Tom Padley and a call to radical Christian obedience
I am always blessed when Tom and Kathy Padley come through. A huge part of it is that Tom and Kathy represent to me and I believe for us as a church, is a kind of radical, simple devotion to Jesus that the U.S. Church desperately needs. Tom and Kathy have sacrificed many things in the 20 years that they have been in Brazil. They have lived in some pretty rough situations, experienced very modest provisions and gone through many disappointments and challenging experiences in those 20 years. Yet, when you meet them and talk just a little you can see that the fire of God still, after all this time burns bright in their hearts. It is a fire we desperately need in the U.S Church. It is a fire I want to see burning in Lamb of God and in the churches of Essex County. What will it take to see that fire burn? What will it take in particularly to see that fire burn in our children? How do we get there?
God has started us down that path. We have begun to learn about persevering in prayer. It is not a glamorous lesson. It means simply that we are starting to learn the lesson Jesus taught the disciples in Luke 18: And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. This simple, even kindergarden level foundation is critical and it is one we are starting to learn. We have not arrived, but at least we are on the way. There is greater intensity and greater faith that still must come. But I sincerely believe God has graciously helped us get on the tight path.
But there is more, and Tom hit on it Sunday. Obedience. We cannot settle for anything less. To think of a version of Christianity without obedience is to make one up that isn’t found anywhere in the Bible. Yet Christians do it all the time. There is sexual immorality, disobedience with money, lack of hospitality, and love of comfort strangling the life out of the body of Christ. Will we at LOG asssume that we are untouched by these kinds of things? If we do we are foolish. However, here is where things get a bit tricky. The Law of God cannot make us holy. The Law of God will not cause our hearts to change. The Law of God is not the remedy for secret sins, or sinful habituations that may have some of us in bondage. Only the Grace of God working in our hearts can change us. Yet, we need conviction, and we need godly sorrow in order to genuinely come to God for His remedy. If we do not despair of ourselves we will never really want Christ in the way that we must if we are to be free!
I believe we are going to see a wave of new converts at Lamb. But there is a lesson to be learned. Several years ago we witnessed a number of young people begin coming to Lamb and to the Youth Group. During that time something like 18 kids made professions of faith. Do you know how many remain? Only a few. All the rest have let that commitment fade away. Perhaps some of these professions will at a later time return to Christ. Let me tell you we are not alone in this reality. When Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC was first planted they saw many single people come to faith. However, later, when the opportunity for romance presented itself – many of these converts fell away from Christ.
Part of the issue is that it is easy to presume that people understand sin and repentance, when in fact they come to Christ for reasons other than the need for a Savior. They come because they want to belong. They come because Jesus sounds like a very nice person who wants to help them. They come because they know something is missing.
That brings me back to Tom’s word yesterday. We, and I mean all the adults, young people and kids at Lamb must understand and embrace that being a Christian means we follow Jesus. He’s not our tranquilizer, he’s not our fire insurance, he’s not the cosmic Santa Claus. He is our Savior. He gave his life to save us from our sins. He calls men, women, boys and girls to come and follow Him. He calls them to repent of sin and to trust the only remedy that can break the power of sin – the blood of Jesus. We are not going to beat each other over the head with this – but we are going to hold forth a gospel which calls us to obedient faith. We are going to blow the trumpet for the grace of God, but that does not mean that we are going to relate to sin as though it was an acceptable compromise. Yes, we sin and we need forgiveness. But God calls each of us to a life of holiness. We belong to Jesus and he calls us to obedience. This is part of the revival we desperately seek from God. Yet, there can be no revival without those who will give themselves passionately, and fully to responding to God right now, not when the revival comes, but right now! Tell me what you think?
May 1st, 2007 at 2:13 pm
What I find myself doing, along with a number of good folks, is not so much going hard after comfort or wealth or ease, but rather protecting our scriptural “right” to have these things. The phrase is often spoken, “God does not say one can’t be rich…” all the while ignoring the almost flagrant writings in scripture warning that wealth can pave a straight road to hell. This is protecting something as a right that is really given as a gift. If God wants us to be finanvially rich, I’m pretty sure He git ‘er done in a number of ways. But the Lord Jesus protected no rights that were, well, rightfully His: “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Jesus was a homeless guy, by choice – by an obedient choice.
I believe for myself that my obedience to the Lord is the crux of my post-salvific life with Him. What I desire most is Him, and what He desires most for me is a life that as nearly as possible reflects His. God help me, I want this. Pray for me…I do for you. God bless you in Jesus – God bless you with Jesus.