If you have ever been to my house, you might have noticed the small little “coffee nook” we have. Actually, I think it was meant to be a desk area, but that wouldn’t work for more reasons than one, so a coffee nook it became. For close to five years this nook has seen plenty of action and served us well during times of fellowship, Bible studies, and entertaining friends—providing a gathering spot for those late nights where good times demanded a little extra caffeine.

If you looked close enough in the corner of the nook you will find a single plug that once supplied the power to our coffee brewer. This little guy worked hard for several years as our church grew from our living room to where we are today. He was an important and necessary conduit that for all practical purposes helped launch a church. He was faithful. He didn’t complain about the late nights that we asked him to put in. He had a purpose and we used him often.

One day, our plug decided to hold some things in. It started slowly. Little by little he began to not put as much energy and commitment into his ministry. He started to hold onto some of the energy meant to freely flow through him. He started to get hot when we tried to use him. We should have seen the signs, but for whatever reason we didn’t. We were busy trying to go after the vision and thought we were all on the same page. We had no idea the little guy was holding back, not letting go of some things, and getting hot all about it.

Eventually this type of behavior led to the plug’s destruction. It stopped the flow of that which he was designed to transfer and caused him to overheat, which eventually led to a meltdown (literally). He became dangerous and destructive to all those around him, even melting the cord closest to him. Therefore, we had to stop using him. We didn’t want to, but to do so would put too many people at risk.

Where is the plug now, you ask? Oh, he still hangs out isolated in the corner of the nook. The fellowship he once helped foster and encourage has moved on though. To this day, he still can’t seem to let go of some things although he has cooled off. He often still thinks about the good ol’ days, but his pride won’t allow him to let go of the past—his plastic is too warped and hard. So there he sits … alone, melted, and unusable.

Note: This parable was inspired by an illustration I shared in a recent message on Ephesians 6:10 and how it was written in the context of relationships.

Today, I heard a boy yell at his younger sister, “I have a right to push you because you’re not moving,”

… a right to push you.

… because you’re not moving.

I’m sure upon hearing this some would quickly join suit and overtly blurt out an emphatic preach it. There would be others in the crowd who would defensively disagree citing that each person has a right to do whatever they want to do and shouldn’t be pushed by another.

What side would you fall?

What I didn’t tell you about the story was the context. The girl was actually behind her mom, who was behind another person, who was behind a long line of people waiting patiently to exit the airplane parked with closed doors at the airport terminal.

Flawed Logic
To be fair, this boy might not have been able to see the stagnant line in front of his sister. However, his reasoning was flawed—he pushed his sister because she was not moving. He never even bothered to consider why. He just tried to make what he thought should be happening happen.

I’m sure he was uncomfortable after the 1 hour 20 minute flight from Dallas to Kansas City . . . weren’t we all?!? I’m sure he didn’t like being behind his younger sister . . . who would?!? However, was pushing his sister going to help him get off the plane any faster . . . no.

Pushy People
I am not a big fan of the pusher. Pushers don’t take the time to think through the perspectives of others. They don’t care if there are obstacles in the way. All they see is the fact that those around them aren’t going where they want them to go, and try to assert their will. This doesn’t often turn out well and causes many negative feelings and resentments down the road.

A Better Way
Maybe a better way of helping someone take that next step is to INVITE them, not push them. When you invite someone to move, it means you’re moving too—and most often already a step ahead. Inviting takes control out of the equation and merely gives others an opportunity to take the next step. The choice is theirs. Most people appreciate an invitation to something worthwhile.

Think about someone proposing marriage. The suitor takes a knee and invites his dream girl to a lifelong journey in marriage together. If he pushes, or does this in front of a family reunion or live T.V., he could have a mess on his hands. However, an invitation shows respect, love, and genuine care from the beginning no matter how the other person answers.

Eternal Invitations
Jesus was a perfect example in this area. He invited the disciples with the simple phrase, “Come, and follow me.” The disciples had a choice. They put down their nets and followed. The rich young ruler also had a choice, but even as he walked away the scripture tells us that Jesus didn’t chase him, but rather loved him.

Jesus loved him while letting him walk away.

Today, if you find yourself pushing, why not take the first step yourself. If you are already ahead, then simply invite others to join you. They may say no. That’s okay because controlling someone isn’t the same as loving someone, and pushing someone doesn’t necessarily help them move forward.

Much controversy has stirred recently surrounding Rob Bell’s new book Love Wins which releases today. Some Christians label Bell a universalist for his views, while others defend him—appalled by the mere fact that certain Christians would call out other Christians on their theology. Obviously we should never be mean-spirited in our dialog with any one, especially our own, but is staying silent and allowing what appears to be theological error really what the Bible calls love?

Better is open rebuke than hidden love. ~Proverbs 27:5

The purpose of this post is not to comment on the book—I think Kevin DeYoung already responded gracefully enough in a recent review (read here). What I AM thinking about is how often we define LOVE as some pithy and “let others be who they are” sort of mentality. We live in an individualistic society where a common belief is that everyone’s beliefs are right and to tell someone they are wrong is just… wrong. But this isn’t what the Bible calls love and love like that doesn’t win.

True love is making hard decisions. It’s dying to your selfishness for the betterment of others. Love is not easy, and it certainly isn’t for the weak. Love is passionate. Love is tough and love is humble. Love put Jesus on a cross and held Him there. Love raised Him from the grave. Love runs into burning buildings to save a life. Love tells a child not to touch a hot stove or run into the street. This kind of love makes children cry as they wonder why they can’t get what they want. Love doesn’t hide the consequences and say everything will be okay as someone self destructs.

Could a mariner sit idle if he heard the drowning cry? Could a doctor sit in comfort and just let his patients die? Could a fireman sit idle, let men burn and give no hand? Can you sit at ease in Zion with the world around you damned? ~Leonard Ravenhill

Some people think telling others about hell isn’t a loving thing to do because it involves fear, but maybe it’s fear that really keeps us silent on the subject of hell in the guise of love.

We are called to love others. We share the gospel became we love people. And we don’t share the gospel because we don’t love people. Instead, we wrongly fear them. We don’t want to cause awkwardness. We want their respect, and after all, we figure, if we try to share the gospel with them, we’ll look foolish! And so we are quiet. We protect our pride at the cost of their souls. In the name of not wanting to look weird, we are content to be complicit in their being lost. ~Mark Dever, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, Crossway, 2007, p. 27

Love speaks.
Humbly.
If love remains silent… it loses.

I think it’s because I understand that not every good idea is the best idea when it comes to ministry. Good ideas can easily derail mission, and therefore waste much time and energy. You see, sometimes “no” can ultimately release the freedom to say “yes” to what matters. Having a clear ministry focus and vision will keep mission driving the church rather than a random good idea.

One of my favorite examples of this is in the book Confessions of Reformission Rev by Mark Driscoll. Let’s just say it involved a Brethern family, a couple kids that played hand-bells, and a church in the heart of Seattle trying to reach young men in their twenties. Classic!

Read the story on Google Books here (p62-63).

At Praise Chapel Chicago, our vision is WIN – BUILD – SEND (evangelism, discipleship, and church planting). Thus everything we say “yes” to should ultimately enhance this vision in the context we are in. If not, then it just isn’t worth our time pursuing.

Three years into church planting and I can clearly see patterns in the way satan attacks a young church (yes, I believe in a literal devil and demonic forces).  I have known these patterns to be true throughout my Christian walk, but lately they just seem so much more obvious.

Recently, we called a 3-day fast at the church.  Lives started changing, there was a stirring in people’s spirits, and new believer’s were excited!  We concluded on a Friday night after prayer meeting with great expectation and passion for Jesus. That was close to a month ago.

Since then some good people have given into compromise, others have lost their passion, and one has even stopped attending service all together.  Don’t get me wrong. The church isn’t in despair or anything, but because we are a church with vision the enemy attacks not so subtly.

So, what exactly happened? Well, there is an old saying that goes like this, “New levels, new devils!” and more often than not it rings true. People sometimes fail to realize, or simply refuse to recognize, that they are in the midst of a spiritual war—a battle for their very soul.

Ephesians 6:10–12, “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Look at it this way. When a person is not really living for God, or maybe as a Christian Atheist, the devil really has no reason to wage war against that person. They are simply not a threat. (Though the devil still might choose to mess with an unsuspecting hypocrite if pushed –> Acts 19:13–16.

But when a person begins to align their life with the teachings of Jesus, when they begin to go to prayers meetings and fast, when they put away selfish desires and allow themselves to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit—watch out because the devil will sneak in and try to pull a spiritual intervention (lights dim and the curtain opens)…

As Committed Christian arrives home after a late night prayer and worship  at the church, he opens the door, and there sit his old friends satan and his crew.  A somber chill fills the air.

“Christian we need to talk. Sit down, would ya?”

“What’s this all about?”

“Me and the boys, well frankly, were concerned. We haven’t seen much of you lately.  You’re always at the church or praying in your room with the door closed.  We’ve even noticed you have been skipping some meals lately. You’re hanging out with the wrong crowd. We just feel, you know… it’s time for an intervention.”

“Seriously, satan?!?”

“Yeah. No more church for you buddy.  From now on we are just gonna have to give you some excuse that you can’t go. And prayer… fugettaboutit.  You need your sleep.  You work hard. Don’t worry, we are gonna make everything easy for you to come down off your spiritual high and face reality. We will take it slow, but don’t worry—we will be with you every step of the way, just hanging around to make sure you don’t ever fall down that slippery slope of, ugh, Christianity again.”

To the discerning Christian, the strategies and interventions of satan are obvious in this type of scenario.  When the devil shows up right after we decide to live all out for God, commit to a volunteer ministry or perhaps a 3-day fast, we should see right through it.

Matter of fact, the next time the devil pokes up his ugly mug after you invite Jesus deeper into your marriage, family, relationship, or life just tell him to “go to hell” where he belongs.  Don’t worry, it is Christ-like to tell the devil that—Rev 20:10.

Ephesians 6:13-18 (NLT), ”Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

If you find yourself getting closer to God remember to stand strong and stay on guard.  The devil might just be waiting in your car, home, or office for the right moment to pull…  an intervention.