The Age Old Story

In the few years I've been in ministry I've noticed a pattern in our churches. I see people wearing out, burning out, or sinning out of ministry and gospel community all the time. Why does this happen? Is it because they weren't living out the Bible, or weren't praying enough? Is it because they didn't have enough gospel accountability in their lives? Or is it because they just weren't truly Christians at all? 

I don't think those answers account for what I see happening in churches everywhere. I think we've been inadvertently preaching the wrong message to one another. The mantra of "try harder" and "do more" isn't peace on the ears of those who have given their all in trying to live out what is taught in the Bible. A friend of mine was reeling in pain after his marriage fell apart and he told me that some of the most hurtful advice that was given to him was from Christians. One person told him to "just do what the Bible says." It's not that easy is it? The weight my friend felt and the weight that so many people feel in the church is the impossibility of living out the commandments of our Lord. 

We need to get back to the gospel. The gospel in essence is that because of what Jesus did we are able to live the way he lived. Not by trying harder, not by doing more, not by living better. The glorious impossibility of the gospel is that we can't do it on our own. We can't, so to those who feel burned out, or worn out, or sinned out I give you a message of hope. We need the gospel more than ever. We need to preach that age old story. It hasn't changed because we haven't stopped needing to hear it. Paul in Galatians 6:9 tells the Galatian church to not grow weary in doing well, and the way we do this is to reap the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Paul is saying the way that we prevent ourselves from wearing out when we are doing good things or are in ministry is to plug into the Spirit for our source of strength.

This is the gospel, he doesn't give a reason such as do more, or read the Bible, or pray more, but instead he says live without your power and instead to live in the power of God. The moment we realize that we can't do it alone, we truly understand the gospel. See the most beautiful thing about the gospel is just that, that because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross we are now eternally accepted by God and we no longer live under the weight of trying to earn acceptance from him. Instead we can live our lives free in the power of the spirit. This is the age old story, it hasn't changed, and we still need to hear it.