Simply be, rather than do.

This has been one of the most life altering seasons of life I've ever experienced; in a really good way. Allow me to elaborate.

These last several months I've been given the incredible privilege of being one of two RA's on a Liberty University dorm. Last Spring, in preparation for the fall of 2013, my partner came across the phrase, "Simply be, rather than do," on a dove chocolate wrapper (shout out to the Holy Spirit for speaking through doves!) and we knew that these were words that had power to break, mend and shape lives that lived, breathed and moved within the bounds of the Gospel of Jesus. 

The very compassionate and gentle Jesus I know began to transform my life to understand the words, “Simply be, rather than do.”

This last semester has been one filled with rejoicing and weeping; there has been death, yet there has been new life in Christ Jesus; there has been exhaustion and emptiness, all the while there has been a never ending fount of strength from the Holy Spirit; there has been an ever faint, nearly absent whisper form the Holy Spirit, and there have been times of hearing the trumpet sounding voice of Jesus.

I have experienced the presence of Jesus like never before.

You get the picture; Jesus has done immeasurably more.

What does this have to do with simply being, rather than doing?

Stay with me.

I recently (like, yesterday) heard a sermon by Ben Stuart out of Texas on Matthew 17. The Lord immediately showed me, from His word, an example of ‘being’ rather than ‘doing.’

In Matthew 17, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up to a mountaintop. The Scripture says, “…[Jesus] led them high up a mountain.” (vs. 1). Now, we are in Chapter 17 of the first Gospel. These men have just, in the previous chapter, been learning of the wrath Jesus must face. Matthew 16:21 says, “Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things.” So this man whom they’ve been walking (literally) with for some time now tells them of the torture He will receive; to make matters worse, they have just been led “high up a mountain.” I would like to think, they are exhausted; emotionally and physically. In Luke’s account of this story, it says, “Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep…” (9:32). That leads me to believe they had to of been somewhat exhausted; at least enough to be “heavy with sleep.”

What follows is what makes this significant.

In Matthew, it says, “He [Jesus] was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light…a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.’ When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Rise, and have no fear.’” (vs. 2,5-7).

The disciples were feeble, exhausted and weak. They misinterpreted who Jesus was for a moment (I left the middle of the story out; but read it for yourself! Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus also, and the disciples consider all three to be alike and equal. That is when the Father speaks, to tell the disciples that Jesus is far superior. That is what causes them to fall and worship) and they became terrified by the voice of the Father. Yet, the gentleness of Jesus caused them to rise.

The disciples were exhausted and asleep, they were weak; overcome by their fleshly state, they were unable to ‘do’ anything. However, that is when Jesus chose to reveal His glory to them. The immeasurably more.

This semester myself, and the 14 girls I walk closest with, have been exhausted. We have been blinded to many things and misinterpreted who Jesus is multiple times. Yet, His gentleness and compassion has been revealing to us His glory, when we are ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’; when we choose to Worship.

But you can get a glimpse of our immeasurably more for yourself.

These are things that Jesus has done in the life of those 14 woman the last few months who have been on a journey to know fully the Jesus that reveals Himself when we simply be, rather than do. This is the fruit. Rejoice at their words:

“He has made me P U R E.”

“He’s becoming real to me.”

“I nail Him to the Cross… but He still wants me.”
“I’ve learned I can’t be other peoples gods.”
“After trying to earn His love, He’s showed me what I truly am in Him.”
“I am ‘okay’ with being the vessel He’s made me.”
“I’m learning to silence the fear.”

“He showed me I got too good at being ‘good’.”

“I was proving to God I’m good enough for His love and I was proving to others I was good enough for His love.”

“He showed me I was turning ‘being’ into ‘doing’.”

“It’s not about me, it’s about Him.”

“If I pray a bold prayer in faith, He answers.”
“I was there the moment she went from hell to heaven.”
“If I act on my convictions, it’s worth it.”
“He’s not calling me to comfort, but to discomfort.”

“He wants to draw me close to Him.”
“He brings beauty through confession.”
“To say my sin was too big was to say the Cross wasn’t enough.”
“I have to choose joy in the morning.”
“It’s not the fact that I am a mess up, but that I messed up.”
“He’s broken my pride.”
“I was undone in legalism.”
“Nobody understands my heart more than the One who made it.”

You see, Jesus is ready to reveal Himself in ways that are unimaginable. He has broken us; yet, the taste of His glory is far too worth it. When you rest, and don’t work to earn your salvation; He becomes R E A L.

In the midst of beginning to understand what it means to, “Simply be, rather than do,” we have learned that it is nearly unable to be understood. What we do know is this: when we are weak, then He is strong. This is the Gospel: simply being, rather than doing. 

Join us on the journey.

It’s messy, raw and painful; yet, there is victory, life and joy found in the Jesus of the true Gospel.

“Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have broken rejoice.” [Ps. 51:8]

Our broken bones rejoice.
Do yours?

Acts 2.

Have you ever really examined the purpose of the Church? I don’t mean the point of your Sunday morning service at your favorite Church, with your favorite worship band and your favorite coffee kiosk. I mean the actual Church.

The Body of Christ.

His beloved.
His bride.

I know, personally, I hadn’t. Until very recently, I have never fully comprehended the purpose and/or benefit of the Church; it was simply a term I have misinterpreted for a long time.

I was missing the point, though. Brutally.

Here’s what the Lord has shown me: when we don’t live as the Church, we don’t live like Christ.

Allow me to explain.

It’s so easy to do life by yourself. Unfortunately, this schema has gotten dragged into the Church. David Platt mentions that it’s said today by many, well meaning, Christians, “I don’t need to do life with anyone. I just love Jesus!” Now, were using Christ as an excuse for something He directly speaks against.

It just doesn’t line up. We’re somehow missing it. We go to the Church but forsake being the Church.

So, what’s it supposed to look like?

I can’t help but wonder what ever happened to life as written about in Acts 2.Here’s what it says: 

They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belonging and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need. (Vs. 42, 44, 45)

These early apostles were living together. They were doing life together.

It doesn't look the same today.

Why? How’d we get so far off of the life Christ died for us to live?

Bluntly: we’ve become Christians full of pride; we’ve become prideful of our relationship with the Lord causing us to no longer need to do life with others. We take our eyes off of the Gospel for all nations and focus them on ourselves.

Subtly, Satan begins to fill our minds with, “me,” rather than, “the Kingdom.”

Paul speaks to this in 2 Corinthians 10:7 saying, “Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we.”

I can picture Paul yelling, “Look! Look what’s before your eyes! We follow Christ, too. You aren’t the only one!”

Truth is, we need to hear that. We forget that we’re simply one building block in the Church of Christ; the very Church that Christ gave himself up for (Eph. 5:25). We are one building block that rests upon and around other blocks. We need fellow laborers in Christ; or else, our block is useless.

That’s life in Christ. Without the fellowship and life with other followers, we become ineffective for the Gospel. We need them. I need them.

Jesus prays in John 17, “…may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

The body of Christ living in Christ is the greatest witness for Christ.

Do you hear that?

Our most effective tool of evangelism is doing live with others, in Christ. 

That is the purpose of the Church.

We are His body.

We are His bride.
We are His witness.
We are His!

WE. Not, just you. Or me. We, are His.

We can’t forsake this anymore. When we forsake this, we forsake Christ.

Lets live life together for the sake of the Gospel in order to spread the Gospel.

Lets live as Christ did.

Lets live like Acts 2.

Join me.

There is one body and one Spirit- just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

(Eph. 4:4-6)

Arrogant Christianity.

Arrogance: (n) an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions- according to Websters. 

Do you know anyone who fits that definition? I know I can sure think of a few people, including myself, who can fall under that often. How about the "Arrogant Christian"? I'm sure we can all think of those people; you know, the "holier than thou" ones. 

Why is that? 
Why does it seem like followers of Christ are becoming more self-focused and conceited daily? 

In the 21st Century, American culture, where everything is based upon materialism and social status, the natural tendency is to become focused upon ourselves; even in the Church. 

How do we make our Church more attractive? 
How do I make myself look more holy?
What verse do I post on my Facebook to make me look better than so-and-so? 

Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. 

You get it. It's all about us and quite frankly, it's disgusting. 

Here's the main issue with this perspective for those who claim following Christ: the more time we focus on us, the less we focus on Him; the less we focus on Him, the more we miss His people. 

Let me explain using a story in 1 Samuel the Lord has used immensely in my own life recently. 
Here's the stage: we have Hannah (soon to be Samuel's mother). That's all you need to know. 
[Funny how the Lord uses the most insignificant people to display significant truths of Himself, huh? It's awesome, really.] 

In 1 Samuel, Hannah pleads with the Lord for a child [Samuel]. She prayed silently in the temple "pouring out her soul before the Lord (vs. 15)." While she was doing this, Eli, the Priest, watched. He assumed that Hannah was simply drunk because he couldn't hear what she was saying. Later in the story, once the Lord hears her cries and responds to them, Samuel is born and taken to the temple; to Eli, the same priest present when Hannah prayed for this child. 

Here is the most beautiful line in the whole story: "He [Eli] worshiped the Lord there."

Did you catch that? 
Hannah's faithfulness to the Lord, and not to man, allowed His faithfulness to become evident to man. 
So much so, that Eli worshiped! 

What would have happened if Hannah were focused on praying out-loud, like everyone else, to show that she was, in fact, worthy to pray to the God of all Creation? In other words, what if Hannah was arrogant?

Here's what: Eli wouldn't have worshiped. 

Hannah pursed the Father. Man saw. Man worshiped the Father.
What a BEAUTIFUL story!

Now, lets translate this into the current culture we're all living in. 
When was the last time you pursued praise of man; then, in turn, man worshiped our Father? 

There's a disconnect. Do you follow that? 
We cannot pursue man and, yet, allow the Father all the praise. 
When we strive, whether subconsciously or knowingly, to receive recognition and praise from man, we're robbing the Creator of the Universe. 

That should break us. 
When our life is consumed with pursuing Christ, His people worship Him. Hannah displayed that.

Jonathan Dodson, author of Gospel Centered Discipleship, said this:

"Our holiness should compel people outside the church, attracting them to Christ. As living stones, our lives should spill over in a vibrant witness to the Jesus that changed us." 

The Jesus that changed us. 
Because we couldn't change us. We desire praise; yet, do we deserve any of it? 

God hates pride. In fact, I think of Proverbs 8:13 that says, "I hate pride and arrogance."
Can He be any clearer?  

Satan demanded praise. Our prideful actions are not from the Lord, they're from the enemy.
As followers of Christ, our lives are to radiate Christ; not ourselves.
It's not until we take our eyes off of Christ do we turn them to ourselves. 
Dodson also said: "When we are not gospel centered, we will veer off into comfortable individualism and abandon the mission."

When we turn our eyes away from Jesus, we forsake those around us. 

What's the key to keeping the focus off of ourselves and on the only One who deserves it? 
It's just that. Don't take your eyes off Him. Boast in your weakness because your weakness allows room for the power of Christ to rest upon you (2 Cor. 12).

As a Christian whole, we've become far too arrogant. 
What would it look like if we gave Jesus the focus He demands of us? 

After all, we are nothing and we can offer nothing. 
Let's be like Hannah. Let's allow people to watch how we pursue the Lord, and Him only, and then lets watch them worship the Lord in response. 

Repent.
Worship. 
Repeat.

And watch this culture, world and all nations Worship the Lord.

What a beautiful privilege we have.
Isn't Jesus gracious?

More Scripture?
2 Corinthians 12. 
Isaiah 66:2
Ephesians 5:1-2.
Colossians 3:3.
1 Samuel 1 (read it for yourself!)

It is by grace.

You know what's insane? Grace.

Websters defines grace as: an unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification or a virtue coming from God (which I find interesting from a secular dictionary). 

Grace. The idea that we are getting in abundance what we do not deserve. Don't confuse grace with mercy, because it's easy to do. Mercy is not receiving what we deserve.

Grace: receiving in abundance what we do not deserve. 
Mercy: not receiving what we do deserve. 

In the Church, we believe that by grace, through faith in Christ, we have been saved. (Eph. 2:8)
Paraphrased, this means: even though what I deserve is an eternity in hell because of my sinful heart and rebellion against the God of all creation, Christ (fully God, fully man) came out with love and joy and paid the full price for me [i.e. showed grace] in order that we may have an everlasting life.

Right? Do we all agree?
That's the Gospel. 

We couldn't, Christ did.
We were dead, now we're alive. 

It's an ongoing mystery to me how, once we accept this gift of grace, we no longer see the grace. 
We accept it as grace in the moment of conversion because we realize on our own cannot defeat death.

But then there's the transition. The mystery, if you will. 

We all (and I literally mean all) get to a point where we turn grace into mercy. 
We begin to become desensitized to the beautiful grace of the gospel and begin to see the Gospel as being simply spared from death [i.e. mercy] then causing us to feel the need to preform to become worthy of grace, again. 

Are you following?

We get to point where, in a sense, we believe the cross wasn't enough. 
That the conquering of the grave for our sake wasn't enough. 
We look to love more, serve more, speak more about the Gospel in subconscience hope of earning the Lords favor again. 

It hits home more than you think. Don't you find it easy to preach the true Gospel of grace with a heart that is working earn grace? Are you catching that? 


We can preach grace; yet, not know grace. 

"...the grace of God [that] was given [to] you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched [abundance, plentiful] in him in all speech and all knowledge . . . so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful . . . " 

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Christ will sustain you. 
You cannot sustain yourself.

How does he sustain you? By grace. 

We cannot do anything on planet earth of any magnitude or for any cause that will cause Jesus to give you more grace then He already has. We have been given in abundance, as that verse says. 

When we loose sight of this truth, we begin performing. We begin preaching a Gospel of grace yet missing the grace ourselves. We begin serving the people of Jesus before we serve Jesus.

Here's my challenge: if we truly believe that we have been saved by a grace that will sustain us to the end, we aren't to be serving people. Serving people produces a desire for a response of gratitude. When we really let the grace of the Gospel sink into our lives, we serve Jesus by serving His people. 

[[[ confused? Read Matt. 25:40 ]]]

We no longer look/desire/want praise from the people of God. We want praise for God. 


1 Corinthians goes on to say in verse 17: "For Christ did not send me [or you] to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of it's power." 

We are not placed on earth to impress people [breathe a sigh of relief!]. We're called to represent grace. Because the cross was enough and will always be enough. That's the Gospel.

We're not called to live a life of proper presentations. 
We're called to live a life with one presentation: I was dead, now I am alive. Only by the Grace of Christ in my life, daily. 


How do we respond? 
Of Christ, not of this world. This world is failing and broken. You'll never be satisfied apart from grace. 

We've been brought out of the pit of hell because we were loved that much.
That's grace. Show grace. Live grace. Understand grace. Accept grace. Preach grace. 

"For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your doing; it's the gift of God."

Eph. 2:8

***Understand my heart. We have been given mercy in abundance as well with grace. We're to "Seek justice, love mercy..." However, there's a distinct difference between the two. I am focused on the attribute of grace. The attribute of mercy would be a whole different idea. Also, we are to serve everyone. However, with the heart of serving them because we are serving Christ. "Faith without works is dead." We are also called for good works. But when the heart doesn't understand grace, good works are impossible. When we understand our purpose of simply representing grace, the works seep out of our lives.***