LIVING ON THE EDGE

This past Sunday my wife and I had some time to hang out with our G-kids at a very interesting and fun place-a ranch in the hill country near Austin.

Our youngest son is leading worship on the weekend at a church in the area and the church puts him up in a B and B on a 50-acre ranch. Very nice place. You could get spoiled staying there.  So quiet, so peaceful, so beautiful.  My dream retirement home. Well anyway. Back to reality.

I was hanging out with Josiah, my g-kid of 1 year on June 22, and we were checking out the Longhorns. They have about 20 of them on this ranch. As we were standing by the fence in the front yard of the B and B, seven Longhorns strolled up to see if we had any food. Josiah was not phased one bit. He put his hand out and the cattle just sniffed his hand. Then little Josiah decided he wanted to live on the edge.  (Takes after his papa G). So he stuck his hand right up the cow’s nose-yes sir. All the way up. Snot and all. I had to pull it out before the Longhorn sucked him in. It was the funniest thing I had seen in a long time.

Kids have no fear of anything and Josiah proved it.

As I was looking back on that funny event, it came to me that Josiah was not afraid of those animals because he had no idea what they could or could not do to him.  He just trusted his papa and did what came natural to a one year old-exploration.

Living on the edge takes exploration. It takes risk. It takes trust. For Josiah it was picking the nose of a Longhorn.  For me it was planting a church at the age of 47 with no physical or monetary support and no idea where our salary would come from week to week.  Still don’t. But God has been faithful.

I believe living on the edge is where God wants all of us to live, taking risks for him and trusting Him with the results. If you’re not living on the edge then you’re just taking up space. Or in other words, you’re playing it safe. Fully devoted followers of Christ don’t play it safe. They live on the edge.

Following Christ completely and wholeheartedly is a risk with fantastic results.

Go for it-LIVE ON THE EDGE. Josiah did. You may even get you hands messy.

I had a guy ask me that one day while I was explaining to him how excited I was about getting another full time staff guy to help oversee our Worship, missions and outreach ministries. I told him that I was only capable of effectively ministering to 150 to 200 people myself and this new staff guy was going to help me and the other staff reach hundreds more for Christ. With that he said, “Aren’t you being a little greedy? I know pastors who would love to have a church your size.”

I thought for a sec then said, “Well, I quess you think Paul was a little greedy then. Paul’s heart and vision was “everyone perfect in Christ.”

I used to say that if our church could reach at least one person for Christ then all this would have been worth it. That sounds real pious and religious but in reality that would please our enemy nothing more.

I told him that God’s heart is that none perish and that all come to repentance. That’s why HE sent His son Jesus, to save those who are lost. And since God’s heart is to take as many people to heaven as possibly, then my heart should be the same as HIS. His mission should be my mission. And I told him God’s mission should be his mission as well.

This conversation really helped motivate me to reach as many people for Christ as possible and at the same time train other people to develop a heart like God so they can reach as many for Christ as possible.

Imagine. If we were ALL a little greedy to see lives changed like God is, then our church buildings would be filled to standing room only.

WOW. I can only hope we all get a little more greedy.

I love hanging out at Starbucks. I meet the coolest and sometime even weirdest people. Me included.

I was there last Saturday afternoon finishing up my message for Sunday seated next to an acquaintance of mine who happens to be an atheist and a card -carrying member of the ACLU. Now if you know me at all, you know those letters ACLU will get me going and keep going like the energizer bunny. Coupled with the fact he is an atheist has led me to make a friend out him over the last several months. We have had ops to talk about several issues, all of which are not political or religious. I for one have not wanted to talk about those until God opened the door for me to do so.

Well guess what. He opened the door. And like a good God- fearing man I am, I avoided the issue. He asked me, as I sat there reading my message through one more time, if I had it all finished and ready for Sunday. And I said yes. Period. Then he asked me if I was the pastor of the church that meets in the UA Theater? And again I said yes. Period. See. I didn’t want to be bothered right then because I wanted to go home and relax with my wife and watch a little boob tube before Sunday. I didn’t have the time it was going to take for me to tell this atheist and ACLU member how to get to heaven. They are hardheaded and stubborn. Why now God? Why not Monday or Tuesday when I’m on the clock?

Well if you know me at all, I did have those thoughts for a brief moment then God gently nudged me and I began to tell my friend about our church and what we were all about and how God had given us a great venue to meet in to reach people for Christ. Then out of nowhere, he asked me about the RELIGIOUS RIGHTS boycott of Starbucks. I said what boycott? (Dead give away I was part of the religious right) As he told me about it I watched to see if he was checking me out to see if I was getting upset with his characterization of the RR. So I kept my cool and let him finish what he had to say about the RR and then I said, man, they make my job so hard. They probably would have boycotted Jesus. I don’t think he knew what to do with that. He just said Oh.

My approach to ministry may be different than some. I choose to meet people where they are and then love them to Christ. I try and build a relationship with them, not tear them down because they joined the ACLU or put a mermaid on a cup. Instead, I try through relationship to introduce them to Christ and let Him change their actions and attitudes. I don’t want to sound pious or over the top better than anyone else. I just think we miss so many ops because we are so RELIGIOUS RIGHT. My ACLU friend will see from me how much Jesus loves him and how much I care not because I choose to boycott a cup or Disney or McDonalds. And by the way. I don’t condone any of their actions or anti-Christian bias. I just want people to see Jesus not an organization.

I don’t think Jesus would fit in with the ACLU or THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT

As Rick Warren once said, People would much rather see a sermon than hear one.