As we are in the craziness of summer and the joy of the sun is in our faces, there rages a battle between us and heat. Let me give you the answer you are probably wondering. No, I haven't tanned a bit. I have been burnt at least three times in the last two weeks, and to no avail; I am still the same. I have always been that person who wishes they could tan and be a cast member on Baywatch like David Hasselhoff, but I am afraid I am more like Edward from Twilight paleness.
Anyway, let's start a discussion. I am often asked, "What is the purpose of our faith?" Another way I have heard it poised: "How do we save the church that is dying?" We should be asking these many questions in the church; the church has not had a good couple of years, and COVID-19 has rocked the church. You could say the church is in chaos. In the last few weeks, Christian leaders have stepped away from the church to deal with sin issues. These leaders were beloved pastors and people we looked up to as pastors. Tony Evans and Robert Morris are just two recent examples we could add to the list of failed pastors.
Some predict 100,000 churches in America will close their doors in the next twenty years. That number is approximately 25% of the churches in America (Link). It is already happening in the Church of the Nazarene. Less than ten years ago, there were 5247 Nazarene churches in USA/Canada. This past year, the reported number of churches was 4417. Even the conversions of new Christians have dropped for the universal church. The Southern Baptists reported that 43% of their churches reported no baptisms. The United Methodist Church has experienced a schism, and we have seen a new denomination form in the Global Methodist Church. As I stated above, chaos.
Now, I know this sounds crazy, but it is something we need to hear. I'm okay with the current situation. Christ is still LORD! We need pruning and a wake-up call about why we do church. What is our purpose and direction? No longer is it a production to produce numbers or a fight to keep things the same way we have always done it. The current reality pushes us to ask questions and get down to the problem of ourselves.
I read a book years ago of different sermons by Tom Nees called "Dirty Hands--Pure Hearts: Sermons and Conversations with Holiness Preachers." That book has been a guidebook for me as a pastor and a great way to answer the questions in our chaos. There was a part in the book where the President of Trevecca Nazarene University, Dan Boone, talks about the emphasis on having dirty hands and a pure heart.
For the church, we have to refocus, regroup, and unify. Holiness is not something of the past. It is not unattainable and an outdated phrase. If we stay true to holiness and teach people to live as sojourners, people apart from this world, it should be our call.
What does the term holiness mean? - The term means to be sacred – pure in the sight of God who is holy!
Throughout history, men and women have tried to pursue their views of holiness in relation to their relationship with God Almighty. Let us discover what holiness is not to understand this state of being better.
From Jewish history and the teaching of the Pharisees, we discover that holiness was related to following all the rules and regulations set up by the Jewish leaders. In other words, you became holy by following all the 1,000+ laws in the Torah. Paul fought against such teachings in his New Testament writings.
20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22 These are all destined to perish with use because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, false humility, and harsh treatment of the body. Still, they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. - Colossians 2:20-23
These religious leaders wrongly associated holiness with following rules and regulations. In other words, Legalism.
From Early Church History, we see many distorted views of holiness. Clement of Alexandria (155-220), a Christian philosopher, equated holiness with masculine reason. He taught that holiness suffered with contact with women, so he preached celibacy was the path to holiness.
They would starve themselves; some refused to bathe; some beat themselves with whips; some remained silent, not talking to anyone; some locked themselves in caves or vaults, and some took vows of poverty. When the Roman Church emerged, they saw holiness through the various lenses of beauty and sacrifice. Through great cathedrals and buildings, through eloquent liturgy, through acts of penance, through the Crusades.
The truth is none of these methodologies produced holiness.
Today, we see men and women seeking holiness using the following man-made methodologies: If you are very loud when you pray, you are holier; if you can speak in fluent King James English, you are holy; if you repeat so many prayers, you are holy; and if you just read your Bible, you are holy.
History has taught us that man's accomplishments do not achieve holiness or that man's methodologies produce holiness.
I know what you are thinking: how do we become holy?
Scriptures tell us that it's not by man's actions that they become holy. They become holy because God gives them that knighted position in him:
"'Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. 8Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy." - Leviticus 20:7-8
We need to remove pastors from pedestals, become aware of "sacred cows" in the church, and replace them with Christ and his mission. Christ's sacrifice makes us holy, and then when we place our faith and trust in Christ, we are made holy. In other words, stop emulating the world and find unity of faith in Christ.
The New Testament tells us, in essence, "How to hold onto the gift of holiness!" How do you stay holy? Act like Jesus did, follow the instructions of the New Testament.
The writer of 1 Peter 1:13-15 re-emphasizes the importance of holding onto our gift of holiness.
"13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy,
so be holy in all you do." - 1 Peter 1:13-15
If the church and Christians repent of our desire for everything unholy and turn away from ourselves, our call to holiness produces our mission and where we need to be right now.
With the world watching the church and our sins and faults coming to light, we can show them how Christ can bring healing and something beautiful out of chaos. Suppose we are pure in hearts, then we desire to jump in the mud of people's lives and help them walk in step by step in their personal lives. Stop looking at people as a number or just a body in a seat on Sunday morning. They are made in the image of God, and each person needs help in their life and journey of faith.
Our desire for Holy living should be the driving force of our mission. Dirty hands should be our mission. How does that look?
Think about the people, not the size:
We have lost our call to holiness when emphasizing numbers over spiritual depth.
Think about the people, not the stuff:
Preparing for each church service can be a battleground! Equipment must be set up, sound and lights must be tested, coffee supplies must be checked, and so much more! In the midst of all the chaos, it is easy to miss what's most important—the people. Remember this statement: We do these things for the people and pray God uses these things to help people grow deeper in him.
Think about the people, not the world:
The truth for many churches is that they need to change or die. This does not mean accepting poor theology or ignoring core doctrine but instead emphasizing personal stories of salvation and living in the completeness of Christ.
Think about the people, not you:
How do we get our hands dirty? By diving into other people's lives and letting Christ free them from their sins. It starts with us thinking about ourselves and making our faith solely for us but a faith that is for all and a heart that is open to others. That might mean changing our worship and church structure or removing personal preferences.
May we ever pursue holiness and get our hands dirty working for the kingdom of God.
That is the only way I can answer the questions in such chaotic times.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Abe
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