7.16.09

Teaching today was interesting in the least. I have been stretched today beyond what I thought I could be…no what I thought I would be teaching high school students. I underestimate them way too often.
Today I told them I was going to present the gospel to them, but that I was going to leave out something extremely significant and vital. I asked them to listen closely and tell me what it was at them end.
So I talked about how each individual is a sinner in need of redemption. I told them the teenage pregnancy and suicide rate for Reheboth as evidence of a fallen world. I told them that because of the sin in the world and in us each we are separated from God eternally, meaning we cannot have a right relationship with God here on earth or go to be with Him in heaven when we die. I told them that was the bad news. The good news is that God loves us and wants us to have a relationship with Him both on this side and the other side of death. So, I told them, we need to confess we are sinners. That means we agree with God about what sin is – not meeting God’s standard of perfection – and admit we desperately need His forgiveness. Then we just ask Him, and praise the Lord, He’s a merciful God who offers the gift of forgiveness freely and openly to all who want to repent and receive.
Once we receive God’s forgiveness, He seals us with the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing our inheritance of eternal life. The Holy Spirit also guides us in living in our “new creation” selves, helping us center our lives around God rather than ourselves now. Out of this out-pouring of God’s love and redemption in our lives, we will spread this good news to others around us, learning to see others as God’s children – yes, the smelly, unshowered, poor, and vulnerable. In this way, we will be doing as Christ did when He lived on earth. And then, when we are called home, we will be united with our King to live with Him forever.
Okay. So what did I leave out, I asked them.
Silence. Absolute silence.
About six minutes later (a super long time for me to wait in silence. I thought a half hour had passed) I asked again. I said it was something big, something vital.
Still silence.
This is when I realized I hadn’t done what I came to do of sharing the gospel with them. If they couldn’t get this, I hadn’t been clear enough in the previous classes.
“What about Jesus, you guys. I never once mentioned Jesus.”
They all kinda giggled nervously, feeling foolish and awkward about the silence, but there was still silence. Now, I realize that I probably would have done the same thing had a professor done the same thing at Moody. But that’s really unnerving, isn’t it? or shouldn’t it be? I mean, it’s Jesus. You know, what the “gospels” are all about?
It’s got me thinking again about the list we made the previous day, the “steps to salvation”. We’ve made salvation so simple, so easy, and yet we minimize Jesus and put Him in as an after thought. He’s not the first thing we say when we’re asked about Christianity. We talk about us: how we’re bad people and going to hell and not heaven. I wonder if this hurts the heart of Christ. If He’s listening to our conversations with those who don’t yet know Him, and while we’re going on and on about how sinful we are and how deserving of hell we are He’s thinking, just introduce me, would you? Just something to think about.

No Chandre again. This time, I’m scared for her. Pray with me.