BIRTHDAY SONG

I recently celebrated my birthday.  I hit the big 39!  Last year in my thirties! During the birthday festivities, I had this eye-opening realization:  I hate the birthday song!  Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem singing it to others. I just don’t like being serenaded.  Something about being the center of attention while people are looking at you while singing to you.  It’s a bit creepy for me.  I never know what to do:  Who do I look at?  Do I smile?  Look as if I’m in deep thought?  Do I go with the teary-eyed, appreciative look?  Do I join in?  Do I throw in a harmony?  Do I correct the pitch problems?  Do I throw in the “cha! cha! cha’s”?  Do I direct them like a choir director, “Let me hear a bit more from you guys on my left.  Good!  Big finish, now!”?  Do I break out into an impromptu interpretive dance? And what do I do with my hands?  I never know what to do with my hands.

I speak in public for a living. I’m a preacher.  And I’ve been singing in front of crowds since I was little.  So, being in front of crowds isn’t my problem.  So, in an attempt to play amateur psychologist (always a great idea), I looked deep into my “me” to figure out what my “Birthday Song” hang up was about.  This is what I came up with:  I have no issue being the center of attention when I’m using that attention to point to Someone else, God. I just don’t like being the center of attention as I point to me.

And isn’t that goal of life?  Using our influence to point to the goodness of God? 

The prophet Isaiah put it this way: your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. Isaiah 26:8

He’s saying, “Our passion is to make Your name famous!”  Isn’t that what this Christian life is all about, making a big deal about Who God is?  Aren’t we called to make Him famous?  Aren’t we supposed to leverage our influence to point to Him, the Answer? 

But, what do we do instead?  We use our platform to point to us.  Isn’t that what social media is all about?  Trying to sell to our “friends” that we’re more healthy, cooler, spiritual, clever, adventurous, creative, mysterious than we really are?  Why not use that platform to make God famous?  We tend to make a big deal about a small deal and a small deal about THE BIG DEAL.  That’s the thing, God’s a big deal!  He’s the only one who can answer every question, heal every wound, restore every broken relationship, forgive every sin. 

That’s right, we’re talking about evangelism!  I realize that scares some of you.  And I think it scary because we’ve seen it done wrong.  Some of us, when we hear “Evangelism” we picture those people with poster boards that say things like “TURN OR BURN” or “GET SAVED OR MICROWAVED!”  You hear “Evangelism” and that one guy comes to mind: “How are you?” “Brother!  I’m washed in the blood of the Lamb! Heaven bound!  I won’t go to hell like you and fry like bacon!”  How can we make “GOOD NEWS” sound like bad news?

Evangelism isn’t a call to be a weirdo!  I love the way one person put it: “Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”  Beggar?  Yes!  People are hungry for something more. They just don’t realize that it’s Jesus.  So, tell them!

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:14-16 (Msg)