The DELIVERY

The DELIVERY:

This isn’t a post about baseball, basketball, or sports of any kind so bear with me for a moment if you’re not a fan.

Doc Rivers was a great player in the NBA (National Basketball Assoc.). Doc scored 9,388 points, had nearly 5,000 assists, over 1,500 steals, played in nearly 900 games, and was an NBA All-Star during his 14 seasons in the NBA. Doc also has a sterling resume’ as a coach.

One of my favorite quotes from Coach Rivers is this, “Good players want to be coached. Great players want to be told the truth.”

In his work, On Christian Doctrine, Augustine of Hippo (place not animal) wrote, “Nay, but let every good and true Christian understand that wherever truth may be found, it belongs to his Master…” (II.18).

That quote has been paraphrased as, “All truth is God’s truth.”

Over the past week Doc Rivers’ quote, “Good players want to be coached. Great players want to be told the truth” has resonated with me more and more.

I realized that Doc’s quote isn’t just true for basketball players or athletes because TRUTH is God’s TRUTH. Doc’s quote is true in-and-across all social, political, gender, and every other class and category of human relationships.

“Hey, I’ve notice that you don’t seem to be hitting the mark on _______.”

As an employee/employer do you want to be left alone, managed, or told the truth?

“Hey, your kids are doing ________ when you’re not home.”

As a neighbor do you want to be left alone, tolerated, or told the truth?

“Hey man, I’ve notice that you seem to be struggling with ________.”

As a Christian brother do you want to be left alone, coddled, or told the truth?

“Honey, it would really mean a lot to me if you would _________.”

As a spouse do you want to be left alone, enabled, or told the truth?

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We were all made in the image and likeness of God by God, which means we all have some capacity, albeit damaged by sin and rapidly diminishing in our culture, for recognizing truth. There are “truth” standards (music, distance, measurements, etc.) we all use everyday that allow us to interact and communicate with others in meaningful and productive ways.

Take a band or choir for example. If a note or chord is to be played then there must be some universal standard. I’m not musically inclined, but from what I understand “G” is universally “G.” If that didn’t communicate anything specific then music would be noisy chaos rather than music.

There is objective truth, and that “authentic truth” is that which corresponds with objective reality. The way we communicate authentic/objective truth, or the DELIVERY we use, is the real key.

As an employer/employee, man/woman, parent/child, neighbor, spouse, friend, or anyone within the classification of “human being,” should be open to the truth, and be ever mindful of our DELIVERY.

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Jesus came to communicate a profound truth, i.e. humanity is hopelessly lost in our sin, and Christ is our exclusive resolution.

Jesus conveys both authentic truth corresponding with objective reality (we’re hopelessly lost and He is our salvation), and His DELIVERY is flawless.

Jesus came and took our place by going to the Cross of Calvary. He asks for nothing in return except our acceptance of Him as Redeemer, Christ/King, LORD, and God. Jesus asks for our acceptance of that reality because it is objectively true.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the Holy Spirit has freed you from the power of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2

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Jesus’ main issue with the religious leaders of His day was their DELIVERY.

Jesus renounced their approach in saying to His disciples, “They (religious leaders) tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.”

The religious leaders didn’t want people to have a relationship with God. Instead, the religious leaders wanted people to hold them in high esteem, give them places of honor, and worship them as idols. Jesus’ anger and jealousy for God and the temple was a holy and righteous anger because those who claimed to be His priests and followers actually were an obstacle to authentic faith in God.

When we truly understand Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God,” it shapes our reality and DELIVERY into that of Jesus. As such, we don’t follow in the footsteps of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law by giving people “cumbersome loads” that are impossible to carry. We simply live out the gospel of Christ and use words when necessary.

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The gospel of Jesus Christ is called the “Good News” for a reason. It is the truth.

Most will reject the gospel of Christ because they want to be left alone.

Some will accept it superficially for a time.

A few want to hear it because they want to hear the truth.

The Church is Jesus’ delivery system. We aren’t tasked with judging who will hear. We are only tasked with the manner of delivery - in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

So are you?

Are you His witness? His living, breathing, loving, discipling witness to the ends of the earth?

Or do you simply want to be left alone?

Blessings,

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com