filled with the Spirit. I must allow room and time for the Spirit to speak when we gather. I must promote and encourage people to embrace and exercise gifts throughout the week.
Yesterday, I stumbled across a statement by Ken Harrison, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in New Zealand. His words struck a responsive chord in my heart and prompted this blog. Read it . . .
“In today’s world we need to constantly realize the fact that only a transcendent power from heaven, operating within the body of believers called the local church, will ever fully answer to the kind of ministry needed in most of our cities and towns. The church today needs to see themselves as saved people who are being shaped by the word of God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live supernatural lives and thereby being Christ’s hands of love extended into the world in which they find themselves.”
I say, “Amen!”
Harrison said something else I like: “As we do this we will be people of influence who will write our own Acts 29 and our churches will be the Supernatural Church in this 21st Century.”
I want the congregation I serve to be a part of writing the 29th chapter of Acts!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Something I Never Had
“To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.”
I discovered this thought-provoking nugget of truth at the bottom of an e-mail message at work. It was part of the “signature,” little more than decoration. I have forgotten the body of the message and I don’t remember the sender, but this gem has challenged my thinking for several months. It reminded me of something I heard Leadership Guru John Maxwell say many times:
“If we always do what we’ve always done, then we’ll always get what we always got.”
I have always been “Christian” from every observable angle. I was raised in a wonderful Christian family; church was a vital part of our lives. I have “loved God” all of my life and I maintained the “Christian” standards handed down to me. I carried my Bible to High School! I didn't dance, drink, smoke, or chew, I didn't go out with girls who did. Uh, OK, I didn't really go out with girls at all . . .
Still today, I attend church regularly, with my Bible in hand, and I sing the hymns and choruses with considerable gusto. I pray over meals in public places. I embrace every fundamental Christian doctrine, and I can discuss most of them with at lease average clarity. Ask me what I believe, and I will give you an answer. Pretty good for a guy who has been in pastoral ministry 38 years! But, like the church in America, I am a mile wide and an inch deep.
“Something I never had” describes a depth of spirituality that has escaped me. It’s a spiritual depth that I see in Jesus, of course, and in early believers like Peter, John, Phillip, and Stephen. Why am I comparing myself to such giants? Because I have been claiming to be a disciple of Jesus for over 60 years!
When I speak of “depth of spirituality” I am referring to the fact that Jesus could see and hear things in the spiritual realm that physical senses could not have discerned. He did what he saw the Father do and he said what he heard the Father say. I also see that quality in the early disciples . . . they saw, heard, and knew things that others could not! The lived in dynamic relationship with God through His Spirit . . . they were spiritual!
“Something I never had” also describes the miraculous, supernatural manifestations evident in the lives of Jesus and His disciples. When I hear Jesus say, “He who believes in me will do the works that I do, and even greater works,” I have to wonder, do I believe? I’ve seen a few miracles, healings, and answers to prayer, but compared to the needs, sickness, and requests I’ve known, too few!
“Something I never had” relates to my desire for success in ministry that is not dependant upon anything from the vast libraries of canned strategies and techniques for church growth. And in my present ministry, there isn’t enough time, people, or money for most of those packages . . . I need something I can’t order from a catalog or find at a seminar!
I have been dissatisfied with myself and my ministry for sometime now. I’ve been hungry, longing, and searching for more for several years. I hinted at this in my first blog, “310project.” So, the cute little ditty I discovered in an e-mail helped to clarify the process I have been in for about 18 months.
“Something I never did” includes almost all of the spiritual disciplines. I realized that I needed to do some things just because I’m a child of God, not because I have a sermon to prepare or a church problem to solve. I made a fresh commitment to personal Bible reading in the fall of 2007. In 2008 I read the Bible through from cover to cover in six months and then read the New Testament through two additional times. In the past three months I’ve gone to bed early, like an 8 year old, so that I could spend a quiet hour with God. There are so many other things I never did and will be doing. It’s a process.
It’s true! I am already getting something I never had because I am doing something I never did. I’m enjoying being a disciple of Jesus Christ, just a child of God! And I have hope for more . . . more of God, more of His Power, more fruit to glorify Him!
I want to come back to that little proverb in another blog . . .
I discovered this thought-provoking nugget of truth at the bottom of an e-mail message at work. It was part of the “signature,” little more than decoration. I have forgotten the body of the message and I don’t remember the sender, but this gem has challenged my thinking for several months. It reminded me of something I heard Leadership Guru John Maxwell say many times:
“If we always do what we’ve always done, then we’ll always get what we always got.”
I have always been “Christian” from every observable angle. I was raised in a wonderful Christian family; church was a vital part of our lives. I have “loved God” all of my life and I maintained the “Christian” standards handed down to me. I carried my Bible to High School! I didn't dance, drink, smoke, or chew, I didn't go out with girls who did. Uh, OK, I didn't really go out with girls at all . . .
Still today, I attend church regularly, with my Bible in hand, and I sing the hymns and choruses with considerable gusto. I pray over meals in public places. I embrace every fundamental Christian doctrine, and I can discuss most of them with at lease average clarity. Ask me what I believe, and I will give you an answer. Pretty good for a guy who has been in pastoral ministry 38 years! But, like the church in America, I am a mile wide and an inch deep.
“Something I never had” describes a depth of spirituality that has escaped me. It’s a spiritual depth that I see in Jesus, of course, and in early believers like Peter, John, Phillip, and Stephen. Why am I comparing myself to such giants? Because I have been claiming to be a disciple of Jesus for over 60 years!
When I speak of “depth of spirituality” I am referring to the fact that Jesus could see and hear things in the spiritual realm that physical senses could not have discerned. He did what he saw the Father do and he said what he heard the Father say. I also see that quality in the early disciples . . . they saw, heard, and knew things that others could not! The lived in dynamic relationship with God through His Spirit . . . they were spiritual!
“Something I never had” also describes the miraculous, supernatural manifestations evident in the lives of Jesus and His disciples. When I hear Jesus say, “He who believes in me will do the works that I do, and even greater works,” I have to wonder, do I believe? I’ve seen a few miracles, healings, and answers to prayer, but compared to the needs, sickness, and requests I’ve known, too few!
“Something I never had” relates to my desire for success in ministry that is not dependant upon anything from the vast libraries of canned strategies and techniques for church growth. And in my present ministry, there isn’t enough time, people, or money for most of those packages . . . I need something I can’t order from a catalog or find at a seminar!
I have been dissatisfied with myself and my ministry for sometime now. I’ve been hungry, longing, and searching for more for several years. I hinted at this in my first blog, “310project.” So, the cute little ditty I discovered in an e-mail helped to clarify the process I have been in for about 18 months.
“Something I never did” includes almost all of the spiritual disciplines. I realized that I needed to do some things just because I’m a child of God, not because I have a sermon to prepare or a church problem to solve. I made a fresh commitment to personal Bible reading in the fall of 2007. In 2008 I read the Bible through from cover to cover in six months and then read the New Testament through two additional times. In the past three months I’ve gone to bed early, like an 8 year old, so that I could spend a quiet hour with God. There are so many other things I never did and will be doing. It’s a process.
It’s true! I am already getting something I never had because I am doing something I never did. I’m enjoying being a disciple of Jesus Christ, just a child of God! And I have hope for more . . . more of God, more of His Power, more fruit to glorify Him!
I want to come back to that little proverb in another blog . . .
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