Mixing the M&Ms
My middle son played football at the University of Oklahoma. When two things collide, it makes for a very intense situation. In this case the two factors were 1) A tremendous history of football success over decades & 2) There's really not a lot to do in Oklahoma. Factor those two criterion together and that makes for serious football fans (fan is the abbreviated version of fanatic).
On one particular away game, (That's important because, even though this may have happened at a home game, it would gone unnoticed. Those days there were usually 90,000 fans in a stadium that would comfortably seat 75,000. Away games...OK, I'll admit it, it was a Baylor game...there was plenty of room.) I noticed two ladies sitting behind us enjoying a bag of M&Ms. However, they would eat a few and then throw one on the ground and crush it with their feet. This was peculiar even for OU fans, and being the "stick your nose into everyone's business" (or as I like to refer to myself, "sociologically curious"), I asked what exactly they were doing and why. THE ANSWER: "We don't eat the orange ones" My first thoughts were a) The coating on the outside is flavorless & b) Then can I have them? But, I listened to the logic that drove their somewhat peculiar behavior. "Everybody we hate is orange, so we just throw them down and "crush 'em!".
So, a pre-game ritual that they didn't inform us of at Parent's Orientation. The Sooners biggest rivals (in those days) were the University of Texas and Oklahoma State University. Both orange. I get it...sort of. I would have just left them in the bag a clandestinely eaten them at a later date in the privacy of my home. But, a true fan uses them to effect the outcome of the game...to call down football mojo from on high...to make a statement of their loyalty. To "crush" the competition. I had so much to learn and so far to go. I realized in that moment what a neophite Sooner fan I was and just how much I had to learn. (All I have to say is...they should have been crushing the Green Ones! Just saying' Sic 'em!)
Interesting story. Some of you may be thinking right now, "Those people are weird. Those people are fanatics. Those people need to get a life! But, before you react, let me say it is my observation that we all play with our M&Ms. Every organization and entity alive that is. Every marriage, every business, and in my case, especially, every church is constant playing with their M&Ms. Not the "Melts in your mouth, not in your hand" variety. I'm talking about these M&Ms.
MISSION
METHODS
MESSAGE
Every living entity has these. They have that in common. But, what sets them apart is the order they come in...and they ALWAYS come in an order. Since I'm a pastor, let's talk about one organism that is near and dear to my heart...the LOCAL CHURCH. We have a tendency to mess with ours more than most. And as a result, here's what happens:
Many churches say, "The MESSAGE is sacred" (Which is true). The truth about Jesus is absolutely sacred. That the Word of God is infallible...that Jesus was born of a virgin...that he was fully God and fully man...that there is no hope for mankind apart from him...all true. When the MESSAGE becomes Priority #1, then the church becomes the guardian of the gospel. Doctrine becomes our priority for existence. We exist to protect the right and guard from the wrong and mainly appoint ourselves to point out any discrepancies that come along on our watch. The Church basically becomes the DOCTRINAL POLICE. And, as a result, we become known more for what we are against rather than what we are for. We have lots of classes and read lots of books and give lots of lectures (that we think are sermons) and although the gospel remains pure (as WE judge pure) it really doesn't have much of an effect on anyone because we're too busy guarding it to share it with anyone.
For others, the METHODS are paramount. We wouldn't ever speak those words. But, just watch us. We live them out loud and clear. Don't believe me? Then just change something. Anything. Change the time you meet or the order of the Worship Service, or the songs you sing or the instruments used or the color of the carpet or adopt Small Groups instead of Sunday School or fire the Choir in favor of a band or..... You get my drift. DON'T CHANGE THE METHODS! Why? Because the METHODS are sacred. They are Priority #1. They have become more important than the MESSAGE or the MISSION. Don't believe me? OK, many churches are using methods that worked great in the 1960s. In fact, you walk into many churches and you'd think you'd been transported Back to the Future and had somehow wound up in the 60's. Are these methods culturally relevant and meaningful to the generation we are purporting to reach with the gospel? Absolutely not. Then, why do we keep using them? Because our METHODS have become more sacred than our MESSAGE or our MISSION. Point in Case: Do you have a Choir in your Church? Do you listen to choral music during the week? How many stations do you have playing choral music in your town? (Christian radio doesn't count) If NO ONE is listening to it, then why in the world would we be using it? Only one answer. We METHODS are more sacred than the MESSAGE or the MISSION.
Then, there are those Churches that have made the MISSION the top priority. They never ask, "What have we always done?". They ask, "What would work to reach a lost and dying generation?" Rather than asking "what have we done in the past?", they ask, "What do we need to change to be relevant in the future without compromising the MESSAGE?" Craig Groeschel may have stated it best at Life Church when he says, "We will do anything short of sin to reach as many as we can for Christ". MISSION. It's all about the MISSION. Jesus squarely set us on a MISSION. A MISSION only we can accomplish. There is no back-up plan. We do not have the luxury of worshipping the past or being the Doctrinal Police. We have a MISSION given us by the guy who came back from the dead and said He was God. Do that, and your MISSION becomes Priority #1.
MISSION, METHODS, MESSAGE...all very important. But, Jesus defined our MISSION. He said Go. He said teach, preach, explain, testify, reach...however you want to translate it. Bottom Line: "I died so people could live. Let them know this...by all means possible!" He never said, "Pointing out others doctrinal errors will set you free". Just that the truth would. In other words, you, speak the truth...that's all. Don't waste a lot of time correcting everyone else. Speak the truth. Speak it. People are dying. Open your mouth and speak the truth. Oh, and if they speak French, tell them in French. If they speak Spanish, then for Heaven's sake, tell them in Spanish. If they speak rap, speak it in rap. Don't expect them to adopt your methods. That isn't going to happen. They're lost! Did you forget that? Adapt your methods to them. Yes, I know that sounds like heresy, but it's not. Jesus isn't impressed you're using outdated METHODS to try to reach people who can't stand them. To Him, it's obvious that your METHODS are clearly more important to you than the people he hung on a cross and died for. Ouch! Truth hurts sometimes. But, it can also set you free.
Now...go play with your M&Ms.
On one particular away game, (That's important because, even though this may have happened at a home game, it would gone unnoticed. Those days there were usually 90,000 fans in a stadium that would comfortably seat 75,000. Away games...OK, I'll admit it, it was a Baylor game...there was plenty of room.) I noticed two ladies sitting behind us enjoying a bag of M&Ms. However, they would eat a few and then throw one on the ground and crush it with their feet. This was peculiar even for OU fans, and being the "stick your nose into everyone's business" (or as I like to refer to myself, "sociologically curious"), I asked what exactly they were doing and why. THE ANSWER: "We don't eat the orange ones" My first thoughts were a) The coating on the outside is flavorless & b) Then can I have them? But, I listened to the logic that drove their somewhat peculiar behavior. "Everybody we hate is orange, so we just throw them down and "crush 'em!".
So, a pre-game ritual that they didn't inform us of at Parent's Orientation. The Sooners biggest rivals (in those days) were the University of Texas and Oklahoma State University. Both orange. I get it...sort of. I would have just left them in the bag a clandestinely eaten them at a later date in the privacy of my home. But, a true fan uses them to effect the outcome of the game...to call down football mojo from on high...to make a statement of their loyalty. To "crush" the competition. I had so much to learn and so far to go. I realized in that moment what a neophite Sooner fan I was and just how much I had to learn. (All I have to say is...they should have been crushing the Green Ones! Just saying' Sic 'em!)
Interesting story. Some of you may be thinking right now, "Those people are weird. Those people are fanatics. Those people need to get a life! But, before you react, let me say it is my observation that we all play with our M&Ms. Every organization and entity alive that is. Every marriage, every business, and in my case, especially, every church is constant playing with their M&Ms. Not the "Melts in your mouth, not in your hand" variety. I'm talking about these M&Ms.
MISSION
METHODS
MESSAGE
Every living entity has these. They have that in common. But, what sets them apart is the order they come in...and they ALWAYS come in an order. Since I'm a pastor, let's talk about one organism that is near and dear to my heart...the LOCAL CHURCH. We have a tendency to mess with ours more than most. And as a result, here's what happens:
Many churches say, "The MESSAGE is sacred" (Which is true). The truth about Jesus is absolutely sacred. That the Word of God is infallible...that Jesus was born of a virgin...that he was fully God and fully man...that there is no hope for mankind apart from him...all true. When the MESSAGE becomes Priority #1, then the church becomes the guardian of the gospel. Doctrine becomes our priority for existence. We exist to protect the right and guard from the wrong and mainly appoint ourselves to point out any discrepancies that come along on our watch. The Church basically becomes the DOCTRINAL POLICE. And, as a result, we become known more for what we are against rather than what we are for. We have lots of classes and read lots of books and give lots of lectures (that we think are sermons) and although the gospel remains pure (as WE judge pure) it really doesn't have much of an effect on anyone because we're too busy guarding it to share it with anyone.
For others, the METHODS are paramount. We wouldn't ever speak those words. But, just watch us. We live them out loud and clear. Don't believe me? Then just change something. Anything. Change the time you meet or the order of the Worship Service, or the songs you sing or the instruments used or the color of the carpet or adopt Small Groups instead of Sunday School or fire the Choir in favor of a band or..... You get my drift. DON'T CHANGE THE METHODS! Why? Because the METHODS are sacred. They are Priority #1. They have become more important than the MESSAGE or the MISSION. Don't believe me? OK, many churches are using methods that worked great in the 1960s. In fact, you walk into many churches and you'd think you'd been transported Back to the Future and had somehow wound up in the 60's. Are these methods culturally relevant and meaningful to the generation we are purporting to reach with the gospel? Absolutely not. Then, why do we keep using them? Because our METHODS have become more sacred than our MESSAGE or our MISSION. Point in Case: Do you have a Choir in your Church? Do you listen to choral music during the week? How many stations do you have playing choral music in your town? (Christian radio doesn't count) If NO ONE is listening to it, then why in the world would we be using it? Only one answer. We METHODS are more sacred than the MESSAGE or the MISSION.
Then, there are those Churches that have made the MISSION the top priority. They never ask, "What have we always done?". They ask, "What would work to reach a lost and dying generation?" Rather than asking "what have we done in the past?", they ask, "What do we need to change to be relevant in the future without compromising the MESSAGE?" Craig Groeschel may have stated it best at Life Church when he says, "We will do anything short of sin to reach as many as we can for Christ". MISSION. It's all about the MISSION. Jesus squarely set us on a MISSION. A MISSION only we can accomplish. There is no back-up plan. We do not have the luxury of worshipping the past or being the Doctrinal Police. We have a MISSION given us by the guy who came back from the dead and said He was God. Do that, and your MISSION becomes Priority #1.
MISSION, METHODS, MESSAGE...all very important. But, Jesus defined our MISSION. He said Go. He said teach, preach, explain, testify, reach...however you want to translate it. Bottom Line: "I died so people could live. Let them know this...by all means possible!" He never said, "Pointing out others doctrinal errors will set you free". Just that the truth would. In other words, you, speak the truth...that's all. Don't waste a lot of time correcting everyone else. Speak the truth. Speak it. People are dying. Open your mouth and speak the truth. Oh, and if they speak French, tell them in French. If they speak Spanish, then for Heaven's sake, tell them in Spanish. If they speak rap, speak it in rap. Don't expect them to adopt your methods. That isn't going to happen. They're lost! Did you forget that? Adapt your methods to them. Yes, I know that sounds like heresy, but it's not. Jesus isn't impressed you're using outdated METHODS to try to reach people who can't stand them. To Him, it's obvious that your METHODS are clearly more important to you than the people he hung on a cross and died for. Ouch! Truth hurts sometimes. But, it can also set you free.
Now...go play with your M&Ms.
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