HEELCATCHER

My wife and I just attended a timeshare presentation. You know, the kind where you are given great gifts and vacation stays for simply agreeing to listen to a 90-minute sales pitch on the incredible, undeniable value of timeshares.

It wasn’t our first one.

We have been to at least six different timeshare presentations over the course of our thirty years of marriage.

We never seek them out but somehow we are offered a trip here or there that comes with the standard sales-pitch-hitch.

In reality, I don’t mind.

Liz and I are both firmly entrenched in our “timeshare resistance.” She is actually better at saying “no” than I am…and seems to even relish it at times.

Her parents actually own a timeshare that they tried to give us at one point. She even said “no” to them! If the woman refused to take a “free gift” of a timeshare (which is really not a free gift because of the inescapable, in perpetuity, $2000 a year “maintenance fee”) then you can be sure that no salesperson is going to sway her with a timeshare purchase.

She’s tough.

And I am just plain cheap.

So timeshares are just not going to happen.

So with an offer of four days and three nights at a resort in Orlando if we listened to the standard 90-minute presentation, we said “yes”…before we inevitably said “no.”

Since we were not “newbies” to the whole process, I went in to this sales presentation with my antennae up. I wanted to analyze the way that they do things…the way that they soften people up before making the sale…the way that they bait the hook before making their catch.

(OK. I know some people like timeshares and are happy with their purchase so I am sorry for the baiting analogies. But even for those who are truly interested and want to buy a timeshare from the start, there is a similar process that is interesting to watch.)

We arrived at our appointment at 9:45am.

We were escorted graciously to a fourth floor room with large kiosks and friendly people milling around.

At the kiosk, we were asked general questions about ourselves…our marital status, our income, our dream vacation destinations, and our general vacation values and priorities. While we were looking at all the wonderful places around the world where we could go, our sales rep came over and introduced herself.

She was young, vibrant, nice, attractive, and personable.

She immediately sought to allay our fears by saying that the presentation would be low-pressure and time efficient with no strong push to have us buy anything that day. She then  offered us some snacks, coffee, and soft drinks from the hospitality center…which I gladly availed myself of.

I’m like a kid at snack time when it comes to free coffee, pastries, and cookies. Liz, on the other hand, took a small bottle of water. They probably already targeted me as the “weak one.”

“Easily influenced by sugar.” Check.

Next, we were directed to the “Hawaii Room” for a short multimedia presentation and an explanation of the boundless benefits of timeshares. While waiting for all the other couples to meander in, our sales rep befriended us with lots of questions about our lives, our marriage, our family, and our past vacations.

I admit. She was super friendly and it really did seem like we connected on some “shared experiences.” We got to know about her life, her family, her faith…and even her fear of heights. Somehow the conversation even got around to joking about saving money and how I tended to like coupons and free deals (which was why I was in the presentation to begin with).

When everyone was finally in the room, the big-kahuna-sales-guy welcomed us all and started his presentation with a two-minute video of all the wonderful destinations around the world where we could go…along with smiling people enjoying every minute of the breath-taking views, the golf, the swimming, the adventures, and the family time.

It was a large scoop of “Kodak moments” with a cherry on top.

Better than my free coffee, cookie, and pastry in a wrapper.

After the video, the sales guy again reassured us that his presentation would be short and sweet (he said about 30 minutes) and that they wouldn’t pressure us to do anything. He even jokingly did a role play of how couples rehearse their “just say no” script before arriving.

He was actually pretty accurate.

As I listened to his 42 minute presentation (I watched the clock), I mentally checked some of the sales strategies that they use.

1. The Be-Like-Me Strategy. Our sales guy was the classic young, Florida-tanned, white-smiled world traveler. He told his story of being a dolphin trainer and a cruise ship entertainer in his previous occupations, showed pictures of his beautiful wife and children, and talked about his travels to all four corners of the world. It was the kind of life that you would envy and would want to emulate.
2. The You-Deserve-This Strategy. The assumption was made that we all deserve more vacation time. Europeans take the whole summer off and Americans only take a week here or there. We work too much. We deserve more play.
3. The This-Is-Where-Life-Really-Is Strategy. Everything centered around travel as the secret to happiness. The real problem of life is that we don’t visit enough destinations…we don’t have enough “dream vacations.” Thus, we are trapped in the daily drudgery of stationery existence.
4. The Family-Making-Memories Strategy. Real family time is centered on making memories and these only happen when you are on vacation. Happy families with well-adjusted, successful kids are always found in vacation photos. The sales guy even bore his soul, sharing how hard it was to know his dad because he worked all the time…but then a Disney vacation with his dad changed the whole trajectory of their family. He confessed that, to this day, he still tears up every time he sees Mickey and Goofy at Disney.
5. The We-Are-Letting-You-in-on-a-Deal-That-You-Don’t-Want-to-Miss Strategy. We were being invited into an exclusive club, a happy family of vacationers who made the smartest decision of their lives and entered into a wonderful world that few ever experience. It was the opportunity of a lifetime that may never come our way again…and which we may forever regret if we pass it up.

The sales guy was good…and funny. And in the end, you found yourself wanting to know more. No numbers were thrown out just yet so it all sounded like a great deal that would lock in low vacation prices for the next thirty years of your life.

And, best of all, it would give you a chance to have that dream vacation that you always wanted…and deserved!

It was time to go to the cubicle of our sales rep for our “customized offer.”

But first we had the opportunity to grab more coffee and cookies. Woohoo!

With our sales rep (and with my cookie and coffee), we were given another chance to talk about our dream vacation and to contemplate how wonderful it would be to take great vacations every year…in accommodations that would rival the best of the best.

No Motel 6 leaving-the-light-on-for-you-experiences ever again.

But we made it pretty clear from the beginning that we appreciated all that they said (and all the free goodies) but that we were simply not interested.

She said she understood but wanted to show us the numbers anyway.

After computing a hypothetical number of how much we could feasily spend on seven vacation nights in a hotel per year for the next twenty years of our lives, she presented us with a number of $30,000.

If she could give us an offer that wasn’t more than $30,000 total, would we take it?

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Because we won’t spend that much?”

“Are you not taking vacations?”

“No. We just find other ways to save money.”

“But this is the best deal you can make!”

“No, it really isn’t. But thanks anyway.”

She continued massaging the numbers and making other offers.

The math was shady. She took the $30,000 hypothetical number and somehow made that equivalent to paying close to $30,000 for a timeshare plus a yearly maintenance fee of $2000…for the rest of your life! But we didn’t call her on it because we wanted to be nice and we were ready to leave.

Then she said that she was going to talk to her sales manager to see if they could come up with better deals that might appeal to us.

We were nearing two hours into the presentation by now. But we waited patiently as another sales rep presented us with more “opportunities.”

As he talked, I noticed on our sales rep’s desk a sheet that had her hand-written notes. I don’t think it was supposed to be exposed but it was. On it was written down all the places that we had vacationed along with notes about our family, things that we said, and even the words “Husband tends to be cheap.”

Ouch.

I realized at that point that the friendly banter was all just part of the sales strategy.

The sales manager finally gave up after hearing us say “no” four or five more times.

At this point, we were ready to go since we were well past the two hour mark of our 90-minute presentation.

“Just stay for another minute so that you can give a final evaluation to my supervisor.”

We waited for a few more minutes until another person came to “close us out.” Instead, he made us one final offer. Pay $1700 now and we will give you a vacation to one of our prime locations and give you a full year to freeze the timeshare offer.

“No, thanks.”

The man was obviously disppointed and said that he would lead us back to the elevators. As we walked out, we passed our sales rep who was already scrolling through her phone and seemed disappointed as well. We said thank you to her but she didn’t even lift her head to acknowledge us.

I guess all the friendly vibes were gone.

On the way back to our vacation accommodations, Liz and I relived all our other sales presentations and compared notes on our most recent experience. We noticed similar strategies which I listed above.

As I thought about the whole experience more, it hit me how often gospel presentations run along similar tracks.

We use young, vibrant, attractive personalities. We market with free offers and slick multimedia. We only show the “Kodak moments” of faith and family. We appeal to people’s desires to have “their best life now.” We “sell” all the benefits of believing in Jesus. And we even give out free cookies and coffee!

I wondered if the world sees the gospel like a timeshare presentation.

Just another “deal” for those who need something more in their life, offered by sun-tanned, superficial sales people who are friendly and smiling as long as you are interested and have an open pocket book.

Lord, help us.

The gospel is not a sales pitch. It is the announcement of what Jesus Christ has done in time-space history.

He died for our sins on the cross.

He rose again to defeat death.

He accomplished what we were powerless to accomplish.

He offers freely what we desperately need.

Forgiveness.

Redemption.

Regeneration.

Reconciliation.

Relationship with our Creator…the One who made us, designed us, knows us, loves us.

Offered by grace.

Received through faith.

Yes, there are benefits to the gospel but they are all encompassed within fellowship with God through Jesus Christ.

It is like a marriage.

It is a violation of the heart of relationship to “sell” someone on the benefits of marriage. The benefits are the result of the relationship not the reason for it.

The gospel is not an offer for a happier, healthier, wealthier life. It is an invitation into a life of following Christ, coming to Him, taking His yoke upon you, trusting in Him, resting in Him…and suffering with Him, being conformed to His image.

It is not “your best life now” but “your crucified life now,” knowing that whatever struggles, pain, and suffering you encounter in this life are working toward an eternal weight of glory.

It is a call to die to yourself to find true life in Christ.

And as followers of Christ, we don’t market, package, sell, or rope people into the gospel.

We simply bear witness to what Christ has done.

We don’t save anyone.

Only the Spirit can open blind eyes, soften hard hearts, and resurrect dead spirits.

We sow and water.

Only God sprouts life.

This is the real good news in a sin-broken world.

Better than a timeshare.

Better than a dream vacation.

Better than a trip to Disney.

We are invited into the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of heaven coming to earth.

Where there is no more disease, disaster, pain, or tears.

No more sin.

No more death.

An eternal feast.

And I’m pretty sure there will be coffee and cookies for dessert.

———————————————–

You make known to me the path of life;
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)

I think I have finally put my finger on something.

I have felt it at different times.

Being a pastor exposes you to people’s expectations.

“What are people looking for in a pastor?”

“What do they expect from me?”

I have my own expectations as well which often feel impossible to live up to.

But I think I am beginning to figure some things out.

A few recent interactions have helped me piece some things together.

First, someone sent me a long article written by an attorney basically blaming the whole continuing COVID epidemic on pastors. It was an aggressive article telling pastors to “do your job!” Speak out! Tell people what is really going on behind the scenes! Give out the “real facts” on vaccines.

The real kicker was this.

Pastors should be the ones going down to all these public school board meetings, standing up, preaching fiery sermons that get recorded, and then going viral on YouTube with over one million views.

In other words, pastors can save our nation if they can just make viral YouTube videos where they really tell someone off in a public forum.

Next was someone who was deeply offended that I shared some of my weaknesses and struggles in a public setting. It wasn’t that I said anything inappropriate but that I had exposed a side of myself that was not “strong, bold, courageous, and always sure of myself.”

I was somewhat taken back.

David wrote out many of his struggles, doubts, and weaknesss in psalms that were sung in the congregations of Israel.

Paul boasted in his weaknesses and infirmities in order that Christ could be magnified more in his body.

Yet I discovered that some don’t want me to speak of my weaknesses or show any vulnerability. It somehow diminishes my position in their eyes.

Next, I have been listening to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast. It has been an interesting documentary on the ministry of Mark Driscoll and the Mars Hill church in Seattle. There’s much that I admire about Driscoll’s ministry. He was bold, strong, and faithful to preach Scripture. He impacted a city like Seattle with the gospel. But it all came crashing down in a matter of weeks, leaving a lot of spiritual carnage in its wake.

Why?

You will have to listen to the whole podcast to form your own opinion but at least two factors are hard to deny. One, Driscoll’s greatest strength was also his greatest weakness. His fiery boldness in the pulpit was also the only way he knew how to treat his staff and it masked a need for absolute loyalty and unchallenged authority from all who were around him. And two, people looked to him as the “face” of Mars Hill. He was their brand. He was the one who made everything click and when he fell, the whole ministry fell.

Bottom line, many people were looking to him as their spiritual foundation…as their spiritual authority…as their representative…as their spokesman…as their champion…and, can I say it, as their messiah.

We are, by nature, messiah-seekers.

We long for someone to set this world right.

We long for a prophet who shouts the truth and shuts the mouths of the critics.

We long for a priest who meets all our needs and always knows what to do.

We long for a king to defeat our enemies and make our lives safe and secure.

We are not much different than the Jews of Jesus’ day.

We want a messiah who takes care of business, who “does his job,” who takes care of all the “junk out there,” and makes our lives easier, richer, safer, securer.

We long for a champion to fight our battles.

That’s why we love to watch movies about bold, brash, and strong superheroes.

That’s why we want bold, brash, and strong politicians.

Bold, brash, and strong political commentators.

Bold, brash, and strong sports stars.

And bold, brash, and strong pastors.

We are like the people of Israel facing Goliath and wanting someone with a bold, confident faith, fearless courage, and five smooth stones to bring him to the ground.

I get it.

I am not immune to the same tendencies.

I am in the same crowd longing for the same things.

We live in a dangerous world.

Enemies are everywhere.

We are vulnerable.

We are weak.

We are mortal.

We are fearful.

We could use a superhero…a champion…a messiah.

But in the Goliath story, we are not the ultimate champions. We are not the ones with the five smooth stones that will bring down all the giants in the world.

We are not the Son of David.

We are not the Messiah.

There’s only one.

And His name is Jesus.

But much to the disappointment of the Jews of His day, He did not come to defeat their external enemies in order to make their worldly lives better.

He came to defeat sin and death.

He came to change them.

From the inside out.

To prepare them for a coming kingdom above this present world.

And most surprisingly, He did not come as a bold, brash, and strong political, military, or religious leader.

But He came as a servant.

Gentle and lowly.

Giving His life as a sacrifice.

He blew all their categories away.

He came as a Lamb.

So what does that have to do with me as a pastor?

It means that I have to take my cues from Him and not from the expectations of the world or from others or even from within myself.

As a pastor, He has told me how I am to live…what I am to do.

There are three books in the New Testament, called the Pastoral Epistles, which define my role and my calling.

First and foremost, I am to follow Him…model His character.

The pastoral role is above all a ministry of character over charisma…faithfulness over fiery sermons…servanthood over superhero feats.

An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching, not overindulging in wine, not a bully, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:2-7)

I am to be strong in the faith, discipline myself toward godliness, be patient toward all, teach the Word, preach the Word, love the Word, model the Word, pass on the Word to the next generation.

Feed Christ’s sheep.

Care for Christ’s sheep.

Everything else is lagniappe.

I recently read this quote from Matthew Henry, a faithful pastor from the 17th century:

Examples will govern more than rules. The greatest obstructer of the success of the Word are those whose bad lives contradict their good doctrine, who in the pulpit preach so well that it is a pity they should ever come out, and out of the pulpit live so ill that it is a pity they should ever come in.

A thousand fiery sermons mean nothing if one’s character crashes in the end.

And the same goes for every believer.

You are called to follow Jesus.

You are called to model His character.

Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.

The New Testament letters to the churches tell you how to live in this present age.

Live soberly. Live righteously. Live godly lives.

Don’t live in fear.

Fix your eyes on Jesus.

Hold firm to the faith.

Speak the truth in love.

Let your speech always be with grace.

Sow the seeds of the gospel.

And leave the rest up to God.

The world has enough bold, brash people making viral YouTube videos.

It needs faithful followers of Jesus ministering to their neighbor in the quietness of the day.

The world is still searching for messiahs.

But we already have one.

The Sacrificial Lamb.

The Risen Savior.

The Coming King.

So stop looking to superheroes, stars, politicians, pundits, experts, scientists, preachers, or pastors to save you.

Look to Him.

 

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you. (Titus 2:11-15)

Hurricane Ida was one of the most destructive hurricances to hit the United States. The damage is still being assessed. Over a million people are still without power. Many communities may never be fully restored.

On Saturday night, as the storm approached, the eye of the storm was projected to pass directly over our house.

That was sobering.

Thankfully (for us) the storm shifted twenty miles to our east, lessening the impact in our area…though, unfortunately, increasing the impact elsewhere.

Sitting here three days after the storm, a few thoughts have crossed my mind.

1. Life can change very quickly. On Thursday morning, I was planning to play golf with a friend on Monday morning. By Thursday afternoon, I was beginning to prepare for a major hurricane. The storm developed quickly…and life changed quickly. We are always one day away from a life-altering event…thus we should appreciate every day as a gift.
2. We are not as strong as we think we are. A storm of this magnitude reminds you of your smallness. The power of 150 mph winds, the force of storm surge, the energy inherent in a hurricane, all testify to a power way beyond us.
3. Technology cannot save us. Technology and science are wonderful. They make our lives better and more convenient. But in the case of a storm, they can only tell us the details of the storm. They cannot stop it.
4. Fear is crippling. Speaking of technology…all the details of the storm only make our fears increase. Watching the Weather Channel is almost hypnotizing. We are drawn in to fear. Something inside of us knows that we are vulnerable…and something inside of us longs for some type of salvation.
5. We need family and friends. In the aftermath of a storm, it is vital to have family, friends, neighbors, and a church that can help. We like to think we are independent and can handle things on our own…but that is simply not true.
6. We are losing a sense of community. Neighbors helping neighbors seems to be a fading memory. We are becoming increasingly isolated. Few people even know their neighbors today…much less trust them.
7. Government is limited. With the breakdown of the family and the loss of community, people are becoming more and more dependent on the help of the government. For many people, the government is literally their only safety net. But government is limited. They can provide some assistance but they can’t solve a person’s deepest needs in the midst of a tragedy.
8. The further the solution is from the problem, the less reliable and helpful it is. Piggybacking on the above point…government is limited because it really isn’t close enough relationally to know what the true needs are. Thus, either the true needs are not met or corruption enters the picture through the hands of intermediaries. We need people next to us through a storm not sitting in an office in DC.
9. We are more dependent on electricity and water than we realize. Being without power for one or two days is inconvenient but doable. Longer days and weeks without power, and without a reliable water supply, begin to show how dependent we are on these things. It creates panic. It evokes anger. It exposes selfishness. And it cripples all of life.
10. We are more dependent on God than we realize. We like to think that we are in control…but we are not. We never really are. The universe runs on a power that is infinitely stronger than us and beyond us. We can’t control the rotation of the earth or the orbit around the sun. We can’t even control the basic processes of our own bodies…the beating of the heart, the oxygenization of the blood, the functioning and regeneration of our 50 trillion cells. We are contingent creatures…dependent every day on our Creator who sustains us.
11. Creation is groaning. Every disaster…every disease…every death reminds us that there is something desperately wrong with our world…something that government, science, technology, or education can’t fix. We live in a world impacted by sin. A broken world. And only a Savior with power over sin and death can save us.
12. Our only true hope is Jesus Christ. Maybe it sounds like a cliche, but every storm…every tragedy…every death reminds me that I need a hope beyond the grave. I need a Savior who can calm the storms. I need a Savior who can change hearts. I need a Savior who can conquer death. I need a Savior who loves me enough to die for me…and to carry me through the difficulties of life. And there is only One…Jesus Christ.

Storms have a way of interrupting life and giving us time to reflect. They teach us what really matters…and what really does not.

I am thankful that this storm reminded me why I have put my faith in Jesus Christ.

He is sufficient for any storm.

And He is sufficient for me.

I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages. (Charles Spurgeon)