Gospel Journey: Part 5
My journey through the gospels continues. I love Luke 6:26: "Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you." I think most of us thinks it's a good sign if everyone speaks well of us. Jesus says it may actually be a "danger sign."
It comes back to Abraham Lincoln. "You can please all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can't please all the people all the time." I'd even add something. There are some people you'll never please no matter what. You can see it in Luke 7:33-34. It's a no win situation. The Pharisees criticized John the Baptist for fasting and Jesus for feasting. Sometimes you can't win.
If there is a lesson I've learned and would like to share with other leaders it's the "bell curve." There will always be early adopters who jump on your bandwagon, but there will also be laggards and resisters. Part of leadership is having patience with the resisters and laggards until they finally catch the vision you're casting. You can let their resistance deflate your spirit or you can realize it's the bell curve. I don't perceive resistance as abnormal. It's normal because different people have different personality types.
I love the story in Luke 8 where Jesus calms the wind and waves. It says the disciples panicked. They woke Jesus up and said, "We're going to drown." Can I remind you that we're not talking about a millionaire and his wife, a movie star, and the professor and Mary Ann! These were veteran fisherman. They lived on the open seas. Their panic reveals the threat this storm posed to them. But Jesus rebukes the wind and waves.
As human beings we're wired to protect the status quo. That is what happens when Jesus heals the demoniac. Instead of rejoicing, the people were afraid. They couldn't handle the miracle because it upset their apple cart. They asked Jesus to leave because they wanted to return to normal. The status quo may be the biggest obstacle to miracles.
Faith is the willingness to look foolish. Jesus tells a group of mourners in Luke 8 that a little girl isn't dead. She's only sleeping. By the way, that's what I jokingly say whenever we pass a dead carcass on the road because that's what my parents said. "Don't worry kids. It's only sleeping...in the middle of the road." Anywho, the people "laughed at him." But Jesus got the last laugh! Faith always does! If you aren't willing to look foolish you're foolish.
Jesus broke the bread and it multiplied in Luke 9. I think it's a microcosm. The key to multiplying is breaking. The way God multiplies us is by breaking us.
One more thought. Jesus rebuked a demon in Luke 9:42 and it says he "gave him back" to his father. God is in the business of giving us back what we've lost. And it says the people were "amazed at the greatness of God." They "marveled at what Jesus did."
I shared this after the 11:00 service @ Union yesterday, but here is what has gotten into my spirit lately. If you live for yourself your world gets smaller and smaller and smaller until all that's left is little tiny you. If you live for God your world gets bigger and bigger and bigger. I think that is what it means to live in awe of God. God keeps getting bigger and your problems keep getting smaller.
It comes back to Abraham Lincoln. "You can please all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can't please all the people all the time." I'd even add something. There are some people you'll never please no matter what. You can see it in Luke 7:33-34. It's a no win situation. The Pharisees criticized John the Baptist for fasting and Jesus for feasting. Sometimes you can't win.
If there is a lesson I've learned and would like to share with other leaders it's the "bell curve." There will always be early adopters who jump on your bandwagon, but there will also be laggards and resisters. Part of leadership is having patience with the resisters and laggards until they finally catch the vision you're casting. You can let their resistance deflate your spirit or you can realize it's the bell curve. I don't perceive resistance as abnormal. It's normal because different people have different personality types.
I love the story in Luke 8 where Jesus calms the wind and waves. It says the disciples panicked. They woke Jesus up and said, "We're going to drown." Can I remind you that we're not talking about a millionaire and his wife, a movie star, and the professor and Mary Ann! These were veteran fisherman. They lived on the open seas. Their panic reveals the threat this storm posed to them. But Jesus rebukes the wind and waves.
As human beings we're wired to protect the status quo. That is what happens when Jesus heals the demoniac. Instead of rejoicing, the people were afraid. They couldn't handle the miracle because it upset their apple cart. They asked Jesus to leave because they wanted to return to normal. The status quo may be the biggest obstacle to miracles.
Faith is the willingness to look foolish. Jesus tells a group of mourners in Luke 8 that a little girl isn't dead. She's only sleeping. By the way, that's what I jokingly say whenever we pass a dead carcass on the road because that's what my parents said. "Don't worry kids. It's only sleeping...in the middle of the road." Anywho, the people "laughed at him." But Jesus got the last laugh! Faith always does! If you aren't willing to look foolish you're foolish.
Jesus broke the bread and it multiplied in Luke 9. I think it's a microcosm. The key to multiplying is breaking. The way God multiplies us is by breaking us.
One more thought. Jesus rebuked a demon in Luke 9:42 and it says he "gave him back" to his father. God is in the business of giving us back what we've lost. And it says the people were "amazed at the greatness of God." They "marveled at what Jesus did."
I shared this after the 11:00 service @ Union yesterday, but here is what has gotten into my spirit lately. If you live for yourself your world gets smaller and smaller and smaller until all that's left is little tiny you. If you live for God your world gets bigger and bigger and bigger. I think that is what it means to live in awe of God. God keeps getting bigger and your problems keep getting smaller.
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