Worship Like Stephen

Posted by Gary Chevalier | 1 comments

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A few things have happened in the media recently that have caught my attention and really made me think about what it means to “live a lifestyle of worship.”  But first, you need the context...

I’ve been reading in Acts 6-7 about Stephen, and how he rose from obscurity into having such a prominent place in Biblical history through his martyrdom.  He was elected as one of the first deacons because he was found to be “full of the Spirit and wisdom,” and later did “great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.”  He was opposed by the religious leaders, who had to bribe people to lie in court.  Then, at the moment of truth, he stood in front of the assembly and proclaimed Jesus as Lord.  He was subsequently stoned to death by those men, and even echoed the words of Jesus when he asked God not to hold that sin against them.  WOW.  Oh, to be filled with God’s Spirit like that!

Here’s the key, though...it didn’t just happen at that moment before the Sanhedrin.  It was who he was already!  That’s how he came to be a deacon; and that’s how he was noticed and opposed by the religious leaders.  His lifestyle of worship was firmly in place before God called on him to give his life for the cause of Christ.

As a part of my prayer life, I ask God to use me to accomplish great things for the Kingdom.  I desire to be used by Him...to be the one who He chooses to accomplish his purposes...we all do, don’t we?  And the stark truth is this:  you never know when God is going to put you in the spotlight and call on you to step up and be a witness for Him.  Stephen was just living his life, being who he was when God called on him...a few chapters later he’s doing miraculous signs and wonders, and addressing the Sanhedrin.  I bet that Stephen couldn’t have imagined where his path would take him.  The same is true for us.

In our society today, Christianity is under attack.  No other religion takes the beating in the media that Christians do.  It’s politically incorrect to attack anyone’s religion in the media - except for Christianity.  Some of it we’ve done to ourselves (that’s a blog for another day), but I believe that most of it is because satan knows that Christianity IS the way; so he’ll act on any chance he gets discredit Christianity in the public eye.

That’s happened recently with two prominent, outspoken Christians...Miss California and John & Kate Gosselin of “John and Kate Plus 8.”  You know their stories...

On stage during the Miss America pageant, Miss California spoke out against homosexual marriage.  Hooray for Christianity!   Then, topless photos of her began circulating around the Internet.  Now, her Christian witness is smeared...regardless of how or why the photos were taken, they’re out in cyberspace and public perception is what it is.  The damage is done.  John and Kate had a TV show about their twins and sextuplets, and were outspoken about their Christian beliefs.  Now it has come out in the media that he is having an affair.  And just like that, their Christian witness is marred forever.  I’m sure if either of these could could take it back, they would.  But you can’t.  And it’s not just them...Ted Haggard, Mel Gibson...the list goes on and on.  A prominent person who does something public for Christ will be in the spotlight, and any slip-up will ruin them.

Now, I certainly don’t want to come across as “holier than thou” (I’m a sinner too, and I’m fortunate that God has not put me in such a position as to have a media spotlight my life); and I’m not advocating that any of us are capable of being perfect...we’re not, of course.  So where is the line?  How can you be a “Stephen” in our world, because that’s what I desire for my life.  Neither Miss California or John & Kate would have been able to predict the media attention they received.  It happened to them and then they were bitten by sin - one for bad decisions they had made in the recent past; and one for bad decisions they made while in the spotlight.

So it comes back to this...in order to be filled with the Spirit like Stephen, your lifestyle MUST reflect the priority of the One you claim to follow.  Bible study, prayer, serving others, self-discipline, etc.  It MUST be ingrained in who you are BEFORE you are thrust into the limelight.  Of course, none of us ever really know when/if that is going to happen to us;  but it CAN happen at any time...and of course, we want to be ready for God to call on us like that.  Heck, I pray for that opportunity!  At this point, though, I must admit that I've realized I'm probably not ready for it yet.  I want my walk with Christ to be so close that I can hear the slightest whisper...I wish I was...I would like to be...because that's how you can know you're ready for God to call on you at any moment.  When you are in tune with and listening so closely to the Holy Spirit inside you, that when you are approaching sin like that and He is screaming at you to run away...you’ll automatically respond to Him because you’re so used to hearing his voice and following his guidance.  It’s not something that happens “magically” at the moment...it’s the result of a lifestyle of listening to God.

Singin' Kum Ba Ya with Peter

Posted by Gary Chevalier | 1 comments

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I've been finding myself in the shoes of Peter as of late. Not because I denied Christ...not because I boldly proclaimed the gospel to thousands of people...and not even because I seriously wanted to use my plastic knife to cut off the ear of the jerk in the Panda Express who wouldn't stop saying, "G-D- this, and G-D- that..." (and I'm not totally sure that God would've healed this dude's ear even if I did!) No, friends, it is much less noble than that...it is this: I feel like I've drawn on God's power to step out of the boat, but now that I'm out here I'm beginning to lose control and FREAK OUT. But first, a little back story...

For those of you who don't know, a few months ago I leapt out of my comfort zone. I left The Avenue Church, in which I had served for nearly 12 years, and moved to a brand new church in Sugar Land, TX called Grandview Fellowship. Nothing about the move made sense on paper except that it was close to my family (parents, siblings, etc.) - but the real driving factor was this: I knew God told me to go. Moving close to family was a definite plus, don't get me wrong; but we left because God said, "Go."

So I jumped out of the boat and ran across the water toward Him! It was so freeing! So exhilirating! Running into the unknown; into doing something I'd never done before (helping build a fledgeling church) felt exciting! I knew I was going to have to depend on God to make it happen, and that made me feel even closer to Him! (Can you see where this is going?)

Then the wind and waves roared...
"You're not gonna have the ridiculously awesome worship band that you have at The Avenue."
I was looking for musicians at The Avenue when God provided the ones that are there now; what He did then, He will do again."
"You're taking a pay-cut and moving into a more expensive area."
No problem! I thought...God's got this!
The housing market is depressed right now...how're you going to sell your house?"
I don't have to! God has to bring that buyer to us. He knows what we need, and He'll make it happen.

Fast-forward a few months to today. The school year is ending, and my wife and kids will be moving down in about a week and we still haven't sold the house:
...not even an offer
...and we've already reduced the price we're asking
...twice.

At this point in my life, I have a new respect for Peter. I've always wondered why he started sinking. I mean, he'd already walked on the water! Jesus said, "Come" and he did...he'd already taken steps where he should have sunk and didn't! So why, halfway through his journey toward Jesus, did he all of a sudden get scared and start to sink? Why am I, though cheerful and excited at the onset of the journey and having already watched God open tons of doors for this opportunity, beginning to get stressed more and more as the day approaches that we need to be gone from Waxahachie? Why am I fearful that we won't be able to sell our house, and if we do, we won't get the profit & equity we need out of it in order to move into the house we want to buy in Sugar Land?

The answer, I believe, is that I am what I once heard Craig Groeshel call a "Practicing Atheist." A Practicing Atheist, he suggested, is someone who believes in God, but lives his life as if He doesn't exist. You see, I know that God controls everything. I know that He has plans to prosper me, and not to harm me. I know that he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and that money is not something the He worries about...He'll accomplish what He wants to do...period. I know all these things. But I KNOW what happens when the bank account hits zero. I KNOW how much I need to clear on selling the house in order to get into the size house I need (...ahem, "want"). I KNOW that living at my parent's house and commuting into Sugar Land every day is NOT a viable long-term option.

So what's the difference between what I know and what I KNOW? The answer is, "I don't know."

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why my knowledge that God is all powerful and that He directs the steps of every home buyer on the planet doesn't subdue my knowledge of the current market status, seller's net sheets, and the like. On paper there's no comparison - God's power wins. But my physical response (loss of sleep, anxiety, worry, etc.) is that of the latter, not the former. Why?

As one who purports that "worship is a lifestyle," I'm embarassed to say that my lifestyle of fretting and worrying about this does not demonstrate the security in Christ that I claim to have. I know to the very core of my soul Who God is, and what He is capable of. I've seen His handiwork in my life and the lives of others over and over again. I know without a doubt that He and His power over creation are real...still I stumble, worry, and freak out over the whole process of selling and finding a house.

I think that's what happened to Peter. He saw God's power...he ran across the top of the water! But somehow, the physical, tangible elements around him caused him fear and he began to sink. Not because he didn't believe God could do it - he'd already experienced that! Still, somehow they got the best of him.

And that's where I find myself right now: sittin' with my good buddy Peter in the "I should know better club," singin' Kum Bah Yah, My Lord. Come by here and RESCUE ME 'cuz I am sinking fast! I'm in good company with the likes of Peter, for sure; but sinking nonetheless. I have periods of gleaming faith and steadfast determination (like tonight as I write this); but my subconscious is eaten up with it. It's always on the tip of my mind (I'm one quick, careless thought away from the death spiral), and my mind is exhausted from it each day. I am literally losing A LOT of sleep over it (3 and 4 AM have been no stranger to me as of late).

God's purpose in this will be revealed in due time, I know. And I pray that God will show me the answer, so that I can learn from it and learn to apply it in other stress-filled situations...and then, subsequently, to teach others to learn from my (and Peter's) miserable experiences and let your knowledge of Who God is be your reality... (And if you've already learned this lesson, please pass on your wisdom!)
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