American Dream In A Choir Robe

What guides your life?

If I looked at your schedule, your finances, your conversations, your thoughts, your motivations, and your habits, what would they point to?

For far too many in the West, they certainly wouldn’t point to Jesus.

For far too often in my life, they don’t point to Him.

I 100% believe that following Jesus in the West has been condensed down to The American Dream in a choir robe. Get the big house, the lake house, the boat, the spouse, the two kids, the dog, the promotion, the popularity, the success. Get it all. Just make sure you pray before meals and go to church on the weekends if you’re not busy.

Y’all. That ain’t the call of the gospel.

But for far too much of my life, that has been the dream. I want all that this world has to offer.

Right now I’m hanging out at the beach in North Carolina, on a family reunion trip that we take every few years. When I was little, we came to this exact same beach. I remember standing out in the waves as a teenager, thinking about what my life would be like. I wanted to taste and see that America was good. I wanted to work in sports information and make a name for myself. I legit thought I would be working at ESPN as a statistician.

Fast-forward half of my lifetime and I’m looking out at the waves praising God that He didn’t give me what I wanted.

This world is insidious.

We can 100% enjoy beach trips and all the other pleasures of this world. They’re from God. They’re good when received with thanksgiving.

But all too often, I get hooked.

Here’s what I mean.

In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul is talking about the dangers of sexual immorality. In verse 12 he makes a statement that I believe applies to matters far broader than sexual activity.

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. – 1 Corinthians 6:12

As Christians, we have freedom. There are a thousand worldly things that aren’t mentioned in Scripture. And even those that are come down to belief not behavior.

When it comes to my choices concerning things of this world, this verse gives the perfect thought process. Is engaging in a certain activity, going on a specific trip, establishing a certain rhythm, or implementing a certain hobby helpful for my walk with Christ?

I’d rather miss out on a million worldly things if those worldly things dim my light for Christ or lessen my commitment to Him.

I used to think that those who said ‘no’ to certain worldly forms of entertainment or activities were crotchety old legalists. And maybe some were. But now I see that maybe they had it right.

Here’s the definition of dominate:

have a commanding influence on; exercise control over.

Oh geez.

Does that not sound like the church in the West? We have become controlled by the things of this world. We have bowed down to a different lord.

So how do we know if we’ve been dominated by worldly things?

Where does your money go to first?

What do you first think about when you wake up?

What is your weekly schedule operating around?

What do you talk about the most?

The answers to these questions show us what we’re being dominated by and controlled by. If the answer isn’t “God’s people, the Kingdom of God, making disciples, and the good news of the gospel” respectively, then I’ve bowed down to an idol. I’ve taken a good thing and made it a god thing in my life.

Can I confess my false gods?

Over the last few years, I’ve had three things that have taken the role of lord in my life, three things that while not unlawful became the core of who I am. And boy they’re embarrassing.

The first one was a stupid little white ball with dimples. Back in 2020, I played AT LEAST once a week. Instead of devoting time to God in prayer or study, or spending time with my wife, I would go hit a ball over and over again for four or five hours. It became what I wanted to talk about, post about, research, and receive gifts regarding. It dominated me and it didn’t help me in my walk with Jesus.

After much conviction, I put it back in its proper place. I still play from time to time, but it no longer dominates me.

The second one was a dual threat of TikTok and YouTube. From 2019-2021 off and on I would become overpowered by the need to watch idiotic videos at every free moment I had. It was bad. And boy it’s embarrassing. But I would get home from a tiring day of work and lay on the couch or in bed looking and laughing. Now, humor is a gift from God. Laughter and levity are gifts from God. But I was neglecting time with God in prayer and word because I ‘didn’t have enough time’. All while ScreenTime was saying I spent 4 hours on my phone daily.

After much, much, much conviction, I deleted TikTok and have slowly tried to waste less time on YouTube.

The last thing that dominated me was work. For the last several years work had become something that was a burden instead of something that was a joy. While circumstances may have contributed to that burden, I mostly did that to myself. My time at home was consumed by my responsibilities at work.

In two days (depending on how the vote goes of course) I’ll be starting a new chapter in ministry. My prayer is that it will take its proper place in my heart and life. It is not what my life is about.

My life should be about Jesus.

Brother or sister in Christ, I can’t tell you what you’ve become dominated by.

What I can tell you is that removing good and morally neutral things from your life isn’t legalist. It’s life-giving.

Every single week I want to think about and live in response to what will make the most like Jesus, what will make me pursue Him the hardest.

Let’s be honest, the pleasures of this world will not compare to the glories of the Kingdom.

So I’m more than willing to miss out on some here.

Let’s not be dominated by anything.

The American Dream is incomplete.

Let’s do only that which is helpful for our walk with Jesus.

Let’s do it together.

In His Name,

Nate Roach

Preferences

What’s your idea of a perfect church?

What type of classes should be offered? What outreach ministries should be taking place? What should the church’s logo look like? What type of teaching and preaching should be utilized? What type of music should be sung? What should the youth ministry be like? Should there be formal theological training? What missions organizations should we support? What type of expectations for members should there be? What type of structure should we have?

If you’re like me, you probably have your answers to all of those questions.

And if you’re like me, 100% of your preferences aren’t being met in the church you are a part of.

So what do you do?

Preferences are by no means wrong to have. It’s ingrained in us. It’s the culture we live in.

But when the proliferation of personal preferences become the primary pursuit of my life in the church, I’m woefully missing the mark.

Over the years I’ve been in Vernon, God has been stripping me slowly but surely of my preoccupation with how I think the church should do certain things.

Last Fall, in preparation for leading our students and children through the book of Philippians, I studied said book. And it began to blow me away. Unity through humility and love. Concern for others rather than concern for one’s self, even one’s preferences.

Outside of Scripture, countless books have formed my heart and mind to remember what I’m supposed to be doing. J-Curve taught me that life is about giving up my rights in humility and love. Everywhere You Look is one I finished last month that teaches the Kingdom of God is going to come as we are hospitable and gospel-centered in our neighborhoods.

But lately two things have been on my mind.

Romans 12 and the book Uncomfortable.

Romans 12 is chock full of examples from the church in Rome as to how to apply the life and teachings of Jesus to our lives together.

One of the translations I use and study with is the NASB, and this was how Romans 12:10 was translated:

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 

That has been swirling through my mind a lot. I actually have dedicated it to memory because I need to be reflecting on its truths.

What if that was the type of preference I was concerned with?

Putting others first, devoting my life to them in love.

When anxiety racks my mind, or frustrations mount, is it about preferences of how the church runs or the fear that some in my church family don’t feel loved?

What keeps you up at night?

What gets you animated?

Preferences or love?

Man, y’all this has been a tough lesson to learn for me.

I want my conversations to be about loving others well. The people I don’t understand. The people I disagree with at times. The people who are guests. The people who live near me.

I want my conversations and motivations to be about love for God and others.

The reality is, there is no such thing as a perfect church. From an organizational standpoint that is.

The people that make up our churches however are just that.

Perfect.

Saints.

Holy.

Beloved children of God the Father, purchased for Him by Christ the Son, held together through the power of the Spirit.

Shouldn’t that impact every conversation we have? Even the hard ones?

I sit and imagine a people that literally outdo one another in showing honor (the NIV version of Romans 12:10b) to each other.

In the book Uncomfortable, Brett McCracken doubles down on the fact that the modern church goer has the consumerist mentality. This is something the Bible never condones. Is it a normal thought process? Yes. Is it something I need to fight against in my life? Absolutely.

This is a super long series of quotes. You really just need to go read the book yourself. I’ve got it in my office.

‘How it fits me’ is the wrong criteria for finding the right church. Rather, church should be about collectively spurring one another to be fit into the likeness of Christ. This can happen in almost any sort of church as long as it’s fixed on Jesus, anchored in the gospel, and committed to the authority of Scripture. . . What if we learned to love churches even when they challenge us and stretch us out of our comfort zones? . . . Commitment even amidst discomfort, faithfulness even amidst disappointment: this is what being the people of God has always been about. . . A healthy relationship with the local church is like a healthy marriage: it only works when grounded in selfless commitment and a non consumerist covenant. 

What if we didn’t think about ourselves and our preferences at all when coming to a church?

What if instead we thought about how we could truly love others, not just our crew, but anyone in the pew.

What if going to a church that is not in your comfort zone in some areas was the way to learn humility and gentleness and love?

Brothers and sisters, I used to be a church basher. An over the top, anal, negative, cynical, apathetic, mocking, vocal critic of any church I went to or was involved in. Even a church I was once on staff at.

Then it hit me.

That’s the Bride of Christ.

It’s messy. It’s broken.

But it’s not a business. It’s not first and foremost an organization. It’s a people. A people to be loved.

Again, preferences aren’t bad. Changes aren’t bad. Changes need to be made to continue growing the Kingdom.

But I 100% believe that those changes are in our hearts first before it’s in the church.

Am I discipling?

When’s the last time you went through Scripture with another believer?

Am I witnessing?

When’s the last time you told someone about Jesus?

Am I having people over in my home?

When’s the last time you had someone outside of your sphere of friends over for dinner?

You see, even the seeker movement was based in the misconception that what happens at church during the week is how people come to join the people of God. Not so fast. That’s not true. Biblically or historically.

People will join the Kingdom of God through seeing a community that are devoted to one another in love every single day of the week. Praying for each other. Serving each other. Building relationships with each other. Disagreeing in love with each other. That’s the compelling community.

To build a church around primarily reaching new people is wrong, just as building a church around traditions that never change is wrong. The Gospels show us that when Jesus drew a crowd, He sent them away with tough teachings on laying down one’s lives.

I’m not concerned about how many new students come to youth group.

I’m concerned with how many of my current students go to them.

Every day I have to ask myself if I’m more concerned with my preferences than prayerfully submitting to the Spirit. Even at a place where I don’t agree with 100% of what happens.

Church, let us love one another.

Church, let us be more concerned with that than anything else.

Church, let us remember that we are the Bride. The Bride that Christ died for. The Bride that He loves (and He loves it a little better than we do). When I have berated the church, God is not cheering me on. When I try to humbly serve, that’s when I’m modeling His heart.

It’s time to ditch the consumerist outlook on church, what we can get out of it.

It’s time instead to commit to fighting in the trenches for the Kingdom of God.

Preferences don’t keep people away from Jesus.

Prayerless people do.

In His Name,

Nate Roach

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 Reasons To Read Scripture

I woke up this morning, turned on the lights, and started my day with something that I have struggled to put first in my day: time in God’s Word. I felt the cool morning air seeping in from my window, and I enjoyed refreshing time in the Scriptures. I was looking at Psalm 119, and it was a convicting reminder of where God’s Word should be held in my heart and mind. It is easy to quickly turn from prioritizing time with God in His Word, allowing distractions like social media, television, and even good things like being a fiancee and minister keep me from Scripture. 

Look with me at Psalm 119:1-3.

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart – they do no wrong but follow his ways. – Psalm 119:1-3

Blessings. Fullness of joy. Perfect peace. True contentment. These things come to us when we are walking according to God’s Word.

Even though I know this is the case, my sinful desires often keep me from God’s Word. Good things in my life keep me from God’s Word. I’ll go too long without really diving deep into studying God’s Word, and the affects of such decision-making shows itself in each facet of my life. When I begin my day in God’s Word, it changes my whole day. Not because God rains down physical and earthly blessings as a result of my obedience and devotion to His Word. Rather because I enter my day with an eternal perspective, instead of an earthly one.

The Word of God is going to do 3 things for me when I spend time in it.

1. It shows me how to live a life that is pleasing to God. 

As a follower of Christ, I desire to please God with my life. I know that I will not be perfect in my endeavors, but I desire to be the man described in Psalm 119:1-3. A man who walks according to God’s Word, keeping his commands, and seeking Him with all my ways.

Because of Scripture, I don’t have to question or second guess what is or is not pleasing to God. In Scripture, I see what it is that God desires of me. Take this very passage for example. The Lord wants to draw me into maturity, draw me into ever-increasing obedience to His Word. God knows that we won’t be perfect. So even when we see in Matthew 5:48 the call to be perfect as God is, we read that in light of God’s grace. It’s something to pursue, but not something to bash over our own heads. God desires for me to keep his commands.

The Scriptures would be a treasure if this was the only thing they did. But the Scriptures do so much more than this for me.

2. It shows me to be set apart by God amongst the nations (when I follow it), bringing glory to God. 

So, when I follow God’s Word, when I live as He desires me to live, the world begins to see me as a man who is set apart. This was the purpose of the Old Testament law that was given to the people of God. This is one purpose of the entire magnum opus of Scripture as well. When I live as the Bible calls me to live, I will look different from the world. This is a reality. Our Christian witness will become more noticeable as our culture continues to drift away (or run away) from the commands of God. This drift is no need for fear, for it gives us as followers of Christ a greater opportunity to show ourselves as set apart, as men and women who live for something other than ourselves. We can show ourselves to be set apart, not in an elitist sense, but in a way that emphasizes the love and grace of God, thus giving glory to God.

3. It shows me the character of God.

This is probably my favorite aspect of the Bible. It shows me what God is like. It shows me His character. I don’t have to question what is He like. I get to see through Scripture the love, mercy, grace, holiness, justice, judgment, and heart of God. I get to be reminded of His power and presence and provision and protection. It erases my fear, doubt, and anxiousness.

For instance, when I read Genesis and the way that God has created the cosmos, it brings peace to my mind that He is powerful and purposeful and in control. There is no need to doubt His power or His control over the stressful things of my life (like wedding planning).

So God’s Word shows us how to live a life pleasing to God, following God’s Word sets us apart from the world, and God’s Word shows us the character of God.

The reality is, I’m foolish when I don’t search and study the Scriptures each day.

I would encourage you to dive deep into Scripture.

You will experience joy as you follow God’s Word.

In His Name,

Nathan Roach

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