Everything Changes

"If they would just stop _____."

"If he would only _____."

"If she could just ____."


I have a hard time with the statements above, especially when they come from the mouths of the people of God.

You see, those are the words of many of the people in our churches today. And even I...and you...have been guilty of these arrogant and prideful words dripping from our lips.

Who are we to say who is eligible to walk into our churches and experience Jesus?

We walk around as if we have it all together and then spit the venom of our arrogance in the face of those who know they don't have it all together.

That's the problem.

When our traditions, rules, and regulations get in the way of people experiencing Jesus, we've missed the point.

The point isn't that cool new worship song the worship leader is gonna sing this Sunday.

Believe me, I'm a worship leader. And as cool and hip as it is to sing Young & Free's "Alive," it's still not the point.

The point isn't how fast you can thumb through your bible to get to the scripture your pastor is speaking from faster than anyone else.

The point isn't our theology, or the fact that we know what the word "grace" means in greek.

The point is Jesus. It's always been Jesus. It will never stop being Jesus.

And you know what Jesus did?

He let people belong well before they behaved.

The problem is, that many of our churches today still have that backwards.

We expect people to behave before we let them belong, and that is ridiculous.

If Jesus is our greatest example, then I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that Jesus' church should follow His example.

Wake up, church.

This is a call to remembrance.

Because once upon a time, you...and I...used to be the one.

The one who was far from Jesus. The one who was an enemy of God because we didn't know Him. But then Jesus stepped onto our scene and made a mess of us. He pulled us out of our pit of despair and brought us out from under the curse of sin. And you know what? He loved us while we were still in the pit. He let us belong before we behaved. And that's what changed our lives.

It's sad when prostitutes, addicts, and homosexuals are more accepting than the people of God.

Maybe we should take a lesson from them.

We've got work to do, church.

Because I can guarantee you that at the end of the day, those prostitutes, drunks, and homosexuals...they could care less about your theology or about all you know about God. They just want to feel loved.

They need someone to look them in the eye and tell them that even though they may be in a place that seems like there may be no way of escape, that they are loved, and that they can escape their pit. And not because of another seven-step program. But because there is a God who says they can escape their pit. And because there is a people who loves them, and wants to see them win at life.

Let's let them belong before they behave.

Because when we do, they experience Jesus.

And when they experience Jesus, everything changes.

So let's wake up.

Let's all bring our mess.

Let's stop acting like we have it all together, because none of us do.

And let's just all be jacked up and pursue Jesus together.

Because when we do, everything changes.

#LovePeople

Jesus > _______

My name is William. I haven't written in this space in a long time. I'm actually kind of re-launching this space.

So, in honor of new beginnings, let me introduce myself.

As I stated above, my name is William. I'm 23. I am engaged to the girl of my dreams...Aimee. I am a worship leader, a lover of people, and probably way more sensitive than a man is supposed to be. But that's ok. Because Aimee gets me.

As I sit here in my bedroom thinking of what to write about, I'm also reviewing the day I've had in my head.

Dude, I'm a mess.

I've messed up a lot today.
I've sinned today.
I've gotten angry at someone today.
I've said a bad word today.
I'm a complete mess.

But in the middle of my messiness, I'm reminded that I'm loved, cherished, and forgiven. And that's what I want you to know.

You see, I'm not always the most holy of saints. I'm pretty jacked up.

Don't worry. You are too.

But the beauty of our jacked up-ness is that we don't have to have it all together.

Too many times we think we have to pull ourselves together, wash ourselves clean, make sure we obey every rule, and never sin in order to come to Jesus. But the funny thing is that Jesus looks at us in the middle of our sin and says, "You're my child. I love you with an everlasting love. So bring your mess. Bring your shame. Bring your disappointment. Bring your sin."

Here's the thing. Jesus can do more with your messy, jacked up, sinful life than you can with your shiny, plastic, put together life.

You don't have to have it all together. You just have to be willing to admit that you don't.

Then come.
Come to Jesus.
Just as you are.
Broken.
Sinful.
Ashamed.
Scarred.

Because what ever you're going through, Jesus is greater. Whatever your facing, Jesus is greater.

I get it though. You're thinking you've messed up too much. You got drunk yesterday. You slept with a girl that you're not married to last night. You walked out on your family. You're engaged in homosexuality. God can't love you, right?

Wrong.

You see, these things don't disqualify you from Jesus at all.

All these things are actually a prerequisite for God to show up in your life!

You are not what you've done!
You are who God says you are.
Your identity is in the person of Jesus.
Not what you did last night.

So, together, lets stand up from our pit of shame, punch the devil in the face, and boast in the love that Jesus has given us.

Jesus overcame the grave so we could overcome our sin. Don't allow your shame to put you in bondage that Jesus died to set you free from.

You are new. You are clean. You are loved.

Let's stand on the truth of that love today.

It's late. I'm a paw paw. I'm going to bed.

Peace.

William