I read this article recently about “Trendy Christianity”. The author wrote with God-inspired words that convicted me of the fact that I am a part of the huge group of millennial Christians who have created this comfort zone of Christianity in America, where we highlight the crap out of our Bibles, attend huge, flashy conferences and concerts, and obsessively catch up on Francis Chan’s latest podcasts. She talked about true and perfect worship being this: giving your life for the glory of God, not posting an edited picture of some hipsters on a stage. She talked about the fact that we are to suffer with Christ in this life and be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Man was she right, but the thing is, I found myself falling right back into the trap I had read about the second I stopped reading. Wanna know the first thing I did once I finished the article? I shared it on Facebook with a witty tagline. No, I didn’t sit back and reflect on what my Father in heaven had just taught me. I added to the very image I had just read was destroying real, true discipleship in this country.
So, we know that there is a problem. We nod our heads and say “Amen” when the pastor or our favorite blogger talks about suffering being part of the Gospel message. We sing songs glorifying the “simple gospel”, but the honest truth is, I don’t think a lot of us understand what any of that looks like. I’ve never suffered the way Jesus did. I don’t know what it looks like to escape this comfort vacuum we’ve created. I know what the Simple Gospel is: love God and love people, regardless of who they are or where they come from, but I don’t know what form that takes on a day to day basis. I don’t know any of that stuff, and after a long time of slapping me across the face with the Bible, I think God has finally taught me that I will never know the answer to those things. He does, and when the time is right He will show me exactly what it is that I must do.
Along with Hebrew tattoos on the inner part of the right bicep and cups of milk with a couple drops of coffee, I think that knowledge worship is another trend we’ve created. Absolutely, we want to seek to know God more and more and more every day, but when that knowledge comes at the expense of action and obedience to his call on our lives, it’s no longer right, it’s sin.
Recently, I heard a different take on the story of the Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 10:17-27) that revealed to me this destructive phenomenon. At the beginning of the story, a young man walks up to Jesus and says,”Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responds by saying that he is not good teacher, but a servant of the only good person, God. Then, Jesus recites the Ten Commandments to the man as an answer to his question. RYR (Rich Young Ruler) then says that he has kept all the commandments since his youth. Jesus then looks upon him with love and says,”One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” At this, the man walks away sad, because he has great wealth.
When the Rich Young Ruler walks up to Jesus, he calls him “Good Teacher”. He doesn’t know who Jesus is. He thinks he is just another respected Rabbi he can have a theological discussion with. Jesus immediately bursts his bubble, telling him,”Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.”, then tells him that he already knows what he must do, obey God. RYR attempts to escape the situation by saying that he has done this since his youth, which everyone knows he hasn’t. One last time, Jesus bursts his bubble. He gives him a direct command. He presents him with a situation where he must answer either yes or no, obedience or disobedience. Sadly, the man chooses the latter, and a life apart from God, a life of continuing to be trendy and pretending to search for answers when he is really escaping from the call on his life.
The thing I learned is this: If you are having trouble hearing from God, understanding His word, or keeping your mind focused on a sermon, think about the actions God has called you to, and obey. Sometimes it takes obedience to Christ to find faith in Christ. The simple gospel is to love God and love people, and that might mean you have to step out of your comfort zone and obey God’s call on your life. So, the next time you feel the spirit tugging on your heart, don’t try to discuss its meaning or contemplate whether you can escape responsibility, just do it. Obey.
