THE MYTH OF RELIGION VS RELATIONSHIP

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Over the centuries there has been a "Christianizing" effect placed on Jesus in such a way that Jesus has been diminished and even caricaturized throughout the world. In other words, I think one of the most damaging things that has ever happened to Jesus is that He has been Christianized to the point that He has become unrecognizable in most circles.

Much of this Christianizing effect has been passed on by what I call the Christian rumor. These rumors are taught and re-taught as "truth" without any personal questions as to its veracity. Since we've been taking a fresh look at Jesus, we are amazed and shocked at what we've been simply accepting as the "truth" throughout the years without question or thinking.

For instance, the byline of Christianity has always been that the goal for all Christians is to reach out to non-Christians and encourage them to believe in order to go to heaven someday. The whole theme has been to "get out of here", yet this is not the direction that Jesus and other New Testament writers teach. Instead of us going to heaven, God is coming down here on earth to dwell. We'll discuss this more thoroughly later.

In order to examine the Christianization of Jesus and learn how to de-Christianize Jesus, it is vital that we debunk several myths. Today is the first one-the myth of religion vs relationship.

In our Jesus journey we have come to understand that Jesus is without borders, being universally attractive and all-inclusive to all cultures and religious backgrounds. On the other hand, Christianity is limited to a certain cultural upbringing and is to be understood as another religion in our world. Jesus is not owned or limited by Christianity. He is matchless and pre-eminent. There is no one who comes close to His equal.

When I was speaking on university campuses around the world, the frequent byline we used was: "Christianity isn't a religion; it's a relationship!" All of us who used this mantra were right in our thinking. What we were presenting was not a religious system of do's and don'ts; we were presenting a personal relationship with God through Jesus. Yes, we were right in our thinking, but our practice was way off base. As soon as a person expressed interest and faith in Jesus we instantly moved them into a church and taught them that they must be very religious. The personal relationship did not remain the focus. The Person of Jesus was the door and once inside the focus shifted to a list of do's and don'ts to check off and a set of beliefs to embrace. I watched this happen time after time in how we "discipled" others and then I saw it in my own empty life. Jesus was missing to a great extent; religion was in.

There is certainly nothing wrong with growing up in a Christian culture. It's through this culture that I found Jesus. But for me to think that I am the only culture the Creator-God created or cares about is the peak of haughtiness that God hates.

Package this cultural expression of man to find God as the only way, requiring all other cultures to bow down and become a Christian and you have essentially declared war on all other peoples, cultures and religions of the world. This is why Christians sing "Onward Christian soldiers" going off to war. The battle is not so much against the Evil One as it has become against all those who are not yet Christians. It's no wonder the non-Christian world deeply resents and hates the "Christian West". You see, Christianity isn't the way to God; Jesus is. Therefore Jesus must be separated from Christianity, so that He can be lifted up and relate most clearly to the other cultures of the world.

Even in the Old Testament Scriptures the Jewish people had strayed so far away from a heart relationship with God. It was so bad that God, who set up an elaborate sacrificial system to be followed, said, "I don't want your sacrifices, but would rather have your heart of compassion." It seems to be man's nature to drift away from a personal relationship and become more and more religious.

Jesus is all about welcoming you into a personal relationship with Him. In fact, this is at the foundation of why Jesus came to earth in the first place.

C. S. Lewis, the great literary scholar, was originally an atheist, then became more of an agnostic regarding God. In his agnostic state he often mentioned, "How absurd it is to think that a human could have a personal relationship with the Creator." He said, "It's as absurd as Hamlet having a personal relationship with Shakespeare." After Lewis became a believer, he saw it differently. He said, "Shakespeare could have had a personal relationship with Hamlet, if Shakespeare had written Himself as a character into the play." This is precisely what the Creator-God has done. He has written Himself into the play of life as a character to establish a personal relationship with Him. His name is Jesus. Jesus is all about a relationship and has very little to do with religion.

THE STRESSFUL WORLD OF RESULTS

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One of the most familiar quotes about results is credited to Albert Einstein. It is "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Results are rarely neutral. Either you have great expectations for certain positive results or you have great dread about the possibility of certain negative results.

Results seem to come in three versions-good, bad or none at all. Sometimes it's the "none at all" that can be most difficult. I really like the t-shirt that says: "For every door that closes there is another one that always opens, but the hallways can be hell."

Results are everywhere. They cannot be avoided. Results are the consequences of life, whether we cause them or they just happen to us. Results do happen!

Not only do we all have life results that we feel we must negotiate, the bible is filled with the good, the bad and the non-results in the lives of the many characters. Ananias and Sapphira had some very good results. They sold a piece of property and made a lot of money. However, these good results were made into bad results when they acted as if they were giving the entire amount they gained into the local treasure, yet were holding out on God. They lied in an attempt to gain some praise and affirmation. Daniel was being faithful to God by praying daily and through the conniving of some jealous men in the kingdom ended up in the lions' den. Bad results for sure, yet God was at work in the midst of these bad results and saved Daniel's life.

Then in Hebrews 11 there is an interesting paragraph regarding a great men of faith who experienced a lifetime of non-results: 13 All these people (Enoch, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country-a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

There are two basic problems with results. The first problem is that there is a tendency to wallow in the bad results which ends in depression. The second is to rely on the good results, relishing in them as if they were produced by us, resulting in pride. So, we end up trusting and hoping in our results, gambling on them to be the answer to our problems.

If you focus on your results, you will never be free from the stresses of it all. Here are some thoughts on how to handle your results: FIRST-Do the best you can do. This is your primary responsibility and nothing more.

SECOND-Leave the results entirely in the hands of God. You can't control your results anyway. In fact, results are none of your business. I am convinced God is personally at work in the midst of your results.

With Jesus it's always personal. This is why He continually makes it clear to those who are listening who He is. His many I AM statements and claims about Himself place Him into the middle of your life results.

Jesus uses results in your life to do the following: 1. To teach you something through it. 2. To work together with something else for God's glory and your good. 3. To get you through the worst of it all. He delights in getting you through it.

So, there are three cautions: 1. Don't allow yourself to be slammed by the bad results. 2. Don't allow yourself to take credit for the good results. 3. Don't allow yourself to be discouraged by the lack of results.

Jesus is the only result worth your time and energy!

REVOLUTIONARY HABIT #3

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The third revolutionary habit is WAITING ON JESUS to lead out with orders and opportunities. Waiting on Jesus is not inactivity. Waiting on Jesus is being active and attentive in the following ways:

FIRST-As you wait there is the action of readying yourself. Your responsibility is not to be in charge, but to be ready for the King's orders.

SECOND-As you wait there is the action of relating to Jesus and to others-the first two habits. Your responsibility is to continue these relationships within your support team-the "one anothers" in your life. It's the doing of life together, not sitting around and explaining it.

THIRD-As you wait there is the action of resting. Your responsibility is to be anxious for nothing, but to rest in your relationship with Jesus and with others. Now, keep in mind that Jesus may not have direct orders for you today. Don't be in a hurry to the point of being stressed. Following Jesus is all about rest. Jesus calls His disciples into His rest-confident, peaceful, everything-is-going-to-be-OK rest.

FOURTH-As you wait there is the action of resisting. Your responsibility is to resist all distractions, temptations, and detours that you have stirred up for yourself or that come from the enemy of the King. This resisting is a vital discipline of the for the disciple of Jesus and the Kingdom.

We are not to wait on Jesus for us to do His will. It's just understood that we are to do that. Neither are we waiting to be responsive to Him or to do what He would do.

However, we ARE waiting for Jesus to show up in our lives. We ARE waiting for Jesus to give us answers to our heart's cry-an impression, a peace, a desire or a thought. We ARE to wait to bring restoration to those God brings us. We ARE to wait for God to bring people into our lives for us to walk with in fellowship and support.

WAITING ON JESUS TO LEAD OUT is demonstrating a ruthless trust in Him to come through on our behalf with opportunities and orders for us to follow.

Isaiah 40 is brought to mind regarding who God is and waiting on Him-12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales? 13 Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor, has informed Him? 14 With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding? 15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales.

21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. 23 He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. 25 To whom then will you liken Me That I would be his equal?'' says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing. 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God'? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable,. 29 He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. 30 Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, 31 Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

Then I am drawn to Acts 1 where Jesus gave orders to wait in Jerusalem for next steps! Jesus spent 40 days with the disciples, just hanging out with them and He spent that time teaching them about the Kingdom. "He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.'" In essence, the disciples were still hung up on the physical, political motif of the Kingdom and Jesus is expanding on His former words to them that He has already brought the Kingdom. Now, they must wait for the permanent, abiding presence of God through His Spirit to empower their Kingdom living.

The same is true for us today. We are to pray for Jesus to lead out and we are to follow Him. So we are praying and waiting for Jesus to lead the way.

Think of it this way: #1-Jesus is calling you today. All requires of you is to be interested, believe in Him and follow in His steps. #2-Jesus believes those He calls are good enough. In other words, He believes you can do it. #3-Jesus believes you can be like Him-to perpetuate His His lifestyle in you. #4-Jesus empowers you by His presence as 2-3 of us gather together in His name.

It's all about the simplicity and purity of devotion to Jesus and following Him. Three habits. Walking with Jesus. Walking with others. Waiting on Jesus to lead out with orders and opportunities.

REVOLUTIONARY HABIT #2

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There are three revolutionary habits in learning how to follow the teachings and principles of Jesus. Yesterday we referenced the first one-WALKING WITH JESUS. Today, we examine the second one-WALKING WITH OTHERS.

As always, Jesus is our example of this habit. When He began His ministry, He chose three to come alongside Him-to be with Him. He continued to spend most of His time with these three. This small group expanded to 12, then the 72 and then the 120. In fact, at one point there are up to 500 who were fairly close disciples of Jesus. I'm sure most everyone who followed Jesus felt close to Him, yet He walked most of His time with a few.

The disciples were sent most of the time in teams of two. Sometimes there were more, but you just don't see them traveling or living alone.

WALKING WITH OTHERS provides a level of personal support that we all need. There are, at least, four benefits: FIRST-Strength to do whatever may come in life. There's something about knowing you are not alone that empowers whatever you try to do. Without others in your life you are weakened and at your lowest.

SECOND-Encouragement is easily drained, yet within a few trusted friends you will find yourself fueled by the others who are doing life with you. Without others you can easily become discouraged and distracted.

THIRD-A learning dynamic presents itself within a smaller setting. When you are walking with others, it's so much easier to get it-your seeing and hearing seem to be better. Without others it seems difficult to have ears to hear and eyes to see, so you just don't "get it".

FOURTH-Finally and most importantly, walking with others is a sure place where Jesus will show up. Without others you tend to forget how real and present Jesus is.

The experience of the early followers of Jesus is recorded in Acts 2: So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

The results of gathering together in the name of Jesus were many: 1. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; 2. and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 3. And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; 4. and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Radically valuing people over possessions! 5. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, 6. and breaking bread from house to house, a. they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, b. praising God and c. having favor with all the people. d. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:41-47

WALKING WITH OTHERS is one of those disciplines of life that produces great results for you and those with whom you are walking. Jesus said, "I will build my church"; what He is looking for is for His followers to BE THE CHURCH. This is the Kingdom way of living your life fully.

Living fully requires that you walk with Jesus. When you walk with Jesus, you are the walking solution to people's needs everywhere. And, the only way to faithfully walk with Jesus is to WALK TOGETHER!

Here's the action plan: 1. DO walking with Jesus 2. DO walking with others a. Pray for Jesus to bring someone into your life/mind. b. Be open to whomever He brings to you. c. Hang out together and look for Jesus to show up.

You know, I can hear my voice echoing these three habits back to me when I say them. I have said them over and over before as many of you know. But this is an easy-say and hard-to-do situation. So I ask you, are you walking with Jesus and are you walking with others? That's the test whether or not you've heard these three habits enough yet.

REVOLUTIONARY HABIT #1

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As a Jesus revolutionary it's vital to embrace three basic habits. It has been said that to develop a habit, you must do it for 3 weeks. If you do it everyday for 6 weeks, you'll own it as a part of your person and character.

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

I heard it another way: "A trail through the mountains, if used, becomes a path in a short time, but, if unused, becomes blocked by grass in an equally short time. Now your heart is blocked by grass."

The first habit in the Jesus revolution is WALKING WITH JESUS. As a friend of mine said, "It's like the announcement that is made on every flight. 'Put your oxygen mask on first and then help those around you.'" Walking with Jesus is just like that. You must put on your oxygen mask-your personal relationship with Jesus. That's what comes first-always.

Walking with Jesus is being aware of His constant presence in your life. It's being with Him, hanging out with Him and in a constant dependence on His strength and His lead. In a very real sense, walking with Jesus is learning to count on Him in your everyday life.

Walking with Jesus is in response to God's great love for you. Oswald Chambers said, "No love of the natural heart is safe unless the human heart has been satisfied by God first." Embrace God's love for you and respond to it by practicing walking with Jesus at your side every day.

The there are five cautions in walking with Jesus. FIRST-Don't walk ahead of Him. SECOND-Don't walk away from Him. THIRD-Don't walk out of step with Him. FOURTH-Don't walk too far behind Him. WALK WITH JESUS EVERY DAY.

Here are three steps that will help you walk with Jesus. I. Breathe in. This means take in some Scripture, especially from the words of Jesus, Himself. II. Breathe out. This means talking to Jesus about your desires-your heart. III. Hold your breath. This means to take note of your relationship long enough to take the time to listen.

In simple terms, DO WHAT HE SAYS. No matter what He says to do and say, you just do it. I heard it in a funny way several years ago: "If you pray for a Cadillac and God sends a jackass, ride it." It's signing off as king of your kingdom and making Jesus the King of all Kings. This reminds me of the bumper sticker that says: "Want to hear God laugh? Tell Him your plans." To walk with Jesus is to be willing to let Him call the plays of your life.

You know, what Jesus wants more than anything else is a personal relationship with you. And, once Jesus resides in your heart of hearts by simply walking together, you will find yourself living a revolutionary life. The revolutionary life that Jesus offers is completely satisfying to you and most attractive to everyone else. It's like a light. It's like a fountain.