COUNTERING THE GOD OF CONVENIENCE

 THE GOD OF CONVENIENCE

I have a suggestion for the Australian Bureau of Statistics. On the census form that we all have to complete every few years, under the Religious Adherence section, they should add a checkbox for those with an allegiance to a new religious deity – the god of convenience. You’ve probably already met people who adhere to and worship the god convenience. One of the apparent advantages of this new religion is that it conveniently blends with any other religion and readily adopts its methods of worship (when convenient to do so). It even allows its adherents to adopt the name of their previous religion and blend it with its own. In the case of those tired with the rigours of following all of Christ’s demands, it encourages the newer and more convenient identity of- Convenient Christianity. The biggest difference between it and ‘pure’ Christianity is that it lessens the demands of religious devotion on its adherents and helps to guide them in their daily moral choices. But as usual, the Holy Spirit — whom Christ sent from the Father — is launching a counter-move that may once again see a generation of Spirit-filled, on-fire, Word-equipped, church-connected-and-committed, warrior-praying, and neighbour-loving, servants of Christ rise up and expose the ideology behind the false god of convenience.  

¶ I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:  preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
Second Timothy 4:1-2

 

FOLLOWING CHRIST IS NOT CONVENIENT

As I write this, it occurs to me that I am wrong to describe this as a new religion. I recall that Jesus often had people approach Him who were convinced that Christ wouldn’t mind if they continued to worship the god of convenience and Him.

To another He said, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Yet another said, “I will follow You, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”
Luke 9:59, 61

To their great surprise though, Jesus wasn’t interested in sharing worship with the god of convenience. And He still isn’t. When Paul’s life was inconveniently interrupted by Christ on the road to Damascus, he no longer worshiped at the altar of convenience. His life became devoted to Christ despite the numerous times it was inconvenient to do so. This is why, in his final epistle, he wrote to Timothy and told him to preach the Word “in season and out of season”, which means — ‘preach the Word, when its convenient to do so, and when its not convenient to do so!‘ Paul was highly qualified to tell Timothy to do this because he had spent his entire Christian life ‘walking the talk’.

Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
Second Corinthians 11:23-28

 

WHAT THE GOD OF CONVENIENCE EXPECTS

Worshiping the god of convenience is really easy. If some religious duty is not convenient, don’t do it — especially if its Christian. The god of convenience dismisses the inconvenient demands that following Christ entails such as -daily bible reading, participating in a weekly/fortnightly discipleship small group for bible study and prayer, attending church each Sunday to worship and be shaped by the preaching of the Word, and the regular sacrificial giving of finances. But its not just what happens in the name of a religion that the god of convenience is concerned with. This demonic spirit masquerading as the god of convenience also encroaches into the moral decision making of its adherents by offering convenience as the main filter for moral decision making. Thus, when Grandma’s nursing home fees are whittling away your assumed inheritance, the god of convenience offers a convenient solution. (On an unrelated matter, the Upper House of the Tasmanian Parliament is debating the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill this Tuesday.) When the unwanted news of a pregnancy is received, the god of convenience immediately steps up with all the reasons why this will be financially damaging, career inhibiting, educationally impairing, and socially detracting — and then a simple, quick, and convenient solution to this problem. (On an unrelated matter, continue to pray for the ministry of Emily’s Voice.) 

 

COMBATTING THE GOD OF CONVENIENCE

Combatting the god of convenience requires the posture of a (spiritual) war-footing. Paul describes what this looks like Ephesians 6. While some people regard spiritual warfare as only involving prayer and declaration, Paul’s description of spiritual warfare actually involves action and attitude (note 2Cor. 10:4-5). Therefore, I expect that very very soon the Holy Spirit will raise up a generation of Spirit-filled, on-fire, Word-equipped, church-connected-and-committed, warrior-praying, and neighbour-loving, servants of Christ who will expose the ideology behind the false god of convenience. They will do this by their actions and attitudes. This will be a generation that is servant-hearted; passionately-daily Word reading and studying; committed to their local church — especially on Sunday; courageously evangelistic and soul winning; and lavishly generous with their time/talent/treasure in promoting the Kingdom of God. They will be the next generation of pastors, elders, worship leaders, business leaders, academics, artists, and politicians. This generation of fearless Christ-followers who will combat the spiritual powers behind the false god of convenience will “shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” and will be prepared to make the kingdom of God the first and highest priority:

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. ¶ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Matthew 13:44

And while it may not be very convenient or popular to combat ‘the god of this world’ (which is another name for the god of convenience [see 2Cor. 4:4]) it is what the Holy Spirit has done in response to his assaults on the Church down through the ages, which is why I expect Him to do it again. So, when it’s inconvenient, join in me in prayer for its hastening.

 

Your pastor,

Andrew

THE TRUTH ABOUT INCONVENIENT

WHEN JESUS IS INCONVENIENT!

Peter and Andrew were small-businessmen. Along with their father, they ran their family business and had to work long hours just to make ends meet. But this all changed one day when The Messiah came along uninvited and uttered the words: Follow Me. There must have been a moment of dilemma for these hardened sea-farers. “Now?” perhaps they wondered, “It’s hardly a good time now!” But follow they did. Yes, to follow Jesus is to live a life of inconvenience. It really does seem that Jesus often – if not usually – interrupts a person’s life when it is most inconvenient! It’s not just that it seems inconvenient to walk through life with Jesus – it is! There is a cost to honouring Christ and it is counted in the currency of convenience.

¶ While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Matthew 4:18-19

And as inconvenient as Jesus is, no-one was ever more inconvenienced than He! He came from eternal and infinite bliss and laid aside His divine privileges and inconveniently became a human.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 
Philippians 2:5-8

Even though He was on a mission to redeem all mankind by His sacrificial death on the Cross, He was repeatedly interrupted with the most inconvenient requests. “Heal my daughter“, “Raise my son back to life“, “Cast the demon out of him“, “Open my eyes” “Give me back my legs“, “Let me just touch You“, were not the cries of patients who had made an appointment! These people came from seemingly nowhere and inconveniently intersected Christ as He continually strove toward the Cross. In addition to this, Christ’s days were often so full that the only time He could find to commune with His Father was when His own weary body would have screamed for sleep and despite how inconvenient it was, He chose to spend the night instead talking with His Father.

¶ In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12

Each of His disciples went on to live very inconvenient lives. They had to be away from familiarity of their families, jobs, communities, and go where it would have been most inconvenient for them to go. Peter eventually went to Rome where he was crucified upside down in 64AD for preaching the Gospel. Andrew went to Patras, Greece, and crucified diagonally by the Roman Governor there in 70AD for preaching to, and converting the Governor’s wife to, Christianity. Thomas went to India and preached the Gospel there with signs and wonders following and met with violent opposition and was eventually publicly skinned (“flayed”) then crucified for doing so. The Apostle Paul was inconvenienced throughout his preaching ministry when he was repeatedly imprisoned for up to two years at a time as he travelled across Europe. The early followers of Christ gladly embraced inconvenience in order to serve and follow Christ, and two millennia later, we are the eternal beneficiaries!

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
Matthew 19:29

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INCONVENIENT CLOSENESS

In a couple of weeks from now the 2016 Rio Olympic Games will commence. This extravaganza will showcase the world’s best sporting and athletic prowess. Undoubtedly, each of these athletes has been inconvenienced to even make it to the Olympics and it’s probably safe to say that every Gold Medalist could tell their heart-rending story of the inconvenience they and their family had endured to be the best in the world. The greatest delights and pleasures of this world are exchanged for those prepared to be the most inconvenienced. For Olympic swimmers it means 3AM get ups and 4AMs in the pool and twenty kilometres of laps later, they’re ready for school! 

¶ Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Matthew 16:24

The case can be made in the spiritual realm as well. The closer you want to get to Christ, the more inconvenient it will be. It too will mean sacrifice. It too will mean getting out of bed rather than staying in it. It will mean hanging in there even though everything within you wants to quit. It will mean being misunderstood. It will mean more times alone when it would be nicer to be with others. It will mean reading your Bible for just a few minutes more than usual when you could be enjoying browsing Facebook or Instagram instead. It will be inconvenient to get closer to Christ and, without doubt, the more people you want to reach for Christ, the more you will be inconvenienced! 

INCONVENIENT LEADERSHIP

Christian leadership involves carrying a cross of inconvenience. This means that a leader will turn up even though they are tired and busy. A local church team leader knows that their presence – not just their attendance – will often be inconvenient for them because of the sacrifices involved, but the blessing it generates is felt by more than they might ever know. This is how you can tell the difference between close-Christ-following leaders, and leaders. Jesus categorised these two groups of leaders as either: shepherdsor hirelings. He offered Himself as the preeminent Shepherd-leader. Shepherd-leaders, unlike hirelings (who are only there when it is convenient and they are paid) more often than not, do not even consider the inconveniences they face due to their genuine delight in serving Christ and His people – 

¶ I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
John 10:11-14

Christ’s comparison between shepherds and hirelings might well be the comparison between those who embrace inconvenience (shepherds) and those who don’t (hirelings). No church can possibly reach it’s Christ-honouring potential if its leadership is comprised of hirelings. No barrier can stifle a church comprised of leaders who each gladly carry a cross of inconvenience. This is why the greatly inconvenienced Dr. F.W. Boreham said in his last sermon, “The Church does not ordain men to be preachers – it ordains men because they are preachers!” To put it another way, “A church does not make someone a leader then hope they will (lead). Rather, the church appoints proven (shepherd-)leaders (ones who have overcome the inconveniences to following and serving Christ within a local church) to official positions of leadership.”

Will you join me in striving to be a church of shepherd-leaders? Will join me in praying that we can minister to broken, damaged, lost, hurting, confused, people, even when it’s inconvenient for us to do so?

Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.”
Luke 10:30

Last Sunday I preached in a church in Brisbane about the Good Samaritan. The man robbed and beaten and lying on the side of the side is like the broken of the world. The busy priests and Levites who were too busy to tend to the hurting man are like many of us today – not prepared to be inconvenienced by the needs of others. And the Samaritan is like Jesus who despite the inconvenience takes the time to clean the half-dead man’s wounds and bandage them. He then transports the beaten man to an inn where he cares for him overnight. In the morning he gives the inn-keeper two denarii (2 day’s wages).

And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
Luke 10:35

The inn is like the church where still today Jesus wants to bring in the broken, damaged, hurting, lost and abandoned, that He finds scattered along life’s byways. But the only way this can happen is if we, His Church, joins Him in embracing our own crosses of inconvenience. And as we do, we may discover that the very things we were depriving ourselves of to follow Christ, may well be the very thing which Christ provides anyway! 

And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”
Luke 5:4, 9-10

Amen.