Friday, 18 January 2013

True North - Resetting America's Moral Compass


Turn my heart towards your statutes and not towards selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. Psalm 119:36-37

Next Step Devotion

 If you compare today's American news headlines with those of say, 50 years ago, it's possible you would think you were reading about two entirely different countries. We have certainly swayed from the standards and principles established by our Christian forefathers. Marriage, freedom of religion, and life itself have been dissected and disregarded in the heated debates of D.C. offices. And what is the result? Currently only 53% of Americans have hope for our nation's future, with 44% stating they are "fearful" about the future. When asked about the world in general, only 40% are hopeful and 56% fearful (Source: The Hill). We know who the author of fear is, right? 

 This week on New Day Cafe our focus has been True North - Resetting America's Moral Compass. If the compass of our lives is set to TRUE North, it will point us directly towards the paths of freedom, righteousness, and salvation. It will point us directly to Jesus Christ. In a culture bombarding us with intensely compelling arguments that diverge from the truths of God's word, it is easy for the arrow of our compass to spin wildly in circles. This can leave us unsure of which opinion to believe. We yearn for the truth that will set us free, and we forget that God has given us a solid rock to stand on that guides us straight to His truth, the TRUE NORTH truth. 

 In thinking about what directs our moral standards True North, we identified 5 key guiding pillars, or guiding lights, that can help set our lives on track.  Our interviews this week each delved deeper into one or more of these guiding pillars. Now let's take the next step together!

 1. Prayer and The Word

 In the research world there is a common phrase that every reputable scholar abides by: "Go back to the source!" While commentaries and editorial reviews can be helpful, nothing compares to going back to the originally authored source to determine the foundation upon which all other opinion was built. The same goes for us as Christians. We must go to the source to determine the foundations of our morality, and we do that through prayer and reading God's word.

 Pastor Rick Taylor of Sulphur Springs Freewill Baptist in Northport joined us at the table for a discussion about prayer and fasting. Throughout the conversation, Pastor Taylor emphasized that prayer is the underlying thread with which everything we engage in as believers must be woven. By prayer we call upon the Lord, asking him for guidance and hearing from him the wisdom he promises in his word (James 1:5). It is the same with God's word. God's word is literally the spoken breath of God, containing every truth we need to set our compass true north towards the heavenly throne of grace (2 Tim 3:16-17).

 This week we spoke with Jonathan Leeman of 9Marks Ministry for Leaders and author of Reverberation: How God's Word Brings Light, Freedom and Action to His People. Jonathan shared the irony of how the church, which was built upon the foundation of God's Word, has sadly  traded our solidarity of preaching God's Word for a moralistic gospel that panders the universalist sentiments of our culture. As a result, the church's own moral compass is in need of recalibrating.  This can only be done by a return to the moral and spiritual standards found in the Bible. 

 2. Family

 Ask almost any social service worker, pastor, or even governmental official where much of our nation's problems are rooted, and they will answer "the breakdown of the family." It is impossible to ignore the blaring statistics that show the disparity between children raised in single versus two-parent households (35% in single-parent homes in 2011: Data Center). The very first two institutions God ordained after creating the world were marriage (created Eve) and family (be fruitful and multiply!). God desires that we experience the love He has for us through the intimate relationships of the family. As we discussed in our interview with Pastor Paul Hand of Crossgates Church in Brandon, MS, God designed marriage to mirror our relationship with Him. God never designed that relationship to be broken. 

 The family is the pathway by which we raise generations that know God and walk according to His path. A child develops his or her identity, beliefs, values, and sense of security from the family. Our families must be a priority and they must be centered upon Christ. However, the task of leading our "children in the way they should go" is often overwhelming for parents, as many are simultaneously seeking the path THEY should go.  

 In our interview with Dan Scott of The Orange Strategy for Children's Ministry, Dan shared about the importance of families and churches working together to disciple their children. If a family is involved in their church family, this lays a foundation for family discussion centered upon God's word. Dan also encouraged parents to keep it simple by beginning to weave spiritual conversation into the rhythm of your daily life. Try simple conversation starters at the dinner table or while driving to soccer practice. Questions such as, "Did you see God help you in any way at school today?" can really kick-start a conversation centered upon Jesus Christ. 

 3. Discipleship

 Discipleship is often misunderstood as simply Bible study or teaching. While these are aspects of discipleship, true discipleship is developed in the context of relationship. Think about Jesus and His "disciples." While Jesus did spend much time teaching these men His truths, at its core Jesus simply shared life with them. They celebrated together, laughed together, cried together, and ate together. In three short years these men were able to live out Jesus life in such a way that now the entire world knows and can experience His love. 

 If we are going to re-direct our nation True North towards Jesus Christ, we must return to genuine discipleship. As shared during our interview with Doug Bender of "I Am Second," true discipleship occurs when we live purely as Jesus did, who came to serve others and not be served (Matthew 20:28). One strategic way to engage in this discipleship process is by participating in a church small group or community group. Hamp Greene, Pastor of Small Groups with Church of the Highlands, spoke with us about how small groups are not only carrying church members deeper in to God's word, but are also uniting the body of Christ through the development of personal, interwoven relationships. As we become more and more united together as believers through Christ, our love for one another will shine brightly upon the True North path, pointing our world towards Christ (John 13:35).

 4. Stewardship

 The month of January always seems to ensure an extra measure of sermons and pep-talks on better money management. Within each of us is a desire to use our resources to the best of our ability, but that is not always the same as stewarding our resources they way God desires. Stewardship goes so much farther than simply giving our 10% to the church and trying no to accumulate debt. Stewardship refers to the entirety of our resources, including our time, body, relationships, as well as finances. 

 Our interview with Pastor Randy Fuller of New Beginnings church in Tuscaloosa shed some light on true Biblical stewardship. Stewardship is about recognizing that all we have is not ours, but is rather a gift from God for us to manage according to His will. As believers we must stand out in the way we use our money, using it to bless others rather than build up treasures for ourselves. We must also be careful not to give some areas of our life to God and withhold others. For example, we may be faithful to give our offering each Sunday, but we are gluttonous in our food choices or refuse to change our time schedule to help a friend, or stranger for that matter, in need. 

 Jesus taught us that "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21). As believers we know that our treasure awaits us in heaven, so we must reset our compass True North through the disciplines of Biblical stewardship. 

 5. Community

 The 5th and final guiding pillar that can aid in re-setting our moral compass is Community. If you look inside the word community, you will also find the word "unity." This is the essence of the word, that we would value being unified with our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as with others to the best of our ability. This is especially important within the church, as nothing can cause unbelievers to turn away from the truths of God's word more than gossip and fighting within the church community. But this is also true in the broader context of living in oneness and peace with all of those we encounter through our daily lives. 

 Do you genuinely care for the needs of your community? If you do, how have you stepped out in action to make a positive impact for Christ and others in your community? On the flip side, have you participated in attacking, gossiping  or inciting discord with regard to your church or community leaders? Here's a tough one! How about our national leaders? How have we as a body of Christ supported "CommUNITY" across our nation in regard to our national leadership?  This does not mean that we sacrifice the foundations of God's word for the sake of unity, but it does mean that we lay down our own agendas and opinions at times for the sake of the gospel message. 

 This is exactly what Pastor Louie Giglio of Passion City Church did recently when he stepped down from the invitation to pray at the Inaugural Ceremony. When asked why He would give up such a prestigious opportunity, Pastor Giglio responded, 
"Neither I, nor our team, feel it best serves the core message and goals we are seeking to accomplish to be in a fight on an issue not of our choosing, thus I respectfully withdraw my acceptance of the President's invitation....Though the President and I do not agree on every issue, we have fashioned a friendship around common goals and ideals, most notably, ending slavery in all its forms," (Christian Today)

Pastor Giglio chose to keep the purity of the gospel message in tact, preventing it from becoming skewed through a battle on homosexual marriage. Moreover, he provided a beautiful example of how we as believers can be influential agents in our own community by uniting with others around common efforts through the love of Jesus Christ. This will most certainly shine a light True North on the gospel message. As the author of Hebrews wrote: "Work at living at peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14). 

Closing Thoughts:

It is easy to point the finger and blame the media, our leaders, the younger generation, or social media for the broken moral compass in America. But let us encourage you to take a step back and ask the Lord to examine your (and our) own hearts first. Let the Lord reveal any areas that our moral compass may need recalibrating when it comes to the sturdy pillars of Prayer and The Word, Family, Discipleship, Stewardship, and Community. Nations are built of individuals. So, to change our nation we must be willing to admit, "It starts with me." 

Interview Recap

Key Scriptures

 Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. 

 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - Never stop praying.

 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

 Deuteronomy 6:6-7 - And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

 Acts 2:42 - And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 

 1 Peter 4:10 - And each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace. 

 Hebrews 10;24-25 - And let us consider how to stir one another up to good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

 Blessings,
Melissa Rogers
Moody Radio South
www.moodyradiosouth.fm
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