Ricky Smith

Reason to Revolt

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Generational researchers have suggested that Generation Z, those born in 1995 and later, are uniquely different from generations past. Comprising of 25.9% of the U.S. population, the faces of this generation possess potential to be a formidable force for change. This has been made evident in the recent response to the Parkland school shooting.

The key question is what can we learn from recent observations, and more importantly how should the church respond?

Reason to revolt

This generation has been shaped by the recession of 2008 and has never known life without terror. They have never known school life that didn’t involve drills on how to respond to an active shooter situation. They have never known life without fear surrounding fun.

We should not be shocked to learn that this generation is hyperaware of man’s impact on the world. They have entrepreneurship in their social DNA, and they intend to change the world. This has been witnessed recently with organized rallies to walk out of school or to raise awareness for gun control.

I have no desire to turn this conversation into a political discussion, but to simply draw attention to the reality that we are beginning to see the fruition of the potential of this great generation.

Listen and engage

For a moment, lay aside your fear of terror, your defense of the 2nd Amendment, or your frustration with teenagers. We should heed the example of the men of Issachar, who in 1 Chronicles 12:32 evaluated the culture and trends of the time to determine a wise course of action. The people of God can not afford to hold the position of the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand.

It would behoove us to be cultural missionaries, as James Emery White encourages in his recent work, Meet Generation Z. While we may disagree, or even be offended, what others believe or say; we must listen and learn to engage our world for the sake of the Gospel.

Rise up

A generation is rising up with a heart for change. These students are not satisfied with status quo, nor are they relegated to sit quietly and fall in line. They have a voice and will use it. Imagine the potential if this generation is reached for the Gospel and use that revolutionary spirit and voice for change to spark a revival in this world.

They truly are the first post-Christian generation in the world. While this could cause fear, what if we flipped the coin over and chose to look at it differently? A colleague of mine recently made a choice to look at this generation as pre-Christian rather than post-Christian.

Choose to reach

In the words of Jesus in John 4:35, the “fields are white unto harvest”. This has never been truer. The church of God cannot sit idly by and allow the deep pockets of political agenda to sweep away the future. The church must resolve and choose to reach the next generation.

Consider an intentional effort to look with hope rather than frustration. Commit to listen and learn with the hope of engaging this generation with the Gospel. Choose to reach out and show God’s love.

If you are looking for a place to start, consider visiting reachingnextgen.com for a step by step guide on what your church can do today to make a difference.

Sources:

1. Beall, George. “8 Key Differences between Gen Z and Millennials.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 6 Nov. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.com/george-beall/8-key-differences-between_b_12814200.html.

2. Gen Z: the Culture, Beliefs and Motivations Shaping the next Generation. Barna Group, 2018.

3. “Meet Generation Z.” The Washington Post, WP Company, www.washingtonpost.com/video/entertainment/meet-generation-z/2016/05/25/290c2c00-21db-11e6-b944-52f7b1793dae_video.html?utm_term=.faeced611da5.

4. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Ch 12:32). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

5. White, James Emery. Meet Generation Z: Understanding and Reaching the New Post-Christian World. Baker Books, 2017.

School Shootings and Student Ministry

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The news alert on your phone that you never hope to receive is one that implies your children are in danger.

Seemingly, what once was considered to be a haven of education and nurturing, now becomes the focal point of debate regarding the reform needed for school safety. Recent tragedies remind us of the problem of evil and the volatility of shifting values in our culture. While both sides of the proverbial aisle debate the balance of constitutional rights and the priority of safety, the church must choose if it will continue to maintain a reactive posture or commit to being proactive. This leads us to a key question, how can the church be proactive in student ministry as we respond to the recent tragedy of yet another school shooting?

The purpose of this is not to wade into the murky waters of gun control, arming teachers, or mental health concerns. While all of those topics are important and should be discussed in a reactionary way, I am under the impression that true change can occur by much more proactive means. Pain is at the root of every school shooting. While it is discussed under the guise of mental health reform, the reality is that hurting people hurt others. The church must evaluate its ministry to the hurting. Whether it is the hurting who consider hurting others, or it is the grieving who have been hurt, the church holds the keys to hope and help.

I hypothesize that the church’s footprint of ministry on the school campus can impact the mental, social, and spiritual stability of our students. I don’t disregard extenuating circumstances, nor do I assume to know all the background of those who walk onto a school campus with the intent to harm. What I do know is that the Gospel has the power to change and that it is a message of hope for those who are hurting. While it has been increasingly difficult to proclaim Jesus on public school campuses, this does not validate a helpless position of the church. The truth is that the church has the answer for hope, change, reform, and reconciliation. Consider three ideas for proactive engagement on our school campuses that could have a bearing on the future prevention of tragedies on our school campuses.

PRAYER:
James 5:16 reminds us, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” Imagine if the churches in a community committed to pray often and regularly for the students and administrators who walk the halls of our schools. We often participate in prayer vigils to mourn the loss after a tragedy. What if we committed to pray proactively for God to open doors to serve those who need hope. What if we prayed for God to empower student missionaries to boldly share the hope of Jesus to their peers. What if we prayed for teachers to share love and hope to those students who show signs of mental health disorders. What if we prayed for Almighty God to move on our school campuses! What if we expected God to do what only God could do. Prayer changes things. This is an old saying that has never been truer, but we cannot passively pray. We must pray urgently and often.

PRESENCE:
Many churches choose to prayer walk their school campus at the beginning of a school year. This is a wonderful and powerful idea, but sadly this is often the only time a church may be present on, or near, a school campus. It is mission critical that a church explore ways to legitimately serve their local schools. Not only does this meet real school needs, but it also creates a presence for the church to build relationships within the school community. Parachurch organizations, like Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serve as an invaluable vehicle for churches to support and develop a campus presence. Other ideas include serving as a formal partner in education, volunteering to read to students, tutoring programs, booster club volunteering, and more. Simply stated, every school in our community has real needs and would welcome your help.

A church’s presence on a campus will open doors in time to present the Gospel. Whether formally or informally, the service and ministry that a church provides to a school community will allow those outside the church to witness the sincere love of the Gospel and see it in action. Perhaps this will break down barriers of division and create bridges to minister to the hurting.

Hypothetically, a student who shows signs of mental and social instability may feel the power of your prayer and may receive the love shown by your campus presence. This proactive ministry could make a difference in their future.

Romans 10:14-15 gives us a clear reminder, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” We must develop and maintain a commitment to preach the Good News on our school campuses. This preaching will not be from a pulpit but will be in our presence to serve.

PREPARATION:
All the prayer and presence a church can provide does not exempt us from the problem of evil, nor will it eliminate future threats on our school campus. The reality of sin means that the church should begin preparing for how it will respond when the next tragedy occurs. Ideally, the presence of a Gospel-centered campus ministry will open doors to respond in a time of need. Grief counseling, prayer vigils, and ministering to hurting families will undoubtedly be needed. The question remains surrounding the churches’ preparedness to respond. What ministry organization restructuring or strategic planning can begin now in a local fellowship so that a church is equipped to respond quickly to a crisis?

How can the church be proactive in student ministry as we respond to the recent tragedy of yet another school shooting? If we are committed to reach the next generation, we must see the importance of prayer, campus ministry presence, and preparation for response.

I can’t help but wonder the possible altering of history had those who willingly chose to walk on a school campus with the intent to harm had been shown the love of God and been given the opportunity to experience His grace. If the church would choose to be proactive in its Gospel ministry the future can be much brighter.

I don’t know when the next school shooting will break the news, but I do know that God does not want us to live in fear. I do know that the people of God have the hope of the Gospel that can heal hurts.

 

 

References:

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ro 10:14–15). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jas 5:16). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Do you have proper shoes? | E.6:15

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6:15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace

Growing up as an athlete, I quickly learned the fundamental importance of a wide base and proper footwork. Additionally, having your feet equipped with the proper shoes made all the difference. Cleats on a basketball court were slippery, and court shoes on a football field were useless. I recall one afternoon I showed up to football practice to discover I had left my cleats at home. Needless to say, it was not a successful practice as I slipped around the field in my tennis shoes.

Proper shoes made it possible to establish good footing which leads to a good base, or foundation. Choosing the proper shoe for the task at hand makes all the difference. I would not want to go to combat in sneakers, and I could not want to play soccer in court shoes.

Continuing in his exhortation on the full armor of God, Paul turns his attention to the shoes in Ephesians 6:15. Written in the middle tense, the Christian has the responsibility to put on these shoes, and further walk in the identity and truth of the Gospel of peace.

Centrality of the Gospel
Every stable and strong physical posture must have good footing and a solid base. Written in the context of being equipped for war, this principle is even more important. In spiritual warfare, the strong base is directly connected to the Gospel.

The centrality of the Gospel is paramount to a firm foundation in the battles of life. It is the Gospel that is the common thread of hope weaving throughout God’s Word. It is the Gospel that should weave into every sermon and into our everyday life. It is the Gospel that should be clearly understood and clearly communicated.

It is a simple message of Good News, that God created man to have a relationship with Him; but sin entered the world through man’s choice. Sin separates us from God, and cannot be removed by any good deed that we may do. Recognized this chasm of separation, God sent His one and only Son on a rescue mission to earth so that man could be redeemed and restored in right relationship. This redemption required a perfect, blood sacrifice of atonement that Jesus willingly offered with His own life. After His death, Jesus was buried, rose again in three days, ascended into Heaven; and how sits at the right hand of the throne of God the Father. there He intercedes for us and is our King.

Our sin has been atoned for, and we now have a right relationship with God because God has declared that we are right with Him due to Jesus’ payment for our sin. This has made peace with God.

Peace holds.
It is the peace that Paul connects to the shoes. Peace is often misunderstood as an emotion or feeling. In fact, peace is much more than an emotion; it is a state or condition. In warfare, once peace is arbitrated and signed it ushers in a state or season of reconciliation. This imagery is what Paul refers to that the Gospel provides for us.

Readiness is established footing
Being in a state of peace as a result of the Gospel work, we then should stand and walk with a confident security. We can go to battle with a strong foothold and wide base because our security and hope is not in our ability, but is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Every day when you put on your shoes, pause and be reminded that this piece of equipment is a symbol of your stable and secure footing of the Gospel for any attack from the Enemy.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eph 6:15). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Belt of Truth | E.6:14

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6:14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

In Ephesians 6:14, Paul again reminds us of the need to stand, and hold our position. Specific pieces that make up the whole armor of God are described, to include the belt and the breastplate.

Beginning with truth, Paul speaks to the standard by which we must rely upon. In ancient time, as well as in modern time, there is an assault on truth. Absolute truth, moral truth, relativism, and beyond result in a debate of action. 

John 3:33 reminds us that God is truth and in John 17:17 we are reminded that His Word is truth. Absolute truth is something that is true everywhere all the time, and God is the embodiment of absolute truth.

Interestingly, Paul uses the Roman soldier’s belt to symbolize this truth. For the Roman soldier, this was a piece of equipment he could not enter into the army with but was given to him, and quickly became his prized possession. History suggests that it was the belt that made the solder identifiable to the world that he was a part of the army.

Additionally the markings on the belt would communicate his rank and position. 
If a soldier was disciplined, or court marshaled, it was the belt that was removed resulting in humiliation.

Bringing that imagery into our understanding the belt of truth, God’s absolutism is the identifying standard for us to follow and pursue. Our truthful conduct should be an identifying mark that the world recognizes that we are followers of Christ. Jesus describes Himself as truth in John 14:6.

Beyond truth, Paul urges the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate was critical in the protection of vital organs. It could be an ornate piece of metal to identify the army or division the soldier was a part of, but this hardware was the difference in life and death. It could be compared to today’s bulletproof vests. This equipment is required for battle.

When we think of righteousness, we know that Christ’s righteousness has been imputed to us. Romans 3 and 4 describe this in great detail. We have been declared righteous, or justified, through Christ’s blood. 

Putting on this piece of hardware boils down to a matter of understanding and walk in the truth of our identity in Christ. As a Christian, we have been declared righteous, but do we live that way. We should walk in confidence that it is Christ that has redeemed us and we are clothed in His righteousness. This is how we can testify that “we are more than conquerors through Christ” (Romans 8:37).

 

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eph 6:14). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

 

Livius, XXVII , 13 , 9; Frontinus, Stratagemata I V, I , 26 –27 , 43; Valerius Maximus II , 7 , 9; Plutarch Luc. 15 ; S uet. Octavian 2 4.

Join the Resistance | E.6:13

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6:13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Recent political wars have caused one party to cry for others to join the resistance between alternate parties they feel are oppressive. This language is familiar in our post-modern and narcissistic society. Movies like “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent” paint a dramatic picture of a society that organizes against a powerful and oppressive force. While this imagery is entertaining in movies and motivating in politics, it is very real in the spiritual world. Ephesians 6 clearly describes the power of the Devil and his crafty schemes to rule and oppress the world with evil.

JOIN THE RESISTANCE

Ephesians 6:13 is a call to take a stand and resist. The word used for “withstand”, or “stand firm”, is anthistēmi. This challenge is a proverbial call to arms for all of God’s children to recognize the war around them and decide to join the resistance.

TAKE UP

For this to occur, one must answer and obey the commands of our Lord and Commander, Jesus Christ. This requires a willing and submissive heart that surrenders to His Lordship and yields to His way.  Here in 6:12, Paul uses the word “analambanō”, which is translated “take up”. This is a military command that would result in an army to snap into position and take up arms once and for all. It is both intentional and ironic that Paul uses military verbiage to describe the needed conduct for a spiritual war. Of this reality “the historian, Gibbon, relates how the relaxation of discipline and the disuse of exercise rendered soldiers less willing and less able to support the fatigue of the service. They complained of the weight of their armor, and obtained permission to lay aside their cuirass and helmets.” In response to this, our regular and routine spiritual discipline is needed to maintain the strength to hold our position in this resistance.

This discipline is not reliant on emotional swings or pivotal spiritual moments. Many rely on the injection of spiritual adrenaline received from a revival, conference, or summer camp. While those mountaintop moments are beneficial, it is the daily battle and routine discipline that wins the war.

EVIL DAY

Paul urges us to be prepared for the “evil day”. While some theologians suggest this means a definite point in time or ultimate day of battle in the future, I tend to believe this literally means a day. Any day that the Devil can and will attack with evil schemes is considered an “evil day”. Any reader will then realize that this means every day.

If your life is like mine, there is a tendency to be more prone to yield to temptation in the evening. Ironically, for the Hebrew culture, a day begins in the evening and goes until the following evening. Therefore, in this context, those highly tempestuous moments are the start of this evil day.

ANXIETY

It has been my observation that in the evening, or the start of a biblical day, anxiety is at its strongest. Worries of what has been witnessed build and thoughts of what is to come the following morning can be obsessed. An evil scheme of the Devil is to use fear to cripple us.

ISOLATION

Similar to anxiety, in the evening we are most likely to feel isolated and alone. For the child, this may be the reality of being in their dark room and separated from their parents. For the adult, this may be in a hotel room alone at the end of a long day of business travel. It is in these moments of isolation that the Devil begins to work in the “evil day”. Thoughts of worry, fear, and temptation are heightened in the dark.

SELF-GRATIFICATION

This darkness is where the Devil seems to be most comfortable and most effective. These feelings of isolation and loneliness can quickly justify acts of self-gratification. Binge eating, pornography, drunkenness, and other typical sinful activity are most often consumed in the darkness at the beginning of a biblical day.

The reality of war is evident. The call for resistance is clear. The question is, “what do we do”. The need for taking up the full armor of God, as described in the following verses in Ephesians 6, is essential. For the modern day believer, we must begin to view our day more in a biblical sense. Most often we choose to pursue Jesus in the morning. In the evening, we are fatigued and let our guard down. In fact, this it the time we should be most on guard. An assessment of how we spend our time in the evening is crucial. This is an ideal time to practice the spiritual disciplines. Family worship, praise music, reading, praying, and more can help us use our time more wisely and stand firm against the evil.

 

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eph 6:13). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Eph 6:13). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Wrestling is real – E.6:12

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6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.



As a child, I was fascinated with wrestling. Convinced it was real, I obsessed with the larger than life characters that would parade into the squared circle and go to battle. The drama and storytelling developed around this entertainment would depict good versus evil and championships won at the highest stakes.

While solely intended for show, this imagery does apply to Ephesians 6:12. In this verse, Paul uses a word that is only used one time in Scripture. Pale means to struggle and is translated as wrestle. 

This significance of this word is that it implies close quarter combat with high stakes. Using this word to a mostly Greek audience, Paul knew that his readers would understand the significance of this battle.

For a Greek wrestler, the traditional consequence of losing was to have their eyes gouged out, therefore living the rest of his life in blindness. For the Christian, Paul paints a picture of this close quarter combat on a spiritual mat that is even more significant and with eternal consequences.

In a world filled with human relationships, we often consider our enemy to be those we hate or who have hurt us. Paul urges us to recognize that our battle is not in the physical, but in the spiritual world. Our real enemy is the Devil and his legion of demons. They work in a world we cannot see and tempt us with thoughts that move us to sinful conduct, resulting in relational pain that is very physical.

Seeds of discord, temptations of self-satisfaction, arrogant personal gain, and lust for more are just a few of the tactics used in this cosmic war. This close quarter combat takes place in the mind every second of every day. Another way of saying it is that there is a world we cannot see that directly impacts the world that we can see.

It is critical that a Christian be aware of the spiritual warfare around them.

This is not a matter of dramatic entertainment but is one of life and death. People in our life are not the enemy but are being tempted and influenced by the Enemy. We must engage in the war at the spiritual level through intense prayer and use of God’s Word. 

Jesus modeled for us that temptation is most effectively resisted by using Scripture. Paul is waving the flag of battle to capture our attention so that we will see the importance of choosing to put on the full armor of God each day and walk in the victory of the Enemy that has already been provided by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Eph 6:12). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eph 6:12). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.