I Know It When I See It

Scripture: Mark 2.13-17; 1 Samuel 14.1-11; Acts 2:41-47



Jesus is on the move again.

“As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed.” Matthew 2.14

Matthew moved with Him. Maybe Matthew didn’t have a lot keeping him there in one place. Who knows? But I love what happened next.

Jesus came to Matthew’s house and so did many of Matthew’s friends and associates – tax collectors and other sinner types. Jesus was attractive to them. They wanted to hear more.

I am reminded of something Don Miller wrote in regards to St. Paul. Miller is talking about how Paul spoke to the people of Athens at Mars Hill. Mars Hill was a meeting place where philosophers and other academics as well as common folk met to discuss and debate ideas. Paul went there and spoke about Jesus. The people there were so intrigued by his talk and ideas that they invited him to come back another day and speak again.

Miller wrote, “This never happens in America today.”

What Miller meant was, Christians are not invited into non-religious contexts to discuss their faith and ideas. This almost never happens.

Why not? Why aren’t Christians invited to talk about their faith in nonreligious settings? We could discuss that question from many different angles, but I think the best answer is – Christians don’t try. We don’t try to talk about Jesus with others because we have forgotten who we are.

In this very sparse, simple message, it is matter-of-factly stated that once Matthew decided to follow Jesus, it naturally followed that Matthew’s friends and coworkers, his circle of influence, if you will, would get an opportunity to hear about it.

And this makes sense. When any of us make a major, life-altering decision, why wouldn’t we tell our friends, our coworkers, and our neighbors?

A couple weeks ago my family took a trip to the Cooperstown, N.Y. We left on a Sunday evening and returned that Tuesday evening. To make that trip, we called the kennel to care for our dog; we called a girl in the church to look after our cat; we called our parents to let them know we would be away; we wrote notes to the school saying the boys would be out two days; I told my secretary (I think), Jennifer requested off work; we told at least several of our friends. . .you get the idea. We decided to go away for just two days and it involved many people in the telling.

How come, when we decide to make the journey of a lifetime, the trip into eternity, the journey that will change us forever, we tell almost no one?

Maybe because our journey our faith sometimes happens without the dramatic decision moments that Matthew had. But I think a more complete answer is that we are lacking the quality of community around us that even someone like Matthew the tax collector enjoyed.

In the words of sociologist, Robert Putnam, we are “bowling alone.” We are living in a self-imposed isolation. We wrap ourselves in a cocoon of schedules and technology and entertainment. We watch a lot of television. From our recreation to our meals to our community projects, we have to schedule what used to happen more naturally. Community organizations from Kiwanis to Lions, to Little League beg for volunteers. We have few friends.

Listen, however, to what the first church was like:

“So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers.

Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” Acts 2.41-47


Notice that just like with Matthew, the early believers told others about Jesus, quite naturally. They showed others Jesus by the way they lived their lives together. The first Christians found that Jesus was very attractive to others. As long as they let Jesus shine in their lives, “they had the goodwill of all the people.” And more people came.

Something very special happens when people come together in Jesus. People grow. Lives are shared. Needs are met. People don’t go to church out of duty; they go because they love being there together. They humbly sense that God is doing something special among them. It’s awe-inspiring. It’s awesome. It’s hard to put into words what exactly it looks like, but I know it when I see it. It’s true community.

I served a church some years ago that had this kind of experience. There was a joy that the Lord was adding to our number. We were happy because we were loved by God and we loved being together. We had a common mission and purpose. Of course trouble came, just like it came for the church in Acts. We tried to deal with it as best we could. But for different reasons there were some leavings that had to take place.

I remember one woman remarking during that time, “We’ll never have again what we had here.”

I knew what she meant. She meant community. Real community – the kind that only God can make. I hope she’s wrong. Well, in fact, I know she is.

In I Samuel there is a passage where Jonathan and his armor-bearer, all by themselves challenge the whole Philistine army. The rest of the Israelite army in secure in their caves and strongholds, afraid to go out and fight their mighty enemy. As Jonathan and his companion bravely march toward their enemy, the enemy takes notice. The Philistines can’t believe their eyes.

“Look, the Hebrews are coming out of their holes!”

It’s time to come out of our holes, not so much to fight an enemy, as to be together and to engage other people will the life-changing message of the Gospel. This really can happen in America today. This really can happen in this church today. Real love. Real community. Real purpose – Jesus calling many to the Kingdom.

Don’t Look Back

Scripture: Genesis 19.15-28; Hebrews 10.38-39; Luke 17.31-33


God is waiting to leave, but Abraham is not done talking. Abe’s not satisfied with the bargain for Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham’s trying to get more out before God visits disaster upon the two cities. It’s clear that what is going to happen is not a random natural disaster, but rather, a divine judgment. “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave.” (Gen. 18.20)

The plot of the destruction of these cities is intertwined with the stories of Abraham and Lot. And their stories are becoming more and more different. It’s clear that God thinks very highly of Abraham. Of Abraham God says, “I have chosen him.” I have made him my friend. God feels so close to Abe that he doesn’t want go ahead and destroy these cities without first telling Abraham about it – you could say, without first consulting Abraham. God gives Abraham an opportunity to intercede for these wicked people and Abraham tries. God had promised Abraham that he wouldn’t destroy the city if even ten good people are found there. Apparently ten was still too high a number. But Abraham’s effort is an example of how Abraham will be a blessing to many nations. Abraham is willing to argue with God. Abraham knows that God is his friend.

The trajectory of Lot’s life couldn’t be more different. Remember, Abe and Lot are family. Both came from Chaldea. Both did well and are influential members of their respective communities. Both are good men. But Lot is missing something that Abraham has. Derek Kidner describes Lot as “the righteous man without the pilgrim spirit.”

We’ve called it a lack of faith. Lot doesn’t trust God to give him a good life. Lot is always taking matters into his own hands, following his own instincts and desires.

In the movie Parenthood a father has a son who is kind of like Lot. This son is always trying to hit it big. Working a regular job, going the straight and narrow, is for suckers, he thinks. He doesn’t feel the need to take responsibility for his mistakes either. But his mistakes eventually come to take him. He has a gambling problem. He owes money he can’t possibly pay and the guys he owes are going to kill him. After being caught in the act of trying to steal his father’s car, the son confesses his dire situation. The good news is the father decides, at some cost to himself, to help his son. He offers his son a job in the family hardware business. He offers his son a future. The sad news is, the son takes the money but rejects the future. He has another can’t miss opportunity. His dad will understand. He thinks, “Just one more score and I’ll make it big this time.”

Judgment is coming to Sodom, Lot’s city. Two angels come to warn Lot to get his family out of there, “for we are about to destroy this place.” Lot listens but his family doesn’t. They think it’s a joke. Lot can’t get them moving. So the angels disguised as men literally grab hold of the family and push them outside the city. Lot and his family are told to go and “Don’t look back.”

Think about that. God gets that involved for someone who has not bothered to listen that closely. God physically removes these people from disaster.

It’s still early morning when the judgment comes. The quiet of the morning is suddenly disturbed by the thunder and roar of fire and wind. The sand and salt of that valley sweep over the city and all its inhabitants. Everyone and everything is consumed. It is a breathtaking and horrifying scene, one that Lot’s family is not meant to see. But one does. Lot’s wife looks back and is consumed, salted with the judgment fire.

It’s easy sometimes with these Old Testament stories to simplify things too much, to make the characters too clear cut. We could say, for example, that Lot was saved for his obedience and Lot’s wife was punished for her disobedience. But that’s a little too simple.

Because surely as his wife has done, Lot has been looking back, hedging his bets with God all along. God tells him to run for the hills and Lot says, “well, that’s not a bad idea but let me tell you about this little town I know of.” Already, Lot is trying to set things up the way he wants them, even get the next best thing he can to Sodom if he can.

Lot is trying to be a good person and manage sin on his own. He is divided. He wants to move forward with God but he stumbles because he’s always looking back.

How many of us look backward in our living?

Once we know Christ, we are born new creations. So how come we so often live like we used to. We look back. We focus on the things of sin, even by our trying not to sin, it’s a sort of looking back.

You can talk about your sin and psychoanalyze it all you want, but the most effective way of dealing with it is to not deal with it. Robin Williams and Mel Gibson are celebrities who happen to be alcoholics. They both were sober for many years and both recently had relapses, with ugly consequences. Williams said that he had started to drink very moderately a couple years ago. He thought he could manage it. But the addiction was still there. “It was waiting for me,” Williams said.

The Bible says that a person who goes back to their sinful ways after meeting God is like “a dog that returns to its own vomit.”

“But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and keep their souls.” Hebrews 10.38-39

“Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life (for my sake) will preserve it.” Luke 17.32-33

Saying Yes to Jesus means saying No, definitively, to some other things. You can’t walk backward into the future.

In dealing with sin, we have to be like a defensive back in football or a closer in baseball. Everybody messes up. Everybody gets beat. But you have to have a short memory. Don’t dwell on the beating. Go on to the next play. D up. Be aggressive and confident. You are right for the job.

Like Abraham, we should focus on a new life and doing good in that life. It’s the pilgrim spirit. We are not the same as we used to be. Time to start acting like it!

The epilogue to the story of Lot is not a cheery one. His family disintegrates. They end up living in a cave. And things get worse from there, trust me.

Abraham, well, he watched the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and contemplated as the smoke rose over the valley. And God called him on, as a friend, to his future.

Strings Attached

Scripture: Genesis 13; Mark 10.35-45; Luke 9.24

He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in the notorious Shawshank prison. Red saw the best years of his life slowly fade away behind prison walls. Every five or ten years he would come up for parole. The parole board would ask him if he was rehabilitated and he would answer, “Oh yes, without a doubt. I am fully rehabilitated and no threat to society.” And every time they would deny his parole and send him back to his cell.

After maybe thirty years in Shawshank, Red comes up before the parole board again. This time, he has no hope or care that they will listen to him or believe him. So he tells the truth:

“What is it that you want to hear, that I’m sorry?” Red asks them.

“Well, are you?”

“ Not a day goes by that I don’t feel regret. Not because I’m in here or because you think I should. I look back on the way I was, a young, stupid kid who committed that terrible crime.

I wanna talk to him, talk some sense to him; tell him the way things are. But I can’t. That kid’s long gone and this old man is all that’s left. I gotta live with that.”

Bad decisions we gotta live with. Now that’s a topic.

What if we were all time travelers? What if we could go back in time and change any moment that we wanted. What would you go back and change?

I can think of so many. They are so obvious now. I’m not talking about things like, you would go back to 1980 and buy Wal Mart stock. I’m talking about situations in your life where you made a choice and you wish you would have chosen other; decisions and moments that would shape your life for years to come, maybe forever.

As I said, they are so obvious now. But they weren’t all that obvious then were they? Maybe a few. But it’s amazing how huge decisions and events in our lives come unannounced and unpredicted. Life-changing moments often come wrapped in the mundane. While you are taking out the trash or picking your kids up from soccer, the earth moves.

“You rarely know up front the eternal significance of a moment,” Erwin McManus writes.

Abram and Lot were family. Lot was Abram’s nephew. They had all come to Canaan with Terah, Abram’s father. The book of Genesis tells us that Abram went to Canaan because God told him to. God made big promises to Abram – “you will be the father of a nation, in fact many nations will be blessed because of you.”

Abram wanted to go with Terah his father to Canaan; but Abram also had a divine mandate to do so. God so much said, “This is a moment that will change your life.”

Lot had no such call like Abram had, at least that we know of. God didn’t speak to him or tell him that his life, too, would change. The Scripture simply says, “and Lot went with him.”

Lot went along for the ride.

After some years of trouble and hardship in Egypt Abram and Lot and their families are back in Canaan and they are doing fairly well. They have flocks and herds (the staple of wealth in that nomad culture), they have silver and gold. But they also have a problem. Their caravans have grown so large that the land cannot sustain them both at once. There’s not enough graze and not enough water for them all. So Abram suggests to his nephew that they split up. He doesn’t want there to be any animosity or trouble between their families, because they are family. Abram makes this offer – you pick whichever direction to want to go, to whatever part of this country you want to go and I will go the opposite direction. And Lot agrees to this sound proposal.

Now. If we could, we might want to go back in time and stand beside Lot. Why? Because this is one of those life-changing decisions. In this moment, Lot’s future is going to be shaped for good or ill. We might want to stand beside him and make a suggestion. We might even want to blow a horn or wave a banner or something. This moment is that important.

“So Lot looked about him, and saw that the plain of Jordan was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord. . .so Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward.” Genesis 13:10-11


At first glance, it sounds like Lot made a good decision. Get the well-watered, fertile valley. That’s good land. That’s a good decision. But I left out one part of the scripture that is mentioned sort of parenthetically –
“this was before the Lord had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.”

You’ve heard of these places right? From the Hebrew, Sodom and Gomorrah might be translated, “Sin City”, “Hell town”, “Las Vegas.”

What the scripture is hinting at is that by choosing the land that he did, Lot put himself on a collision course for these twin temptresses. And there are just certain places that you shouldn’t go; certain things you shouldn’t do.

Somebody should stick a sign up along the way for Lot, like the sign in the Wizard Oz in the forest on the way to the witches castle, “I would go back if I were you.”

I’m no believer in a rigid predestination. I believe that we always have a choice, even in the most dire of circumstances. Lot and his family would probably suffer needlessly because of Lot’s simple choice of direction. But that’s not the whole story. Lot had choices. Even when he got into big trouble, God rescued him more than once.

But Lot strikes me as someone who doesn’t easily learn a lesson. Lot is a follower, which is good if he is really committed to following the right person. His problem is the commitment part. He follows as long as it seems good to him. As long as it doesn’t cost too much.

Lot is like the two men in the parable of the sons that Jesus tells in Matthew 21. A man had two sons. He went to the first son and told him to get to work in the field, but the boy said no I don’t want to. But later on, the boy changed his mind and went to work. The father went to the second son and told him to get to work in field and that son said, sure, I’ll go. But then he never went. Lot is that second son. He says he will follow and obey, but he lacks the follow through.

How many of us are the second son? We want to listen to the Father. But other things come up. It gets late in the day and we don’t feel like obeying anymore.

Or, we tell ourselves (and tell God) that we will live a godly life if certain things fall into place. If we get the job we want, the lifestyle we want, or the relationship we want. We want to pick and choose our moments to follow God. We put strings on our relationship with God – like the disciples telling Jesus, “We want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

The other day I was looking at some pictures of my kids and I marveled once again, I can’t believe they are this beautiful. Are they really this beautiful? I often don’t notice because they’re always moving. Life is always moving. Life is not really like a snapshot. Life is blurry home-movie.

That’s the thing about choosing your moments. Time doesn’t wait for you. The time you are about to choose your moment, the moment is gone. So what’s the answer? What’s the difference between someone like Lot and someone like Abram?

Abram moved with God. Abram trusted God to care for him and fulfill his promises. Abram knew that as long as he walked with God, the moments of life-changing impact would take care of themselves, because after all, God was in charge of those moments. Great athletes talk about “letting the game come to them.” Abram believed God and let the moments come to him. Abram believed God knew what he was doing.

That level of trust in an invisible deity is really quite something. Are you ready to trust that God knows what he wants to do with your life? Are you ready to give over control?

“For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.” Luke 9.24

Are you moving in the right direction? Are you moving with God?