Read at beginning of message:
Mark 12:28-34 (NIV)
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” 32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
One of the most destructive influences we have in our society is described best by the term individualism. Individualism is when “I” am number one. Individualism is when “me” is the most important word in your vocabulary. Individualism is at the heart of the phrase, “looking out for number 1″
Sadly individualism is a major attitude of our culture. In the movie Antz, worker ant Z represents that attitude quite well?
All my life I have lived and worked in the big city, which, now that I think of it, is a problem. Since I always feel uncomfortable around crowds?I mean I have this fear of enclosed space. Everything makes me feel trapped all the time. I always tell myself that there has to be something better out there, but maybe I think too much. I think everything must go back to the thought that I had a very anxious childhood, you know; my mother never had time for me. You know, when you?re the middle child of five million you don?t get any attention. I mean how is it possible? And I have always had this abandonment issue, which plagues me. My father was basically a drone, like I?ve said. And, you know, he flew away when I was just a larva. And my job?don?t even get me started on it because it really annoys me. I was not cut out to be a worker?I?ll tell you that right now. I feel physically inadequate. My whole life I have never been able to lift more than ten times my own body weight. And when you get down to it, handling dirt, you know, is not my idea of a rewarding career. It is the whole gung-ho super organization I can?t get?I have tried but I can?t get it. What is it? I am supposed to be doing everything for the colony. And what about my needs? What about me? I gotta believe there is some place out there that?s better than this. Otherwise, I will just curl up in a larva position and weep. The whole system makes me feel insignificant.
Many of us share the feelings articulated by worker ant Z. “What about my needs? What about me?” Haven?t we all shown that face from time to time? We live in an individualistic society.
Randy Frazee, author of The Connecting Church, defines individualism as “a way of life that makes the individual supreme or sovereign over everything.” The fruit of individualism that he lists against their counter-parts define our culture–thinking of myself over thinking of others; Law-suits over reconciliation; Individual rights over community responsibilities; Career advancement over company loyalty; Cynicism over trust; and relative truth (truth defined by and for each individual) over absolute truth.
The church, of course, exists to be a counter-culture to an individualistic society. That counter-culture was taught and modeled by our own leader and Lord, Jesus the Messiah. Sweating in the garden, he said, “If it is possible take this cup from me. But not MY will, but yours be done.” And later, we catch him dying a cruel death, even though he was without wrong, all for the sake of others. The church should represent this anti-individualism in the way we live out our faith.
But instead, the same attitude that prevails in our world prevails in us.
I read the story this week of a pastor who was confronted by a woman in his church after he preached a message on John 16, where Jesus himself said he would send the Holy Spirit whom, and I quote, “will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.” (John 16:8)The woman argued that the Holy Spirit came only as a comforter and counselor and does not convict people in the world. She had established her own truth with whatever was comfortable for her regardless of what Scripture clearly said. Believe me, the church is not immune from the problem of individualism and the relativism it creates.
Once that happens, we have no standard of conduct.
In a church filled with individualism, immorality runs amok. Among us will be those who rationalize sexual immorality, drunkenness, get-evenism, and the like. And we ought to know that as much as religion can keep us in bondage to the law, so can immorality keep us in bondage to sin. There is nothing triumphant in the life that chooses its own boundaries for morality.
Another effect that individualism has on the church is self-dependence.
When we exalt ourselves to the highest place, we carry on without God. We might do things in the name of God, but we are relying on our own strength, power and wisdom. God is offended by this AND you?ll never know the glory he can receive through you as long as you live this way.
Individualism in the church breeds consumerism
You know, the “feed me” approach to church. Consumer Christians come and say “gimme, gimme, gimme” like a kid at a carnival, never asking what it is that they are supposed to give of, themselves. These people drain the church of its resources, lend little help, and leave at the first sign of discomfort. Now I?ve got a question for you ? if you were a soldier in an army would you want to serve alongside someone like that?
Division in the church always finds individualism at its roots. Personal agendas, pet programs, position and power are the badges of individualism. Ultimately, individualism in the church makes us ineffective toward fulfilling the Great Commission. How can we have a passion to go into all the world when we can?t even muster up the humility to get outside of ourselves? There is nothing of individualism in our Lord Jesus, thus there ought not to be anything of individualism in us.
The United States of America was suddenly awakened to the reality that they were something greater than a collection of individuals in September of last year. When the walls of the World Trade Center came crashing down, people in America broke through the walls of individualism to come together in the face of tragedy. People all across that nation waited for hours to give of their own blood. Charitable giving to the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and to the police and firefighter funds reached into the hundreds of millions as people gave of their own money. People gave their own hearts and shed their own tears at rallies and remembrances around the world. Fathers and mothers were ready to give up their own sons, who would risk their own lives in the battle for freedom.
The people of the United States were awakened to a number of commonalities they did not realize existed before that dreadful tragedy. Today they share a common grief, a common sense of justice, a common hope, and a common purpose. For the first time in generations, they all embraced the same leadership, the same president, and the same need of God. Yet as we look at that nation one year later we find that while the wounds are still fresh and the conviction for justice still remains there has been a slide back to the individualism that is so prevalent in our society. (mention the hawkers by the World Trade Center)
If we really want God?s blessings, we?ll listen to God?s words. God?s words fly in the face of individualism.
“The greatest commandment,” Jesus said, “is to love God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mk. 12:30-31)
This theme ran throughout the teachings of Paul. To the Roman believers
Romans 15:2 (NIV)2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
To the church in Corinth:
1 Corinthians 10:24 (NIV)
24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
To the church in Philippi:
Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
An alarm needs to be sounded to alert people to the problem of individualism ? I believe that alarm was sounded on September 11, 2001. But there are far too many people who are hitting the snooze button. The church ought to provide the light that prevents them from hitting the snooze button and reverting to old, destructive, self-seeking and self-serving attitudes. And the only thing that will keep us from collectively rolling over in our bed of apathy is a strong call to the cross of Christ and to genuine Christian community.
I say a call to the cross of Christ and to genuine community because it is not enough to simply get together. There is nothing sustaining in a meeting of people. And much of what we have seen and experienced in our meeting together has not been under the cross of Christ and, as such, has not been genuine Christian community. If we gather as individuals who are consumed with our own wants and needs, we are not in submission to the cross and we are not providing an outlet for those who are beginning to understand we need each other. Princeton professor Robert Wuthnow suggested that “small groups mainly provide occasions for individuals to focus on themselves in the presence of others.” If that is your intent in meeting with others, you are dimming the light that God is giving an empty, individualistic world.
In Overcoming Loneliness in Everyday Life, two Boston psychiatrists, Jacqueline Olds and Richard Schwartz, suggest that because of their episodic nature, groups “fail to replicate the sense of belonging we have lost. Attending weekly meetings, dropping in and out as one pleases, shopping around for a more satisfactory or appealing group?all of these factors work against the growth of true community.”
Instead, the church ought to be a release from the individualistic world. Everything about our Savior suggests that true love and light is found in becoming a servant to all. Healthy, others-oriented, Great Commission-minded communities of grace and hope will provide a counter-cultural alternative to a nation and a world that has for too long been crying out loud “Me! Me! Me! What about my needs? What about me?” The eyes are open. Will you provide the light?
Allow me to suggest two positive ways to break the power of individualism as I?ve just described.
First of all, let Jesus be the sovereign and supreme One.
Lay down your own individualism and give him the right to rule. He bought that right with the shedding of his own blood, so that you may be forgiven and dead to that “me-first” attitude.
A.B. Simpson, the founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, wrote a hymn that helps us ask Christ to be first. It?s called, “Not I, But Christ.” If your desire is to escape the trap of “me first” and take up Jesus command to put others first, I invite you to apply these words to your own life?
Not I, but Christ be honored, loved, exalted; Not I but Christ be seen, be known, be heard
Not I, but Christ in every look and action; Not I but Christ in every thought and word
O to be saved from myself, dear Lord! O to be lost in Thee!
O that it might be no more I, but Christ that lives in me!
Christ, only Christ, no idle word e?er falling; Christ, only Christ, no needless bustling sound
Christ, only Christ, no self-important bearing; Christ, only Christ, no trace of “I” be found
O to be saved from myself, dear Lord! O to be lost in Thee!
O that it might be no more I, but Christ that lives in me!
The second way to break the power of individualism is to commit to a Koinonia group and help it become a genuine Christian community that is counter to this world.
Get involved in a group and ask God to show you how you can love and serve others in that small group community. Wouldn?t it be great to see a multitude of Koinonia Groups in this city where people walk in and say, “See how they love one another?” Let me tell you, people aren?t walking into the grocery store and saying that about the crowd in there. They don?t say it when they walk into the bar, or the slot machines, or the bowling alley, or at the sports stadium, or at work, or anywhere else. Wouldn?t it be great to be that place where people can come in and exhale and then breathe in again the breath of fresh air that exists in a group of people that really have the best interests of others at heart?
I believe that people are starting to realize that in our world individualism (living for yourself) is not where it?s at and is leading to more problems than solutions? Haven?t you? Let?s provide them an alternative that is loving and lasting and enlightening. Let?s give them true community. Genuine community. With Christ and his love and his word at the very center.