Are We Ready for a Dangerous Opportunity?
Good Morning Friends,
I am sure you have heard before, that the Chinese character translated into English as “crisis” means, at its root, “dangerous opportunity.” A crisis is scary, but it holds out something wonderful at the same time. When the earliest Christians met it was not easy. They were in a crisis of sorts, but also were part of something that created an invitation to a world of possibilities. So too Jesus invites us into this excitement. He invites us to come and see…to drink and eat… to follow in unity and brokenness. He invites us to inherit the Kingdom. The question then is simple. Are We Ready for a Dangerous Opportunity?
11Scripture: For I want you to know, brothers and sisters,* that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; 12for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. 14I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. 15But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son to me,* so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days; 19but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord’s brother. 20In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!
Galatians 1:11-1:20 (NRSV)
11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood self-condemned; 12for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. 13And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?’* 15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16yet we know that a person is justified* not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.* And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ,* and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. 17But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. 19For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; 20and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,* who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification* comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.
Galatians 2:11-2:21 (NRSV)
Message: Staffing crisis, financial crisis, and spiritual crisis await us. Mission crisis, Kingdom growth crisis, consistency crisis and standing for something crisis are part of the future for dedicated Christians. I hope you are ready to accept the invitation. A dangerous, wonderful, terrible, awesome, agonizing, glorious opportunity awaits. Friends, every invitation from Christ is ultimately an invitation to a crisis. And every crisis is an invitation to be the church. Every crisis is an invitation to evangelize and share the meaning of the Gospel. That is perhaps why working with the poor and vulnerable is so exciting. And the interesting thing is that once we get started being this Body we are led to another crisis… one of our own beliefs. Here we can learn from Paul. He was not afraid. He did not fear the crisis. He realized it was dangerous and also an opportunity. Paul knew that when we get caught up in trying to win a popularity contest, we are going to break faith with what we have professed to believe. We get complacent and we fall back into old habits. We get fat and lazy and we quit growing. All out of the fear of being different. All out of a need to be accepted and popular. Thank God for a Paul, who would make a crisis out of that! For a Paul, who would call to task even Peter the prince of the church, and put him into crisis! When a cause is no longer popular, we fall backwards, and that is a crisis time too. When God invites you to do something, there will be a crisis in our own hearts and minds before you actually have to do it. Then there will be a crisis as one starts to put things into action. And some will never accept what you are doing. Some will never even see it. But others, the spiritually discerning, will accept it and support it if it is for Kingdom growth. So we are to move from revelation into a crisis that has a Kingdom purpose. But the most interesting challenge is the crisis that comes after one thinks one has won the battle! The crisis that comes after you think you have gotten everything worked out! Old habits die hard, and just because something new has been started, that does not mean that it catches hold permanently. You can have your most important dangerous opportunity after you think you have finished the fight.
Pray we come to meet Jesus. Pray we embrace the art of reading and internalizing the Bible. Pray we come and see. Pray we accept the deep drink of the Spirit. Pray we take spiritual nourishment. Pray we follow in the Way. Pray we spend time away with Jesus. Pray we come into the love of Jesus and be blessed. Pray we extend an invitation to others of the revelation we have received in Christ so they might become whole. Pray we accept Jesus’ invitation knowing that with it comes both great opportunity and a danger as well. Pray we keep growing.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 