Deck or Alley People?

April 26, 1607, a cross was erected on the shore of Chesapeake Bay.

On April 29 of the same year, another cross was erected at Jamestown and this prayer of dedication was offered: “We do hereby dedicate this Land, and ourselves, to reach the People within these shores with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to raise up Godly generations after us, and with these generations take the Kingdom of God to all the earth. May this Covenant of Dedication remain to all generations, as long as this earth remains, and may this Land, along with England, be Evangelist to the World. May all who see this Cross, remember what we have done here, and may those who come here to inhabit join us in this Covenant and in this most noble work that the Holy Scriptures may be fulfilled.”

For 350 years most of the United States believed and talked “one nation under God” and “in God we trust” and then something happened!  We became those of Psalm 2: Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”

This has happened in part because Christians have too long been enamored with the alley!

The alley and the deck idea:

If saved, we are moved out of the “broad way that leads to destruction” and in the yard of a mansion.

We no longer live in a tent in the alley dumpster-diving and shuffling to who knows where.  No, we have been adopted by a King and brought into His domain – into His yard of fountains, pools, flower gardens, gazebos and beautiful lawns!  WOW!

[I wore a green tie today just to be reminded what green looks like.  In most years, June is full of green.  This year, June looks like August due to its brown.]

However, too many Christians, rather than moving toward the mansion on the hill, continue to hang out near the alley from which they were taken (arguing we need to identify with the alley people so to win them.  Rather, they see us longing for their life, but restricted by God).  Too many continue to look to the world and long for the world.  They are much about the values, plans and ways of the world.  They still long for the happiness, victories, money and power of the world.  They only give token acknowledgement to God’s rule and glory.  Rather, they submit to the world’s rule and glory.  They live near the alley and spend a lot of time looking into the alley!  The alley has their attention and sometimes their heart!

But Christians should be deck people!  That is, moving toward the deck attached to the mansion with its chamber orchestra and gathered guests living in anticipation of the door opening and being invited in.   They should be preparing for the invite to enter the mansion by being about His business today which is captured in this statement by Jesus: I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do, John 17:4.

Christians should do all to His glory: All for His name!  All for His fame!  All for His game!  All for Him!

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God, I Corinthians 10:31.

AND His work: that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak, Ephesians 6:19-20.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them, Ephesians 2:10.

A passage from the men’s study on Friday mornings:

And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.” So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well,  Genesis 26:24-25.

This is in contrast to Jacob a few years later: Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem…and he pitched his tent before the city, Genesis 33:18.

Issac pitched his tent – his family – his life – toward the statement by God and a place of thanksgiving and commitment while his son Jacob pitched toward the world (read the following chapters to see how that turned out for him and his!).

So, for you: the alley or the deck?