what do a middle school kid, Ancient Greece, the Getty Villa museum, and I Peter 3:15 have in common?

As I was walking out the door to go study at my local Starbucks this week my wife said, "Please, no evangelism today hon', we have stuff to do." Since I did not want to be in the "doghouse" I said in reply, "yes honey!" So I did what she wanted. I went to Starbucks and put my head down to read and get my work done. This was so hard for me because every few minutes that a person was within my striking radius, I was tempted to strike up a conversation, but I refrained.

Proud of myself, I decided to go even further and bring my wife her favorite drink, one that the team at this particular Starbucks has memorized by now. As I was waiting I saw this middle school kid sitting with a grip of papers and his computer opened. Imagine for one moment being a Bible nerd, like myself, seeing a kid this age with a poster labeled, "Ancient Greece". It was too tempting and I dove into a conversation with him. I asked him about the project then told him I was a student "of sorts" of ancient Greece.

As we spoke I asked him what exactly him project was on, meaning what aspect of Ancient Greece was he reporting on. I asked him if he knew who the apostle Paul was, and he said yes. I then talked with him about Homer's Iliad at the Getty Villa. I was so excited that this kid was stoked to hear about the Getty Villa and it reminded me of a charge Peter gives to his recipients of his first letter, in 1Pet. 3:15 "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;" I didn't ask this kid whether or not he was a believer, but I was so impressed with his facts about this stuff.

So, if you are reading this I have a very simple encouragement/challenge. What do these things have in common? If this 12 year old kid can have any sort of grasp on this stuff, then man, how much more should we be able to articulate and understand this stuff. Unfortunately, the church in the western world faces two very scary problems. One of them is anti-intellectualism. The thought I had leaving this conversation is "I doubt very many Junior high kids from churches in Southern California, in general, know as much." I am not saying kids need to kick it into gear, I am saying I DO as a pastor. Our church, in the general, universal sense, is facing this problem of anti-intellectualism, and it will drive us to extinction if we aren't prepared to right the ship.

So I get excited when I read this encouragement from Peter. The centrality of this verse is the Gospel. We, as believers must sanctify Christ as Lord...this means to set him apart. Nothing else takes the place of Lord, not popularity, fame, love, money, or any physical comfort can take the place of Jesus as Lord. Nothing at all. If our church is not saturated with making Christ Lord of our hearts, if we are not making the Gospel central, we are doomed. The second challenge is to be ready to give a defense for the hope that is in us. Again, the Gospel is central. We need to be ready to give a reason for our change which the Gospel produced. I think Peter expects life to look different for followers of Jesus and expects this hope to flow out of them. Which is why people will be asking and questioning why life is different for us. Also, Peter expected a change in our thinking. He expects that believers can explain this hope. To give a defense in academic discipline (i.e. law, debate, scientific hypothesis) is to put together a well thought out, systematic, and logical sequence to defend a position. That is essentially what Peter wants us to do with gentleness, give people a logical reason for a truthfully tangible change in believers.

If you are a believer: Live as you were intended, with a life altering hope, set Christ as Lord in your life, make the Gospel central everyday. Show people this overflowing living hope you have. And know the things you believe and grow in them. Do not represent Jesus falsely. Those facts I was sharing with the young boy at Starbucks are just that, facts. But the Bible and everything in it is more than that for us. The Word of God changes us (Hebrews 4:12). Not to upset anyone reading this, but if you party hard on Friday and Saturday night, wake up and go listen to a 30 minute monologue, and claim to be a Christian, think again. If you live a totally normal life, go listen to a 30 minute monologue on Sunday and call yourself a Christian, think again. In fact if you are even more involved than on Sundays, and call yourself a Christian, think again. You are a Christian because of the hope that is in you...THE GOSPEL. This should cause change in you. It changes a person. Be a change agent, be irresistible, be a Christian that has such an overflowing hope and joy, that you want every single person in the whole world to know and experience it...our church depends on you surrendering to Jesus as Lord of your life, becoming obedient to His Word, and telling people about it because you cannot help it.