It is That Simple
with Larry Kutzler
The Simple Ideas of Profound Truths
Only One Church
There is only one Church of Jesus Christ and they are the called-out ones who give witness and testimony to the resurrected Savior of the world. I have a friend who wants to leave his local Church because of a disagreement in direction. He is feeling bad about leaving, so I told him that he is not leaving a Church … he is leaving a location. He will find another location where he will find more of the called-out ones. There is only one Church with many locations. The Apostle Paul said that there are seven things we all have in common … one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God. They create one Church for all of us. There is only one Head of this one Church, and His name is Jesus. It is That Simple.
Lessons Learned
I have spent most of my life following Jesus, and I’ve learned a few things. The top three lessons I have learned in my life, starts with how a disciple is defined. Firstly, theology is the study of God, but the surrender to Him is the mark of a disciple. Secondly, learning to lead others does not start with principles … leadership begins and ends with the will to stand alone with God. Ideas about leadership have a place, but leadership is first practiced by placing God first above all things. My third lesson came later in life, and is the hallmark of my thinking today. Simplicity is the foundation of clarity, and clarity is the goal of communication. I find it helpful to articulate what is learned in life, and learning is lifelong … lessons are always being added. It is That Simple.
Practice Your Faith
I have a colleague whose tag line is, ‘Study to learn, learn to do.’ The Apostle Paul said the same thing … “Practice what you have learned.” The big idea? Stop all the talking, and go do something more important than the daily devotions. These days are evil, and evil thrives when we do nothing with what we know is true … which is having faith in God. The Holy Spirit was given to us to guide and direct us to do God’s will. The question is, “How can I say it is God’s will to have faith, but do nothing with that faith?” The Apostle James said, “How can you show Me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you My faith by My good deeds.” The bottom line? Faith produces something that is seen. It is That Simple.
Mercy is Greater than Evil
When God calls us to stand against evil, how do we react? Could Jonah give us a hint? Jonah was called to go to the immoral and wicked people of Nineveh, as God’s spokesman against their wickedness. His response? He ran away. God’s message doesn’t condemn … His intent is to save them from His judgment. God’s mercy is greater than His judgment, so it was by His mercy that Jonah was called to a wicked people. The Church today is a type of Jonah with the same kind of message … a merciful plea to receive the grace of God before the judgment of God comes. Jonah thought that they would never receive God’s message, yet, Ninevah did repent. Jonah failed to see that God’s grace is always more powerful than evil … a lesson well learned. It is That Simple.
Telling or Listening
One of the ways we keep ourselves from becoming narcissistic, is to be teachable. Narcissists are never teachable. They have the answers … and that’s final. A narcissist rarely asks questions of others, and most often does not listen to what is being said to them. Most people do not want to have anything to do with someone with this kind of attitude. The best model of leadership was presented by World Servants, a short-term missionary organization. They would say, “We are doing missions not to just go and tell, we go as learners.” Living out a life to learn is the foundation to know, rather than to tell others what you know. Experts suggest that narcissism is highly attractive to ministry roles, and there is nothing worse than using theology to control people for personal gain. It is That Simple.
Church vs Jesus
I once heard a pastor say, “We experience Church, but not the Savior.” Doubting Thomas was not convinced about the Resurrection, and it took his touching the Savior’s wounds that convinced him that Jesus had risen. Church has an element of experience … you hear all the right words, and encounter the joy of friendliness, yet leave without knowing the risen Christ. Barna Research indicates that many Churchgoers do not understand the concept of being forgiven by God. Barna has reported that 50% of those in our pews have not experienced the Salvation of the Gospel. The Apostle Paul said that many will have a form of Godliness, but will deny the power of a transformed life. Church is always at its best when it introduces you to a life change in Jesus. It is That Simple.
Does God Hate?
Does God hate? Well, the Book of Proverbs Chapter 6 says that He hates seven things … arrogance, lying, violence, planning evil, quick to act out evil, false testimony, and troublemakers. Anyone who displays these characteristics could qualify for public office. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s what often is displayed by our Representatives … and, it’s both parties. They would rather fight with each other than to work to make life better for all Americans. Iron sharpens iron the Scripture says, so it is not wrong to disagree, but it is wrong when the disagreement harms people. Shutting down the government because of policy disagreements is morally wrong. Government settles disagreements in debate and voting, not by shutting down the government and hurting the American people. Yes, there are things God hates, because they are so destructive. It is That Simple.
Sin Suffers Defeat
There is a popular pastor who declared that Christianity is all about the Resurrection … period. He is right that the Resurrection is the big conclusion, but we can never underestimate the importance of what we call Good Friday. The Cross and the Resurrection cannot be separated, because the Resurrection means little without the payment for sin to be satisfied. The arrest, trial, and brutal treatment of Jesus must be a precursor to any celebration that took place three days later. It is the Cross that frees us from sin, and opens the door for everlasting life to take place. The Resurrection was the proof that what happened at Calvary, was real and true. Good Friday gives me a lifelong perspective … I am a sinner, saved by the grace of God and by His mercy of the Cross. Amen. It is That Simple.
The Den of Thieves
One of the dark secrets of the Temple in the days of Jesus, was the profit made from the sale of animals and the revenue of the money changers. The High Priest owned the flocks used in the sales, and the price was inflated by 25 times the cost of the animal. Follow the money … it always leads you to the narrative of the true story. Jesus called this corruption “a den of thieves,” and He condemn this exploitation of the poor by chasing the money changers from the Temple. We are told that the High Priest’s family were those who profited handsomely from these sales. Today, those who use the Gospel to strictly profit from it, still represents “the den of thieves.” The Gospel has always been about the sacrifice, and never about the profit. It is That Simple.
Las Vegas
I live in what has been called ‘Sin City.’ I realize that the 50 million people who visit Las Vegas every year, come here to be entertained, and they contribute to ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.’ However, a little-known fact is that 61% of adults living in Las Vegas identify as Christian. NBC News once said, “Sin City’s dirty little secret … it’s full of Churches.” So, even though the city has a reputation that is not Christian, yet 61% of the city residents are Christian. I guess the old saying by C.T. Studd fits Las Vegas, “Some want to live within the sound of Church bells, I want to run a rescue shop, within a yard of hell.” As they say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Go God. It is That Simple.