The Stooping Christ and Social Media

“…their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord.” –Nehemiah 3:5

All of the returning exiles were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Everybody is wearing a tool belt and getting their hands dirty. Nobody is immune from serving…except for the nobles of the Tekoites. Not these guys. These guys are leaders. Leaders lead, they don’t stoop.

Nehemiah is already leading this gig, so the only position left along the wall is to strap on a tool belt and get to work. The nobles are obviously above doing such a menial job. They remind me of Michael Scott, from The Office.

In an early episode, a sensitivity trainer (Mr. Brown) has to come to the office because of an offensive Chris Rock joke that Michael retold. Mr. Brown very kindly puts the entire office through the training so as not to single out Michael. Towards the end of the episode we are informed that the only signature needed is that of Michael Scott, yet he refuses to sign. His reason?

“I can’t sign this because I didn’t learn anything. I could maybe sign something that says that I taught something”.

Michael Scott couldn’t stoop.

Jesus does.

One of the most astonishing claims of the Bible is that God Himself took upon human flesh. He not only “made himself nothing” by taking on human flesh, but he also “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death”. And this was no ordinary death, this was “even death on a cross”. Jesus, the King of all kings, the most noble of all nobles, would stoop to any depth to serve the Father.

Do we?

There is a common theme that I observe on Twitter that bothers me. I fear that some pastors today are following the way of the Tekoite nobles instead of the way of Jesus. They appear to be more concerned with being epic than with stooping to serve.

Everyday Twitter dutifully informs me that I have new “followers”. Almost every day I am followed by a leader-man that is obviously destined to be epic. He’s got a rockin’ ministry name. His hair is amazing. His smile could win a beauty pageant. Everything about this guy screams out that he is put together. His bio reads something like this:

Pastor. Disciple of Jesus. A leader that leads other leaders to lead others into Awesomeness. I’m a leader. I encourage others. Check out my website: awesomeleadershelpingawesomeleaders.com

I’m expected to follow Captain Awesome. When I don’t (and I seldom do) then I am quickly unfollowed. I’m not cheesed by them dropping me; I’ve learned to grow content with whatever audience the Lord gives me. But this pattern bothers me still.

For one, it bothers me because I see my own heart in these descriptions. I write so much against “being epic” because deep within me is a drive to be a difference maker. This is an idol that the Lord is uprooting from my heart. So, I’m sensitive to this.

Secondly, it makes me throw up in my mouth a little because it is so opposite the way of Jesus. Doing things like following a ton of people so as to get re-followed might be winning the social media game, but I’m convinced that it’s a wrong-hearted focus that looks more like a Tekoite noble than our humble Messiah. 

It is my prayer that we might use social media to help us become more like Christ and not less. I pray that pastors, ministers, and disciples of every ilk increasingly become more like Christ and less like nobles that refuse to stoop.

How I Disappointed Mr. T

Watch about a minute of this:

Hopefully you didn't watch much more than a minute. If you did you’re likely tearing through your house looking for scratch & sniff stickers, Hulk Hogan T-shirts, and stonewashing your jeans—anything to magically transfer you back to the wonderful world of the 80’s. The 80’s were amazing.

And also deadly.

Mr. T’s message here isn’t as bad as it could be. Actually Mr. T could be helpful as he says, “you don’t have to be famous to be somebody”. Unfortunately, that message was drowned out by the pervasive narcissism of the 80’s. Us children of the 80’s grew up hearing this type of stuff everywhere.

Over time, “be somebody” equated to “be famous”; and this contrary to Mr. T’s intentions. I thought of T after watching that Mark Driscoll* video that people were discussing last week. At some point in that video Driscoll mentioned a pastor that had been invited to the President’s prayer breakfast. And he said these words, “He’s somebody”. Immediately I thought of Mr. T’s song.

“Be somebody!”

Smokey the Bear came to my school when I was six and informed me that “only I could prevent forest fires”. Captain Planet told me that with his help I could be used to take pollution down to zero. But the most influential to me were Bo Jackson, Wayne Gretzky, and Michael Jordan. These three ProStars told me that I could be anything that I wanted to be if I set my mind towards it and worked really hard. I could be a somebody…just like them.

So this tiny kid with big ears from a small town in Missouri set out to become a professional baseball player. I worked hard. Practiced hours every night after school. Studied pitchers deliveries. I set my mind to it and I worked hard.

And I never even played one game of minor league baseball.

I was a nobody…

Then I got saved.

Maybe this will do it. I may not make it to the major leagues but I’ve discovered what really matters. If I’m a better follower of Jesus and a better pastor and writer and husband and daddy and all of these things, then maybe I’ll be somebody. So, I found my niche.

“This is how I’ll be somebody. I’m doing it Mr. T!”

And so I compete with other people in my niche. Forget those suckas out there in the world trying to be ball players and stuff. I’m doing what really matters. And I’m going to excel at this. I’ll sacrifice more than any of you guys. You want “radical” I’ve got your radical! And so I pursue being radical as a means to my ultimate end; namely, pleasing Mr. T.

Rather than actually being “gospel-centered” I turn being gospel-centered into a drive to “be somebody!” I’ll be the most gospely gospel-filled writer and pastor. I’ll be drenched in the gospel of being gospel-centered. And then I’ll “be somebody!”

Or maybe I’ll buck all those trends and chart out my own course. I’ll write something about how “radical” is just a fad and being gospel-centered is just a movement. And I’ll show my superiority by being above these movements and seeing right through them. And then I’ll “be somebody"!”

Inwardly I become restless. I despair when I’m not noticed, prideful if I am. Mr. T’s approval seems to be fickle. Maybe I’m somebody and maybe I’m not. And so my relationships start to suffer. People become a means to an end. Unity with other people is centered upon me and my desire to “be somebody!” And my preaching is only a means to show my awesomeness. I might even come across as humble. But that’s only to show that I’m somebody—a humble somebody—the bestest most humblest somebody’s of all the body’s that has ever been.

And I destroy churches and my own soul. Maybe I am a somebody, but it’s not a good somebody! Being somebody wrecks churches and souls.

The solution

You might think that the solution is to say, “I’m a somebody in Jesus”. I don’t think it is. That’s what got this whole mess started. I’m convinced that the only solution to no longer being a disciple of Mr. T is to be an actual disciple of Jesus. To really meditate on the Cross and be slain by it. I mean really slain. Not just slain so that I can parade myself around as one that has been slain. Really slain.

The solution is to fix our eyes on Jesus. His bigness. His power. His infinite worth. His love. His power. His humility. His everything. And so somehow my boasting slowly becomes in the Lord and not myself.

Be somebody?!?!?

No thanks! Jesus is the only Somebody. I’m just thankful for the grace to be included in His kingdom. No, I’m not a nobody. Nor am I a somebody. I’m just His. And that has me joyously content.

Sorry to disappoint you Mr. T!

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*If you think this article is a creative way to talk about or critique Mark Driscoll you’ve missed the message. This article is about an epidemic within our culture that has invaded our church and is killing us. It’s about what is going on in my own soul. To think that this is somehow about Mark Driscoll shows the truthfulness of what I am saying—we view everything through the lens of celebrity.

Forget This Post

“I need to be made willing to be forgotten.”
–R.Murray McCheyne

This quote has been jarring my heart for the past few days. In the past I read it with a great deal of stupidity. I read it as if it was sort of tongue in cheek. As if McCheyne is saying, “If I really want to be made great…then I need to be made willing to be forgotten”. The way to greatness is to not really pursue it. And so if you want to secretly pursue greatness the way to do it is to pursue humility and in the end you’ll be made great.

Oddly enough that philosophy is probably correct. Scripture is clear that the way to be made great is to become the servant of all. To be exalted by God you don’t pursue exaltation you pursue humility.

But here is where I have been dumb. Those aren’t tongue in cheek statements. The idol of greatness needs to topple not just pursued through godly means. If I’m still pursuing my name being great—even if I’m trying to do it through sneaking in the back door of humility—all I will ever muster is mock humility and self-forgetfulness.

Help From David Murray

As I was praying through what the Lord was doing in my soul I remembered an article that David Murray had written back in June about leaving a legacy. It was a great article encouraging us to not live for a legacy. Looking back I think this article was used by the Lord to pry His sandal into the door of this heart idol of mine.

One of the statements that David made in that post was this: “most of us have ordinary ministries, and our ministries will die with us.” That stings. And not because I want to be useful to the Lord. That stings because I want to be remembered. I want to be a difference maker. Often not for the sake of actually making a difference but so that I can park in the space that says “Difference Maker”.

I read Murray’s article again and another statement floored me. “I’d rather my children know Christ than people know who David Murray is a hundred years from now.” That statement pierced my soul. In my head and in my heart I really do believe that same thing. Or at least I want to. But when reality sets in the truth is that I’m probably more passionate about being remembered as a great dad than actually being one.

David is living the same thing that McCheyne said over 150 years ago, “I need to be made willing to be forgotten”.

Forgotten But Useful

This is not a call to be lazy. It is a call to pursue usefulness and let the Lord decide our legacy. I am learning now that this is not a tongue in cheek promise. As if I faithfully plod along and pursue usefulness that someday he’ll make me a nice legacy. I am learning now that this is a fool’s pursuit. My aim is Christ and being made useful as a servant to Him.

Useful means that he decides the rhythm of my ministry. It means that my chief aim, which is already mine, is to be remembered by God and to make my life ambition to make sure that He is the remembered one and not me. As Zack Eswine reminds us that is a good thing. “Being remembered by him means we no longer fear being forgotten by the world”. (Sensing Jesus, 19)

One of my favorite quotes is now taking on new life, “No man can bear witness to Christ and to himself at the same time. No man can give the impression that he himself is clever and that Christ is mighty to save.” Pointing to Jesus isn’t a backdoor way of robbing glory and making myself an exalted preacher. Pointing to Jesus is the end in itself. Period.

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Lord Jesus, forgive me of foolishness. Forgive me of attempting to rob you of glory. Forgive me for all of the times that I expected You to quote me. I have been a fool. Thank you for grace. Thank you for patience. Thank you for exposing this idol in my heart. I pray as McCheyne did some 150 years, “make me willing to be forgotten”. You will be remembered. And this is my greatest good.

You Probably Already Know This…

Wise words here from Sam Crabtree:

“…give your congregation the benefit of the doubt that they may possess knowledge.  They may know the very thing you are about to teach.  Don’t assume your message is the first time they have considered such things.  Don’t preach down to them.”  (Crabtree, Practicing Affirmation , 110)

Us youngin’s certainly need to heed Crabtree’s warning here.  Just because we are considering things and wrestling with things for the first time does not mean that every person in our congregation is too.  One of the quickest ways to not only bore, but also alienate, your congregation is to preach down to them.  (You probably already know that though don’t you?) 

This takes a good amount of wisdom and pastoral sensitivity to accomplish.  I say that because in one sense we should never assume people know anything.  But at the same time we should not assume that they are ignorant either. 

In the end this is a call for humility.  May I heed it…

Gritty Humility and Mock-Holiness

Do you remember how Jesus said, “whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”?  There is a way in which my two year old son models this.  He is too blissfully ignorant to know that he is supposed to wear a mask.  If he is ticked off he lets me know it.  If he is sad he lets me know it.  He is confident enough in my love for him that he doesn’t have to pretend.

There is also a way in which new believers model this—at least for awhile.  Most new believers are so amazed that God loves and accepts them—think Romans 5:8—that they are humble and confident enough in the Father’s love that they don’t pretend to be more than they are. 

Oh, but how time changes this. 

You can see this in many small groups or Sunday school classes.  A new believer “ignorantly” (though rightly) confesses sin in a very raw way.  He has yet to learn all of the masking words we Christians use.  This ignorant sap doesn’t yet know how to clean up his sin and make it pretty and acceptable for his Christian community.  So, he just comes right out and says it—“I get so pissed off with my boss that I start fantasizing about his destruction”.  This new believer boldly says what he is thinking, feeling, and doing. 

Shocked, confused, and enamored with such a confession the group gives the obligatory correction.  Now comes the advice parade.  Most people around the room give advice for dealing with anger.  Much of the advice is a veiled rebuke.  There is seldom a place for such gritty humility. 

Fast forward five years and this new believer is fully acclimated into the mask-wearing community.  He’s now a seasoned believer.  He finds himself in a small group that has a few new believers in attendance.  On one occasion a new believer shares his unmasked confession.  Our now seasoned believer remembers back five years ago when he was encouraged to put on his mask of mock-holiness.  Now rather than gritty humility he finds advice and obligatory correction spewing from his lips. 

Mock-holiness is safer.  Real holiness only comes from gritty humility.  And gritty humility is messy.  But which is the Jesus-way?

The Humbling of When I'm Actually the Idiot

I would tell you a secret but I am afraid you would hurt my business. Ok, since only a handful of people read this I'll share. EBay is often much cheaper than Amazon. Yet, some people prefer to use Amazon because it seems far more secure. You can take advantage of this. Here is how I do it. I buy Super Nintendo games on EBay then sell them on Amazon.

When I first started doing this I saw a game on Amazon listed for 49.99. On EBay I saw that some complete idiot was selling the game for 9.99. This is not 9.99 in an auction...this is Buy It Now 9.99. With my heart beating out of my chest I committed to buy. What a sucker! I quickly received the game and listed it on Amazon. I was even generous and listed it for 39.99. Somebody would be sure to buy it.

2 months later....Nothing. Turns out some games and books on Amazon will NEVER sell. Found out the seller rank for this game is like 2 million something. And to top it off some goober just put the same game up for sale on Amazon for 15.00. Turns out the "idiot" that listed it for 9.99 got another idiot (me) to buy a worthless game.

So, here is the lesson. I've had the same experience in theology. You know when you just cannot wrap your mind around what some idiot is teaching. He is obviously wrong because your Bible teaches something different. So, you even write a few articles and talk to a few friends about this ridiculous teaching.

A few months later...you wholeheartedly agree with the previous "ridiculous teaching". Turns out he wasn't the idiot you were. Stay humble and always remember you could be wrong. God gives grace to the humble but rejects the proud.

The Godly Man's Picture Chapter 4 (Part 9)

The Canvas:

All I can really say after reading this section is wow, ouch, and Lord, break me! In this section Watson discusses the eleventh characteristic of a godly man: humility. This is not a section on being humbled, nor of a mere outward humility. The type of humility that Watson is talking about is an inward, true, soul humility. We are given ten marks of a humble soul:

1. A humble soul is emptied of all swelling thoughts of himself
2. A humble soul thinks better of others than of himself
3. A humble soul has a low esteem of his duties
4. A humble soul is always preferring bills of indictment against himself ("He complains, not of his condition, but of his heart")
5. A humble soul justifies God in an afflicted condition
6. A humble soul is a Christ-magnifier
7. A humble soul is willing to take a reproof for sin
8. A humble soul is willing to have his name and gifts eclipsed, so that God's glory may be increased
9. A humble soul likes that condition which God sees best for him.
10. A humble Christian will stoop to the meanest person and the lowest office

Even after reading these there will be some that are prideful. As Watson says, "this bastard of pride is born but none are willing to father it." He then determines to ask a few probing questions to try to drive pride out of the heart: Are not those who are given to boasting proud? Are not those who have a high opinion of their own excellencies proud? Are not those who despise others proud? Are not those who trumpet their own praise proud? Are not those who take the glory due to God to themselves proud? Are not those who are never pleased with their condition proud?

We must strive to be humble, says Watson. And there are many reasons for us to be humble. Humility is very valuable. It is valuable because God loves a humble soul. The times in which we live (true in our day as it was in Watson's) are times of humbling. Consider what a horrid sin pride is. Those that love Christ cannot be comfortable with the idolatry of pride. We must flee from it because it is the "breakneck of souls". If this is not enough motivation Watson appeals (it seems) to our innate sense of pride; humility raises one's esteem in the eyes of others. At this point I was pleading with advice on pursuing humility. Watson delivers.

• Look at Christ
• Study God's immensity and purity; a sight of glory humbles
• Study thyself (our dark side, and our light side)

When we are doing these things we must consider the means of grace we have received and how disproportionate that is to our level of godliness. Consider that even the grace we have is not of our own growth. Look at how far short we come of others (could a prideful man even see this). Remember that even our beauty is spotted. And lastly, as we look at ourselves remember that we are but dust. Ought dust to be proud? A reality of death ought to humble.

Discussion:

How do you battle pride and cultivate humility in your life?

Do you think Watson should have appealed to the prideful man's hope of being esteemed in the eyes of others?

In a discussion on prideful attire Watson mentions, "black spots, gaudy attire, and naked breasts". Does anyone have any clue what the "black spots" are?

Strokes of Genius:

"A humble man has lower thoughts of himself than others can have of him." (p78)

"A humble man values others at a higher rate than himself, and the reason is because he can see his own heart better than he can another's." (p79)

"The more knowledge a humble Christian has, the more he complains of ignorance; the more faith, the more he bewails his unbelief."

"A humble man...is content to be outshone by others in gifts and esteem, so that the crown of Christ may shine the brighter." (p81)

"A proud man complains that he has no more; a humble man wonders that he has so much..." (p81)

"An angel is a knowledgeable creature, but take away humility from an angel, and he is a devil." (p82)

"A sight of glory humbles." (p86)

(Concerning graces received) "Do not be proud of what you have, but be humble for what you lack". (p86)

"The thoughts of the grave should bury our pride." (p87)

On to Part 10...

Borrowed Light: Today in Blogworld 03/12-14

There is quite a stir among my Calvinist brethren over the upcoming Jacobus John 3:16 Conference. Rhett from the Reformed Mafia, believes we are being set up for the kill. Tom Ascol continues to have hope. Dr. James Galyon has a very thoughtful response to Steve Lemke.

Frank Turk has an interesting take on the Rick Warren call to Mark Driscoll. (Hey, blogosphere, I just used the name Driscoll and Warren in the same post...can I anticipate 3,000 hits today?)

Great post at The Gate: A Reality Check, It's Not All About Me. (HT: Jared)

How do you apply the gospel to pastoral ministry? This is a phenomenal article by Rich Richardson. Seriously. Read it twice. Then apply.

John Piper offers 6 Apsects of Humility.

The Irish Calvinist (that makes it sound like there is only one guy in Ireland that is a Calvinist, doesn't it), has a wonderful post on Preaching. Here is a sample quote that rips into my small intestine: "Jesus just unfolds the Scriptures...This is a rebuke to those of us who teach and find more power in a pithy quote from a theologian than the precise and power-packed Word of God. Let’s preach and teach as men who are under the authority of the Word. May it be clear when we teach who the authority is. Sometimes contemporary preachers, particularly in the Reformed wing, tread dangerously close to a Protestant Magisterium with all of their appeals to “heroes” of the faith. If you are a preacher, does your word possess authority? If you are preaching the Word then it does. Men, preach to put God on display and make Jesus the hero."

Josh Harris and CJ Mahaney address how a pastor monitors the health of his own soul. Here is a similar article by CJ.

Very convicting statements by Dan Phillips. Here is the foundational point in his article: "Sure, God says to do ___, but I've figured out that that won't work. So I don't have to do it. And I won't. Because I'm too smart."

For those involved in the Purtian Reading Challenge, Timmy Brister offers his monthly biographical on our author of the month. This month is Thomas Watson.

Michael Patton asks, How Many Beliefs Can One Abandon and Still be Called Christian? I'm guessing the magic number is 7, but that's just because God seems to like that number. Maybe you should read Michael's article, it's probably more scholarly than my guess of 7. By the way, this article is really about what doctrines are essential to the Christian faith.