But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! –Amos 5:24 (NIV)
 
      If you listened to the video I posted last Friday on our district Facebook page, you probably don’t need to keep reading because this article is, by an large, repeats what I said in that video.  I just wanted to communicate on as many platforms as possible that the people of God absolutely must be serious about living, promoting, and insisting on justice in our fallen and broken world. 
 
      The name of George Floyd and the phrase, “I can’t breathe” are ringing in our ears, reminding us yet again that the sin of racism is alive and well.  The streets of Minneapolis have erupted, filling with protesters demanding justice. Don’t get sidetracked by the fact that a relatively small number of people have used this as an excuse to loot and destroy property—the fact is that the vast majority of protestors are motivated to peacefully seek justice.
      Justice… It’s a word that has been used often of late, and not just in reference to George Floyd, who is merely the most recent in a long string of those who have been victims of the sin of racism.
      Hearing this word repeated and seeing it in print over and over in recent days has driven me to the scriptures to wrestle with the concept of justice. The word is used 134 times in scripture so apparently, justice is a big deal to God.  It’s not just something that is important to Him, it’s one of the words that we use to describe his character; it’s one of his attributes.  Justice is not just something God does, it is an integral part of who he is.  He can’t not be just.
      So, what does it mean when we say that God is just? His justice means that he can’t do or cause anything that is unfair.  When it comes to justice, the key word is “fair.” You’ve probably heard the phrase, “the ground is level at the foot of the cross.” It means that God doesn’t grade on a curve based on heritage, pedigree or appearance. God is fair and impartial and we all stand equally in need of his grace.
      So let me make three applications:

• Racism is a sin because it’s not fair to make judgements and show partiality on the basis of skin color.  It’s unjust.  It’s simply not fair.
• We are called to be like our heavenly Father.  Paul said it clearly in Ephesians 5:1, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.” In part, that means that we are called to be people who live and champion justice. 

• Third application: If we promote or even tolerate injustice, we are not imitating our heavenly Father and we are not practicing biblical Christianity.  Remember how Jesus chastised the teachers of the law in Matthew 23:23?  “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness.” In other words, “you go through the motions of religion and do your religious duty, but you ignore the inner character qualities that really matter to God. 

      So, are you tired yet of living in a world where injustice is tolerated?  Are you angry enough to start speaking out when you see injustice?  Are you motivated yet to get serious about racial reconciliation, even by doing something as simple as initiating a friendship with a person who is a different color than you?  Are you ready to get serious about imitating your heavenly Father who, in the words of Samuel, looks past the outward appearance and looks on the heart? 
      May the words of the prophet Amos come true in our generation, “Let justice roll on like a river!” 
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      It was just six weeks ago that the COVID-19 pandemic began to rock our worlds, changing the way we work, relate, recreate, and shop.  I could go on with that list, but you get the idea.  Coronavirus, a word most of us didn’t even know a couple of months ago, has totally disrupted our lives, including how we do church.  We all long to get back to normal, don’t we?
      I get it. But maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to get back to “normal”, especially when it comes to the church and how we approach our mission.  For too long we have depended on people coming to us.  We have poured our efforts into worship services, children’s and youth programs and other ministries that take place in our buildings, hoping that people would come and consider the claims of Christ.  Then, six weeks ago, all of that was taken away from us and we were forced to get creative and find ways to “go and tell” instead of hoping that they would “come and see.” 
      When we finally do get to start meeting together again, we are going to face the temptation to go back to the way things were before COVID. We’ll tell ourselves that we don’t need to worry about our digital presence anymore because we can meet in person. And people will be free to come to us, so we can curb our efforts to find ways to connect with them where they live.  Time to get back to “normal,” right?  I hope not. 
      It occurs to me that we are in a similar position as the children of Israel when they were faced with crossing the Jordan and entering the promised land.  You remember the story, don’t you?  The 12 spies came back with the report that the promised land was even better than they had imagined.  But 10 of the spies pointed out that there were giants that would have to be defeated, so the majority got cold feet and thought it might be best if they just went back to normal (Egypt).
      It’s interesting that they remembered Egypt being better than it really was.  It’s not that Egypt was so great, but it was predictable.  They had learned how to survive in Egypt and crossing the Jordan to take possession of the promised land was just too risky. 
      We have gone through an incredibly steep learning curve over the past several weeks, trying to figure out how to be the church in a season when all of our favorite tools have been taken away from us. We have taken significant steps to have a meaningful online presence, have found ways to do discipleship when people can’t gather, and have creatively penetrated our communities with meaningful acts of service.
      When we finally can start meeting together again it would be so easy to retreat to “normal.”  For the sake of people who need Jesus, don’t do it!  We have stepped into the Jordan, there’s no going back!

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea… Psalm 46:1-2 (NIV)
 
      Over the past several days my mind has repeatedly been drawn to Psalm 46.  As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to build, as the jobless numbers climb, as 401k accounts shrink and as we become increasingly isolated, fear is a very natural response.  And yet, the Psalmist declares boldly that because God is our refuge and strength, even if the earth gives way we will not fear. 
      Fear is an incredibly powerful force.  One doctor observed that “fear is the most devastating enemy of the human personality.”  I think he’s right.  Fear paralyzes us, making it impossible for us to think clearly and behave rationally.
      And it’s not just fear of contracting COVID-19, or worse yet, someone I love contracting it.  It’s fear of losing income, fear for family members, fear of isolation, even fear that my church might not survive.  So, what’s the key to overcoming fear, even fear in a worldwide pandemic?  Look toward the end of the Psalm in verse 10: “Be still and know that I am God.”
      Be still?  We’re all familiar with the phrase, “Don’t just stand there, do something!”  A missionary named Don Seymour reversed it; “Don’t just do something, stand there!”  That’s kind of the idea behind the Psalmist’s counsel to be still.  
      When confronted by fear conventional wisdom says, “Sleep less, try harder, do more.”   But God says, “Be still.”  Being still has kind of been forced on us, hasn’t it?  That’s not all bad if we use the stillness to know God.  The benefit of being still is found in verse 11 of the Psalm; “The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
      It’s interesting that when I’m rushing about, consumed with fear and worry, I lose all awareness of the fact that the LORD Almighty is with me and I start to believe that I have to fix things myself.  But when I am still before the Lord, I am reminded that the God of Jacob is my fortress.  It’s not the economy, not medical science, and certainly not my efforts that keep me safe.  It’s the God of Jacob. 
      An old man was out walking with his grandson.  “How far are we from home?”  he asked.  “I don’t know,” answered the boy.  “Well, where are we?”  he asked.  Again came the answer, “I don’t know.”  “Sounds to me like you’re lost,” said Granddad.  Quickly the boy replied, “I can’t be lost.  I’m with you.” 
      Be still.  The Lord Almighty is with us. We can’t be lost.

 
        My friend and DS colleague, Phil Stevenson, recently wrote the following blog, that I share with his permission. 
 
        George Zimmer was the founder and CEO of Men’s Wearhouse. When he was the face of the company his tagline was, “You’re going to like the way you look. I guarantee it.” His personal guarantee was his pledge and promise. And he sold a great deal of men’s clothing on that guarantee.
        On a John Maxwell webinar, he noted that growth is the only guarantee that tomorrow will get better stating that, “Calendars guarantee you’ll get older, but not better,” Maxwell observed that older takes no effort, but better entails work. Growth is the responsibility of each person. You have to be intentional. Books (read and listened to), podcasts, seminars, and online training are just a few of the delivery systems that can be used. There is no lack of growth opportunity.
        Growth equals change. It is impossible to grow without changing. Every growth level demands a new change level. Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who don’t. A person never ages out of growth. Growth is not time sensitive. You can choose to grow as long as you have breath.
        Finally, Maxwell suggests a very simple growth process:  1) Learn: Ask, what do I need to learn?  2) Unlearn: This is just as important as learning. Some things you need to quit doing so you can move forward.  3) Relearn: The adage that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks may apply to Rover, but it has no place in your life.
        Growth is a choice that leads to action, that leads to change, that leads to betterment. I guarantee it!

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
 –Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
 
      I am becoming increasingly convinced that if we are really going to change the makeup of eternity we are going to have to make disciple-making a higher priority. We are busier than ever, but it seems that we are making more religious consumers than we are disciples. The Great Commission, in too many cases, has become The Great Omission.
      Perhaps part of the problem is that we haven’t really taken the time to define what a disciples is. What does a disciple look like?  What is it, exactly, that we are trying make?
      I’ve been wrestling with that just a bit, so I searched the Gospels to see how Jesus defines discipleship (what Jesus says is always a good place to start).  In fact, I wrote a sermon on the subject that I have preached in a number of our churches over the past few months. What I saw was:

• A disciple is a learner, Matthew 11:29.  Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.”  Author, Preston Sprinkle says, “Discipleship is more than learning, but it isn’t less.”  In Matthew 22, Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. 
• A disciple is a follower, Mark 2:14.  The word follow sounds pretty harmless but, as Chris Hodges said, “When you follow someone you give up control of where you are going.”
• A disciple lives in genuine community, John 13:34-35.  Jesus said that people would know that we are disciples by how we love one another.  The interesting thing about discipleship is that you can’t become a disciple in isolation.  Shaking hands during the Sunday morning greeting time won’t get the job done; to beCOME disciples we need deep, authentic relationships.
• A disciple is a reproducer, John 15:8.  Fruit is one of the key marks of discipleship. Discipleship is as much about mission as it is about morality. Being a disciple isn’t just about becoming a better person; disciples are on mission.

 
      Author Chad Walsh said this: “I suspect that Satan has called off his attempt to convert people to agnosticism.  After all, if a man travels far enough away from Christianity, he is liable to see it in perspective and decide that it is true.  It is much safer, from Satan's point of view, to vaccinate a man with a mild case of Christianity so as to protect him from the real disease.”
      May we never be satisfied with vaccinating people with a mild case of Christianity. May we always be driven to make disciples who learn, follow, love and reproduce.