I will try to get through this post without losing my focus. Although, the two post relate to each other very well.
I met a guy Thursday morning at Starbucks for coffee. While we were there we talked about God and the kingdom. We talked about how to live as kingdom people where we are at the time. We really had a good discussion about God stuff.
He got up to leave and I was going to stay and check my email. As soon as he got up a guy approached. I was wearing a tee-shirt from my trip to Zimbabwe last fall. The front of it says, "Acts 29." He asked me, "What's with the shirt. There's not an Acts 29." Obviously he knew his Bible. Most people who carry the Christian cup (to understand the cup thing, read the previous post) don't realize there is no Acts 29, its a Hezekiah 3 type of thing.
I explained to him that it means the story continues, the Acts of disciples should not have stopped in Acts 28. We still have a purpose in God's kingdom today. He told me he had seen that image before. I explained there was a church planting group called Acts 29. He was familiar with it because he had seen it on the Internet.
Then he asked me if I was familiar with Frances Chan. This guy was obviously someone who did not just carry a cup. So I asked him the obvious question, "Do you go to church?" I know better than to go right for that question but I wanted to know where he got his coffee.
He looked in the air, trying to decide how he wanted to answer the question. He said, "I don't." Then he went on to explain why, "There are a lot of people who call themselves Christians that are going to hell." What he was saying is there are a lot of people who just like to carry the cup.
It happened, in Starbucks I met a person I keep reading about. Someone who is disenfranchised with the church. About 30 minutes later I packed up my stuff and headed out the door. The guy was coming down the sidewalk. He stopped me again and asked me my name. He also asked me what church I was with and wanted to know where it was. He did tell me he was a member of a church but he did not want to talk bad about it because he is good friends with the pastor.
He did end our conversation by telling me "Frances Chan has it right you know." We are only told to do two things: Follow Jesus and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and to teach them everything Jesus has taught us (the great commision).
It happened, I met a person who doesn't just carry the cup. I met a guy who knows what it means to be on mission for Jesus. You know where he drinks his coffee? Jesus.
Where do you drink yours?
2 comments:
In my devotion reading this morning, the question was asked - How close do you sit when you worship? Are you close up front or do you sit in the back? For too many, the answer is "I sit way back." We need to be more like the guy you met.
Interesting. But truly I am not sure I know of many leaders or "Christians" in the church who aren't just "Carrying the Cup". Just because this guy seemed to have it all together like most leaders seem to have it right doesn't mean he wasn't just all show for you. I am sure as a leader you are guilty of just "carrying the cup" often. But knowbody really knows unless you spill your cup of course. Even then whats in the cup may not be a true representation of who that person really is. What if they were trying something new? What if they just needed a pick me up? What if they got tired of what they got every single day and decided today I'm a White Chocolate Mocha. Everyone is a "Cup Carrier" and knowbody knows who is really drinking who or who is all show.
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