Uncivilized Christianity

Let me start out by saying that this term I’ve coined: ‘Uncivilized Christianity’, is not meant to imply rude, unkind, obnoxious attitudes or behaviors, but rather I’m using the word in a more poetic and illustrative way. We are to be as innocent as lambs in our treatment of others; yet ferocious as LIONS in protecting and advancing our God-given rights and destiny.

The scene is in Rocky III, after Rocky ‘un-retires’ and wants to defend his heavyweight title against Clubber Lang. Mickey, his manager, is warning against it, and telling him why. Rocky argues, ‘He’s just another fighter’.

Mickey responds: “No he ain’t just another fighter. This guy’s a wrecking machine and he’s hungry. You ain’t been hungry since you won that belt! He goes on to explain: “Well Rock, let’s put it this way–3 years ago you were supernatural, you was hard and you was nasty and you had this cast-iron jaw… but then, the worst thing happened to you that could happen to any fighter… you got civilized!”

For many of us, we get to a place in our walk with God where we start coasting. We lose the edge. We’re not pursuing the kingdom of God as we once did. We’re not fighting the good fight with the passion and intensity that we started with.  We got civilized! We used to believe whatever God said, no matter who argued or tried to interrupt our faith. We fought for the ground that God gave us. We didn’t shrink back at anything. We saw the devil behind all evil and declared war on him, and on all things that compromised our walk with God or our walk of faith.

We believed that when we gave, it would be given back to us. We believed our money belonged to God. Our time belonged to God. Our life belonged to God.  But somewhere along the line, we thought it was ok to take our life back.  We had served long enough. Sacrificed enough. Gone to church enough. We paid our dues.

But to get back to that authentic Christianity of power—that changes our lives and changes the world, we have to return to our first love. I like what Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live. But the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God—who loved me and gave Himself up for me!”

1. First and foremost, we must get back to the cataclysmic truth that changed the universe forever: Jesus loved me and gave Himself for me. He bought me with a price, and I am not my own.  Every bit of wool on my back, belongs to the shepherd who saved me from the jaws of wolves.

2. Next, lose the shame. Paul said, “I’m not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God” (Romans 1:16). Don’t be ashamed to boldly express your faith. Cavalier unbelievers are not ashamed to share their atheism. Lets not be ashamed to share our faith, openly and humbly.

An amazing story is told about the man who came to his friend at midnight for a loaf of bread (Luke 18). The friend said, ‘Go away. We are already in bed.’ But the man persisted. The translation of the word, “persisted”—is: “shameless”.  He was shameless. He kept on knocking and would not leave until he got what he came there to get.

3. We must disconnect from the fear of what people think of us. Matthew 10 says, don’t fear man, fear God who holds your eternal life in His hands. Man holds nothing. Embrace this truth.

4. Get rid of the pursuit of popularity and social acceptance. Instead pursue God’s power.  Let go of needing people and their approval. (More to come on this, next Sunday).

5. Ask God to baptize you in fire. John the Baptist said, Jesus will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.  When you are ignited with the fire of God’s Spirit, you’ll get your passion back.

6. Begin to see mediocrity as your enemy.  See it robbing you and those you love of so much potential and blessing.  See it as a thief trying to break in and rob everything you have.  See it as a criminal trying to kidnap your children and sabotage their future.  You have to see it that way, and you will attack it with a violent force in your life.

7. Look closely at the results of those who were unwilling to stay civilized.  Blind Bartimeus would not take no for an answer, and he was healed. (Mark 10). The Syrophoenician woman would not take no for an answer, no matter how it made her look (Matthew 15:21-28). The 10 lepers didn’t care about what people would do to them, if they went after Jesus in the public street (Luke 17:11-17).

8. Be willing to be a “fool” for Christ.  It may look foolish to witness, to pray boldly, to lift your hands, to truly tithe, to be known as a ‘holy roller’, to ‘dip in the river Jordan 7 times’; to go ‘wash in the pool of Siloam.’ Do it anyway. Lets humble ourselves. Have we become so polished and dignified, that we are more absorbed with how we look than we are with the beautiful Savior who refused to care how humiliated he looked on the cross?

9. Get back to the radical (radical simply means “root”) foundations of authentic Christianity: Uninhibited praise and worship. Compassion-driven evangelism.  Lavish generosity and Kingdom-centered GIVING. Desire for the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit. Un-offendable faith. Un-offendable commitment to your church.

Some of us were SUPERNATURAL months or years ago. We had a cast-iron jaw. We were tough on the devil. Tough on our flesh. Tough on fear. Tough on our selfishness. We were disciples of Jesus. We fit into His world, rather than trying to make Him fit into ours. Its time to back that edge, Stallion!

More to come on this…but these are some of my initial thoughts on “Uncivilized Christianity”.

God Bless your radical surrender to Him!

Gregory Dickow