All of a sudden there is a terrible scream out on the back entrance/porch. Now, before jumping to conclusions, all our children are grown and married and living elsewhere. It was not one of my daughters or son walking out and discovering a bear, or puma, or even a tiny spider (which my wife certainly would have let out a little scream if she would have walked into a web). Nope, it wasn't anything that was alive, but it's scream was blood curdling. Breaking my peaceful, happy morning was the smoke alarm crying out for new batteries. Yes, I only change them when they decide it's time to be changed. It reminded me for just a moment of the time when we had little babies running around the house.
I have heard smoke detectors go off before. Usually it was just a short series of little beeps, but not this one. It totally freaked me out (and that isn't easy to do). And in the past, the alarms would sound then you would hear nothing from it again for the next 30-60 seconds. Not today! Not from this one. Every 15 seconds the screaming (alarming) started over and seemed to get louder. It started with a single "beep" then progressed to two, then three and so on. It would not stop until I heeded it's alarm. And that's the point of this particular post.
There is coming a time when the grace of God will seemingly cease and his long suffering and patience with man will come to an end. And understandably so. I mean, think about it. God, who is referred to as the heavenly Father has endured mankind's abusive ways ever since the beginning of time. From the disobedience of Adam and Eve, right up to present day with the rejection of His own provision of Salvation (Justification, Sanctification, Glorification) that is obtained only through Jesus, the Son of God/God the Son.
I don't think it's any great secret that all men are sinners from birth. Mankind doesn't require a lot of evidence to realize his current state of "falleness", it's convincing him that it matters, that's difficult. To point out a person's need for Jesus is an absolute must, but often it's not the information itself that's so offensive, but the delivery of God's precious message that turns much of the world away from the life God wants all to have. Yes, I said all. All who will!
This is not a post on predestination or election. I will leave those subjects to others. My concern is with the way we present God's offer. Let me illustrate.
If I were to invite you over to my home for a cookout and some great fellowship, you might actually accept and enjoy the afternoon. You probably don't know me very well because we have just recently met at a local event and we just happened to be standing next to one another when I started up a "small talk" conversation with you. You agree, being neighborly and all, and your wife quite possibly has been asking when you were going to meet us, so you agree. You show up with your family and are warmly greeted by mine. The ladies go inside the house and talk, while the men go out back and fire up the grill. As we "chit-chat" waiting for the coals to turn white, I am looking for an opportunity to bring up the subject of eternal destiny. I am cautious about using "Christianese" with someone who I'm not sure whether they are unsaved or not (as I have been taught over the years that it is offensive to those who do not know Jesus or may not be "churched").
Anyway, the steaks are on the grill and done. Time to serve my guests what I consider the best dinner I could make for them. I want them to know that I care for them and I want them to understand that they are "special" to my wife and I. Everyone is seated, smiling and looking very hungry. I ask permission from our guests to pray for the meal. After the prayer I get up and present to them the steaks that have been specially prepared just for them. I carry them to the picnic table, all beautifully laid out on the bottom side of an overturned garbage can lid. It's an old lid, rusty, bent up and stained. Not very appetizing eh? It's no surprise that all my guests refuse my dinner offer and get up to leave. They leave in such a huff there's no question about the offensiveness of the method I used to present to them the "center-piece" of the meal. The steaks were the best, and cooked to perfection, but it was the presentation that spoiled it all.
It's similar in how we, church people, present God's best to others around us. We often take the greatest gift that has ever been prepared for us and turn it into something detestable and unacceptable. It's not the Facts about Jesus or even the Need for Jesus that we offer to the world around us, but more in the WAY we offer it. Not so much the "individual" presentation, but more the "corporate" presentation. Throughout the centuries, the church has been Jesus' worse example of who He is. We have fought for, and over, our particular brand of evangelizing the world, including what we insist must be included in our message. Anything from "Lordship Salvation" to a "Crossless" gospel, Jesus plus works to Jesus' name only. Many of Jesus' followers, IMHO, have done more damage than they know to the saving ministry of our Lord. I don't say they do it intentionally (although...), but it is being done. Probably because it's been taught that way down through the ages by pastors and preachers that there is only one gospel, and I agree with that. But that does not mean there is only one way to reach people, and the presentation ought to reflect the majesty of the message.
When we speak to someone about Jesus, let's set aside all hindrances to the gospel, which very often is us, our prejudices and our preferences. The message of God's salvific provision, which is the gospel of Jesus, should never be presented on a garbage can lid, but rather on the finest china. Always remember that we have not been called to a ministry of badgering, but rather a ministry of reconciliation. Love covers a multitude of sins.
