Episode 178: Longing for Reformation - A Vision of Renewal through Conviction and Courage

“We need that same kind of clarity right now, especially for those headed off to Synod this week. You need to head to Synod this week with your eyes focused on the reward by faith. You may not be able to see that reward right now with your physical eyes, but pray that God would open your eyes so that you could see the beauty and the power of that reward. Pray that God would open your eyes so that you see this with absolute clarity and that God would use that clarity to create courage and strength and fortitude as you do some hard work at this Synod, as you enter into a season of temptation, as you enter into a season of reproach. Where are your eyes in the midst of this? They MUST be on your reward.” -Jason Ruis

Transcript of this Episode

Over the years, I've been struck by one particular passage in Hebrews 11. It reads, “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” (Hebrews 11:24–26, ESV). This passage didn't jump out at me because Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter-I kind of understand that. This passage didn't jump out at me because he refused the fleeting pleasures of sin and the treasure of Egypt-I kind of understand that. This passage didn't even jump out at me because Moses choose to be mistreated with the people of God. What stood out to be is that he considered all of these things GREATER WEALTH than the treasures of Egypt. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt. Even though I know that to be true, I have to admit that I don't always live and act as if that's true.

The question is: How did Moses do it? What helped Moses understand that the reproach of Christ was greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt? He was looking forward to the reward. He looked beyond the temporary rewards of this life-the fleeting rewards of Egypt and sensual pleasure and the applause of man-to the eternal rewards that come from devoting our life to Jesus Christ. When he saw these eternal rewards, it was clear and obvious to him that the eternal rewards were far greater than anything else this earth had to offer.

This is how Abraham was able to leave his homeland and his family, setting out on a journey into the absolute darkness of the unknown. He was looking beyond the unknown, beyond the trials, beyond the difficulties of the present moment to the eternal city that God had prepared for him.

This is also true of our sanctification. How do we endure temptation? How do we continue to do things that seem extremely hard and difficult in the moment? How do we turn down pleasures and choose things that seem painful in the moment? We look beyond the present moment. We look beyond the fleeting pleasure. We look beyond the fleeting pain and difficulty and temptation to something greater. We see the eternal joy and peace and perfection we will have in Jesus Christ for eternity. We look to our eternal reward, and in that moment, we see that our eternal reward is much greater than the fleeting pleasure of sin, or the fleeting pleasure of doing the easy thing.

Guess what that looks like? Guess what that is often called? Courage. To choose to do the difficult thing because you see the beauty on the other side is Courage. To refuse the temptation to fleeting pleasure and sin, and to refuse to take the easiest path is Courage. But the only way toward true courage in these moments is to look forward to our reward. To see beyond the present difficulty and temptation to the beauty on the other side. Looking to our reward stirs courage in the present moment.

Looking toward our reward stirs courage and boldness because it helps us know where we're going-it helps us know the end goal. If we don't know the end goal, then we don't know where we're going, and it's very hard to be bold and courageous if we don't know where we're going. It's hard to be bold, if you don't know what to be bold about. It's hard to be courageous in a vague way. Courage requires clarity. Part of clarity is looking beyond the current struggle and difficulty to what's on the other side.

If we don't have this sort of clarity of what's on the other side of the difficulty, or battle or struggle, we will almost always falter, grow weary, and not be courageous. It happens because we quickly fall into the mindset that "it's always going to be this way" or "it's never going to get any better than this." That will suck the life out of you and will also suck the courage out of you. What the point of fighting for something if it's always going to be this way? It's a waste of time, right? But if we can see the other side of the battle, the other side of the fight, then we know what we're fighting for and what's on the other side of the battle and WHY we're fighting. When we have that kind of clarity, we will also have the opportunity for a unique form of courage.

Being so involved and invested in Church Revitalization, I read a lot about transitions-transitions in people's lives and in institutions. There's one point during a transition that is the most difficult of all. Some have called this Liminal Spaces, others have called it The Neutral Zone. It's the point in time where you've left your past behind, but haven't arrived at your future yet. Some have used the analogy of the trapeze. You've let go of the trapeze, but haven't grabbed the next one yet. It feels like your floating, with no grounding. It's an extremely uncomfortable place to be and it causes a lot of stress and anxiety. This is why moving is one of the most difficult things in a persons life. You've left everything you've known (all of your friends, family, work, hobbies) and have to rebuild all of that in a new place (which takes a long time). It's a lot like Abraham leaving his homeland and heading to a place he didn't know (thats a neutral zone). You feel like you've lost your footing and are slipping. It's a very difficult and anxious time.

A biblical example that is often referenced in these conversations is Israel. They spent 40 years in this liminal space (or neutral zone). They had been in Egypt for hundreds of years. It was all they had known. Yet, they were heading toward something great and beautiful: The Promised Land. Yet, they spent 40 years in between what they left and where they were going. They spent 40 years in between the trapezes. That's why they were constantly tempted to go back to what they knew-to go back to Egypt, back to their footing, what was comfortable, where they felt grounded.

This is where we're at in the Christian Reformed Church right now. We're in a liminal space (neutral zone). We've left what we've known behind and are heading into something new-something better and more beautiful-but we're not there yet. We're still in the desert. That's why it's so uncomfortable right now. We're slowly letting go of many of the "trapeze" that used to define us, but we haven't fully grabbed hold of our new identity and lived into it. We're kinda hanging here without any place to stand. That's why every Synod feels like it's a Synod that could make or break us as a denomination. In a book called Managing Transitions, they say, "Much of the pain of the neutral zone comes from the fact that it is a time without a viable organizational picture." (73). That's how it feels right now, doesn't it? What's the solution? How do we move forward from here?

We move forward in faith toward the reward. That's the answer. Don't forget how Hebrews 11 begins: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, ESV). How did Abraham courageously follow his God during that liminal space? By faith, he was certainty of what he hoped for and conviction of something he couldn't quite see yet. How did Moses courageously endure scoffing and reproach and continually lead a rebellious people through that liminal space? By faith, Moses was certain of what he hoped for and had conviction of something he couldn't quite yet see. They couldn't see it with their physical eyes, but they could "see" it by faith. That clarity is what created courage in them to lead with boldness.

We need that same kind of clarity right now, especially for those headed off to Synod this week. You need to head to Synod this week with your eyes focused on the reward by faith. You may not be able to see that reward right now with your physical eyes, but pray that God would open your eyes so that you could see the beauty and the power of that reward. Pray that God would open your eyes so that you see this with absolute clarity and that God would use that clarity to create courage and strength and fortitude as you do some hard work at this Synod, as you enter into a season of temptation, as you enter into a season of reproach. Where are your eyes in the midst of this? They MUST be on your reward.

I think first and foremost, your eyes must be on your final, eternal reward. The treasure stored up for you in heaven. Or, as Paul said so beautifully: **“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7–8, ESV)**. You have a crown of righteousness laid up for you on that day for the work you're doing right now in your local church but also for the work you are doing at Synod. Don't forget this. Keep your eyes on this. Your reward is not in the work of Synod or the results of Synod, or in the praise of man, or in anything like that. Your reward is a crown of righteousness laid up for you in heaven, a reward that will be given to you by Jesus Christ himself. Keep your eyes on that reward. See it clearly. Have confidence and conviction that reward is waiting for you. Have faith. Then work and serve and fight accordingly-and that means with great courage and boldness.

I also think that there are lesser rewards that are still helpful-like seeing the other side of the battle. Of course, seeing the other side of the eternal war is great, but seeing the other side of this current battle is also helpful along the way. That too is some form of reward. That too is helpful in our current situation. What is on the other side of these battles at Synod? What will the denomination look like if we do our work well, with courage, conviction, and boldness? How will that benefit the rest of the churches? How will that benefit the broader Body of Christ? How will that benefit the advancement of the Kingdom of God? Being able to see these things with clarity and conviction will also stir our hearts with courage and boldness. They remind us of what we're fighting for, why we're fighting, and what's on the other side of this battle.

So, I want to wrap this up by sharing some of the things I think are on the other side of this battle, if we fight well and with courage and win. Recently, I gathered with a group of CRC pastors and members at The Messy Reformation Conference and I asked them: What are you longing to see happen in the CRC? What type of denomination do you long for us to be? Here's a partial list of what we talked about:

1. We long for the day when the CRC will be unapologetically Reformed

2. We long for the day when we will be known for reformed expository preaching

3. We long for the day when the CRC will be known for growing through evangelism

4. We long for the day when our pastors and congregants will be excited to be part of our denomination because they see God working powerfully and active through our efforts.

5. We long for the day when we are growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, not political activism

6. We long for the day when our denomination will stop catering to and wooing every cultural trend.

7. We long for the day when it will feel like the CRC is for us and not against us

8. We long for the day when we will hire exciting people for our denominational positions and stop seeking out the most bland, non-controversial candidates.

9. We long for the day when we can be excited about people attending our college and seminary.

10. We long for the day when the CRC will create curriculum that takes our youth and children seriously, challenging them, and taking them deeper into God’s Word.

11. We long for the day when we can have confidence that our fellow pastors are brothers in Christ—not seeking to undermine the church, but seeking to build it up and further God’s kingdom.

12. We long for the day when we will have such a passion and commitment to God’s Word and God’s People that we will discipline anyone who is teaching false doctrine and leading God’s people astray.

13. We long for the day when people will ask us to tell them the story of how reformation happened in the CRC

With those longings in mind, and with a courageous faith, I send you off to Synod.

It's been a tradition here at The Messy Reformation to send you off to Synod with some form of quasi benediction/sending. I've typically reworded a portion from Paul's final words to the Ephesian elders, but I'm going to change it up this time and reword portions form Hebrews 11. As you go to Synod, go with these words:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

It's by FAITH the people of old received their commendation and how you will receive your commendation now.

By faith, you must head to Synod, not knowing what will happen, not knowing the final outcomes or decisions.

By faith, you must work diligently in your Advisory Committees, having tough conversations, making tough decisions, bringing good proposals to the Synod floor.

By faith, you will speak from the Synod floor, not knowing what you will say, or even the best way to say it, but stepping to the mic willing to say what God has laid on your heart to say.

By faith, you will suffer, you will lose sleep, you will weep, and you will work.

You will be slandered, you will be mocked, you will be called names, you will be lied about. By faith, you will consider the reproach of Christ greater wealth that the praise of man, the praise of a denomination, or praise from the world.

And By faith, God will open your eyes to see the eternal reward stored up in heaven for you on that final day-a crown of righteousness, a Well done good and faithful servant

By Faith, you will look beyond all of these sufferings to the reward in store for you, a city designed and build by God-a denomination designed and built by God.

By faith, you will be made courageous in the fight to love and serve your God through your work at Synod.

So, go to Synod by faith, with conviction and certainty that God is doing something greater than we could ever ask or imagine, and keep your eyes on him and his kingdom and the reward he has laid up for you in heaven.