Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Jeopardy

Someone [sorry, I fortget who], years ago, wrote a book entitled something like: "If Jesus is the Answer, What is the Question?" In a similar vein, Len Sweet talks about Jeopardy churches: churches that think their job is to answer every question.

I know people like that... they have to have the answer to every question... they are also very annoying!

Because life isn't like that.
& I know because I said that there will be some people who will be very upset with me... some probably no longer read my blog... other may just get steamed.

But I believe that most people in our culture are not looking for someone who will give them answers to all their questions. They don’t need to be given a thousand answers. They need to be invited to follow the One who is himself the Answer/the Way. They need to be invited to a life that is other than self-obsession, self-preoccupation, and self-preservation. This is the way of the cross. That is the answer.

Some people have put it this way: "it’s not about knowing the answers to all the questions, it’s about knowing Him." More than anything I want to know God more. I’ve found that everything else - mission, fruit, acts of love and kindness - come out of this one thing, intimacy with the Father.

I am not saying that we dumb down the gospel. That we reduce the gospel to a simplistic: be people of compassion; be kind.

But that we as limited human beings are on a journey. We can know God... but we are learning more of him & his ways. Jesus is the way, the truth & the life. But we are learning and growing all the time what this means.

I don't have the Father or the Son or the Spirit all figured out... because God is God and I'm not.

4 comments:

Walking Church said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Walking Church said...

(sorry, I had not enough coffee in the first reply thus the delete)..so here we go..

Well said bros!

This has been my experience as well.

I find myself answering some people who have questions by replying:

'I don't know - but I do know one who does - why don't you ask Him (Jesus) for the answer'

I have found my role as a believer simply this:

'a pointer' (like the dawg)

...I simply point to Christ who is my life!

That is evangelism in a nutshell...nothing more...nothing less.

I will continue to read your blog-bra..it is Christ-centric...what else is there?

Flyawaynet said...

Thank you very much for this reminder. I really needed this today. I know a lot of people looking for answers and it's exhausting trying to say the right things. Trying to be the right kind of comforter for people...when it's not my job.
Bob over at his blog "In the clearing" wrote a post kind of on that topic... So God's used you both to give me a very good reminder of what He doesn't want me carrying.
So thanks again.

michael lewis said...

"Lisa Simpson: Springfield's answer to a question no one asked!"

~~ Ned Flanders (after his house was destroyed in a storm)